Strand

Approach

Strand partnered with Thermal to build a multi-channel communications strategy around its programmable mRNA platform and the growing voice of its co-founder and CEO, Jake Becraft. Together, we:

• • Defined a category-owning narrative: Positioned Strand as not just another mRNA company, but as the infrastructure for the next generation of genetic medicine.
  • Executed milestone announcement strategy: Managed a cadence of leadership and governance announcements, including the appointment of Strand’s first independent board director and two executive promotions, each supported by press releases and targeted media outreach.
  • Built an original thought leadership platform: Identified U.S. clinical trial policy as a strategic lane for Jake’s public voice and developed the arguments, narrative, and editorial content to establish him as a credible spokesperson in the national biotech competitiveness debate.
  • Developed sustained media relationships: Conducted ongoing outreach across tier-one business, science, and trade publications, positioning Strand’s pipeline milestones and Jake’s policy work as part of a long-term narrative strategy.

Impact

Thermal’s work helped shift Strand’s public profile to a recognizable name in both the programmable medicine space and the U.S. biotech policy conversation.

• • Landed a tier 1 op-ed: Jake Becraft’s op-ed ran in The Washington Post, a landmark placement for a clinical-stage CEO making a policy argument.
  • Took the argument to Capitol Hill: Jake testified before the House Select Committee on China, placing Strand at the center of a national conversation on clinical trial reform and U.S. biotech competitiveness. Following Jake’s testimony, Strand was cited across trade publications as a leading voice for the domestic biotech sector.
  • Secured key leadership positions: Jake was invited to be a member of Washington Post Intelligence’s inaugural Health Care Council, a group at the center of the health care and technology debates in Washington.
  • Built a recognized public profile: Strand earned coverage across a range of trade and popular science outlets, bringing the company’s story to a broader tech and science audience.
  • Earned industry recognition: Strand was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2026, ranked No. 7 in Biotech.