About
We believe great marketing starts with understanding the mission.
Mount Vernon Associates LLC was founded by Manny Gonzalez, a marketing professional with 30+ years of experience in marketing strategy, brand management, communications, and public relations.
Manny Gonzalez
Founder & Principal
Our founder
Manny Gonzalez has spent more than 30 years helping mission-driven organizations find their voice, grow their audiences, and make a lasting impact. His career spans brand management, marketing strategy, communications, corporate relations, and public relations. He brings experience from the advertising agency industry where he worked with national retailers.
Manny is currently Senior Lecturer Marketing, at Coppin State University's College of Business, where he teaches such courses as Principles of Marketing, Consumer Behavior, and Business and Entrepreneurial Economics. Manny received his B.A. in Politics from Princeton University and his M.B.A. from UCLA's Anderson Graduate School of Management.
Before founding Mount Vernon Associates LLC, Manny held various senior marketing roles at organizations throughout the Northeast and California in the corporate, public and non-profit sectors. These roles include VP at Hill Holliday agency where he worked with such clients as CVS Pharmacy, Dunkin' Donuts, and TJ Maxx; Brand Director at Moet-Hennessy and Diageo where he managed such brands as Hennessy and Johnnie Walker; Director of Communications & Marketing at the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and; Director of Marketing & Communications for Baltimore City Recreation & Parks.
He founded Mount Vernon Associates LLC in Baltimore — named for the neighborhood that has long been the city's cultural heart — with a commitment to bringing senior-level marketing expertise to organizations doing work that matters.
Partner & Client Voices
"I was honored to see my film They Fight premiere at the Tribeca Festival in New York City but I'm from Baltimore so hosting a screening in Charm City was a must. It was great having Manny on my team — he collaborated with the Mayor's Office of Arts, Culture & Entertainment and brought in the Baltimore Development Corporation as a sponsor. The screening and after-party were a huge success!"
— Sheldon Candis, Filmmaker
Our philosophy
Strategy in service of mission.
We don't believe in one-size-fits-all marketing. Every organization we work with has a unique history, a distinct audience, and a specific set of goals. Our job is to understand all of that deeply — and then build a strategy that's honest about what will actually work.
Mission first
We start with what you're trying to accomplish in the world, not what's trending in marketing.
Audience-centered
The best marketing is built around a genuine understanding of the people you're trying to reach.
Honest counsel
We tell clients what we actually think — including when the answer is simpler than they expected.
Long-term thinking
We build strategies designed to last, not campaigns designed to impress in a pitch deck.
Experience
Ready to work together?
We take on a small number of engagements each year to ensure every client gets our full attention. If you think we might be a good fit, we'd love to hear from you.