PHOTO: Marybeth Tyson
RFB
Left to right: Carlos Cruz, Jonathan Kilman, Paul Lowell
Jonathan Kilman ‘disrupts’ the future by starting own firm
V
eteran lobbyist Jonathan Kilman finally realized a “long-term dream of starting (his) own firm” when he created Converge Government Affairs last year, with offices in Miami, Orlando, and Tallahassee. The announcement, coming on LinkedIn rather than through a conventional press release, highlighted his focus on representing “market disruptors.” Lobbying registration disclosures show his client list includes video game maker Electronic Arts, ride-hailing platform Lyft, and autonomous-truck developer Starsky Robotics, among others. “Announcing through social media first was indicative that we are aligning the model and style of our firm in a way that resonates with our clients, who view themselves as innovative,” said Kilman, formerly at Foley & Lardner. Now also on board is Carlos Carbonell, Khalid Alagel as lead on the firm’s Middle East Affairs desk, Jon Yapo, Carlos Miguel Cruz, and Lauren Kay DePriest. Kilman broke more news after the holidays when he announced he was building a sister public affairs firm, to be
called Converge GPS (short for Global Public Strategies), an affiliated bipartisan firm focused on public affairs, communications, and political consulting. GPS has an all-star roster: top Republican fundraiser Nancy Texeira, Democratic strategist Ben Pollara, text-message wizard Elnatan Rudolph, and fundraiser Matt Yost with Texeira, Pollara and Rudolph joining as partners of the newly established firm. When asked about future growth plans for the Converge organizations, Kilman dropped a hint: “Check the political news daily.” He added: “We think that we’re well positioned by being headquartered in Miami, which is a global city, to represent clients, helping them manage their U.S. and international affairs. That’s going to be a part of what we do.” The play is to become a “multidimensional lobbying firm that recognizes that influence goes beyond just having relationships with people in office … “It’s a focus on strategy, of understanding how to deal with multiple stakeholders, (including) the media, and having a clear focus on what our clients view as a win.”
SPRING 2019 INFLUENCE | 59