Our Story
Headquartered in Central California, 1903 PR was founded by Katherine Verducci and Santiago Villegas after their tenure in communications and public relations for in-house organizations and agencies.
In 2018, the pair initiated a venture that what would become a fully-fledged agency in the coming months. With differing perspectives, yet similar lived experiences concerning the challenges that exist within the industry, they sought to create something different.
With that in mind, they formed the agency in Central California, in the heart of their hometown—an area that virtually had no public relations industry. The company was founded to create jobs and opportunities for those in the area, where none had existed before.
The agency serves as proof that extraordinary results and exceptional talent can be found outside major metropolitan areas. The founders' deep understanding of the media landscape provides them with the insight on how to position any story for any client.
While the agency's media relations strategies set them apart, they have a special mission: delivering superior outcomes for founders of non-traditional backgrounds and diversifying the business mediascape.
An Agency Formed To Deliver Extraordinary Results:
The Meaning Behind Our Name
As California natives, we identify with our state flower, the poppy. 1903 was the year California made the poppy its state flower, and with its deep roots and unmistakable style, the poppy is just as tenacious and as it is distinctive. The California poppy needs a challenge to reach its full potential, and we think 1903 Public Relations is at its best when tackling difficult problems through communications.
The more we investigated the year, the more we felt a pull to the time period. The year 1903 was a time for new technology (the Wright brothers executed the first successful manned flight), increased diversity and inclusion (the first women’s suffrage union was formed and the stirrings of what would become the civil rights movement took hold), and the recognition that strategic publicity can elevate exciting events to history-making status (the first public relations agency opens its doors). This was a time when anything could happen thanks to innovation, grit, and communications.
We apply these themes as we partner with clients to transform innovative ideas into messages that influence markets. We find new ways to break through and rise above the noise. For this work, 1903 Public Relations was named the winner of a bronze Stevie Award for the Startup of the Year, Business Services Industries category of the 18th Annual American Business Awards.
