People
Gino Colangelo, President, Partner
Gino founded Colangelo & Partners Public Relations in 2006 after spending over 10 years with Dentsu Communications developing new business and creating and overseeing the implementation of communications programs. Before Dentsu, Gino spent 10 years in his own retail business, giving him real world business experience often lacking in the agency world. In addition to food, wine and spirits experience with Winebow, Mionetto Prosecco, Partida Tequila, Suntory Yamazaki Whisky and others, Gino has created communications programs for the Siemens Foundation, Olympus, Japan Airlines, Chinatown Tourism and many other technology, non-profit and travel trade Clients.
Michael Colangelo, Chief Operating Officer, Partner
Michael has owned and operated several businesses over his 25-year entrepreneurial career. He started out in the language education business in Osaka, Japan and from there branched into the specialty tour and travel industry. Most recently, Michael entered the transportation industry, where he has grown his company into one of New York City's largest tour and charter bus companies. He is the owner of Michaelny, an English-language teaching Bed & Breakfast in New York City. He is fluent in Japanese.
Lainie Friedman, VP, Media Relations, Partner
Lainie is a seasoned public relations specialist who has worked with numerous wine, spirit and lifestyle brands including Winebow, Partida Tequila, Averna, G'Vine Gin, Christiania Vodka, Heineken, Schiefflin & Somerset (Hennessy, Moet & Chandon, Dom Perignon), Allied Domecq (Maker's Mark, Laphroaig, Glendronach, Scapa, Tormore) and Jean Mark XO Vodka. Lainie develops media relations strategies and pitches the press on an on-going, proactive basis. Over the years Lainie has cultivated solid relationships with key trade and consumer press and has placed stories in such publications as GQ, Food & Wine, Forbes, Newsweek, Playboy, Robb Report, and The New York Times, as well as coordinated segments on Good Morning America and other broadcast news programs.
Dario Chiarini, Account Supervisor, Partner
Dario joined CPR in February 2007 after a three year stint at Dentsu Communications. Dario manages accounts in the Food, Wine, Travel & Hospitality industries such as Averna, Garofalo Pasta, Urbani Tartufi, Speck Alto Adige/Asiago and Zardetto Prosecco. In addition to his marketing communications experience, Dario brings a wealth of experience working with the food & wine trade, which has proven to be a competitive advantage for CPR. Understanding the challenges within this industry has been particularly useful in product/brand launches for clients such as Partida Tequila, Suntory, Vinitaly, Speck Alto Adige and Asiago.
Prior to joining DCI, Dario worked at the Italian Trade Commissions New York office (ITC). At the ITC, Dario managed a multi-faceted communications campaign, called Naturalmente Italiano, which was designed to promote awareness for food & wine producers from all of the 20 regions of Italy. Dario assisted small and medium-size Italian companies with introductions to the U.S. partners, development of communications strategies, events, promotions, product sampling, market analysis and import guidelines.
Dario holds a B.A. in International Relations from Michigan State University and is fluent in Italian. Prior to moving to New York, Dario lived in Rome, Italy, where he worked as a freelance event organizer and marketing consultant.