Founder · Strategist · Storyteller

Shape the story. Change what happens next.

Crisis communications, responsive strategy, and storytelling for family offices, corporations, individuals, and their brands.

Portrait of Kate Gardiner
Photograph by Adrian Buckmaster

The public-interest commitment

Serious work, with time reserved for the public good.

The model established at Grey Horse continues at Last Word: twenty percent of agency time is donated to causes we care about. It is a working commitment, not a campaign.

Read about the 80/20 model
01

Founder

Kate is the CEO and founder of Last Word, formerly Grey Horse, a full-service communications agency telling stories that shape the world around us.

Visit Last Word
02

Strategist

Kate is an expert in developing a brand communications strategy that commands attention for the right reasons, and redirecting wrong narratives in the event of a crisis.

In the news
03

Storyteller

Kate began her career as a journalist, with a keen understanding of how to craft a message that meets the moment across all media platforms, from legacy to social.

View clips
Architectural rendering of the Women's Leadership Center among the trees in Williams Bay

Featured writing

Women's Leadership Center Unveils Architectural Renderings of Lakefront Space

Kate's latest piece for At the Lake Magazine — part of a body of work that runs from PBS NewsHour and WBEZ to the Lake Geneva Regional News.

Read selected writing

Ask

Wondering if Kate is right for your work?

Ask anything about how Kate works, what she takes on, or speaking. Answers come from what's written on this site.

Contact

Start a conversation

Tell me a little about the work you have in mind. No pitch deck needed — a few honest sentences are plenty.

This opens a pre-filled message in your own email app, addressed to kate@kategardiner.com — just press send. If nothing opens, email or call directly using the details above.