Brian Cohen

Brainstormer, Concerned citizen, Entrepreneur, Investor, Social entrepreneur, World traveler

Founder/President iFluence Public Relations - NYC based digital influence PR agency. Vice Chairman, New York Angels - largest Angel Group in the United States. Also, founded GoodCauseCommunications.org, the first 501C3 strategic public relations agency dedicated to providing extremely low-cost, high quality counsel to select non-profit organizations. It provides wire services and volunteer matching support through GoodCauseNews.org and PublicRelationsCares.org Founded GlobalComm/TSI (Technology Solutions, Inc.) in 1983 with his wife Carol. TSI was the first science and technology strategic marketing and public relations agency in New York and one of the first such specialists in the United States. In 1996, TSI was recognized as the #1 fastest growing strategic marketing agency in the United States. Nearing 200 employees with 5 offices, he sold the company to The McCann Erickson World Group, part of the Interpublic Group of Companies in 1998. As a hallmark of TSI’s collaborative work with hundreds companies during its 17-year tenure, it began a 14-year partnership with Sony Corporation of America in 1986. During that time, TSI provided strategic communications counsel to all Sony’s computer, business professional, and consumer products divisions introducing countless numbers of “bleeding-edge” products. In that same year, TSI began a 12-year alliance with the IBM Corporation that grew to represent more than 50 divisions, providing all levels strategic communications/media relations counsel. Brian provided ongoing media training to IBM executive management on how to talk to and develop sustainable relationships with the media and analyst communities. As a testament to the success of this relationship, TSI received the Gold CIPRA award (#1 Public Relations program) in 1998 for the IBM Deep Blue/Gary Kasparov Chess Match concept development and public relations program. Brian created and instituted the RPM (Rapid Publicity Marketing) model of strategic communications. This smart/fast and tightly integrated approach to publicity gave clients a quick market edge and was designed to discover and leverage a company's core strengths as well as mitigate their destructive weaknesses. TSI’s client list read like an entrepreneurial who’s who list of leading technology companies in computing, communication, software, education, and entertainment all supported by an integrated matrix of professionals in research, strategic planning, media placement, video production and event management. Additionally, Brian started Focus Technology, a focus group business providing qualitative research and beta site creation and evaluation services. Brian provided all development and moderating support. Before launching TSI, Brian was a founding publisher of Computer Systems News and Publisher of InformationWeek magazine at CMP Publications. As a graduate student, he worked on pioneering computer trade publications including Personal Computing Magazine and Minicomputer News from Benwill Publishing. Brian received two Honor B.S. degrees from Syracuse University in Biology and Rhetoric/Speech Communications. He also received a Masters Degree in Science & Technology Communications from Boston University’s School of Public Communications in 1978 and currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board of Directors. He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2008. He is also on the board of directors of the New York Angels. Also serves on the board of People For The American Way.

Finding collaborative ways to fix the world through personal media communications

Creating an organization that gets everyone talking about the good things people are doing around the world.

Focus Group Research, Science & Technology Communications