An ALS diagnosis is all too often a blindsiding experience for both patients and their families. For many, ALS progresses swiftly disrupting independent lives by robbing its victims of the ability to walk, talk, feed and dress themselves without the aid of a dedicated caretaker.  

The disease can cause immense financial hardships particularly when a family member must leave his or her job to care for a loved one grappling with ALS. In addition, patients and their family caretakers must often cope with feelings of isolation, anxiety and depression in addition to having to make increasingly difficult care decisions. 

Madeira has helped give voice to those whose lives have been impacted by this devastating disease by collecting their brave stories, words of wisdom and soliciting the advice of renowned research experts and care professionals. The result is a series of coping and advice articles that comprise the quarterly ALS Insights newsletter. Distributed to more than 12,000 subscribers, the newsletter has earned Madeira nearly a half dozen awards and counting. 

You can read the latest issue of ALS Insights by clicking HERE.

To learn more about how you can support the search for a cure, please consider donating to your local chapter of The ALS Association.

Ten years ago, Andi Graham began running a Web design firm in her living room. Today, thanks to a December 1st merger with ThinkTank, Inc., Big Sea is now the largest marketing and design firm in St. Petersburg. Home to 22 of the region's best creative professionals, Big Sea is already planning to grow by another 20 percent in this year ahead.

“The merger of these two dynamic companies exemplifies the growth of St. Petersburg’s Creative community, one of the city’s core target industries,” said Sean Kennedy, Economic Development and Greenhouse Manager at the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. “Their commitment to developing both talented people and a great community make them a perfect match for each other and for St. Petersburg.” 

Big Sea called on Madeira to promote the news of their recent merger and has since been featured in the Tampa Bay Tribune and the Business Observer. Madeira also arranged for the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce to showcase Big Sea as a "Bright Spot" in their weekly blog, which is delivered to 65,000 area business leaders. The Tampa Bay Business Journal, University of South Florida Alumni Association and 83 Degrees have also committed to run stories featuring Big Sea's homegrown success.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation released the sixth installment of its Leaders & Laggards series, The Path Forward: Improving Opportunities for African-American Students on December 10, 2015 as part of a day two conference held in partnership with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. 

This landmark study provides an in-depth evaluation of African-American student achievement across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The stark and sobering data paints a bleak picture of far too many young African-Americans who are not receiving an equal opportunity to succeed in college and careers.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation relied on Madeira to generate news coverage to increase conversation and awareness of this important issue plaguing our nation's public education system. Madeira booked more than 30 interviews featuring Foundation education experts and secured a broad swath of news coverage from New York to Hawaii. A small sampling of print placements secured by Madeira follows:

U.S News and World Report
Education Week
Inside Higher Ed
Atlanta Journal Constitution
The New Orleans Advocate
The Clarion-Ledger
Albany Herald
Detroit Free Press
Pittsburg Post-Gazette
The Courier-Journal
The Garden Island
The Tennessean

Despite October's grim Labor Department report, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation just released a major tech-focused economic study that included good news for entrepreneurs and job seekers in many innovation driven states. 
 
The Enterprising States: States Innovate study ranks top performing states across six categories of economic achievement to determine which are best poised to thrive in the increasingly STEM focused economy. The study revealed surprising new geographic trends while also offering hope to Millennials seeking careers in the ever widening field of technology.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation based in Washington, D.C. relied on Madeira to generate news coverage for this annual state evaluation study. In addition to developing a comprehensive press kit and social media strategy, Madeira secured 27 media interviews featuring senior Foundation executives and garnered dozens of news features yielding an estimated earned publicity value totaling more than $60,000.

Families in Long Beach, Calif. are breathing easier thanks to the American Lung Association's Breathe Well, Live Well program. Working closely with the city's Department of Health and Human Services, Madeira followed community health workers who provide one-on-one asthma management education to adults and seniors in this bustling suburb of Los Angeles. Program participants report fewer asthma attacks, which means less trips to the emergency room thanks to this innovative approach to improving public health one family at a time.