She’s Changing the Face of PR — And Redefining What It Means to Build With Purpose

Dreena Whitfield-Brown is rewriting the rules of public relations—and she’s doing it with grit, grace, and a vision that started in a one-bedroom apartment. The New Jersey native, founder of the boutique agency WhitPR, has now secured her place among the nation’s most influential innovators, earning a coveted spot on Inc. Magazine’s 2025 Female Founders list. It’s a major milestone for a woman who didn’t follow a traditional route into the industry, but instead forged her own path, one bold step at a time.

“I started my business in my living room. I didn’t have any clients. I didn’t have any media contacts. I didn’t even know how to create a working agreement between a client and an agency,” she shared. “And now I’m on Inc.’s list of female founders. That’s nothing but God,” Whitfield-Brown told Because Of Them We Can.

Her path into PR was unconventional from the start. After graduating from Lincoln University with a degree in mass communications, she struggled to break into the industry. Entry-level positions were scarce, so she pivoted into corporate direct marketing—writing promotional mailers that most people tossed into the trash without a second glance. But her passion for storytelling never disappeared. If anything, the detour sharpened her desire to help others shape narratives that mattered.

While working full-time, she started offering PR support to friends launching their own businesses. It was the early wave of a rising entrepreneurial movement among Black millennials—a movement also noted by Forbes and Fast Company as a major driver of new Black-owned business growth across the country (sources: Forbes, Fast Company). Whitfield-Brown recognized that she could grow alongside these emerging visionaries, and eventually, she bet on herself completely.

“I quit my job with no savings, no paid clients lined up—just a belief in myself and what I was building,” she said.

That leap of faith eventually became WhitPR—a full-service communications agency that has flourished in a field where Black women are still significantly underrepresented. According to The New York Times and AdWeek, Black women make up only a small fraction of senior leadership roles in PR, despite being among the industry’s most influential cultural strategists (sources: The New York Times, AdWeek). Whitfield-Brown not only stepped into the arena—she built her own stage.

“We genuinely care about the clients that we work with. We want to see them win. We go the extra mile for our clients,” she said. “But we don’t always get the recognition. That’s why it’s important for Black women to take up space in this field—because we’re already doing the work. And we deserve to be recognized and applauded for it.”

Fifteen years later, that recognition has arrived. Whitfield-Brown was named one of Inc. Magazine’s Top 500 Female Founders of 2025—a prestigious annual list now in its eighth year. Editors and judges evaluated thousands of candidates based on revenue, sales performance, growth, funding, audience reach, and social momentum. This year’s honorees span more than 20 industries—from PR and tech to environmental services—and represent nearly every state in the U.S.

Inc. calls this year’s cohort the leaders of America’s expanding “female founder boom.” The magazine noted that this group of women collectively generated $9 billion in revenue in 2024 and secured $10.6 billion in funding, marking one of the strongest showings yet from women-owned companies (source: Inc. Magazine).

Even with the national spotlight shining on her, Whitfield-Brown remains grounded. Learning of the honor brought her to tears, she admits, but she hasn’t slowed down long enough to fully process it. Her focus is squarely on the mission.

“I want people to remember WhitPR as a company that was born out of a desire to redefine how brands connect with diverse audiences,” she said. “We’ve scaled without outside funding. We’ve stayed authentic. And we let our results speak for themselves.”

Her legacy is already etched into the culture she serves: an agency powered by faith, rooted in purpose, and committed to amplifying stories from communities that have too often been overlooked or misunderstood. In an industry where authenticity is currency, Whitfield-Brown has built value the honest way—client by client, narrative by narrative.

Today, leaders like Dreena Whitfield-Brown aren’t just thriving in PR—they’re reshaping it. They’re widening the doors for the next generation of storytellers, strategists, and changemakers. And as she continues to rise, she’s making sure the world sees what Black excellence in communications truly looks like.

Dreena, you’re doing an incredible job. Congratulations—and here’s to the impact still ahead.