PR Girl Rant! Season 2 Ep. 16 - Saptosa Foster, managing partner of One/35 Agency, talks competition in the industry, responsibility of Black executives and preparing the next generation of publicists

Saptosa's passion for the PR & marketing industries and how Black people are seen and heard can definitely be heard during our interview. Her recent tweet intrigued me and I wanted to hear about her journey. We talked about competition in the industry, the responsibility of Black executives at white agencies, preparing the next generation of publicists, and so much more.

What an insightful conversation. It was inspiring to hear how she navigated, built, and sustained the ups and downs of the industry.

Being a Black woman and an entrepreneur can lend itself to encountering huge obstacles, but through it, all Saptosa and her partner @shantebacon broke through several barriers and carved out a niche for themselves.

About Saptosa Foster 

She is an award-winning communications strategist with nearly two decades of experience in public relations and media. She is a managing partner of ONE/35 Agency (formerly 135thStreet Agency), a strategic communications firm based in New York and Atlanta. At ONE/35, Saptosa oversaw campaigns for clients such as Google, the Oprah Winfrey Network, Fox Broadcasting Company, Warner Bros Pictures, and Bounce TV. She also serves as Chief Communications Officer at Sallie B. Howard School for the Arts and Education (SBHS), a free, public charter school serving over 1,100 K-10 students in Wilson, NC.

A native of Wilson, N.C., Saptosa graduated from Spelman College with a bachelor’s degree in English. She began her career in media as a fact-checker for Rolling Stone, O Magazine and In Style, and evolved into freelance writing for publications such as Vibe, XXL and Complex.

In 2005, Saptosa joined ONE/35 and helped lead the agency to win 8 NAMIC Excellence in Multicultural Marketing Awards (EMMA), including five 1st place and three 2nd place honors. She is a 2015 PR News’ Top Women in PR honoree and has been featured in Black Enterprise, ESSENCE, VIBE Vixen and on the Food Network. She is the former chair of Black Women Film Network, a non-profit with the mission of preserving the voice of black women in film and television. She serves on the Board of the Wilson Arts Council in Wilson, N.C.

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