Nationally Award-Winning Strategic Consulting Firm
About Us
What We Do
K.O. Strategies is a strategic consulting firm that helps clients achieve their goals, communicate their value, and build relationships,
so they can be as successful as possible.
Our creative, diverse, and multi-talented team provides many services, including strategic communications, public and government affairs, advocacy/lobbying, stakeholder engagement, board development, and strategic planning.
We give presentations on these and other topics, coach executives on public speaking, and facilitate strategy sessions and trainings to build client capacity.
What's Your Goal?
Our work starts with one question:
What’s your goal?
We will help you achieve it.
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Award-Winning Firm
Winner of Several National and Regional PR and Advocacy awards
- Award of Excellence (Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
- Excellence in Advocacy Award (Women in Government Relations - Washington, DC)
- Excellence in Public Relations/Golden Trumpet Award (Publicity Club of Chicago (PCC))
- Foremost Contribution to Improving Quality of Life in our Society through Public Relations / Edwin J. O'Shaughnessy Quality of Life Award (PCC)
- Silver Anvil Award Finalist, honoring the best public relations programs in the U.S. and the highest standards of performance in public relations (PRSA)
- Platinum Award Finalist, best overall public relations campaign (PCC)
Example of our Work
Winning Referendum Campaign
K.O. Strategies directed strategy and communications for the 1/2 Cent for Mental Health campaign in Winnebago County, IL. The referendum determined whether the county could issue a 1/2 cent sales tax to fund behavioral health.
The campaign won by a commanding 24-point margin, 62%-38%. The tax will generate $12-13 million annually in local funding for mental health and substance abuse services. K.O. Strategies won national and regional awards for excellence in advocacy and public relations for this campaign.
Representative Clients
K.O. Strategies has served a wide array of clients, from
Nielsen to Notre Dame Law School, from Rosecrance Health Network to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, from the largest Girl Scout affiliate in the country to Country Financial.
We can help you too.
For more than 30 years, our team has worked with corporations, nonprofits, hospitals and healthcare systems, associations, universities and high schools, government entities, companies, campaigns, and U.S. Senators to help them achieve their goals.
Our Team
Kate O'Malley - Founder & CEO
Kate has 30 years' experience consulting with clients to help them achieve their strategic communications, public affairs, and advocacy goals. Trained as a lawyer, Kate is a seasoned strategist, communicator, lobbyist, facilitator, and presenter.
Prior to founding KOS in 2006, O'Malley served as policy advisor and speechwriter to a U.S. Senator, advocacy director of an international human rights/mental health organization, legal services attorney on domestic violence issues, adjunct faculty at Notre Dame's business school, and marketing/communications associate for a large corporation.
Kate is an inspiring and sought-after speaker and facilitator. She has presented, led workshops, and consulted on a wide variety of issues, including advocacy, nonprofit strategy, and entrepreneurship.
O'Malley is an alumna of Notre Dame, Harvard Law School, and the University of Illinois College of Law. She was selected to serve as a Skadden Arps Fellow, an Illinois Women's Institute for Leadership Delegate, and a Public Interest Law Initiative Fellow.
Experienced, Creative & Agile
Our talented and diverse team is creative, passionate, and
committed to excellence.
We bring to bear more than 100 years of experience in communications, lobbying, strategy, media, social media, reputation management, public affairs, strategic planning, and multicultural public relations.
Our team includes highly-regarded and proven communicators,
strategists, event planners, videographers/photographers, and lobbyists.