As a partner at Purple, Stephen leads business development, bringing new clients and partnerships to the firm by drawing on deep experience across health care, logistics, manufacturing, and technology. His strategic instincts — honed by nearly two decades at the company — shape not only client pitches but how the firm itself thinks about reputation strategy.

Stephen studied politics at Princeton before beginning his career working with Senators Bill Frist, Mitt Romney, and Lamar Alexander. He joined Purple in 2009 and has played a key role in transforming the company’s offerings by integrating digital into core operations. Today, he is focused on accelerating Purple’s adoption of AI — not to replace the firm’s strategic thinking, but to unlock new capabilities for research, analysis, and campaign activation.

Stephen is drawn to clients who need to move fast — whether building new coalitions to meet emerging threats, navigating a crisis, or getting ahead of a policy shift before it hardens. A father of two young boys, he brings that same urgency to delivering results that outlast the next financial quarter or electoral cycle.

“Clients don’t come to Purple for the status quo. But change can be demanding – and messy. Luckily, we have partners with the commitment and the courage necessary to face that head on.”

“At Purple, every client and every challenge is utterly unique. There’s nothing more exciting than diving deep into a new problem or a new audience, and nothing more humbling than recognizing what you don’t yet know.”

“My father always runs up the last steps of a staircase, and I try to do the same. It’s a daily reminder of the underrated power of good old fashioned hustle.”

“I’d tell people starting out that there’s no replacement for a good night’s sleep. And when that doesn’t happen, caffeinate.”