Our team

Whether you’re looking to enhance your brand’s digital presence or need expert PR services, we’re here to help. Get in touch with us today.

Linda Kavanagh

Founder, MaxEx Public Relations, LLC

Food & Travel Writer

Having worked her way through the exciting hospitality world, including stints as a chef, bartender, catering director, and every other life-affirming task that draws one into the hospitality industry forever, Linda left the kitchen side of the business and transitioned into being a supporter of the industry - trading her apron in for the almighty press release.

Linda’s first client was South Norwalk’s, now uber-popular, Barcelona Restaurant. “It was their first restaurant in the company and my first PR client on my own after leaving my New York PR firm in 1997, “she recalls. And the rest is history as Barcelona went on to become one of the biggest restaurant success stories in Connecticut and MaxEx became the go-to firm for restaurants and chefs looking to make a name for themselves.

MaxEx has worked with over 300 Connecticut and New York restaurants to date. Other fields of concentration include wine and spirit brands, retail properties, and real estate collectives. Linda has led media tours throughout Friuli Venezia Giulia Italy, cooked across America touting Ghirardelli Chocolate’s baking line, and hosted Side Dish, the Allied Domecq / Pernod Ricard-sponsored food and wine radio show on COX Media for three years.

Linda is the co-founder of the New England Culinary Group 501(c)(6), a networking group and support arm for the hospitality industry comprised of a vast array of talented individuals who specialize in providing restaurants and all food service operations with the necessary products, services, and guidance to create, open, and operate successful businesses.

An award-winning food and travel writer, Linda contributes to regional and national publications such as Venü Magazine and Total Food Service. As a frequent speaker at The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show in New York, Marcum Events, and The CT Writer’s Conference, Linda addresses the issues pertaining to the promotion of the hospitality industry and the responsibility that food journalists and publicists have to the industry as a whole. Linda is a hospitality consultant who conducts seminars for the CT Chapter of the Women's Business Development Council, among other regional business support groups.

Food + Travel Articles

VENÜ Magazine

Total Food Service

Public Relations and Chef Profiles - Monthly Column

Julie Webel

Social Media Director

Julie Webel is a social media expert who has spearheaded this always-evolving MaxEx PR segment since 2016. A University of Connecticut graduate with a background in hospitality, Julie creates robust social media campaigns for an industry she has tremendous respect for.

Utilizing original photography and best practices, Julie manages broad social media campaigns that reach hyper-local 'real-life customers' on behalf of MaxEx clients, garnering significant growth and engagement on all platforms.

Julie is proactive in keeping her finger on the pulse of social media marketing. She constantly manages and troubleshoots the intricacies of today's most influential communications platforms, ensuring that her clients' campaigns are always ahead of the curve.

Email Julie

Serena Norr

Digital Director / Influencer Marketing

Upon graduating from Hunter College, Serena developed a passion for digital media while serving as an Editor/Writer at Playbill and Tea and Coffee Trade Journal. Expanding upon the digital side of the media industry, Serena took on the role of Managing Editor for Momtrends.com, and later as the Editor-in-Chief of Unilever's All Things Hair and the Editorial Director for CottagesGardens.com. She has also been a freelance writer for over 16 years, covering family travel, food, music, culture, and more!

Serena enjoys working behind the scenes; crafting strategies for brands, producing target market, and high-profile events, leveraging a brand’s social media platforms, ultimately creating an online presence that's meaningful and authentic. She is a frequent speaker at numerous social media industry conferences, including Blissdom, where she shares her knowledge of digital writing, SEO, and industry trends.

Serena also loves to write plays and covers travel, food, and adventures on her blog, TheWeekendJaunts.com, as well as contributing events, resources, and local news on NorthernWestchesterMoms.com. For MaxEx, Serena incorporates her tremendous skills and passion for the hospitality and lifestyle industry to help brands stay connected to their audience and grow organically yet strategically.

Email Serena

David Milton

Content Creator

A Hartford native and foodie, David Milton has been a food and content creator/blogger for over 10 years, working closely to support Connecticut small businesses and restaurants throughout the state. He has 100K plus combined followers across his social media platforms. He’s appeared on ABC News, CT Now with Taylor Kinzler, and has been featured in INSIDER. He’s also attracted the attention of larger national brands, working closely as an ambassador with Mcdonald's, MGM Resort and Casinos, Coca-Cola, and Nike.

As a Content Creator for MaxEx, David tells our clients' stories through his camera and video lenses, capturing the food, energy, and people behind the brands MaxEx represents.

Chloe Burany

Junior Associate

Chloe Burany is a recent communications graduate from UConn Stamford, where she honed her skills in public relations and crisis communications. With a passion for travel, food blogging, and reading, Chloe has turned her love for culinary experiences into a successful venture with her blog, @chloescravingz. All while utilizing skills learned in the classroom to enhance her professional presence on social media. Her blog, which showcases her adventures in food and travel, has garnered attention from major brands along the East Coast, reflecting her adeptness in engaging audiences and enhancing brand visibility.

Chloe's journey into the world of hospitality began at the age of 14, which provided her with a deep understanding of the industry's many nuances. She continues to work in the restaurant industry, allowing her to see the impact of influencer marketing firsthand. Her extensive experience has equipped her with a keen insight into strategic marketing on Instagram and Facebook, enabling her to craft compelling content that resonates with CT’s diverse audiences.

As a recent college graduate, Chloe is eager to leverage her background in communications and her hands-on experience with content creation to make a meaningful impact within the industry. As a content creator, Chloe works hard to showcase the many layers of MaxEx’s diverse clientele.

Email Chloe

Let’s work together

We are a seasoned firm that functions on personal attention and relationships—not a large company that pushes a button to a downloaded database of media contacts. We are old school in that way but operate in the "new school" PR world.

Get in touch