Shawn Ramsey, Founder and CEO

Shawn Ramsey has more than 13 years of experience building strategic public relations programs, both in-house and within an agency. Before founding Crossroads Public Relations in 2003, Shawn was responsible for leading public relations efforts at TogetherSoft, contributing to the company’s successful exit – a $210 million acquisition by Borland Corporation.

Prior to TogetherSoft, Shawn served as director of public relations and marketing for truePilot, an early-stage investment firm and as manager of public relations at OpenSite, an online auction technology provider. At OpenSite, she drove pre-IPO communications; built the customer PR program to secure 75+ customer references and 20 case studies; and contributed to a successful acquisition by Siebel Systems for $542 million.

Shawn also spent three years at Brodeur Worldwide where she managed strategic public relations initiatives for a number of clients including IBM. Prior to Brodeur, Shawn served as a marketing account manager at Nortel, where she drove a 50 percent increase in retail sales and product placements.

Throughout her career, Shawn has helped clients build awareness and credibility with placements in key media outlets including ABC News, Business Week, CNET, Forbes, InternetWeek, Red Herring, The New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today.

Shawn has a Master of Arts in Communications, Public Relations and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, Public Relations from Marshall University in West Virginia.

Kristi brings more than eleven years of experience in high-tech public relations and marketing for companies of all sizes from emerging growth to established leaders. Having worked both in-house and at multiple high-tech national PR firms, Kristi has launched dozens of companies and products in a wide variety of industries and specializes in building strategic communications programs including acquisition/merger, IPO and privatization communications.

Prior to Crossroads PR, Kristi worked with several RTP-based technology companies including TogetherSoft as the public relations manager where she was responsible for building credibility for the company, its products and its management which helped lead to a successful $210m acquisition by Borland Corporation.

Kristi also served as a director at RFBinder Partners (previously Ruder Finn), where she was responsible for building the agency’s high tech practice both in RTP as well as in Boston, MA. Prior to RFBinder she served as public relations manager for OpenSite Technologies which sold to Siebel Systems for more than $500 million in May 1999. Kristi began her career at Brodeur Worldwide.

Under her guidance her team has garnered numerous business media placements in publications such as NY Times, Business Week, Forbes, Red Herring, Baseline, CFO and CIO as well as dozens of placements in computer trade publications such as Information Week, Network World, Network Computing, Computerworld, and CNET.

Kristi has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business with a concentration in Marketing from Meredith College. In addition, Kristi was a recent winner of the Business Journal's 40 Under 40 award.

Molly comes to Crossroads PR with 12 years experience in PR and technical writing. Focusing on creating strategic PR programs designed to be integrated with a client’s overall sales and marketing strategy, she also specializes in the creation and execution of thought leadership initiatives. Molly’s areas of expertise include emerging media platforms and internet marketing (i.e., online advertising, email marketing) as well as pharma and life science verticals.

Molly has secured client placements in top tier media outlets including Entrepreneur Magazine, ClickZ, Internet Retailer, OMMA magazine, MarketingVOX, MediaPost, BtoB, Purchasing magazine, Bio IT World, Genetic Engineering News, Pharmaceutical Executive, University Business, and Supply and Demand Chain Executive. She has placed bylined client articles in iMedia Connection, OMMA, E-Commerce Times, DMNews, and Supply Management. Molly has also obtained high visibility speaking engagements for clients at leading industry events such as ad:tech, iMedia Brand Summit, AdMonsters and ABM American Business Media.

Prior to joining Crossroads PR, she has worked with industry leaders such as Veritas, Siebel Systems (formerly OpenSite Technologies), and General Dynamics (formerly GTE Government Systems.) Molly is currently an Advisory Board member for DivineCaroline, the first website under development by Real Girls Media, a newly created digital network.

Molly has a Bachelor of Science in Applied Sociology from North Carolina State University.

Cindy brings more than 10 years of marketing experience to Crossroads PR. She has a keen understanding of interactive marketing and began utilizing blogs as part of an integrated marketing strategy in December of 2003.

Previously, Cindy was marketing manager at Fortune Interactive, a start-up interactive marketing firm. While at Fortune Interactive, she spearheaded all marketing efforts as well as created and launched firm’s social media monitoring service. Prior to that, Cindy was a senior account supervisor at PR firm French/West/Vaughan and also spent four years at UAI Technology.

She has secured clients media placements in outlets such as Investors Business Daily, The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, San Jose Mercury News, Dow Jones Newswire, ClickZ, InternetNews as well as on CNBC and NPR. In addition, she has secured clients mentions on influential industry blogs including Search Engine Watch, Search Engine Journal, Micro Persuasion, Search Blog and the CNET blog.

Cindy has been a national finalist for three SABRE Awards (superior achievement in branding and reputation) and won two Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication from the Raleigh Public Relations Society. Her consumer campaign on behalf of the International Gemological Institute was highlighted as a case study in PRNews and named one of the best campaigns in the country by PR commentator Paul Holmes (annual Holmes Reports 100 Best PR Programs publication).

Cindy has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Boston College.

Based in Silicon Valley, California, Read brings more than 12 years of diversified public relations and marketing experience managing programs for industry leaders like Sun Microsystems, Oracle, BEA, Siebel, SCO, Borland, BMC Software, PGP, Mindjet, and Ernst & Young.

Most recently, Read designed and executed a global marketing and public relations campaign for Nimsoft, Inc, a leading provider of service-level management for companies of all enterprises. The three-year market development program helped Nimsoft rapidly grow revenues to the high double digits -- evidence of marketing success and a performance-driven approach. Prior to her position at Nimsoft, Read provided strategic PR counsel for more than five years to Sun Microsystems, where she executed business-critical outcomes for the Sun Partner Program. In this post, she was responsible for promoting the global Sun-Oracle alliance, with solutions in inter-network business computing, grid computing, and the data-driven enterprise.

Read has served on both the corporate and agency side covering a breadth of high-tech, vertical industry and consumer markets. Read’s marketing background includes supporting software development and management, digital media, independent software vendors, integrators and resellers, OEMs, e-commerce providers, and telecom equipment and communications service companies (ISPs, Wireless, Cable, VoIP, and OSS/BSS).

Read holds a master’s degree in communications from San Jose State University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Francisco State University. She is fluent in Italian and conversant in Spanish.

Amy Needham, Account Executive

Amy Needham specializes in media relations and brings more than seven years of public relations experience managing national campaigns in a variety of industries.

Amy has a strong background in product marketing and has secured client placements in Fast Company’s “Fast 50” and Reader’s Digest “AMERICA’S 100 BEST” issue. Additionally, her award submission efforts on behalf of clients have resulted in an Internet Telephony Excellence Award and an InfoVision Award. She has received recognition for extensive public relations writing, media pitching and garnered results in national television, print and web outlets.

Previously, Amy worked for public relations firms in Fort Worth, Texas, and began her career in Washington, D.C., as an intern with Ruder Finn and then with Shirley and Banister Public Affairs assisting with national lobbying efforts.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Florida and currently serves on the board of the Raleigh Public Relations Society and the State Cap.

Jill Dykes comes to Crossroads PR with broad experience in every level of television news, from network to cable to local. Jill spent five years working as an associate producer with NBC News, where her work earned her an Emmy Nomination as well as a certificate of recognition from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. While with NBC, Jill traveled extensively to cover major breaking news and had the opportunity to work with and learn from some of America’s most seasoned television journalists, including Tom Brokaw, Matt Lauer and Jane Pauley. Assignment highlights include traveling to the Persian Gulf to cover a US Ship at war and going behind the scenes in the West Wing of the White House to document a day in the life of President Bush.

Jill has also worked as a Senior Account Executive at French/West/Vaughan, where she managed and supported consumer and technology accounts such as Maggiano’s Little Italy, Charles & Colvard created Moissanite and the International Gemological Institute. Jill has had great success in securing coverage on behalf of her clients in top-tier national print, television and web outlets. Additionally, she is the recipient of a 2005 Sir Walter Raleigh award for excellence in communications.

Jill holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Elon University and has served as a volunteer on the PR committee of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern North Carolina.