Vianovo

Vianovo is a privately held management, advocacy, and communications consultancy founded in 2005 by political strategists Blaine Bull, Matthew Dowd, Tucker Eskew, and James Taylor. The firm was created by combining four pre-existing agencies: Eskew Strategy Group, Dowd Strategic Consulting, StratCom Group, and CIMA Strategies. Its founding model brought together experience from presidential campaigns, the White House, Congress, corporate communications, and public affairs into a bipartisan advisory practice. The firm works on issues where business strategy, public policy, reputation, and public opinion overlap. Its services have included opinion research, strategic planning, public campaigns, issue advocacy, public relations, coalition development, crisis management, brand and reputation advice, and support for companies expanding across the United States–Mexico border. Vianovo has advised corporations, emerging companies, foundations, nonprofit organizations, and advocacy groups. Publicly identified clients and organizations associated with its work have included AT&T, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Basketball Association, Malaria No More, Valeant Pharmaceuticals, and Bears for Leadership Reform. Vianovo developed a proprietary planning process known as AIMD—Audience, Insight, Message, and Delivery—which it used to structure targeted communications programs. The method reflects the firm's political-consulting heritage: research the audience, identify the relevant insight, develop a persuasive message, and deliver it through suitable channels and activities. Its projects have ranged from consumer marketing and public-opinion research to crisis communications and policy advocacy. The company expanded its leadership and geographic footprint after its launch. William “Billy” Moore, Michael Shannon, and Robert Norcross joined the firm in 2006, and Norcross opened the Dallas–Fort Worth office. Former United States ambassador to Mexico Antonio “Tony” Garza joined as a partner in 2009 and later chaired Vianovo Ventures, the firm's investment arm. Matthew Miller became a partner in 2011 after serving as a spokesperson for United States Attorney General Eric Holder. In 2014, Vianovo created Mexico Energy Strategic Advisory, or MESA, to provide companies and investors with information and strategic advice concerning Mexico's energy market. Founding partner Matthew Dowd departed in 2015 to establish Paradox Capital, while Katherine Nash Goehring joined the partnership that year. Miller later returned to the firm in 2025 after government service. Vianovo has also participated in startup investing and entrepreneurial support through Vianovo Ventures. Its publicly reported activities included participation in the 2012 Series A financing of Rally.org, an online fundraising platform. Across its consulting and investment work, the firm's positioning has centered on combining political strategy, communications, public-policy knowledge, market research, and cross-border experience. The available reference material identifies Vianovo as an active consultancy, but does not provide independently verified revenue, ownership, current website, or detailed present-day operating information.

Vianovo was established in May 2005 as a bipartisan consultancy by Blaine Bull, Matthew Dowd, Tucker Eskew, and James Taylor. Rather than starting as a conventional single-service public-relations agency, it consolidated four political and communications operations: Eskew Strategy Group, Dowd Strategic Consulting, StratCom Group, and CIMA Strategies. The founders brought experience from presidential campaigns, the White House, and Capitol Hill. Dowd and Eskew had held senior roles connected to George W. Bush presidential campaigns, while Eskew had also led White House media affairs. Bull, Dowd, Moore, and Taylor had worked for Senator Lloyd Bentsen in Congress. At launch, Vianovo presented itself as a management, advocacy, and communications firm able to apply campaign methods to corporate, nonprofit, and policy problems. Its services included research, strategic planning, public campaigns, issue advocacy, public relations, coalition building, crisis management, and brand-related advice. The company developed a proprietary framework called AIMD, standing for Audience, Insight, Message, and Delivery. The process organized communications work around identifying the relevant audience, finding an actionable insight, developing the message, and delivering it through appropriate channels. The firm expanded in 2006 when William “Billy” Moore, Michael Shannon, and Robert Norcross joined as partners. Norcross opened a Dallas–Fort Worth office, adding to Vianovo's presence in Austin, Washington, D.C., and its broader United States–Mexico operating model. Its early project work illustrated the range of the business. For the NBA, it conducted focus groups and advised on reaching new demographic groups. For Malaria No More, it handled media relations and communications. For AT&T, it used a political-campaign-style neighborhood event strategy in support of the launch of U-verse bundled fiber-optic services. Vianovo continued to work at the intersection of digital participation, philanthropy, and public affairs. In 2008, it partnered with Convio on a National Press Club panel about the effect of internet tools on philanthropy, advocacy, and politics. In 2009, it worked with Hart Research Associates on a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-commissioned survey concerning U.S. public attitudes toward immunization for children in developing countries. The company developed a stronger Mexico and cross-border profile during the following decade. Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico Antonio “Tony” Garza joined as a partner in June 2009. He subsequently became chairman of Vianovo Ventures, the firm's investment arm, which partnered with and supported startups. In 2011, Matthew Miller joined the partnership after serving as spokesperson for U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Vianovo Ventures participated in the 2012 Series A financing of Rally.org, an online fundraising platform. In 2012 and 2016, Vianovo and advertising agency GSD&M conducted national polling on U.S. perceptions of Mexico. In 2013, Vianovo conducted a survey of 1,000 Mexican citizens regarding the political environment and public opinion surrounding President Enrique Peña Nieto's energy-reform agenda. In March 2014, it created Mexico Energy Strategic Advisory, or MESA, an advisory board intended to help U.S. companies and investors understand the Mexican energy market through information, policy analysis, and strategic counsel. Leadership changed in the mid-2010s. Founding partner Matthew Dowd left in 2015 to launch Paradox Capital, a social-impact venture fund. Katherine Nash Goehring became a partner in the same year after leading communications and investor relations for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Vianovo also undertook crisis and governance-related assignments. In 2015, Valeant Pharmaceuticals hired the firm amid public and congressional scrutiny of drug pricing. In 2016, Vianovo began representing Bears for Leadership Reform, a Baylor University alumni group advocating transparency and governance changes after the university's sexual-assault scandal. The available reference material identifies the consultancy as active and describes a partner-led structure spanning communications, public affairs, research, crisis work, Mexico advisory, and startup investment. Matthew Miller, who had left to work in the Biden administration's State Department, returned as a partner in 2025. Detailed current financial results, ownership information, and a verified official website are not established by the supplied sources.

• 2025

  Matthew Miller returns

  [1]Vianovoen.wikipedia.org

  Miller returned to Vianovo as a partner after government service.

• 2015

  Founding partner departure

  [1]Vianovoen.wikipedia.org

  Matthew Dowd left Vianovo to establish Paradox Capital.

• 2015

  Katherine Nash Goehring becomes partner

  [1]Vianovoen.wikipedia.org

  Goehring joined the partnership after communications and investor-relations work at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

• 2014

  MESA formed

  [1]Vianovoen.wikipedia.org

  Vianovo created Mexico Energy Strategic Advisory to advise on Mexico's energy market.

• 2012

  Rally.org investment

  [1]Vianovoen.wikipedia.org

  Vianovo Ventures participated in Rally.org's Series A financing.

• 2011

  Matthew Miller joins partnership

  [1]Vianovoen.wikipedia.org

  Matthew Miller joined Vianovo after serving as spokesperson for Attorney General Eric Holder.

• 2009

  Antonio Garza joins

  [1]Vianovoen.wikipedia.org

  Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico Antonio Garza joined Vianovo as a partner.

• 2006

  Partnership and office expansion

  [1]Vianovoen.wikipedia.org

  Billy Moore, Michael Shannon, and Robert Norcross joined as partners; Norcross opened the Dallas–Fort Worth office.

• 2005

  Vianovo founded

  [1]Vianovoen.wikipedia.org

  Blaine Bull, Matthew Dowd, Tucker Eskew, and James Taylor established Vianovo as a bipartisan consultancy by combining four agencies.

• 2005

  AIMD framework introduced

  [1]Vianovoen.wikipedia.org

  The firm introduced its Audience, Insight, Message, and Delivery process for planning targeted communications.

A bipartisan advisory firm combining political strategy, public-opinion research, communications, advocacy, crisis management, and cross-border business advice.

• Communications planning methodology · 2005

  AIMD

  A proprietary Vianovo process organized around Audience, Insight, Message, and Delivery. It is used to structure targeted communication programs by identifying the relevant audience, extracting a useful insight, creating a message, and selecting delivery methods.

• Energy-market advisory · 2014

  Mexico Energy Strategic Advisory (MESA)

  An advisory board established by Vianovo to provide U.S. companies and investors with information, strategic guidance, and policy analysis concerning Mexico's energy market.

• Startup investment and support

  Vianovo Ventures

  Vianovo's investment arm, which partners with and supports startups. Its reported activities included participation in the Series A financing of Rally.org in 2012.

• 2016

  Baylor governance and sexual-assault controversy

  The firm represented Bears for Leadership Reform, an alumni group seeking transparency and governance changes in response to Baylor University's sexual-assault scandal.

  Source

• 2015

  Valeant drug-pricing scrutiny

  Vianovo provided crisis-management support to Valeant Pharmaceuticals while the company faced public scrutiny and congressional investigations related to drug pricing.

  Source

Read more

• 2016Bears for Leadership Reform

  United States

  Vianovo represented a Baylor alumni organization advocating institutional transparency and governance changes after the university's sexual-assault scandal.

  Outcome. The source identifies the advocacy engagement but does not establish a final campaign result.

  Source
• 2006AT&T U-verse launch campaign

  United States

  Vianovo developed a neighborhood-oriented promotional campaign for AT&T's U-verse launch, adapting political field and community-engagement tactics to a consumer technology rollout.

  Outcome. The campaign supported promotion of AT&T's bundled fiber-optic services; broader performance results are not stated in the source material.

  Source

• 2014

  Create Mexico Energy Strategic AdvisoryStrategy

  Background

  Vianovo identified a need for specialized strategic and policy advice for U.S. companies and investors assessing Mexico's energy sector.

  Action taken

  The firm formed MESA, an advisory board focused on Mexico energy-market information, strategy, and policy analysis.

  Aftermath

  The supplied material does not report financial results or the board's subsequent performance.

  Source

• 2012

  Invest in Rally.org Series AM&A

  Background

  Vianovo Ventures extended the firm's activities beyond consulting into startup investment and support.

  Action taken

  The investment arm joined other investors in Rally.org's Series A financing.

  Aftermath

  The source identifies the financing participation but does not provide a Vianovo-specific return or later outcome.

  Source

1. 1Vianovoen.wikipedia.org