Seven Letter Celebrates 20 Years, Citing Equity for Half Its Staff

Seven Letter marked its 20th anniversary on October 13, 2026, two decades after starting as a sole proprietorship in Washington, D.C. The firm said 50% of its staff hold equity, 25% began as interns or fellows, and clients stay more than five years on average. PR Newswire published the announcement on October 14, 2026.

Seven Letter's Two-Decade Growth

Seven Letter is a bipartisan public affairs and strategic communications firm that advises corporations, trade associations, coalitions and nonprofits, and operates as a subsidiary of Public Policy Holding Company. The firm said 35% of its colleagues have spent more than five years with it, and 21% have a 10-year tenure.

CEO and founding partner Erik Smith said the firm began with two principles: excellent client service and professional development. "We're not celebrating because we've arrived somewhere, we're celebrating because we're just getting started," Smith said. He added that Seven Letter is "building new tools and adding new colleagues" within the same expertise-first model.

The firm said it has grown from a one-person shop into a company publicly traded on the NASDAQ, with offices in Washington, Boston, New York and Los Angeles. Seven Letter said it has been named to the PR News Agency Elite for six consecutive years, and that Smith was named PR News Agency CEO of the Year in 2025. Public Policy, its parent, announced a dividend of $0.117 per share payable on October 23rd to shareholders of record on September 25th, according to Ticker Report.

Seven Letter's Expansion and Parent Scale

According to akta.pro company records, Seven Letter announced a major geographic expansion in January 2026, adding offices in Los Angeles, New York and Huntsville, Alabama alongside its existing Washington, D.C. and Boston locations. The same records show Seven Letter acquired B. Shaw Communications in January 2026 to establish an entertainment, sports and live-experiences practice led by Brandon Shaw as Partner.

Seven Letter's corporate communications business increased revenue nearly 500% over the three years prior to January 2026, the same records show. Public Policy Holding Co, Seven Letter's parent, reported Q1 2026 revenue of $50.1 million, up 27.5% year over year, with full-year 2026 guidance of $205-209 million, according to the same records. Public Policy was added to the Russell 2000 and Russell 3000 indices following its Nasdaq listing in January 2026.

What Comes Next for Seven Letter

Public Policy's dividend of $0.117 per share is payable on October 23rd to shareholders of record on September 25th, as Ticker Report stated. Seven Letter said it is building new tools and adding colleagues under its expertise-first model.