Heather Whaling
President, Geben Communications
In 2016, she was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year in the Ohio Valley Region (OH, KY, IN).
After launching the company from her dining room in 2009, Heather’s fresh, data-driven approach to best practices has helped Geben evolve into a highly respected, sought-after, award-winning PR firm with 25+ employees in Columbus and Chicago. Geben was named the national media relations agency of the year (Ragan/PR Daily) and a top 10 agency for startups (Agency Post). Geben is also the top boutique agency in Columbus, according to Columbus CEO.
In addition to delivering exceptional results for client partners, Heather prides herself on utilizing Geben as a platform for doing good. Driven by a “Give More, Grow More” philosophy, Heather fosters a company culture that empowers every member of the team to use their time, talent and expertise to positively impact the community.
Heather, who serves on the board of The Women's Fund of Central Ohio, is a vocal advocate for issues impacting women and girls. As creator of RewriteTheRules.co – a crowdsouced database of paid leave policies – her perspective on paid family leave has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur.com, NPR and Refinery29. Additionally, her advocacy for paid leave was a key reason she was dubbed a #ChangeMaker by Deeds Not Words, the organization that mobilizes and activates Millennial women, founded by former Texas State Senator Wendy Davis.
Additionally, Heather was appointed by Mayor Andrew Ginther to serve on the Columbus Women's Commission, a body that looks at public policy through a gender lens.
One of Columbus BusinessFirst's 40 Under 40 and a NAWBO Visionary Award recipient, Heather is also a trustee for micro-lending platform, Kiva Columbus. She frequently mentors women starting businesses, as well as college students interested in PR.
After launching the company from her dining room in 2009, Heather’s fresh, data-driven approach to best practices has helped Geben evolve into a highly respected, sought-after, award-winning PR firm with 25+ employees in Columbus and Chicago. Geben was named the national media relations agency of the year (Ragan/PR Daily) and a top 10 agency for startups (Agency Post). Geben is also the top boutique agency in Columbus, according to Columbus CEO.
In addition to delivering exceptional results for client partners, Heather prides herself on utilizing Geben as a platform for doing good. Driven by a “Give More, Grow More” philosophy, Heather fosters a company culture that empowers every member of the team to use their time, talent and expertise to positively impact the community.
Heather, who serves on the board of The Women's Fund of Central Ohio, is a vocal advocate for issues impacting women and girls. As creator of RewriteTheRules.co – a crowdsouced database of paid leave policies – her perspective on paid family leave has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur.com, NPR and Refinery29. Additionally, her advocacy for paid leave was a key reason she was dubbed a #ChangeMaker by Deeds Not Words, the organization that mobilizes and activates Millennial women, founded by former Texas State Senator Wendy Davis.
Additionally, Heather was appointed by Mayor Andrew Ginther to serve on the Columbus Women's Commission, a body that looks at public policy through a gender lens.
One of Columbus BusinessFirst's 40 Under 40 and a NAWBO Visionary Award recipient, Heather is also a trustee for micro-lending platform, Kiva Columbus. She frequently mentors women starting businesses, as well as college students interested in PR.