Joanna Rosenthal
Joanna Rosenthal is the founder of Optim Communications LLC.
Her work focuses on making complex ideas easy to understand and relevant to real audiences. She has led communications efforts for organizations across education, philanthropy, public policy, and community-based work, helping them deepen engagement, expand their reach, and build support.
Joanna began her career as a television journalist at CNN and later reported for ABC and CBS affiliates across the country, earning Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards along the way. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the University of Miami.
Today, she brings that same clarity, curiosity, and discipline to her work with clients, helping them not just tell their stories, but ensure those stories reach the right people and lead to meaningful action.
Ellie Kaverman
Ellie Kaverman is a Communications Manager at Optim Communications. She specializes in helping mission-driven organizations amplify their impact through clear, strategic storytelling, with specific expertise in economic mobility, educational equity, and research communications.
Her work sits at the intersection of communications, policy, and research. Most recently, she led strategic communications and media relations for postsecondary, STEM, and workforce development initiatives at WestEd, an education-focused research and development agency. Prior to that, she served as a Policy Analyst at the Center for the Study of Social Policy, where she conducted research on child care, paid family leave, and the Child Tax Credit. She then translated those findings into press strategies, op-eds, and advocacy communications to advance meaningful policy change.
Ellie holds a Master of Public Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Indiana University. She lives in Washington, D.C.