Kellen Opens New Washington DC HQ

This week, association management consulting and think tank firm Kellen celebrated the official opening of its new Washington, DC headquarters. The company relocated its headquarters from Atlanta to its expanded Washington, DC office in The National Press Building. The move enhances the company’s ability to provide structure, expert talent, and access for the more than 100 association clients it serves. As a result of Kellen’s move, 47 new associations are now headquartered in DC.

“Kellen holds a unique position in our industry because we offer both day-to-day management services for our clients and government affairs support. Providing this from Washington, DC gives our clients a significant advantage,” commented Kellen CEO Travis Rush. “Moving our headquarters to the district gives us proximity and visibility to policy decision-makers and key agencies important to our clients. That’s a huge differentiator for Kellen and certainly something that no other city can offer.”

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The Vitality Fund

When Kellen began considering an office relocation in early 2023, the Washington DC Economic Partnership (WDCEP) introduced the company to the Employment Center Vitality and Local Jobs Creation Fund, also known as the Vitality Fund.

Created through a $10 million investment by Mayor Bowser, the Vitality Fund is a multi-year, performance-based incentive program designed to support existing companies in target industries that are actively planning to relocate, expand, or retain their physical location in Washington, DC. With help from broker Aaron Pomerantz of Cushman & Wakefield, the firm was persuaded to extend its lease and expand its footprint in DC’s central business district.

The Vitality Fund has played a pivotal role in two other companies’ recent decisions to expand or maintain their presence in DC: Acumen and Ryan, LLC. Together, the three projects will create 232 new jobs and lease nearly 90,000 square feet of office space in Downtown DC.

Ryan LLC, a firm with offices in DC and Virginia, consolidated its operations into a single location in Downtown DC. WDCEP worked with the company’s broker, Creighton Armstrong from JLL, and presented the Vitality Fund, after which Ryan LLC opted to expand its footprint in the District.

Acumen, a company with an existing presence in DC, was exploring the possibility of relocating a division to one of its corporate offices outside the city. WDCEP’s Vitality Fund presentation to brokers Mindy Saffer and Jake Ruben of Cresa proved instrumental in Acumen’s decision to expand its DC office space.

“We know there are many reasons companies are choosing DC — from our talented workforce, to our world-class amenities, to our position as the nation’s capital,” said Mayor Bowser. “There’s only one DC, and incentives like the Vitality Fund make our case to businesses even stronger.”

Read the full article on Business Facilities.