Ethan Rasiel

Ethan co-founded Lightspeed Public Relations in 2013, with the mission to harness the skills and learnings from all aspects of his career – while avoiding bureaucracy and unneeded overhead. Lightspeed now has more than $2 million in annual revenues, with more than 25 clients and a team of 30.

Ethan started his communications career as a news reporter for Gannett’s metro and business desk. In 1998 Ethan began a nearly 15-year stint at Edelman. He ultimately led a team of 60 as GM and EVP, and counseled a range of clients from startups to brands like GE, Canon, HP and Motorola. He pioneered Edelman Labs, which revamped the firm’s approach to product review programs.

In January of 2011 Ethan became Director of Communications for Samsung Electronics America, responsible for external communications around all consumer products. While managing five agencies, he introduced several tools to improve collaboration and efficiency both internally and externally.

He graduated magna cum laude from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University and completed additional course work in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University.

Ethan is regularly interviewed by the media for his views on marketing and PR. He regularly contributes to Forbes and hosts the Marketing at Lightspeed weekly radio program on the Voice America Network. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and three boys.

Published Work & Media Appearances

Published Articles

• Forbes Agency Council
  Ethan is a regular contributor to the Forbes Agency Council, sharing strategic insights on media relations, remote agency management, and digital communications:
  • Why Your Media Pitches Aren’t Working
    Ethan shares 12 proven PR pitching tips to help you land media coverage by offering value—not just selling a story.
  • Are You Still Zooming Wrong? Do’s And Don’ts For Video Calls: Part One
    Ethan shares his top do’s and don’ts for video calls—practical, hard-earned tips to help you look sharp, stay professional, and make the most of every virtual meeting.
  • Are You Still Zooming Wrong? Part Two
    Ethan returns with Part 2 of his video call etiquette series—offering smart, updated tips to help you level up your remote meeting game and spare your coworkers from virtual chaos.
  • Are You Still Zooming Wrong? Part Three
    Ethan delivers his latest round of video call do’s and don’ts—packed with practical, lesser-known tips to help you avoid tech hiccups, look sharp, and sound great in every Zoom room.
  • The Communications Manual: How To Manage Your PR Firm
    Ethan offers a straightforward guide to building a strong, effective relationship with your PR agency—so you get results that support both communications goals and real business outcomes.
  • The Benefits and Challenges of Being a Remote Agency
    Ethan breaks down the real-world benefits—and common challenges—of running a fully remote PR agency, offering practical insights for building a flexible, cost-effective model that attracts top talent and delivers for clients.

• PR News
  Crisis Management: Tips from Top PR Experts
  Ethan highlights how one poorly worded Amazon statement became a masterclass in what not to say during a crisis—and why PR pros must fight for a seat at the table to protect brand trust when it matters most.

• PRWeek
  What Companies Can Learn from #PeelGate, Samsung’s Latest PR Disaster
  Ethan unpacks what companies can learn from Samsung’s #Peelgate PR fiasco—and shares how to avoid letting a product’s reputation unravel before it even hits the market.

Media Mentions

• Forbes
  Virtual Workplace Culture
  Ethan shares lessons from running a fully virtual agency—explaining how video calls can reinforce power dynamics, while tools like Slack and chat features can level the playing field and spark better collaboration.

• Houston Chronicle
  Apple, Samsung Stumble Differently With Hot Products
  Ethan breaks down what Apple and Samsung got right (and very wrong) when product launches went sideways, and shares what brands can do to protect reputation when the envelope bursts.

• Los Angeles Times
  Real ID and Crisis Messaging
  Ethan calls out the communication missteps around Real ID enforcement—and urges agencies like TSA and DHS to treat public awareness more like a flu shot campaign: impossible to ignore and impossible to miss.

Podcast Appearances

• How to Scale a Business
  How Ethan Rasiel Leveraged His Journalism Skills to Build a Successful PR Agency
  Ethan joins Hector Santiesteban to explore the true value of PR—breaking down how it differs from advertising, why storytelling matters, and how smart PR can drive long-term, sustainable growth.

• Let’s Talk PR & More!
  Ethan Rasiel, Lightspeed Public Relations, on global PR
  Ethan joins Sherry Goldman to unpack the nuances of global PR—highlighting how media expectations vary across countries and sharing best practices for launching effective international campaigns.

• PR’s Top Pros Talk
  PR’s Top Pros Talk: Ethan Rasiel
  Ethan shares how mock interviews can help clients break old communication habits—and outlines five key behaviors PR influences, along with strategies to shape them effectively for any audience.

• SaaS Insider
  Interview with Ethan Rasiel from Lightspeed PR
  Ethan joins Shira Abel for a deep dive into the PR process—offering practical insights on how public relations really works and how it can drive results for your business.

Past Speaking Engagements

• Augmented World Expo
  AWE Talks: The Art of PR in XR
  Ethan and Amanda share expert strategies to help XR companies break into top-tier media, navigate global PR challenges, and build a U.S.-focused press strategy that drives real results.