About

Founded in 2001 by Deborah Kwan

“I have a talent for making connections and communicating persuasively and succinctly. I keep my client list small to ensure personal contact and targeted campaigns. I love working with both new and established brands.”

Deborah Kwan, president and CEO of DKPR, Inc., has years of experience in public relations and brand building working with clients in the food, beverage and publishing industries.  Current and past clients include Aidells Sausage Company, Bruce Cost Ginger Ale, ChefShop.com, Gastronomica: The Journal of Food & Culture (University of California Press), Gelateria Naia, Guittard Chocolate Company, Hodo Foods, Laura Chenel, the Perfect Purée of Napa Valley, Recchiuti Confections, Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, and Valrhona. She has secured media coverage for her clients in outlets like Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, New York, O, The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, San Francisco Chronicle, Saveur, Vogue, Wall Street Journal, and Wine Spectator.

Prior to becoming an independent consultant, she helmed the San Francisco office of a NYC-based boutique agency where she oversaw the consumer lifestyle practice and new business development. Her food writing appeared in the San Jose Mercury News’ food column “Cooking on the Rim.”  Deborah also worked as a pastry cook in San Francisco and New York City after earning a blue ribbon diploma from Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School (now known as The Institute of Culinary Education).

Before making the transition to food, Deborah worked for several years as a literary publicist in New York City for Random House, Viking Press, HarperCollins, and Times Books where she designed and managed the national publicity campaigns for best-selling authors including Terry McMillan, Armistead Maupin, Ken Kesey, Tobias Wolff, and David Leavitt.

Deborah graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a bachelor’s in English literature. She’s a San Francisco native, where she lives with her husband, Chef Erik Cosselmon, and their two children. She is an avid baker and doesn’t consider a meal complete without dessert.

Clients

(Present & Past)

Testimonials

  • Deborah Kwan has worked on a variety of projects that I have worked on. She has an innate understanding of the complexities of "maker" products and knows how and to whom this information can be shared. Plus, she is a blast to work with!

    John Scharffenberger

  • Deborah goes above and beyond to create authentic stories that bring our brand to life. She is a well-respected and well-connected PR expert who has been a tremendous (and enthusiastic!) asset to our team.

    Amy Guittard, Marketing Director, Guittard Chocolate Company

  • Deborah’s passion for food is the foundation of her dedication. Her background in the culinary industry has given her the insider’s view and understanding of what makes a chef tick … highlighting those talents. She represented Recchiuti Confections when “artisan chocolatiers” in the United States were still following the lead of more established brands like La Maison du Chocolat and helped put this American brand on the map, placing us toe-to-toe with our European counterparts.

    Michael and Jacky Recchiuti, founders, Recchiuti Confections

  • Getting the media interested in tofu is challenging. Using her extensive experience in the food space, Deborah not only guided us in developing a broad message about our brand, but also devised tailored messages for specific media outlets and journalists when we had news of innovations and events.

    The consummate professional, Deborah is trusted by journalists to pitch meaningful stories of rising brands.

    Deborah delivers when it counts.

    Minh Tsai, Founder & CEO, Hodo Foods

  • Deborah Kwan is one of the most professional, personable and effective publicists and communicators about all things food, whether it be food products, food literature and food personalities. As a journalist, corporate food program manager and private business owner of learning kitchens and events, I counted on her to provide me with substantive content, smooth logistics and clear writing. I can't recommend her more highly.

    Liv Wu, Liv Cook Eat

  • Of all the publicists I’ve worked with over the years (and there have been many), Deborah stands out. I love how she thinks so creatively about each project and goes beyond standard approaches to p.r. Her contacts are impressive, her enthusiasm infectious, and her energy never flags. I can’t recommend her more highly!​

    Darra Goldstein, Author and food scholar

Contact

Contact Info

415.948.4370
[email protected]
San Francisco, CA

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