Building off a decade of helping the world’s fastest growing start-ups succeed by solving major regulatory and public affairs challenges, Tusk Strategies recently announced the launch of a new practice area focused on Crypto + FinTech. The firm announced that the practice group will be led by Eric Soufer, a Tusk veteran who’s led winning high-stakes campaigns for clients in financial services, mobility, and insurtech, and brings over a decade of high-level government and policy experience to the role.
The group will advise Crypto and FinTech clients as they navigate complex regulatory and public affairs challenges in New York and across the country. Tusk’s Crypto + FinTech Practice will create and execute strategies in every area of public affairs, including: public policy and advocacy, public relations, digital media, thought leadership ideation and event creation, trade association management, and BitLicense application execution. In recent years, Tusk Strategies has advised industry leaders such as Paxos, Circle, eToro, Tezos, Apex Crypto, Dibbs, Melio, and MoneyLion, among many others.
Prior to joining Tusk, Eric Soufer served as a top adviser to two New York Attorneys General, the New York State Assembly Speaker and Senate Majority Leader. He also served as a senior adviser to Andrew Yang’s 2021 campaign for mayor of New York City. He currently represents some of the fastest growing start-ups in Crypto and FinTech, where he leads campaigns in New York and elsewhere around licensing, public policy, and public relations. Eric is regularly recognized as one of the top public relations and lobbying professionals in New York by City and State magazine (2019, 2020, 2021), is routinely quoted by the New York Times and other leading publications on issues facing national, state, and city office holders, and played an instrumental role in multiple historic campaigns, including winning campaigns for the state’s first female Attorney General, first African-American Speaker of the State Assembly, and first bi-partisan governing coalition in the State Senate.
Jackie Zupsic, head of the firm’s Los Angeles office, will lead the group’s communications, marketing and public relations efforts. She brings deep experience in the blockchain industry and success running aggressive strategic media and marketing campaigns nationally and globally. Prior to joining Tusk, Jackie led crisis communications and strategic financial communications for a wide variety of start-ups and well established corporations.
Said co-CEOs Chris Coffey and Matt Yale, “Eric’s record of delivering for our clients no matter the challenge makes him perfectly positioned to lead our new Crypto + Fintech Practice Group. Coupled with his past successes in leading some of the fiercest public battles while in government, our clients will benefit from his experience shaping this rapidly evolving regulatory and media landscape. Along with Jackie’s yearslong communications work on behalf of crypto innovators, we are excited to assemble a team dedicated to continue serving an industry that Tusk has been a part of from the start.”
Eric Soufer said, “Disruption is at the core of what we do at Tusk. That’s why some of the boldest pioneers in crypto and FinTech have entrusted us with their biggest public affairs challenges time and again. Change is coming at breakneck speed for both industries, and we’re committed to bringing all the creativity, talent, and experience necessary to help the most innovative companies break down barriers and shape policy in a positive way. I’m honored at the opportunity to continue building this practice and working with the best strategists in the country to serve our clients.”
The practice group will comprise more than half-a-dozen Tusk strategists with significant industry experience and expertise. The firm is dedicated to adding the best talent in the industry to this growing team.
Tusk Strategies has been advising some of the biggest names in the Crypto and FinTech space since 2014. In recent years, Tusk has led successful interdisciplinary campaigns for dozens of the world’s leading disruptors in tech, finance, mobility, healthcare, and countless other industries, helping them build their brands with thought leadership and earned media; gain market share with cutting edge commercial strategies; and solve complex “bet the company” regulatory challenges in markets across the globe. Tusk Strategies was founded by venture capitalist, philanthropist and political strategist Bradley Tusk and is now led by co-CEOs Chris Coffey and Matt Yale.