Company Led by Vicki Bohlsen '87 Strives to be "A Force for Good"

March 23, 2016

"Vicki Bohlsen was poised to make a difference following her graduation from DePauw University," begins an article in Bizvoice, the magazine of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. "After cutting her teeth in the news industry in Indianapolis and New York, she landed back in the Hoosier state. The Indianapolis-based public relations agency she founded six years ago, Bohlsen Group, is thriving by promoting music events, authors and more."

The feature by Matt Ottinger notes that Bohlsen's company is the only one in Indiana to earn "B Corp" status, calling it "a credential reserved for companies that go beyond just earning profits by impacting their communities in a positive way ... B Corp certification is orchestrated by B Lab, a Pennsylvania-based not-for-profit dedicated to helping companies use business in a benevolent manner."

Bohlsen, a 1987 graduate of DePauw, has a policy of hiring 90% local vendors, and offers paid volunteering hours, ongoing professional development, wellness initiatives, Work From Home Mondays, and the firm provides pro bono work for local and national nonprofits.

"We're not curing cancer, but it's a way every decision we make can be guided by a force for good," Bohlsen states. "Getting butts in seats at concerts is not saving the world, but at least we're also giving back. That makes me proud to set a good example for my kids. And as B Lab notes on its web site, if everybody operated this way, how much better would the world be? If we're doing it and it inspires somebody else to follow this path, it's one little thing we can do."

Access the complete article by clicking here.

Vicki (Wilson) Bohlsen was a communication major at DePauw. She began her career at CBS Television in New York City then helped launch the radio live events division of Medialink. She then worked at WTHR-TV in Indianapolis and the Promotion Company before founding Bohlsen Group, Indianapolis’ largest full-service integrated communications firms. She has more than 30 years of experience in corporate and nonprofit public relations and strategic marketing.

Source: Bizvoice

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