Greater Chicago Area
BRAND PARTNER Jon connects your brand to the top-most industry leaders, allowing you to have unrivaled cross-promotional and marketing opportunities. Having continuously worked with change-makers, influencers, and movers of industries, he provides you with the names and resources that pull the crowd. STRATEGIST Mindful planning, the ability to make quick judgements and decisions, and creativity, go into the highly effective strategies that are implemented for Jon Cotay's partners and clients. This Business Catalyst Award winner has been highly successful in many aspects of business, from real-estate, to product distribution, to PR, and has a deep understanding of the variables involved in devising the right strategy. As an entrepreneur, he is highly adaptable to changes when they need to be made. EVENT ORGANIZER Whether your cause is charity, fundraising, fashion, technology, product awareness or more, your event will be on the minds of your guests for months to come. Well-known for creating some of Chicago’s most exciting events, Jon Cotay transforms your venue into an inspiring experience. His energy and ingenuity in design transform your event into an other-worldly place. Approaching each event with the passion for optimum execution, he is intricately involved from the ground up. Every detail counts.
Akira co-founder: responsible for putting the brand on the map, he and his team aggressively expanded Akira’s stores across Chicago from a single location into an 19 store style icon, and established it online as shopakira.com — a premier e-commerce site with over 15,000 hits a day. Carefully designing each store to reflect the signature style of its geographical location, the brand is inextricably connected to the populaces it serves. Now the famous red awnings are a staple of Chicago fashion. Celebrities, tourists, and locals frequent the stores, and many become loyal fans. Branching out from his roots in Akira, Jon Cotay is a strategic team player in various branding operations, successfully helping brands to penetrate the Chicagoland market. Through his work with AKIRA, and though his own initiatives, Jon has developed working relationships with the following brands, and organizations: F&B Brand Partners —CoorsLight —Redbull —LVMH (Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton portfolio) which includes: —Veuve Clicquot —Hennesey —Belvedere —Phusion Projects which includes Four Loko & Moskato Life —Vita Coco —Popchips —SkinnyPop —McDonald’s —Ford Models —Factor/Chosen Models —Wilhemina Models —10 Management Publication Connections through Recognitions —Crain’s Chicago —MR Magazine —Michigan Avenue Magazine —BizBash Magazine —Chicago Social —The Reader —Chicago Scene Affiliations —Capitol Records —Lollapalooza Official After-Party (2014, 2015) —Ypo —Crain’s 40 under 40 —Executives breakfast club —React Presents —Juan and Only Events —Interscope Records —Kanye west —Kim Kardashian west —Common —Katy Perry —Lmfao —Joakim Noah (Chicago Bulls) —Dwayne Wade —Charlie Sheen —Mark Wahlberg —James Maslow —Tori Kelly —T-Pain —Whacka Flocka —Dwayne Wade —Kristin Cavallari —Brody Jenner —Pierson Fode Non-Profit Brand Partners —PAWS Chicago —YWCA Metropolitan Chicago —Make-a-Wish —Wounded Warrior Project —Illinois Safe School Alliance —Imerman Angels —1871 —Red Cross —Charipick