Build the communications foundation your funding demands.
k8 Communications helps newly funded startups, research studies and nonprofit programs build the communications infrastructure needed for a successful launch.
Lay the groundwork first. Always.
I'm Kate Lino, and I help newly funded organizations and programs build the communications infrastructure they need to launch with credibility.
That means starting with strategy — clarifying your positioning, defining your voice and mapping your audiences — before a single asset gets built. The messaging, website copy, collateral and materials that follow are only as strong as the foundation beneath them.
I bring more than 20 years of communications experience to that process. I’ve built the MarComm function for UNT Health's startup nursing college from the ground up in four months. And I’ve worked with a nearly $6M NIH-funded research study developing messaging, establishing cohesive branding and building audience toolkits across a complex, multi-stakeholder initiative with high funder visibility.
Before that, I spent nearly a decade at the American Heart Association's national headquarters where I collaborated with development teams to build communications strategy and budget recommendations into funding proposals from the start, including early planning for the Hands-Only CPR ($4.6M) and Know Diabetes by Heart ($26M) campaigns.
I know how these organizations work from the inside — and I know what it takes to build communications that set your program up for success.
Who we work with
k8 Communications works best for organizations and programs that have secured funding and need to build their communications from the ground up — not refresh what already exists. This typically includes:
Newly launched startups with a go-to-market deadline
NIH or foundation-funded research studies with multiple audiences and funder visibility
New programs within nonprofits and social enterprises
Organizations in healthcare, mental health, academia and social impact
If you have funding, a launch deadline and no communications infrastructure yet, you're in the right place.
Your communications foundation starts here
Sponsorship kits, program guides, event materials and more.
Annual reports, magazines and guidebooks that showcase your impact.
Concept development, scripting, creative direction and production management for impact videos and program showcases. Includes professional videography and editing.
Recent Work
Global fact sheets for annual Heart & Stroke Statistical Update with content strategy and design coordination.
American Heart Association
Annual magazine content strategy & video production showcasing new nursing school’s impact.
UNT Health College of Nursing
Ready to get started?
If your organization has funding and needs to build its communications foundation, let's talk!
