Tess Pawlisch

communications advisor

Tess is the founder and CEO of Needle PR, a communications agency dedicated to championing values-driven brands. Tess has 15 years of experience in elevating underrepresented voices, from Washington, D.C. to Silicon Valley. She began her career in politics at 15, working on the historic recall campaign of Governor Scott Walker and later leading fundraising and communications programs for high-profile political campaigns and non-profits. In 2019, Tess began helping mission-driven startups and VC firms through strategic communications. Since founding Needle in 2023, she has supported clients in artificial intelligence, blockchain, climate, and healthcare. Tess holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and participated in the Women's Leadership Program at The George Washington University.