Our story
Hi. I’m Rick Blum. I started a business to help groups tell stories that get results, build and grow coalitions, and have impact. I’ve spent 20+ years helping organizations create and sustain coalitions, from news media associations to public interest organizations.
I’ve helped bring together leaders from diverse perspectives and on a bipartisan basis to promote transparency and accountability in government. Those efforts helped convince Congress in 2007 and again in 2016 to make the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) easier for the public to use.
Those efforts succeeded in large part because we told stories of how that law was crucial to fixing problems for air travel, the food supply, fiscal responsibility, military readiness and national security. We met our audience where they were and showed how our campaign had an impact on matters they cared about. It helped that the facts were on our side — FOIA is tremendously important to unearthing stories of wrongdoing or problems in air safety or military readiness, for example. We just needed to explain the problems and solutions we saw in terms that helped others care. And they did.
Sixteenth Street Consulting seeks to help groups by applying lessons learned from those experiences to help build, grow and sustain effective advocacy campaigns. Stronger, more united voices telling stories that resonate. That’s what we do.
But that’s not all we do. We can help your organization track breaking legislative developments in state legislatures and Congress as well, either by reviewing and strengthening your own legislative monitoring efforts or serving your needs ourselves.
We can help prepare your leadership team for congressional hearings by helping conceptualize testimony, preparing for the questions and answers at the hearing, and addressing follow up questions. I’ve served as an expert witness for Democrats and Republicans numerous times and frequently prepared others for the task. I’m ready to help grow your voice, build support and make an impact.
Rick