Charity Brands Consulting

Stephen M. Adler –Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Adler is one of the world’s foremost authorities and resources on corporate social responsibility and cause-related marketing and branding. For over twenty years, he had led his company, Charity Brands Consulting, to capitalize on opportunities for non-profits and Fortune 500 companies to work together to achieve their mutual goals by motivating consumers and businesses to support collaborative programs, projects and promotions.

Mr. Adler started his career as a member of the Communications, Arts and Sciences faculty at Queens College and went on to establish a youth marketing firm, Inter-Collegiate Marketing, that launched the first ever youth credit card, “Don’t Leave School Without It”, for American Express. Inter-Collegiate Marketing also created success for IBM in its first national effort to sell computers in bookstores. In addition, Mr. Adler created a global calling card sold at college campuses for AT&T.

Soon after Mr. Adler formed Charity Brands, the agency was retained by large non-profit brands such as the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, and the American Cancer Society to develop corporate sponsorship initiatives. Working with these and other well-known non-profits, Mr. Adler has created corporate partnerships with many recognized brands including; Drive for the Cure with BMW to support breast cancer, QVC Super Saturday Broadcast Event to support ovarian cancer, and the launch of the American Heart Association’s Heart Check program which has appeared on over 60 billion products. Mr. Adler has also launched consumer-based programs for over 200 companies including 30 of the Fortune 50 such as Nestle, Citigroup, P&G, Campbell’s, Pfizer, and PepsiCo.

In 2006 Mr. Adler released “Cause for Concern: Results-Oriented Cause Marketing,” an insightful look at the growth of cause-related marketing and other collaborations between the corporate and non-profit worlds that help improve images and bottom lines.

He has appeared on television and radio numerous times to provide expert commentary on which organizations are the best to partner with and which corporations are the most generous. Recently, Mr. Adler has appeared on ABC’s “Money Matters,” CNBC’s “Squawk Box”, Bloomberg’s “The Bloomberg Report”, “CNN’s “Maverick in the Morning”, and is regularly interviewed for radio, newspapers and magazine articles. He has also been a keynote speaker at many trade conferences, summits, and forums.

Ira Szot – Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Szot received formal training in Advertising Design and Production in the State University of New York education system. For several years he focused on advertising creative. In the late 1970s, he was instrumental in launching and growing the nation’s largest promotional marketing agency. It was here, as Vice President of Strategic Planning, that he helped the newly emerging sales promotion industry embrace the concepts of integrated marketing and “seamless” communications.

From there, Mr. Szot joined the promotional arm of a multi-billion dollar Madison Avenue ad agency as Vice President/Creative Director. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to join Charity Brands Consulting just a year later. Vast experience in all marketing disciplines, including strategic planning, creative development, production, and account management, provides him unique insight into making all the pieces of the marketing mix work together for maximum return.

Alissa Adler – Vice President, Business Development

Miss Adler launched the West Coast branch of Charity Brands Consulting in 2009 and currently serves as Vice President of Business Development. She is responsible for the acquisition and strategic development of new and key accounts. Before opening the Los Angeles office, Miss Adler served in New York as Account Manager for various corporate and non-profit clients. Prior to her involvement at Charity Brands, Miss Adler worked in luxury good advertising sales at Condé Nast Publications, and at the Prince’s Trust Charity in London.

Miss Adler graduated from Duke University with a BA in Public Policy, with concentrations in both Business Management and French. She also studied at NYU in Paris, with a focus on International Relations. She is fluent in French and is a Certified Yoga Instructor.

Emily Mack - Vice President

Ms. Mack has been involved in the acquisition, oversight and strategic management of many of Charity Brands Consulting ’s key clients, which include the American Heart Association and the World Conference on Tobacco or Health. She is responsible for developing internal marketing plans, implementation and rollout of new marketing initiatives for these key accounts.

Prior to joining Charity Brands Consulting , Ms. Mack worked in cause related marketing and corporate development for the American Heart Association where she was responsible for cultivating corporate sponsorships and managed all aspects of relationship development from initial presentations to contract negotiations.

Prior to her involvement with the AHA, Ms. Mack held marketing positions for both a national apparel wholesaler and a national luxury-goods retailer.
Ms. Mack holds a BA in both Business and Communications with minors in Theater and Italian from Southern Methodist University. She has also pursued graduate-level Business and Italian courses.

Hunter James, Sales Manager

Mr. James is a technology guru. With his unique way of thinking and passion for social media, telephony, and other forms of technology, he is a critical in the ideation of new scopes of work. Prior to joining Charity Brands he worked in development at MTV. He attended Los Angeles Mission College and received a BA in Fine Arts.