Meet your team.
Kathy Palokoff started goFirestarter after a successful career in marketing and branding. She wanted to work with organizations and people who had that special spark to kindle the fire in markets, communities, and other people.
Kathy has gathered a team of professionals who really know how to feed the fire of inspiration. This talented bunch includes writers, editors, designers, and specialists who collaborate to turn your vision of a published book into reality.
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A writer, brand builder, entrepreneur, and marketer for more than 30 years, Kathy helps ignite changemakers and has partnered with more than 30 authors to have their books published. A mentor and educator, Kathy taught at Syracuse University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Nazareth College. Kathy is active in the Women’s President Organization and currently serves on the board of Great Dames. She is a three-time finalist for the Athena Award and winner of Women of Excellence, Enterprising Woman, SmartCEO and Inner City 100 awards.
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Jack understands how words impact your business, whether they’re a blog post or a sales presentation. A graduate of the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, Jack worked in the publishing industry for more than 25 years as a journalist, columnist, editor and publisher, covering diverse fields including the automotive, tourism/hospitality and health care industries. His strength lies in uncovering and crafting the story you need to engage your audience and to speak the same language as your audience whether it’s for a convention speech, a pitch deck or a sales call.
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As a writer, Haverly has covered topics ranging from plantar fasciitis to online dating. She’s a firm believer that everyone has a story worthy of paper when it’s told vulnerably and honestly. A listener and truth-seeker, she enjoys connecting with others to hear their stories. With her sister, she’s the co-founder of a nonprofit created in memory of her late four-year-old nephew.
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Ruth is an award-winning writer, editor, proofreader and speaker who has worked nationally, regionally and locally on newspapers, newsletters, magazines, websites and books in the arts, communication, diversity, education, gardening, statistics and much more over almost 40 years of freelancing.
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With roots in marketing and advertising, Jesse has been a graphic designer for nearly 20 years. Her experience ranges from customized stationery to corporate annual reports and book design for small, locally owned businesses to global brands. By carefully considering message and content, Jesse strives to create meaningful visual stories.
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For over 20 years, Becky has been designing websites, as well as building apps, brands, and marketing campaigns for innovative companies. Also a mentor and educator, she has taught at a long list of online UX boot camps passing her craft onto ambitious career changers. Currently, she enjoys sinking her talents into digital products that aim to make the world a better place.
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Joe’s writing is infused with philosophical depth and seasoned by a unique entrepreneurial spirit. A degree in philosophy honed his critical thinking and analysis while running Joe Squared Pizza in Baltimore, taught him to weave captivating narratives through menu descriptions, engage diverse audiences with targeted marketing campaigns, and communicate complex ideas with playful clarity on social media. This blend of intellectual rigor and practical experience allows him to craft compelling content across platforms, from research papers to social media posts, always resonating with his audience.
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Debi retired from IBM as one of the first female AI Consultants. As a woman in tech, Debi started her career at AT&T, rotated through five Fortune 100 companies, founded three start-ups, and consulted on full-stack technology from deep network architecture and security through innovative applications in AI, AR, VR, and Blockchain. She is working with goFirestarter to apply AI and avatars to book writing, design, and promotion.