Melanie Santostefano is the Founder and President of Vicarious Multimedia  and St. Steven Public Relations, firms that specialize in marketing, public relations, public information, crisis communications and political consulting. Since 2015, she and her teams have advised corporate, nonprofit and local government leaders, as well as elected officials on strategic messaging, storytelling, and stakeholder engagement. With nearly 25 years of experience in communications, including radio broadcast and digital journalism, Melanie offers extensive expertise in helping organizations craft narratives that connect with their target demographics and the public at-large.

In addition to her client work, Melanie has led workshops on various communication strategies, including crisis communications, through sessions with Northern Illinois University’s Civic Leadership Academy, Elgin Community College, and as an educational speaker at conferences for the Illinois City-County Management Association (ILCMA) and the Illinois Municipal League. She is also the co-host of ILCMA’s Local Gov Stories podcast.

Melanie and her companies have earned numerous awards, such as multiple “Business Leader of the Year” honors, the Daily Herald’s “Influential Women in Business,” Enterprising Women of the Year, and Golden Trumpet Awards from the Publicity Club of Chicago.