Authentic® Welcomes Fractional CMO, Kara Ritchie
Minneapolis, Minnesota — September 10, 2026 — Authentic®, a national fractional CMO and marketing transformation firm, announced today the addition of new senior marketing talent as the company continues its growth in 2026. The firm has welcomed experienced fractional Chief Marketing Officer Kara Ritchie to its growing team of strategic marketing leaders.
This addition reflects Authentic’s continued investment in its team as more founder-led, growth-stage, and private equity-backed companies seek senior-level marketing leadership to drive the growth of their company.
Bringing Marketing and Business Development Together
Kara Ritchie has built her career on the belief that marketing earns its seat at the leadership table when it helps a business grow — not just by generating awareness, but by aligning people, priorities, and processes around a common revenue goal. Her experience spans professional services, construction and engineering, financial services, and technology, including work improving win rates for a construction firm, launching a fintech solution, and strengthening client relationships across professional services organizations.
Kara is known for coaching seller-doers and closing the gap between marketing and business development — helping organizations with strong expertise build the clearer strategy and messaging needed to accelerate growth.
“I’ve spent my career helping leaders connect marketing more closely to business development, client relationships, and revenue goals, and I’m excited to bring that experience to a team that shares that same philosophy,” said Kara Ritchie.
“Kara’s ability to align marketing and business development around shared revenue goals is exactly the kind of strategic thinking our clients are looking for,” said Meg Van Sloun, Chief Operating Officer. “She brings a rare mix of executive trust, coaching skill, and revenue focus that will make an immediate impact for the organizations she serves.”
Meeting Growing Demand for Fractional Marketing Leadership
Since its founding in 2017, Authentic has pioneered the fractional CMO model, providing organizations with senior-level marketing leadership, structured methodology, and a collaborative community of executives.
As demand for strategic marketing leadership continues to grow, Authentic’s investment in client leadership and senior marketing talent positions the firm to serve more organizations seeking to build mature marketing functions that drive measurable growth.
About Authentic®
Authentic® is a national fractional CMO and marketing transformation firm serving growth-stage, founder-led, and private equity-backed companies across the United States. Founded in 2017, the firm pioneered a scalable model for delivering senior-level marketing leadership without the risk, limitations, or overhead burden of a full-time executive hire.
Through its proprietary framework, Authentic helps organizations Overcome Random Acts of Marketing® by aligning strategy, leadership, and execution. Its model combines experienced fractional CMOs, structured marketing methodology, and a collaborative community of executives to build mature marketing functions that drive measurable growth and increase transferable enterprise value.
Authentic serves clients across diverse industries and is recognized for elevating marketing from a tactical function to a strategic growth engine.
Learn more at authenticbrand.com
