Today we’d like to introduce you to Ilissa Miller

Hi Ilissa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

In 1996, Ilissa Miller embarked on her telecommunications career just as the Telecommunications Act was established. Having been recruited by an independent consultant to work at DLM, Miller was eager to learn about the industry. The owner agreed to train Ilissa, igniting her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for digital infrastructure. By 1999, she was ready to dive deeper, transitioning to a role at Ericsson and later joining TransGlobal Communications, where she successfully sold colocation space in Midtown Manhattan.

After a stint at Band-X as the Director of IP Services, Miller took on an International Product Marketing role with Telstra in NYC, managing their APAC subsea IPL, MPLS and VoIP services. In 2007, she later joined Telx as Head of Marketing Communications, working alongside industry leaders, further expanding her knowledge and network. In 2008, she became a partner in a marketing company, and by November 7, 2011, iMiller Public Relations (iMPR) was officially launched with four initial clients.

The growth of iMPR was rapid. In 2012, the company acquired the Northeast DAS & Small Cell Association, enhancing iMPR’s event management capabilities. Miller also began running sponsorship sales for NANOG, raising over $5 million for the organization. As the years went by, iMPR adapted to industry changes, including acquiring Data Center POST and CloudPOST in 2015, and rebranding Northeast DAS & Small Cell Association into NEDAS in 2018 to focus on converged network solutions.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, iMPR quickly pivoted to offer virtual networking sessions, bringing together hundreds of professionals during a challenging time. Now, as we celebrate over a decade of iMPR, we are proud to have formalized our Professional Development program, which aims to train and place the next generation of talent in the digital infrastructure industry.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

It has not been a smooth road and for women in particular, it remains a bumpy and lumpy road for career development.

At the start, I was a younger person in the industry, and I am also female. While today, the digital infrastructure industry average hovers around 10% women at industry events, it was much less back then. As a result, not only did I have to show up, I had to be present and know what I was showing up for. This meant I had to read everything, stay abreast of industry trends and news and otherwise be one of the smartest people in the room. I also had to be careful about when I spoke – since if it wasn’t factual, helpful or otherwise absolutely pertinent to the conversation, what I was contributing was often disregarded. In many cases, what I would contribute was also disregarded until another person, most likely senior and/or male, would paraphrase what I shared and get the items heard and included.

I was aware of the challenges I faced, but I never let it deter me. At one point in my career, I was looked over for a CMO role at the company I worked for at the time.. The man who did land the tilted position called me into his office and told me, “If you looked like [a certain person], this may not have happened to you.” What he was referring to was an attractive ‘quotient’ which was and in many circles may still be the case, a strong consideration for hiring of women. As an example, I recall organizing events for companies and being told by senior management to make sure there were attractive women on the list of attendees to ensure the men had “something to look at.”

On the flip side, as a female, people did want to talk to me. And it was up to me to keep it professional and to ask questions and provide information to substantiate my knowledge and understanding of the industry and the technology. There were many male supporters and most of them also helped me to understand some challenging concepts. This still remains the case as there are many men who appreciate the contributions of a variety of viewpoints, and foster environments of inclusivity. In addition, the female leaders who also climbed the ladder of success were very encouraging and, where they could, presented opportunities for younger women and business owners to embrace. At the end of the day, it’s the door opening that matters – and what someone does when they walk through that door, is all up to them.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about iMiller Public Relations (iMPR)?

My firm, iMiller Public Relations (iMPR), was founded in 2011 as one of the first Public Relations firms to focus on the global digital infrastructure sector. This includes telecommunications such as fiber optic networks, broadband deployments, and subsea cable systems; data center companies; and the various service providers that leverage the physical digital infrastructure to offer their services – such as: cloud services, Internet Service Providers, IXPs, managed service providers and more.

At iMPR, we provide strategic and tactical consulting services to companies throughout the world, selling their digital infrastructure solutions to their customers. These business-to-business solutions can be complex to offer and deliver, requiring an innate knowledge of how it all works and why it matters. My firm specializes in message development and amplification of messages via analyst and media relations; content development and placement such as byline articles and blogs; development of white papers and case studies; and event and trade show management including securing speaking engagements and awards. We also offer social media program management to ensure key messages are promoted and shared publicly as appropriate.

By the time I formed iMPR, I had already experienced proven success as a Director of Marketing and Communications at a major interconnection and colocation company; as a Product Manager for an international network and service provider; and as a business development specialist for data center and Internet transit services. The relationships, proven capabilities, partnerships and know-how that I experienced in these roles contributed to a reputation that I knew what I was doing across a varied set of technologies around the world. This baseline of experience and proven know-how was the catalyst for my company’s success – and remains so this day.

As a result of what we do and where we came from, we are very well known among the leaders and investors in the global digital infrastructure industry. We are known for launching innovative brands and companies that challenge the industry’s status quo, for introducing new terms and concepts to the industry – generating educational and awareness programs that raise the bar – and for developing content and programs on the cutting edge of capabilities to lead the industry forward as a collective whole rather than single parts.

Brand wise, we have worked with some of the industry’s best companies. For example, DC BLOX. When we started working with DC BLOX more than half a dozen years ago, they were a regional multi-tenant data center operator in the Southeast. As of 2024, they build and manage colocation and hyperscale data center facilities, build and operate cable landing stations and offer fiber optic network and robust interconnection capabilities across their entire footprint, spanning multiple markets throughout the Southeast US. Many of the companies we have represented have re-emerged from bankruptcy and raised additional capital to transform their businesses; many others have been sold or acquired or merged with other brands. For example, ZenFi Networks, a company we worked with for more than 10 years from concept through launch to sale, is now part of Boldyn Networks, a leading neutral host provider, redefining smart transit, cities, venues and enterprise connectivity. The stories of the brands that iMPR has worked with are long and rich. We have engaged with over 200 brands across the global digital infrastructure sector throughout the past dozen plus years.

We have designed turned around communication plans to support local community and lobbying efforts to manage global crisis communications for companies and manage day-to-day communications for a multitude of companies to ensure their story and brand messaging are effectively communicated to the market.

Pricing:

• iMPR’s services are offered on a billable hour basis with a minimum of 25 hours a month. We are in the process of offering a BETA service, which is offered as a monthly subscription to companies who simply want to know what events, speaking, awards and other industry specific opportunities are available and when. It’s a ‘Concierge’ type service for companies with existing marketing and PR departments to get access to the same information that our clients receive. In addition, iMPR manages multiple media channels to the market. Data Center POST is an online publication that covers industry news and events. Advertising starts at just $600/month for a multi-month commitment, and any industry expert can contribute an article to Data Center POST for free, once per month. News from Data Center POST are syndicated on TelecomNewsroom, a blog that Miller founded in 2008. Furthermore, NEDAS, formerly the Northeast DAS and Small Cell Association, is organized by iMPR and hosts a podcast program, NEDAS Live! Where Wireline and Wireless Meet. As the host of the podcast, Miller interviews industry executives to opine on evolving technologies with an emphasis on network convergence.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imillerpr.com/
• Twitter: https://x.com/ilissanyc