Silicon Valley-based tech PR firm coming to Denver

DENVER — A longtime expert in high-technology communications is bringing her firm to the Rocky Mountain region.

10Fold Communications, which has offices throughout California and in Austin, is opening a branch in Denver, where it has five employees so far. The new office will be located in the RiNo neighborhood.

Susan Thomas, founder and CEO of 10Fold, which specializes in B2B technology public relations, said she was drawn to opening an office in the region because of its longtime status as a tech center.

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Thomas said her interest in the Rocky Mountain Region started in the late 80s, when a company she was working for competed against Colorado-based StorageTek.

“It was a company we loved to hate and hated to love — they were that good,” Thomas told BizWest. “So I knew from then there was a good tech center in the area.”

As someone from the Midwest, she said she has always had a lot of respect for the area’s tech competency.

When it comes to hiring, Thomas said she wants people who are competitive but also care.

“Denver has the unique blend of tech savviness, in that they’re all very ambitious and care about their career,” she said. “But what’s interesting for me is that every person we hire wants to take care of their current employer. I love that about people in Denver, you see it here on a bigger level than you see in other places.”

10Fold has offices in San Francisco, Southern California and in the Bay Area, as well as in Austin and now Denver. While Thomas could have opened her next office in New York or Boston, also hubs for technology, she said she saw Denver as presenting more opportunity.

“There is a lot of competition in those areas,” she said. “Everyone goes to New York or Boston. Here, I have the opportunity to be a slightly bigger fish.”

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For now, Denver employees will be representing clients based in Silicon Valley, although Thomas said she sees a future where she represents Colorado clients as well. But for now, she has enough clients in Silicon Valley to keep her Denver office busy.

Thomas said she thinks her popularity and success in the industry can be attributed to a few factors.

For one, 10Fold has created a forecasting system for clients, called “Metrics Matter.” That system looks at the market and a company and assesses what kind of media may be interested in their story, and then gives them the forecast of the lowest common denominator of interest. No matter what the story is, whether it’s a new customer, a patent or investment, 10Fold looks at the publications that might cover it and gives them the forecast on how the story might do.

“We put the numbers right out there before they get started, so they can determine if it’s worth it to them to do the story,” she said. “Accountability at a deep level makes us different. It’s a matter of doing our homework.”

Another factor is the homework her employees are able to do, based on the way her office is structured.

The company itself is entirely focused on deep technology, and employees are focused on specific domains within the industry. Rather than having an account manager work on a big data account and a cloud-storage account and a networking account, 10Fold’s agents specialize.

“Each technology is fairly complex,” Thomas said. “Industry trends are happening constantly. How in the world can you keep track of five or six different types of tech or domains?”

Agents focus on core technology, such as just covering clients that are in enterprise software.

“We can get our arms around big trends. That way, they learn more deeply and get smarter, faster,” Thomas said.

It’s not just those tangible factors that Thomas thinks sets her business apart. There’s something else.

“I think it’s my Midwestern upbringing,” she said. “I’m not afraid to work and work harder than everyone else to win. I think people get it. They can tell I love my work.”

Thomas said she’s excited for the Denver office, which has five employees today and is expected to double in the next 18 to 24 months.

“I think this is a really cool option for people,” she said. “I’m finding great places where people like to live and do interesting work. In the world of communications and elevating brands, it’s not so much about where you live, it’s about are you good at your job and can you do the job. Ultimately [this new office] comes to that.”