Who I Am

Why trust my judgment?

I've spent my career in high-pressure situations—first as a poker professional, then as a high-stakes communicator. Different rooms, same discipline.

Christian Stellakis

Selected Wins

♠

Rebuilding a Communications Operation

Rebuilt an organization’s PR apparatus from the ground up, doubling its earned media coverage within a year and securing placements in the Wall Street Journal, The Hill, New York Post, and Newsweek, among other national outlets.

♥

Making Complex Policy Matter

Turned an obscure financial policy fight into a consumer-facing national campaign, managing seven-figure budgets, securing hundreds of media placements, and coordinating digital advocacy and stakeholder relations around proposed credit-card interchange restrictions.

♦

Changing a Statewide Conversation

Led one of the Commonwealth Foundation’s most successful advocacy rollouts, directing the communications strategy that shifted Pennsylvania’s political landscape around Lifeline Scholarships.

♣

Turning Research Into Coverage

Built a bespoke moves-management system for coalitions, experts, and reporters, alongside a polling platform that turned original research into a sustained source of coverage, commentary, and executive visibility.

The Scale
Hundreds of engagements across dozens of states. Eight major policy sectors.
  • Healthcare
  • Energy
  • Education
  • Insurance
  • Finance
  • Technology
  • Gaming
  • Legal Reform

The Table

Where the skills were forged

For years, I played cards full-time—live, mid-stakes No Limit Hold'em. In poker terms, a grinder: disciplined, risk-aware, substance over flash. Up to 95% of players lose money in the long run, so thriving meant outthinking my opponents every session.

That's where I learned the things that matter most in my work now—how to act on incomplete information, how to read people's wants, needs, and intentions, and why good process matters more than short-term results.

Figure out what's really at stake, who's across the table, and what to say because of it.

Today, I'm Vice President of Public Affairs at J Strategies, Inc. I work alongside an expert team of experienced comms professionals, helping organizations navigate complex policy environments, engage the stakeholders who matter, and craft narratives that shift perception.

Before that, I led communications at the Commonwealth Foundation and ran national campaigns at The Herald Group for clients in America's most heavily regulated industries. I write about what carries over from the felt in an ongoing series, Lessons from the Felt.

The Record

My history

  • The Felt

    Professional Poker Player

    Full-time, live, mid-stakes No Limit Hold'em. A decade of reading people, managing risk, and staying disciplined when the money was real.

  • The Campaigns

    The Herald Group

    Ran national campaigns for clients in America's most heavily regulated industries—where every message faces organized opposition.

  • The Policy Arena

    Commonwealth Foundation

    Led communications for one of the country's most active state policy organizations.

  • Today

    Vice President of Public Affairs, J Strategies, Inc.

    Guiding organizations of all sizes through complex policy environments—engaging stakeholders, shaping narratives, and cutting through the noise.

Want my thinking on your side?

Let's build your edge together. Fill out the form below and book a call—free, no pressure.