Optimist Consulting: Manhattan Luxury PR Agency Profile
Optimist Consulting is a Manhattan luxury PR and marketing agency co-founded by Scott Cooke, Leslie LeCount and Paul Lerner, named to the PR Net 100 in 2025.
Profiled
Jun 3, 2026
Desk
EPR Editorial Team
Firm summary
Optimist Consulting is a Manhattan luxury PR, digital marketing and creative agency co-founded by Scott Cooke, Leslie LeCount and Paul Lerner, per The PR Net. It specializes in real estate, hospitality and luxury goods, and The PR Net named it to its PR Net 100 in 2022, 2024 and 2025. Its 2025 submission cites celebrity strategy for Boucheron and media visibility for Audemars Piguet, and its 2024 Next Gen Awards entry won Real Estate Agency of the Year.
Originally published June 2026. Updated October 17, 2026.
What did Optimist Consulting report in 2025?
Its PR Net 100 entry says the agency expanded into hospitality with a Costa Rica project blending sustainability, design and luxury and strengthened its digital and paid media capabilities. It reports ongoing celebrity strategy for Boucheron, including campaigns featuring Colman Domingo around New York Fashion Week and awards season, and media visibility for Audemars Piguet, Material Good, Madison Avenue Couture and luxury residential developments.
How has Optimist Consulting built its practice?
The 2022 entry described branded residences work in Miami, Austin and Beverly Hills, a formalized VIP celebrity relations service, a full-time staff photographer and a content studio. The 2024 entries cite residential real estate expansion into Beverly Hills, Dallas, Philadelphia and Long Island City, a tenth year with the Central Park Conservancy's Frederick Law Olmsted Hat Luncheon, work on One Wall Street, and pro bono PR for the Food Bank of New York and the Lower Eastside Girls Club. These are agency-written submissions.
What does Optimist Consulting do?
The agency describes combining media relations, special events, strategic partnerships, social media and celebrity strategy for luxury and lifestyle brands. EPR's luxury PR hub covers the category.
How does Optimist Consulting compare with other luxury PR firms?
Optimist is a mid-sized Manhattan boutique, so compare it with Luxury PR Group, HL Group and AMP3 PR.
Related: PR agency profiles, PR leaders directory, Luxury public relations, Hospitality PR, 5W Public Relations
Optimist Consulting: Manhattan Luxury PR Agency Profile FAQ
Who founded Optimist Consulting?
Scott Cooke, Leslie LeCount and Paul Lerner co-founded it.
What does Optimist Consulting specialize in?
Luxury real estate, hospitality, jewelry, watches and nonprofit PR.
Where is Optimist Consulting based?
It is based in Manhattan, New York.
Editorial assessment by Everything-PR, based on public record and archive coverage. No firm-supplied marketing copy, no paid placement.
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