River North is an independent, women-owned strategic communications firm serving small and mid-sized financial services and technology companies — and the leaders behind them.
We work with fintechs, mortgage and blockchain companies, healthcare and law firms, and emerging fund managers who need their reputation to arrive before they do.
Most of our clients are at a moment where visibility stops being optional — a raise, a launch, a regulatory filing, an acquisition, a first year as a public company. That is exactly the moment when a generic agency program does the most damage. Ours starts with what you are actually allowed to say, and builds outward from there.
Every engagement is led by a principal. Every program is built to survive scrutiny — from your general counsel, your board, and the reporters who cover you.
We speak the language of compliance, disclosure and risk — so legal review is a checkpoint, not a rewrite.
The people who pitch your program are the people who run it. No handoff to junior staff after the kickoff.
An independent, women-owned firm — a point of difference that matters to a growing number of our clients.
Our executive team is listed here; senior counsel, media strategists and compliance reviewers round out the wider bench on every engagement.
Kelly has spent more than 20 years in corporate communications, much of it in financial and professional services, where reputations are built–or lost–in the details. She leads River North’s client engagements and develops the media strategies behind them, advising companies across fintech, blockchain and digital assets, legal services, private equity, real estate and education finance.
Kelly began taking on blockchain projects in 2017. After founding her firm in 2018, she personally oversaw every digital asset and cryptocurrency engagement—years before most agencies were willing to enter the category, especially for start-ups. Clients turn to her for the prestige-content approach she developed: authoritative storytelling and high-value coverage designed to build credibility, not simply generate volume–and to support the growth that follows.
Kelly holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Joseph’s University, where she majored in English literature. Her fascination with how stories are constructed and characters are brought to life is an interest that continues to shape both her professional and creative work.
Kelly, a natural storyteller, contributes opinion pieces and event coverage to Grit Daily. When she is not working with clients, you can find her working on her first novel, a romantic dramedy with a financial twist she hopes to complete in 2026. She lives in Cutchogue, New York, with her husband, Mark; their daughters, Margot and Hattie; and their rescue dogs.
Mark Mapes-Ferraro is Chief Operating Officer of River North Communications, where he oversees the firm’s operations, technology and client-service infrastructure. He helps structure engagements, manage resources and ensure that each program is delivered with accountability, efficiency and measurable results.
Mark brings more than 25 years of experience spanning law, finance, technology, entrepreneurship and corporate operations. He began his career as a corporate attorney at Debevoise & Plimpton, advising leading private equity firms and their portfolio companies on mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, financing facilities and technology-related transactions.
He later helped build and operate a leading regional mortgage financing firm with a technology-driven business model. From there Mark ran numerous ventures where he oversaw operations, legal and regulatory compliance, expense management, personnel development and digital strategy. He subsequently advised businesses, investment platforms and private equity firms on financing, technology transactions, portfolio-company risk and strategic growth.
Mark’s experience also includes work on JPMorgan’s COiN Contract Intelligence machine-learning platform. He also served as Head of Technology Vendor Management at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, leading technology assessments, vendor negotiations, software deployments and process-improvement initiatives. His combination of business judgment, technological fluency and operating experience shapes his approach at River North.
Mark earned his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School with a combined focus a the Wharton School in finance and venture capital, obtaining his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania as well (where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa). He is admitted to practice law in New York, and his writing has appeared in national publications.
Outside of work, Mark enjoys fishing and spending time by the water. A member of the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, he also enjoys exploring history and paying homage to those who came before him. Mark and his wife, Kelly, live on the East End of Long Island with their two daughters and two dogs.
We’ll tell you honestly on the first call — including when the answer is no.
