Skills
About
Kathleen Lucente is the founder and president of Red Fan Communications, an Austin-based strategic communications firm that partners with high-growth B2B technology and consumer brands to drive visibility, growth, and successful exits. With over 30 years of experience spanning both agency and corporate environments, Kathleen has developed a reputation for architecting communications strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes. As a trusted advisor to CEOs and CMOs, Kathleen specializes in helping companies navigate critical inflection points—whether positioning for rapid growth, preparing for funding rounds, or orchestrating successful IPOs and acquisitions. Her expertise lies in building comprehensive brand narratives that resonate with investors, attract top talent, and create meaningful connections with target audiences. Under Kathleen's leadership, Red Fan Communications has become known for its customized approach to strategic communications, combining deep industry knowledge with agile execution to help clients break through in competitive markets. Her work has supported numerous successful exits and funding rounds, while establishing lasting brand equity for companies across diverse sectors. Beyond her role at Red Fan, Kathleen actively contributes to the broader business community as a member of the Forbes Agency Council and through her board positions with Austin Gives and the ABC Kite Festival, America's oldest kite festival. She regularly shares insights on brand building and strategic communications through her #AskKathleen YouTube series, where she addresses the critical questions facing today's business leaders. Kathleen's leadership philosophy centers on constant evolution and learning, reflected in her current focus on business culture transformation through works like Ben Horowitz's "What You Do Is Who You Are." When not crafting strategic narratives for clients, she can be found gathering with family around her Austin fire pit, where she believes the best stories often come to life. Connect with Kathleen at kathleen@redfancommunications.com to discuss how strategic communications can accelerate your company's growth trajectory.

Kathleen Lucente
Published content

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Here's how to master daily leadership responsibilities without burning out. What does an effective leader look like? Oftentimes, what comes to mind is an individual who can successfully balance daily workflow, foster positive team relations, and handle an unforeseen crisis calmly and collectively. But strong leaders have another secret ingredient up their sleeves. They realize how important it is to manage their most valuable resources: time and energy. As a leader, being intentional about where to invest your focus can significantly enhance your productivity. Below, 20 Fast Company Executive Board members share their insights on other tried and true habits every successful executive should practice regularly.

expert panel
Leadership isn't just adapting to technology—it's being redefined by it. Technological advancements continue to push digital transformation forward and change the way businesses operate. In response to this, leadership styles and best practices are shifting toward greater agility, collaboration and real-time decision-making. To help you navigate these shifts, the members of Fast Company Executive Board share practical tips for leading successfully in a technology-driven landscape. Here's how they recommend guiding innovation, balancing digital tools with human insight and building more flexible, connected organizations.

expert panel
Learn how to build strong, effective partnerships with virtual assistant agencies to support your business’s long-term growth. As the demand for virtual assistants grows, many companies are turning to VA agencies to access skilled support without the overhead of traditional hiring. However, building a strong, effective partnership with these agencies requires work beyond just hiring the first service provider you find. To help leaders establish the right foundation, Fast Company Executive Board members share their best practices for partnering with a virtual assistant agency. Their insights offer practical strategies to encourage clear communication, align expectations, and create a productive relationship that supports your business’s growth.

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Much like choosing the perfect gift for someone, companies must deeply understand their clients' needs to deliver value.

expert panel
19 business leaders debate whether traditional email is outdated, or if it still has its place. With the evolution of today's digitized world, having tools like SMS and MMS text messaging, and various social media platforms at our fingertips, provides instant gratification in communication. But there is a time and space for everything—and that's where email comes in as what some leaders still consider a reliable, professional and safe method to connect. Below, 19 experts from Fast Company Executive Board weigh in on the relevancy of email communication for business, networking, and personal purposes in 2025.

expert panel
Feb 14, 2025
Apply these principles to stay relevant and keep up with the care and concerns of your community of followers. There are so many daily responsibilities that an entrepreneur will need to juggle effectively if they plan to grow their business past the five-year milestone. Hiring a reliable, capable team is the first step to taking some of the load off. To stay connected with current clients and potentially reach new ones in today's digital world, one area that companies cannot afford to sleep on is developing a regular social media presence that engages and educates consumers about the brand. Here, 18 leading experts from Fast Company Executive Board each weigh in on one best practice every busy entrepreneur must implement (and why), no matter what.
Company details
Red Fan Communications
Company bio
Red Fan Communications is a strategic, integrated communications partner for dynamic B2B and technology brands. The full-service senior consultancy helps high-growth and established businesses build and sustain their brand reputations. Established in 2008 by marketing and communications industry veteran Kathleen Lucente, the firm delivers communication platforms that map to clients’ business goals, resonate with key audiences, strengthen brand identity and deliver measurable results. Red Fan Communications pushes the boundaries for clients, blending traditional and nontraditional communications strategies and tactics to craft customized campaigns that position brands as market leaders, support sales, engage customers and stakeholders and build brand awareness.