Bio

Howard Bragman
Founder of strategic media and public relations agency Fifteen Minutes
Author of “Where’s My Fifteen Minutes?”

Howard Bragman has been a communicator, educator, entrepreneur, writer and lecturer for more than two decades. Bragman founded a strategic media and public relations agency, Fifteen Minutes, in 2005.

Fifteen Minutes represents a broad yet focused client base in a diverse range of areas: personality, corporate entertainment, special events, consumer products, gay/lesbian market, media training and crisis management.

Bragman founded Bragman Nyman Cafarelli Public Relations and Marketing (BNC) in 1989. The company is one of the most respected public relations agencies in the United States with billings of more than $15 million annually and a blue-chip client roster of celebrities, consumer products and events. In 2001, BNC was purchased by Interpublic, one of the world’s largest marketing holding companies.

Bragman was also an adjunct professor of Public Relations at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communications for six years. He has been honored for his teaching excellence by his students and the University.

As a nationally respected crisis counselor, he has provided litigation support for a significant number of high-profile cases and individuals. These include: Joseph Steffan who was kicked out of the US Naval Academy for his sexual orientation; The Lewinsky Family; and Sharon Smith in Smith v. Knoller, a high-profile civil rights and justice trial involving a tragic dog mauling death.

Bragman’s record spans more than two decades of activism for the AIDS/HIV community, lesbian and gay civil rights, Jewish causes and First Amendment protections. He has received awards and honors from numerous groups including AIDS Project Los Angeles, The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, The Life AIDS Lobby and Congregation Kol Ami. Bragman founded the “Jewish Image Awards” honoring positive portrayals of Jews in television and film.

Bragman created a visually directed media preparation manual aimed at young actors that was standard preparation for all actors at Nickelodeon Movies and Television. He has media trained hundreds of people including actors, CEOs, physicians, elected officials and attorneys.

Bragman has written bylined articles for publications including: Advertising Age, The Advocate, The Los Angeles Times and Playboy. A frequent television guest on issues involving the entertainment industry and popular culture, Bragman has appeared on local and network news programs more than 100 times including Oprah, The Today Show, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox and E, as well as in hundreds of national magazines and local newspapers. He has been a featured speaker for numerous groups including The US Conference of Mayors; The UJC Youth Congress; and many others.

Howard Bragman was born and raised in Flint, Michigan and graduated with a B.A. from The University of Michigan, in Journalism and Psychology in 1978. Previous to starting his agency, he was a vice president in the Chicago and Los Angeles offices of Burson-Marsteller Public Relations. He resides in Los Angeles with his partner, Chuck O’Donnell, a nationally-respected horse trainer

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