What We Do

We strategically tailor our services to meet our client’s goals.

We offer clients personalized attention and expertise in recognizing the best ways to scale their business.

We support cross-category introductions. We often align like-minded clients looking to expand beyond their current offerings.

About Hello PR Group

Rated one of the Top PR Firms in America by Forbes, Observer, PR News and The PR Net 100, Hello PR Group is a full-service, award winning communications and strategic brand development firm specializing in design, lifestyle, and luxury brands. We work with national and international brands, small and large companies, and individual personalities to help them craft and showcase their brand stories.

Principals Erik Perez and Marisa Jones Issa each have more than 20 years of experience in the industry. They combine their deep passion for design, architecture, and interiors with a boutique approach to PR stemming from their extensive knowledge of large-agency and in-house experience.

Our Team

Erik Perez brings more than 20 years of experience in public relations, marketing, and branding to Hello PR Group, which he founded in 2014. He describes the firm's approach as the know-how of a large agency with the relationship-driven feel of a boutique, built on transparency with clients and press alike.

At Hello PR Group, Erik has worked closely with Marmol Radziner, KAA Design, Kligerman Architecture + Design, Leaders of Design, Tom Stringer, The Wiseman Group, and Jeffrey Dungan. Before founding the firm, he built his career at HL Group in Los Angeles and New York, championing communications and marketing for clients including Crate and Barrel, Kelly Wearstler, and Ligne Roset, and rose to Managing Director. He got his start in PR at Sixty UK in London while earning his master's degree.

Erik has spoken at Design LA, KBIS, and the Museum Store Association Annual Meeting, and is a Cabinet Member for the Leaders of Design Council. He was named to Angeleno's Men of Style in 2023, and his home was featured in The Wall Street Journal, Lonny, and Apartment Therapy.

Erik holds a bachelor's degree in International Business from CETYS University in Mexico and a master's degree in Communications from Boston University. He lives in Los Angeles in a 1941 home with his husband and two huskies.

Erik L. Perez

Principal
erik@helloprgroup.com

Marisa Jones Issa is a public relations and marketing professional with more than 20 years of experience building brand recognition through proactive media relations. She specializes in brand and lifestyle storytelling, offering clients straightforward, strategic counsel. As she puts it, her team never "throws spaghetti at the wall," pitching only relevant angles built on real relationships with top journalists in the home industry.

At Hello PR Group, Marisa has championed work for Kallista, Ann Sacks, Heath Ceramics, Knoll, Rocky Mountain Hardware, Tuuci, and The Rug Company. She secured the January 2026 cover story in Architectural Digest for The Wiseman Group, and organized a Sun Valley press trip that landed Rocky Mountain Hardware features in Business of Home, Luxe Interiors + Design, and House Beautiful.

Marisa joined Hello PR Group as Partner in April 2017. Before that, she built her career at Camron PR in Los Angeles and New York, and got her start managing media relations for The Conran Shop and as publicist for The Museum of Modern Art's retail division.

Marisa is a member of the Female Design Council and has been quoted in Architectural Digest, Business of Home, and Voyage LA. She holds a bachelor's degree in Communications from the University of South Florida. She lives in Silver Lake with her husband, Nadim, and their daughter, Samantha.

Marisa Jones Issa

Partner
marisa@helloprgroup.com

Catherine Santonacita has spent her career championing architecture and design brands, with a specialty that extends into luxury lifestyle and product PR. She's especially known for her steady hand with book publicity and events, and for guiding firms through leadership transitions with care and a clear narrative.

At Hello PR Group, Catherine has worked with clients such as Marmol Radziner, Heath Ceramics, and Knoll, as well as Dornbracht, Kligerman Architecture & Design, Rosemary Hallgarten, Jeffrey Dungan Architects, and the Guggenheim Store.

Catherine joined Hello PR Group in 2017 and was named Vice President in 2025. Before that, she built her career at Camron PR and HL Group in New York, working with clients like HAY, the MoMA Design Store, and Kartell, and got her start in-house at Anthropologie. Her work has resulted in client features in The New Yorker Talk of the Town, T Magazine, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal — placements that reflect the close relationships she's built with the press over the years.

Catherine holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Global Business from Manhattan University. She lives in New Jersey, where she loves spending time outdoors and staying active with her family.

Catherine Santonacita

Vice President
catherine@helloprgroup.com

Alina Heim brings an editorial eye to her clients' social media presences in design, architecture, and hospitality, drawing on her journalism background to dig for the most compelling brand stories. Her approach is holistic, rebuilding clients' digital presences from the ground up—designed to stand out in a saturated media landscape.

At Hello PR Group, Alina works with Rocky Mountain Hardware, Butler Armsden Architects, Richard Beard Architects, The Wiseman Group, Leaders of Design, and Tom Stringer Design Partners. Her past clients have included Farrow & Ball, MUJI, Mercedes-Benz, Sant Ambroeus, and CULTURED Magazine. She's especially proud of launching Athena Calderone's TikTok in 2022, which immediately went viral with more than two million views and 50,000 new followers in its first two weeks.

Alina studied Communications at NYU, where she pursued journalism and interned at multiple New York publications, including Harper's BAZAAR. After graduating, she got her start in agency work at Camron PR, where her love of design first took hold. From there, she led digital marketing in-house for various design-minded brands before joining DADA Goldberg as Digital Director in 2022, where she grew the agency's digital portfolio from 5 to 17+ clients in her first year, eventually rising to Associate Vice President.

Originally from Manhattan Beach, she now lives in Los Feliz with her cat, Lucy.

Alina Heim

Vice President, Digital
alina@helloprgroup.com

Brian Chan brings a diverse background across fashion, lifestyle, and design to his work with luxury brands at Hello PR Group. Drawing on that range to think creatively and pitch clients with a steady, calm approach.

Brian joined Hello in 2024 and works closely with Ann Sacks, Kallista, Rosemary Hallgarten, The Romo Group, and Tuuci. Brian got his start in fashion at Karla Otto, then moved to BPCM before returning to Karla Otto's design team, a foundation that taught him to think on his feet and out of the box. His past client work includes APPARATUS, Cassina, Ginori 1735, and Luca Nichetto. He's especially proud of placing "The Answers with Gabriel Hendifar" in Robb Report, one of his first major profile features, built around a glimpse of the man behind the brand.

Brian holds a bachelor's degree in Communications. He lives in New Jersey, where he's always on the hunt for a new restaurant to try.

Brian Chan

Account Director
brian@helloprgroup.com

Delaney Bailey brings sharp attention to detail and hands-on project management to her work with home and design brands, with particular strength across product and lifestyle categories. She's known for her organization and reliability, representing the firm and its clients at trade shows and industry events.

At Hello PR Group, Delaney works closely with Kohler Luxury Brands such as Kallista and Robern, Tuuci, The Romo Group, and Alkemis, as well as Ann Sacks, Design West Hollywood, KAST, Rocky Mountain Hardware, Rosemary Hallgarten, and Spinneybeck | FilzFelt. Her favorite placements include an Alkemis feature in The New York Times on luxury paint, and a Kallista feature in Elle Decor on essential home luxuries.

Delaney graduated from Emerson College in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Communications, with a focus in Public Relations, and joined Hello PR Group that September. She was promoted to Account Manager in 2024 and to Senior Account Manager in 2026. Originally from the East Coast, she has a cat named Honey and can often be found at a spin class in her free time.

Delaney Bailey

Senior Account Manager
delaney@helloprgroup.com

Ruby Wheeler specializes in PR for architects and interior designers, focusing on sustainable and biophilic design and residential projects. She takes a personal approach to storytelling, getting to know clients beyond their design work so she can craft pitches that feel thoughtful and specific, from a firm's origin story to its role in Los Angeles fire rebuilds.

At Hello PR Group, Ruby works closely with Tim Barber Architects, SPAN Architecture, The Wiseman Group, Marmol Radziner, Kligerman Architecture + Design, and Robin Rains Interior Design. She's especially proud of Tom Kligerman’s "My Rhode Island" travel feature in Cabana magazine, a placement that grew out of steady, relationship-driven outreach.

Ruby's path to PR started in college, where a study-abroad architecture and design course in Madrid sparked her interest in the industry. She interned at H&S Communications in New York and later at The PR Net, curating their weekly newsletter and contributing event recaps and web copy, before joining Hello PR Group. Her earlier experience as an executive assistant gave her a firsthand understanding of how principals and founders operate, insight she now brings to working with clients who don't have time to navigate unnecessary obstacles.

Ruby holds a bachelor's degree in Communications with a minor in Business from the University of Colorado Boulder. Around the office, she's the go-to for restaurant recommendations and always knows the latest food trends.

Ruby Wheeler

Senior Account Coordinator
ruby@helloprgroup.com

Lilly Gastis specializes in PR for architects and interior designers, bringing an advertising background to the storytelling side of the work. Her time as a copywriter taught her how to take a creative idea, understand an audience, and shape it into a compelling narrative — a skill set she now applies to positioning clients' projects and sharing them with the world.

At Hello PR Group, Lilly works with Jeffrey Dungan Architects, Butler Armsden Architects, KAA Design Group, Richard Beard Architects, and Tom Stringer Design Partners. She's especially proud of a recent T Magazine placement for Jeffrey Dungan, featuring his own home, a project made even more personal by the editor's visit to the house, which let the story capture the feeling of the home in a way few project features can.

Lilly moved to Los Angeles after graduation to work as a copywriter at an advertising agency. A longtime love of interior design and architecture, along with a college internship at a design studio, drew her to Hello PR Group, where she could combine her writing background with her passion for the industry.

Lilly holds a Bachelor of Science in Advertising from Boston University, with a minor in the History of Art and Architecture. Originally from Denver, she loves exploring LA's art and design scene and soaking up the California sunshine.

Lilly Gastis

Account Coordinator
lilly@helloprgroup.com

Grace Burns brings a hardworking, collaborative approach to public relations, focusing on product and lifestyle brands. She values open communication and equal contribution between client and publicist, and is always eager to grow in her new role.

At Hello PR Group, Grace works with clients including Ann Sacks, Alkemis, Design West Hollywood, Kallista, Rosemary Hallgarten, Rocky Mountain Hardware, Spinneybeck|Filzfelt, The Romo Group, and Tuuci. She's especially proud of securing her first media placement, a feature about the 2026 Design West Hollywood event.

Grace's path to PR began with a social media internship at Dupont Underground, where she helped shape content and event strategy, followed by a public relations internship at ElectraCast Media, where she pitched album releases to journalists and crafted press materials.

Grace holds a Bachelor of Science in Strategic Communication, with a minor in Business, from the University of Colorado Boulder. She recently relocated to Los Angeles and can be found exploring the city’s diverse food scene, hunting for hidden neighborhood treasures, or on a committed mission to find Los Angeles’s finest matcha.

Grace Burns

Account Coordinator
grace@helloprgroup.com