SILVA + STERN
Public Relations + Communications
A Kansas City-based boutique agency with big ideas implemented through multi-pronged, boots-on-the-ground public relations + communications efforts.
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master storytellers
Jill Silva
Kimberly Stern
We are Kansas City’s foremost master storytellers, contributing voice, color, insights, vital industry perspective and context that aligns with your master narrative. Awards are certainly not everything, but Jill (a James Beard Award-winning journalist) + Kimberly have both independently received top industry honors and enjoy working together because we believe teaming up offers unparalleled experience for our clients.
While we offer many of the services traditional public relations + communications companies do, we stand out in three distinctive ways.
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deep ties within
the food and
media community
Clients benefit from our deep ties within the food and media communities, relationships that can take years (sometimes decades!) to cultivate. We have the contacts to keep your brand in the public eye through multiple platforms including digital, print, broadcast and more (Kansas City, and surrounding regional markets).
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fully understand philosophy, strategy and direction
Our interactions within the food community help us envision possible collaborations with other top chefs and bartenders, food artisans, and even nonprofits and charities to elevate and expand your brand awareness. We become members of your team to fully understand philosophy, strategy and direction and to help craft messaging, brand promotion and more to keep you top-of-mind for diners, media, influencers, etc.
Why people hire us.
The opportunities and brand reach that Silva + Stern have provided over the years has been tremendous. They continue to be valuable, trusted consultants and partners. One of the best “add-ons” we’ve made
to our business.
– Todd Johns,
Founder of Plowboys BBQ
Silva + Stern exudes professionalism and overdelivered on my expectations. Their depth and knowledge are very valuable to the growth and potential of my business. We have used them from the beginning and the team has done an amazing job managing and promoting Acre from the ground up. I look forward to a long and valuable relationship.
– Chef Andrew Longres,
Acre
The professional collaboration with team Silva + Stern has given our restaurant an exposure we would have never been able to accomplish on our own. We value their opinion and guidance and have benefited from their decades of experience tremendously. We are extremely grateful for this relationship and hope to work together for many years to come.
– Chef Martin Heuser + Katrin Heuser,
Affäre
From the beginning of my relationship with Jill and Kimberly, I immediately trusted their judgment and expertise. Silva + Stern is more than their business, it’s their passion. For that reason, they’ll do what it takes to help you reach your business goals, just as they have done for Sweet Peaches Cobblers. The exposure my product has received since being their client has been nothing short of amazing. I must give them a portion of credit for my company’s growth. I am excited for what 2023 will bring — with them on my team I know it will be rewarding!
– Denisha Jones, Sweet Peaches Cobblers
I have known Jill and Kimberly for many years and have been a fan of their work. With all of the issues we were having with our construction delays and messaging, it was natural that I chose them to help us navigate and plan. They have jumped right in and really help is formulate and execute a solid plan. Having them on my team has been a MAJOR stress reliever!!
– Shanita McAfee-Bryant,
The Prospect KC/The Spot
I always felt as if they picked me,
not the other way around.
There is no one else I would trust
to speak publicly for me
or my restaurant.
– Chef Michael Foust,
Former Owner, Black Sheep
Executive Chef, University of Pittsburgh
Clients past + present.
715
Acre
Affäre
Barham Family Farm
Best Regards Bakery & Café
Big Head Burger
Black Sheep
Brookside Poultry Co.
Chewology
Crane Brewing
Fox and Pearl
Mass Street Fish House
Mean Mule Distilling Co.
Of The Earth Farm Distillery
Panache Chocolatier
Paradise Locker Meats/Fantasma's Finest
Plowboys BBQ
Porto do Sul
Powell Gardens
Red Kitchen
runner! cocktail
Rye
Somerset Ridge Vineyard & Winery
Strang Hall Chef Collective
Sweet Peaches Cobblers
The Big Biscuit
The Farmhouse
The Prospect KC
Visit OP
Separately,
Kimberly’s portfolio includes Donutology,
HCA Midwest Health, Rodrock Homes, and a regular byline in
Design KC Magazine.
Jill’s portfolio
includes Harvesters regional foodbank
and a regular byline
in Kansas City
PBS’s digital
magazine Flatland.
How we work.
We have found our style is the perfect asset for teams defined by a creative, collaborative culture who wish to be strategic in reaching their goals. We are advisors, collaborators, a sounding board, creators.
We prefer to work on a monthly retainer for no less than six months as we believe it fosters the most effective overall brand communication strategy and messaging. Everything Silva + Stern does is designed to enhance what you do.
Every client is unique: Each public relations + communications plan we craft takes shape quickly but is revised constantly, according to your needs. Our nature is to be proactive — we stay in touch, always. We schedule regular meetings with clients (usually weekly during big pushes, such as an opening, a special event or new product launch, every other for business as usual) but we maintain a text thread, are reachable by phone nearly 24 hours a day and we communicate frequently to ensure projects continually move forward and deadlines are met.
The Farmhouse Farm-to-Table Dinner at Barham Family Farm.
Snapshot of services.
Storytelling
Press Releases + Media Advisories
Media Pitching
Media Coordination
Media Coaching
Social Influencer Management
Events + Collaborations
Website + Social Media Copy
Email Marketing
Recipe Development + Editing
Photo Shoots + Styling
Critical Communications
Jill Silva, an Aurora, Colorado, native and graduate of Colorado State University, is an award-winning food journalist, restaurant critic and editor. She was the food editor for The Kansas City Star for more than two decades. In 2004, she received a James Beard Award, considered an industry Oscar, and she was again nominated in 2008 and 2011. She has also won numerous writing and editing awards from the Association of Food Journalists; was voted Culinarian of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the American Culinary Federation; received the first Hunger Champion award from Harvesters and authored the Eating for Life Cookbook in 2008. In 2008 and 2011, her work appeared in the Best Food Writing anthology. In 2021, she contributed an essay to Black Smoke (UNC Press) by Adrian Miller. In 2018, she launched Jill Silva Food LLC, a culinary communications venture offering the finest in food journalism, public relations, social media strategy, curated and moderated event planning and food styling. She is a story/PR consultant for Harvesters. She works with many high-profile restaurants, chefs, and food artisans as Silva + Stern. Jill is a past president of the Association of Food Journalists and co-membership chair of Les Dames d’ Escoffier, Kansas City Chapter. She was the co-host of the Chew Diligence Podcast with Action 41 News morning anchor Lindsay Shively, named by IN Kansas City Magazine as a top-5 podcast. She writes food-related feature articles for Flatland, the local PBS station’s digital magazine. She has also been invited to be a guest critic on National Public Radio’s KCUR. Currently, she is working on a documentary about the history of Kansas City barbecue. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @jillsilvafood.
This is us.
Kimberly Stern is an Iowa native, graduate of Iowa State University and an award-winning storyteller who brings more than 30 years of writing, editorial and public relations expertise to the team. She was with Better Homes and Gardens magazine in Des Moines, Iowa, for 10 years prior to moving to Kansas City where she put her writing career on hold and launched a successful corporate-focused catering business, The Good Eats Catering Company. After selling the business to Kansas City’s top social caterer, Kimberly pursued a food, travel and lifestyle writing career with publications such as Kansas City Magazine (serving as managing editor when it was 435 South Magazine), KC Homes & Gardens, KANSAS!, Better Homes and Gardens, The Kansas City Star and KC Magazine, where she served as editor-in-chief in 2015, its final year of publication, among others. She also built a blue-chip public relations client list in food, healthcare and upscale homebuilding. For 12 years, Kimberly was the co-host and executive producer of acclaimed Kansas City Chef Jasper Mirabile Jr.’s weekly radio show, “LIVE! From Jasper’s Kitchen.” Her design writing can be found in DesignKC Magazine. She is a board member of Slow Food Kansas City, Unicorn Theatre and Les Dames d’Escoffier and is a member of the Society for Features Journalism. Kimberly performs pro bono public relations for No Kid Hungry, Kansas City Chapter, the nation’s top No Kid Hungry fund-raising group. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @kimdishes.
