Arleigh Vasconcellos

Arleigh Vasconcellos is a senior communications strategist who works with innovators looking to amplify their brand's story and drive measurable results. As the founder and managing director of The Agency, an award winning boutique communications firm, Vasconcellos has over 19 years of experience and honed her skills working for global companies.

For the past 10 years she has worked with innovation and technology organizations, helping them tell their stories and execute strategic PR and marketing campaigns. Brands and companies she’s worked with include Virgin Holidays, World Travel Market, Tourism Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb, Harley Davidson, National Film Board of Canada, Platform Calgary, NACO Canada, Surex, StellarAlgo, PwC, Alberta Enterprise Corporation, Spiritleaf, Imperial, Multivista, and many more. She focuses on creating first-rate outcomes for clients with strategic communications, media training, and crisis messaging.

Vasconcellos has provided communication advising on a diverse span including finance and fintech, energy, industrial applications and IoT, agriculture and agtech, cannabis, venture capital and angel investing, government, digital applications, and non-profits. Her core expertise lies in public relations, strategic communications, media training and crisis communications.

Vasconcellos was recognized as one of the Alberta Women Entrepreneurs Celebration of Achievement Nominees in 2013 and 2014. Her firm, The Agency, was also awarded the Best Boutique Agency in North America Award (Silver) in 2018 by the Bulldog Stars of PR Awards. She has an honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of Ottawa.

As part of our strategy to build an iconic Canadian recreational retail cannabis brand, we have been working with The Agency since May of 2018. Their media relations work has helped to solidify Spiritleaf as a trusted and sought after leader in the Canadian market. The Agency has secured extensive media coverage for Spiritleaf in national publications including The Globe and Mail, Post Media, BNN, CTV and Global. They have also built awareness in industry trade press in both the retail and cannabis outlets as well as local press for each store opening. In addition to all of the media coverage they have procured, they have been instrumental in working alongside our team as a strategic partner. They have created an in-depth crisis communications plan for the company, as well as conducted media training for our retail and franchise team members to ensure they are comfortable and confident when dealing with the public.

The Agency was the answer to my question, “How do I tell my story, to the right people, in the right way, at the right time?” My work started with an author’s journey into the complex world of promotion and publicity. It continues today as they help us raise the profile of our emerging new kind of company, re-inventing the future.

The Agency is a team first and foremost. Led by the visionary and omnipresent Arleigh, it has been her ability to attract the best and brightest to the vision that has made the Agency the “go-to” firm for companies looking to get out in front of and define the narrative for their enterprise.

First-class, smart, connected and a heck of a lot of fun to work with, The Agency is the first name I mention when asked, “Who do you recommend…?

In 2017 I was looking to work with a strategic marketing and PR firm to help with building the messaging and brand around a new venture. Through the Calgary ecosystem I was referred to The Agency. Arleigh and her team are strategic thinkers who understand the bigger picture of building a thriving innovation centre and the messaging around it. They also understand the details and tactical work that needs to go into a marketing and PR program. I look forward to continuing to work with The Agency team.