Founded: 1991 by Dan Klores
Headquarters: New York, NY
Additional offices: Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Miami
CEO: Sean Cassidy
President: Matthew Traub
Ownership: Acceleration Community of Companies (acquired September 2024)
Category: Full-service public relations, marketing, and government affairs
Overview
DKC is a full-service public relations, marketing, and government affairs firm — one of the top ten independent PR agencies in the United States by fee revenue. Founded in 1991 by Dan Klores, the firm built a national reputation for media relations, strategic communications, and entertainment PR across three decades.
In September 2024, DKC was acquired by Acceleration Community of Companies (ACC), the Century City-based marketing and communications group. The acquisition placed DKC inside a broader integrated services platform with sister firms across experiential marketing, influencer, digital, and design.
History and Ownership
Dan Klores founded the firm in 1991 in New York. The firm built its client roster across lifestyle, entertainment, technology, beauty, sports, and government affairs — counting Dyson, Airbnb, MAC Cosmetics, Resy, QVC+, and Museum of Jewish Heritage among its accounts.
Sean Cassidy, who had been president of DKC, was named CEO at the close of the ACC acquisition in September 2024. Matthew Traub, previously chief operating officer, was elevated to president.
ACC — founded by Michael Nyman and backed by Solace Capital with Verance Capital as a strategic investor — now operates DKC alongside HangarFour (creative studio), MKG (experiential marketing), Pink Sparrow (3D design and fabrication), Pixly (influencer marketing), Stripe Theory (digital marketing), and Trailblaze (PR and strategy). The combined group employs more than 620 across 12 offices in the U.S., U.K., and Philippines.
Key Milestones
1991: Founded by Dan Klores in New York.
2013: Launched DKC/O&M in partnership with Broadway press agency O&M Co., creating one of the first PR practices focused on Broadway and live events.
September 2024: Acquired by Acceleration Community of Companies. Sean Cassidy named CEO; Matthew Traub named president.
Late 2025: Absorbed leadership and staff from IPG’s dissolved R&CPMK agency, deepening DKC’s entertainment and talent PR capabilities under a new PMK Entertainment brand within the ACC structure.
Services
DKC operates across strategic communications, media relations, public affairs, government affairs, digital and social media, crisis management, integrated marketing, and event production. The firm’s entertainment practice — built through DKC/O&M and expanded through the R&CPMK absorption — is among the largest in the country for Broadway, live events, and talent representation.
Under the ACC structure, DKC has access to integrated capabilities across influencer marketing, experiential, digital, and creative production through sister agencies in the portfolio.
Leadership
Sean Cassidy serves as CEO, having joined DKC in 2002 and previously served as president before the ACC acquisition. Matthew Traub serves as president, having joined DKC in 2010 and previously serving as chief operating officer. Founder Dan Klores stepped away from day-to-day operations years before the ACC transaction.
Clients
DKC’s client roster includes Dyson, Airbnb, Resy, MAC Cosmetics, QVC+, Museum of Jewish Heritage, and TIME, among others — spanning lifestyle, technology, entertainment, beauty, sports, healthcare, and government affairs.
EPR Coverage
Everything-PR has covered DKC since 2009. For the full archive see everything-pr.com/tag/dkc.
