Jonathan Rick

Jonathan Rick helps people make sense of — and money from — business communication. Whether through a workshop, ghostwriting, or social media, he helps clients engender buzz, shape public opinion, and become thought leaders.

As a trainer, Jonathan has addressed a wide variety of audiences on topics including writing, communications, and social media. He’s delivered workshops and keynotes, in person and online, before clients such as Nascar, Visa, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, as well as federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. He also teaches at the University of Maryland at College Park.

As a writer, Jonathan has collaborated with cabinet secretaries, celebrities, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and academics. His work has appeared in publications such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, along with business-oriented outlets like Fast Company, Forbes, and Mashable. He’s penned everything from op-eds and website copy, to speeches and slide decks, to Wikipedia articles and résumés.

As a strategist, Jonathan created the digital programs for the widely lauded White House initiative, Startup America, an eight-city, cabinet-level road show to encourage entrepreneurship. He also spearheaded the digital marketing for Operation MySpace, the first concert broadcast online in high definition, and On the Road With Free Enterprise, a road trip, sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and General Motors, in which two journalists crisscrossed the country to interview entrepreneurs for FreeEnterprise.com.

Jonathan got his start at Time in New York, where he wrote for the magazine’s “Briefing” section. Realizing that he preferred to opine rather than report, he shifted from journalism to communications. After cutting his teeth at Susan Davis International, a public relations agency, and Booz Allen Hamilton, a government contractor, he founded his own consultancy, the Jonathan Rick Group (JRG), in 2011. JRG helps people to polish and promote their story.

Jonathan grew up in Short Hills, New Jersey, and holds a BA in Government from Hamilton College, from which he graduated with honors for his thesis on the Iraq war. Outside work, he’s a lifelong swimmer, who trains with a Masters team in Northern Virginia. If you value your time, don’t ask him about his cat; he’ll still be talking about Fletcher Ethan Rick (FER, pronounced “fur”) long after you fall asleep.