April 06, 2023
By Shelby Stephens
Contributing Writer
Getting out the box and into the media, Serene Agency is a Los Angeles based, women-founded, and women-led creative agency, specializing in public relations, brand management, and social media content.
Founder and professional media strategist, Nia Rice, built her agency on purpose and intention by executing brand campaigns without compromising the integrity of her clients. Working with emerging marginalized brands, influencers, and non-profits like The Blueprint and the Pico Youth & Family Center, Serene has a diverse company client list, including Emmy award-winning company, Issa Rae Productions, and national organizations like the African Chamber of Commerce.
The agency also represents high profile individuals like L.A. native and singing sensation Elle Varner, 3x Grammy award-winning artist and producer Hit-Boy, P-Valley’s Shannon Thornton, The Billionaire Chef Tolu Eors, and internet personality Yvng Swag. Rice connects the dots between entertainment, lifestyle, technology, and hospitality.
Disrupting the traditional approach to media content and brand management, Serene is responsible for transforming multicultural owned businesses into globally respected entities. With more than 10 years in the industry, Rice is changing the narrative of how major corporations and studios cater to minority audiences and projects.
She is a professional media strategist because of her dedication to advancing her clients by connecting them with lead industry executives using multiple digital platforms. In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Sentinel, Rice, and Account Executive Vice President Jasmine Young, opened up about Serene’s start, success, and next steps for the future.
After graduating college with a Hospitality Management degree, University of Maryland Eastern Shore alumni Nia Rice aspired to be an event planner, but quickly found her passion in public relations while working with Priscilla Clarke of Clarke PR.
During her senior year until the age of 23, Rice worked in radio, sharpening her skills in advertising, public relations, events, making connections with established personalities, and building her reputation in the D.C. area.
When asked about her start in the industry, Rice shared, “I knew in D.C. I was hitting a cap, so I moved to New York and when I started working at The Chamber Group and Hunter PR, and that’s when I truly saw my capabilities as a media strategist.
I knew how to tell stories and I understood how to pair people based on their personality and who to best match them with to tell their stories correctly, I saw my talent for connecting individuals. I began to build my contacts and resources, then when I moved to Los Angeles everything hit.”
The Huffington Post listed Serene as the top rising agency in the nation for securing their clients in top media outlets like People Magazine, Tonight Show Jimmy Fallon, AdWeek, CNN, and Good Morning America.
They have created exposure for their clients by placing brands on carpets such as the Golden Globes, People's Choice, and the Grammys.
The agency has secured multicultural brand partnerships and assure brands are solidified with corporate awards and listed at the top of the industries with others and has been listed by Huffington Post, Medium and more.
To keep operations organized and communication tight, the agency hosts weekly briefings to prioritize clients and their needs. The briefings determine the strategies for the week including brand development, event coordinating, and scheduling. Serene has a variety of clients, which promotes diversity in the agency’s representation and assists in expanding the brand.
Working with multicultural brands that deserve massive and high-level media consumption, VP Jasmine Young explained, “Every day is different as we have a lot of different clients ranging from athletes to film directors. We start our day prioritizing and focusing to see if the day will be about outreach or if we have to do in-house research for a client and we move from there.”
As the agency continues to grow, Rice and Young have made it a point to be intentional with their work-life balance, reminding each other and their staff, to work towards being better professionals each day. With increased success comes increased responsibility.
Rice embraces mistakes and understands the importance of learning as you move through industry challenges. “I tell my team; your mistakes are going to come as the experience happens.”
In the next 10 years, Rice hopes to connect with high engagement production companies in the film industry to work on projects in television, advertisement, and documentaries.
“To be the most highly sought agency to flawlessly direct brands in the right direction for maximum reach and complete our offices in the states and then becoming global to Africa and London are the ultimate goals. Making sure my staff and my team are well taken care of, generational wealth is important internally for our employees and externally for our clients,” she said.
Serene Agency is currently active in Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., and Atlanta.
Rice is working on opening workspaces in L.A. and New York to continue to expand their reach across the country.
Rice and Young encourage upcoming public relation agencies and individuals looking to break into the field to get started with their ideas, invest in themselves, and seek mentorship.
“Don’t be scared, invest in yourself, go to workshops, take a class, you will get the money back.
All my peers, including myself, have a mentor. Really get out there!”
Connect with Serene Agency online at Publicity | Serene Agency, or on Instagram at Serene Agency (@serenetheagency) • Instagram photos and videos.