People

At Crescendo, our team brings strategic clarity to every partnership. Meet the thinkers and collaborators who work together to elevate brands, communications, design, and digital experiences.

Kathy Kohler

Founder & Principal

Kathy Kohler founded Crescendo Branding to serve firms that require a more sophisticated, strategy-led approach to branding and communications. She is a seasoned marketing and brand strategist with more than 30 years of experience guiding organizations through complex growth, positioning, and reputation initiatives.

Throughout her career, Kathy has partnered with leadership teams to launch and elevate brands, refine messaging, and build communications platforms that support business development and long-term value. Her work spans global financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies, as well as quasi-public, mission-driven, and institutional organizations navigating complex stakeholder and regulatory environments.

Kathy’s background combines strategic brand development with deep expertise in marketing communications, digital experience, and integrated go-to-market planning. Earlier in her career, she worked within leading investment and advisory organizations, gaining firsthand experience with the regulatory and compliance considerations that shape clear, accurate communications.

She holds a BA from Iona University in New York. Kathy is an active speaker on the value of strong brand positioning and is passionate about mentoring and supporting professional development.

Shaloni Pinto

Research Analyst & Content Strategist

Shaloni Pinto is a Research Analyst and Content Strategist at Crescendo Branding, where she supports client engagements through research, messaging development, and strategic communications. Her work helps translate complex information into clear, credible brand narratives that strengthen positioning and drive meaningful engagement.

With a background in labor and employment research and a strong analytical foundation, Shaloni brings a thoughtful, detail-oriented approach to brand strategy. Her attention to detail and ability with creating compliant communication is of great value to our client base.

Shaloni studied at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, with additional academic focus in law, society, and English.

Katelyn Gottlieb

Project Manager & Client Services

Katelyn is a Project Manager and Client Services associate at Crescendo Branding, where she helps ensure that client engagements move seamlessly from strategy through execution. She serves as a central point of coordination between clients, leadership, and creative teams, keeping projects aligned, on schedule, and delivered with precision.

With a strong organizational and communication skill set, Katelyn supports the day-to-day management of branding and communications initiatives. Her work helps translate strategic direction into actionable plans, ensuring consistency, responsiveness, and a high level of client care across engagements.

Katelyn is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she developed a foundation in communications, collaboration, and project leadership that informs her approach to managing complex, high-touch client relationships.

Lisa Jane O’Neil

Senior Communications Advisor

Lisa Jane O’Neil is a Senior Communications Advisor at Crescendo Branding. She is expert elevating domestic and global brands through strategic media relations programs that bring a client’s vision to life and achieve meaningful public validation.

Her career includes more than two decades, with expertise in strategic planning, media relations, brand development, content marketing, constituency communications, and journalism. She previously led media relations in-house at The Blackstone Group and has worked with leading PR agencies in New York and Washington, D.C.

Lisa Jane also spent eight years as an international financial journalist in Asia and Australia, opening Bloomberg Business News’ bureau in Vietnam, and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).