BIOS

BRITTANY STRAEDE

Brittany Straede has a wealth of international branding and licensing experience, having lived and worked in New York, London, and Los Angeles. She focuses on ideating and building lifestyle programs, marketing, licensing, campaigns, sponsorship, brand expansion, and strategy, merchandising experiential activations, and co-branded collaborations. She has created and executed marketing strategies for high-profile celebrities, athletes, global brands, entertainment properties, fashion houses, and non-profits. She’s partnered with Target, Disney, Mattel, QVC, Kohl’s, Hormel, and TJX to name a few. 

Brittany is especially accomplished in partnerships in apparel, jewelry, accessories, and food & beverage. Her work has resulted in multi-million dollars in product sales. 

In 2019 she co-founded Plaster Partners LLC with marketing executive Michael Catalano to focus on brand partnerships and licensing. 

She holds a BA from UCLA and an MA in International Communications from the University of London. She is a former competitive figure skater and currently resides in Los Angeles. 

MICHAEL CATALANO

Michael Catalano has been marketing brands and launching products since 1988 while exclusively managing the career of Richard Simmons — spearheading the growth of one of the world’s most iconic and enduring brands in health and fitness and is responsible for over $2 Billion in worldwide sales of Simmons product.

With an extensive background in public relations, media placement, product marketing, and distribution, product licensing, infomercial and television production, live event marketing as well as talent management, Michael brings a variety of resources and depth of experience to every project.

Since beginning his career as a junior publicist for world-renown dance hall/nightclub Studio 54 in NYC, Michael has been elevating brands and launching global marketing campaigns for nearly 40 years. Michael has successfully leveraged his close relationships with celebrities on behalf of such prestigious brands and companies as Ocean Spray, Crest, Carnival, SONY, Clorox, Diet Coke, Wishbone, Old London, HSBC, Cipriani, Pfizer, LVMH, Warner Bros to list just a few.

Michael is the founder of Celebrities Plus, Inc, an entertainment media and marketing agency specializing in identifying brand ambassadors for global PR and advertising campaigns. 

Celebrities Plus started with one client, and since then has grown to become one of the most in-demand and respected white glove marketing agencies in the industry. 

In 2019 he co-founded Plaster Partners LLC with licensing executive Brittany Straede to focus on brand and personality licensing.

He and his wife Jenifer, a writer, live in Los Angeles with their two children and two dogs.