Media & Social Media Awards Judging Committee
Chair:
April White, CEO & Founder
Trust Relations Williams, Arizona, United States
Trust Relations’ CEO, April White, founded the agency she wished existed after working for many legacy PR firms, which won a gold Stevie® Award for "Woman-Run Workplace of the Year–More than 10 Employees" in 2024. An official TEDx speaker, White also won a silver Stevie® Award for “Maverick of the Year–Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations in ‘23 and a gold Stevie® Award for Most Innovative Woman of the Year–Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations in ‘22.
April worked with Fortune 100 brands at the biggest agencies in the U.S. but, after nearly 20 years in the industry, didn’t love what she saw at these legacy firms. So, she set out to change the way PR is done by ditching spin and embracing evidence — and reinventing the traditional PR agency model in the process. In the past six years, April has made a name for herself as an industry visionary who isn’t afraid to do things differently, and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is.
As a result, Trust Relations has been a PR industry disruptor since 2019. The agency doesn’t believe in spin. It doesn’t believe in arbitrary retainer fees. And it doesn’t believe in visibility for vanity’s sake. Instead, the firm offers strategic support at competitive rates that map back to clients’ goals and key differentiators. This outcome-focused approach offers brands more than awareness. It delivers congruent positioning, proof points, and thought leadership tactics that generate a synergistic feedback loop to amplify brand equity and build trust.
Trust Relations is a direct reflection of April’s fervent belief that brand trust, just as trust in people, is built through congruency. The more a brand does what it says, the more people believe and trust it. That’s why Trust Relations uses a logic equation-powered approach to develop strategic messaging that carefully evaluates brand narratives against their actual proof points and evidence.
The former award-winning newspaper reporter has experience not only with marquee brands including MasterCard Worldwide, MetLife International, Sotheby’s International Realty, Hyatt, Rosetta Stone, Petco, American Standard, The Dannon Company, YellowTail Wines, Sealed Air, and eMusic, but also with startups including Optilogic, Beekeeper, Softomotive (acquired by Microsoft), NEXT Trucking, and Suzy.
April received her B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from Iowa State University and continued studying integrated communications at Columbia University’s master’s program in Strategic Communications in New York City.
Committee:
Debbie Gilbert, CEO
Viva Business Group, South Chard, County, United Kingdom
Debbie is an award-winning businesswoman, author, podcast host, and founder of The Best Businesswomen Awards. With over 27 years of experience supporting entrepreneurs, she runs Viva Business Support, a marketing and events agency helping small businesses grow. Passionate about empowering women, Debbie is a sought-after speaker, mentor, and advocate for female entrepreneurship.
Kyle Kim-Hays, Chief Marketing Officer Oblige AI
San Francisco, California, United States
Kyle Kim-Hays is equal parts innovative marketing storyteller and software engineer, with executive level experience at both global enterprise companies (Microsoft, Warner Bros., Verizon) and at start-up entrepreneurial companies (with multiple successful exits). An AI pioneer, he holds an MBA from the mighty University of Southern California.