Building Something Bigger Than ‘Just Another PR Agency’
Written by: Jameel Arif
Lisa Kwong is the visionary President and founder of Public/Realm, Public Relations – the newest cultural‑forward arm of Toronto’s Community Agency. With nearly two decades of experience spearheading communications for luxury, fashion and lifestyle brands, her career includes leadership roles at SSENSE, Veritas Communications, Pomp & Circumstance, Narrative and NKPR. Under her direction, Public/Realm aims to redefine PR by embedding brands into culture, thoughtfully shaping relevance beyond media coverage. An advocate for meaningful, face‑to‑face engagement and creative risk‑taking, Lisa champions what she calls “culture‑driven PR,” where strategy and creativity converge with purpose. Recently recognised among PR in Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, she’s celebrated for her clarity of vision, strategic rigour and ability to secure standout placements and partnerships. In this interview for TorontoPages, Lisa shares illuminating insights on her career evolution, leadership philosophy and how she’s steering Public/Realm to become a true cultural partner in today’s fast‑evolving landscape.
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Hi, please introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Lisa Kwong, and I’m a long-time PR pro and the founder of Public/Realm, a boutique PR agency built to embed brands into culture and help them show up with purpose and presence. I’m a Libra on the Virgo cusp, equal parts work ethic, aesthetics, and creative energy which, honestly, explains a lot about how I approach my work: with rigour, style, and intention.
What inspired you to launch Public / Realm under Community Agency?
The stars aligned. I had just wrapped up my role at SSENSE when Jesse Carere, a long-time friend and partner at Community Agency, reached out and said, “Hey, are you available for lunch next week? I want to pitch you on something.”
How would you describe your vision for Public / Realm’s role in today’s PR landscape?
Everyone says they’re here to do things differently, but I truly mean it. The PR space is saturated with brands chasing the same consumers using the same safe, forgettable ideas. What’s missing is real cultural fluency and not just scrolling through trends, but actively living and participating in culture offline. At Public/Realm, we believe brands need teams who are out there building relationships face‑to‑face, showing up in the spaces that matter, and approaching business challenges with curiosity, creativity, and the willingness to take risks. That’s the only way to earn relevance today not just attention.