Stories That Shape Perception

We Are Milan PR

A strategic public relations partner for organizations in the public eye. We help leaders shape narratives, manage visibility, and build credibility in moments that matter.

Our Founder

An interview setting with a female interviewer and an elderly male interviewee in an office, with books, awards, and flags in the background.
News broadcast with a woman in a pink blazer discussing AI in schools, with a headline "WCPSS Addresses AI in Schools" and a timestamp showing 4:08 PM.

Mikaya Thurmond is a public relations strategist who helps organizations shape narratives, strengthen their reputation, and communicate with clarity during moments that matter. She works closely with executives across government agencies, corporations, startups, and nonprofits, bringing a sharp understanding of how messaging influences trust, visibility, and decision-making.

Before founding Milan Public Relations, Mikaya built an award-winning career in journalism, which continues to inform her approach to earned media and strategic counsel. She spent seven years as an anchor at WRAL News in Raleigh, waking up hundreds of thousands of viewers each morning, and made history as the youngest anchor in the market at the time. Her reporting career spanned North Carolina and Tennessee, earning two Associated Press awards, four Emmy nominations, and national placements on CBS Evening News and NBC’s Today Show.

Mikaya is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Georgia and has been recognized as a UGA 40 Under 40 honoree and Cary Magazine Mover and Shaker. She brings a reporter’s instincts and a strategist’s discipline to every client partnership.

What We Do

  • Our team of strategists bring sharp insight and strong relationships to amplify earned, owned, and shared media in ways that move the needle.

  • Strategy First. Results Next.​

    Our process begins with a deep dive into understanding your business and industry landscape. We assess your organization's unique needs, curate the optimal mix of PR tactics, execute the strategy, analyze results, and adapt accordingly.

  • Milan PR is a strategic communications firm for organizations that need judgment, not noise. We focus on clear positioning, earned credibility, and narratives that hold up when the stakes are high.

    We Aren’t PR Robots

    We understand how media decisions are actually made. That insight shapes work that cuts through clutter, earns trust, and moves conversations forward.


What We Can Do for You

Public Relations

End-to-end press office management, from story mining to journalist outreach and interview coordination.

Thought Leadership

Ghostwritten articles, keynote pitching, and panel placements that showcase your expertise to the right audiences.

Crisis & Reputation Management

24/7 monitoring, scenario planning, and real-time counsel to protect brand equity when minutes matter.

Social Media

Holistic programs that unite earned, owned, and paid channels for maximum impact and measurable results.

Get Started

We Know PR.

Logo of WeBuild Concord with a house graphic above the text, and green waves below, emphasizing building homes, partnerships, and opportunities.
Logo of the Human-Animal Alliance with a line drawing of a dog's face and the organization's name written beside it.
Illustration of a large tree and the text "This is Raleigh" in red and pink.
Logo for Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina featuring a blue pentagon made of interwoven lines with five empty circles at the corners and the organization's name written in blue text to the right.
Logos of Corey Branch and Raleigh City Council District C.
Logo for Vanir Installed Sales featuring a stylized house with a roof and window, with the word 'VANIR' and the phrase 'Installed Sales' underneath.
A logo featuring a large, detailed tree with the text "VESTA ENTERPRISES" beneath it.
Cadence Cash Equal Access Fund logo in blue text.
Logo with concentric circles in green and blue gradient on the left and bold text on the right that reads "Climate Alliance".
A logo with the letters RDU inside a stylized triangle.
Logo with the letters 'tIC' and a colorful abstract human figure, with the tagline 'Igniting Hope. Embracing Possibility.'
Rocky Mount, North Carolina logo with the initials RM inside a circle and the slogan 'The Center of It All'.
Logo of ChemForward with a grid design and the words 'Chem Forward' and the tagline 'know better chemistry'.
Text that says 'Miss North Carolina' in gold-colored letters.
Text that reads 'the women's social club' in various colors and fonts on a black background.
Logo for ALIGHT SUCCESS featuring a stylized human figure reaching upward with stars and swooshes around it.
A gold circle with a white stylized flower inside, and the letters 'NCESE' below in gray.
SunStates Security logo with bold blue text on a white background
Illustration of buildings and houses with the words 'Raleigh', 'Area', 'Land', and 'Trust' in blue and orange text.
Logo for Blue Water Spa featuring a stylized blue water droplet with the spa's name inside.

Latest News

Forbes logo with the text 'America's Dream Employers 2026' and 'Powered by Statista' on a black background, framed by a blue border.

Employer Reputation Strategy Culminates in Forbes Best Employers Recognition

We advised a national security provider with more than 6,000 employees on employer brand positioning, helping translate internal culture and workforce strength into Forbes Best Employers recognition.

Arrangement of makeup products including brushes, lipstick, compact powder, mascara, contour cream, and decorative lightning bolt earrings on a beige background.

Transparency-Focused Chemical Data Platform Breaks Through to Mainstream Business Media

Within 24 hours of a data report launch, our media strategy secured top-tier coverage in CNN and Vogue, repositioning complex supply chain data as must-have intelligence for brands and institutional investors.

A diverse group of people attending an outdoor event, seated and listening attentively, with some clapping and others with focused expressions.

Affordable Housing Expansion Takes Shape with High-Profile Groundbreaking Event

We orchestrated a high-visibility public launch that brought together 300 community members, elected officials, and local media, resulting in more than a dozen placements and sustained attention on a major affordable housing development.


Let’s Connect

Ready to elevate your story? Message us for a consultation and discover how strategic communications can accelerate your goals.