Stephanie Maksimow
The Catalyst Publicity Group Publicity Director
Seattle, WA
Hailing from New York, Stephanie is a wanderlusty soul who has found herself living all over the country - from Long Island, to South Florida, New England, and now based in Seattle, Washington. From a very young age, Steph has been surrounded by music, making her love for various genres and the industry itself feel natural. As early as age 3, she started singing and dancing, playing piano and violin, and engulfed herself in the world of entertainment. Steph attributes her passion for music to her mom, who was the Editor of Awaken Magazine and organizer for YesFest, which praised the highly notable progressive rock band, Yes. Stephanie tagged along behind the scenes at concerts and conventions, developing her familiarity with the industry and touring scene at a very young age. Her mom later married a songwriter and record engineer who featured Stephanie’s voice on several tracks of his self-produced album with his band Un1son, and guided her to learn more about the industry itself. As time went on, her infatuation with music grew and she emerged herself into the local music scene, tackling everything from artist management to touring, production, and promotion. In her college years, Stephanie worked as a Street Team Leader for Fueled By Ramen Records and co-managed several local bands, sending the road warrior on adventures all over the country including The Bamboozle and Vans Warped Tour.
In 2008, Stephanie moved to Boston to get her Master's degree in an unrelated field, but continued to spend time in the industry where she kept her heart. She shared an apartment with an independent record label with a revolving door of talented musicians and music industry pros. However, it wasn’t until later when she decided to pursue her dream and go back to school for a second Master’s Degree in Music Business Administration, and turning to Jen Appel to jumpstart her career in Music Publicity. Her Master’s Thesis paper, 'Music Publicity: Independent Public Relations in the Digital Age,' was published in 2016 and received with high acclaim.
After witnessing the industry change drastically from the inside, Stephanie empathizes with the hardships of emerging musicians, making it her mission to advise, guide, and develop talented artists to expose them to the rest of the world in the best light possible. Naturally, she found a home in the world of public relations. Stephanie looks forward to continued growth with the company and further being inspired by the phenomenally talented artists, management companies, labels, and brands she works with; and being one of the hands helping the music industry thrive.