
A happy guy. Strategic Communicator, Community Builder & Stakeholder Engager. President @LINKStrategic. Believes in hugs.
Washington, DC
Joined May 2009
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Michael Akin retweeted
That’s a wrap for the @Inc. 5000 Conference in Dallas!
We came to celebrate LINK’s fifth appearance on the Inc. 5000. We left inspired by new ideas about how we can work with our partners to improve the world around us.
We were also honored to celebrate at the gala alongside so many incredible entrepreneurs and businesses, a group that collectively represents more than $385 billion in revenue this year alone.
Thank you to @inc5000 for the stage, to everyone we met for the conversations, and to our partners who made this possible.
Oh, and the biggest takeaway? LINK is just getting started!
Onward.
#Inc5000 #LINKglobal
Tuesday: Buy Lil’ Dude a new Nerf “Doom Cannon”, challenge to a Daddy/Son battle, lose said battle by taking a dart to the eye 🎯
Wednesday: All night in the ER; cornial abrasion. Get meds, eye patch, barely make my flight, arrive at @Inc #Inc5000 conference wearing an eye patch 🏴☠️
Thursday: Pain becoming a bit more bearable, switch to sunglasses, am “that guy” for a full day of interviews, meetings, & events 😎
Friday: Lose the pirate patch & glasses just in time to attend the Black Tie gala, where I am interviewed about the journey 😂
Lil’ Dude - this was totally an accident, and my eye is going to be fine ❤️. Not only did you win the battle, but you gave Daddy one heck of a story this week. I challenge you to a rematch (with goggles this time 🤓)!
#LINKglobal #WorkLifeBlend @inc5000
Michael Akin retweeted
Day 2 at the @inc5000.
We kicked off the day with the “Your Next Move” podcast conversation about the LINK model, how our work is expanding globally, and what it takes to scale without losing sight of your mission.
From there, we spent the day learning alongside other leaders in sessions on workplace culture, AI, employee retention and much more, all with an eye toward how we keep growing and building as a team. Also got to join our partners at @Insperity for a partner’s reception.
We ended the evening with a special dinner and were honored to spend time with @Inc Editor-in-Chief @mikehofman.
Proud of the model we’re building, proud of how far it’s taken us, and even more excited about where we’re headed next. #Inc5000
Michael Akin retweeted
Day 1 at the @inc5000! We have arrived. We have met a ton of people. And we can’t wait to tell you all about it.
Team LINK is proud to be here for the 5th time as an Inc. 5000 company. We’re focused on continuing to grow, strengthen the firm and bring new ideas back into how we work.
One conversation that stuck with us today came from @campbell_brown of Forum AI, who talked about not being afraid to experiment with AI (because your competition probably is).
One point that resonated: too often, organizations try to build a massive AI plan that try to solves for too much or pick a tool before they’ve figured out what problem they’re actually trying to solve.
AI is everywhere. We all know that. But instead of trying to figure out how AI impacts everything, Campbell says to pick just one area where you think can significantly improve things for you. Try it. Test different tools. Get that one thing right first.
That mindset feels relevant far beyond AI. Growth doesn’t always come from changing everything at once. Sometimes it starts with finding one thing you can do better — and getting it right.
Lots more ahead from Dallas as we keep learning, connecting and thinking about the next chapter of LINK.
What’s one thing you’ve figured out that has changed the way you work? Tell us in the comments.
#Inc5000 #TeamLINK @Inc
There may or may not be a link between Dad’s decision to buy the little man a Nerf “Doom Cannon” yesterday and the eye patch I’m going to be rocking for this Inc 5000 conference 😂
Thanks to the good people in the overnight ER for getting me some meds, corneal abrasions don’t feel nice!
Lil dude felt so bad, but accidents happen ❤️ (& we’ll be getting some googles for future Nerf battles…which he clearly won 🎯)!
Michael Akin retweeted
Five times.
That's how many times LINK Strategic Partners has now been named to the @inc5000, the list of America's fastest-growing private companies.
We're proud to have been named five times. We're prouder of how we got there: by designing campaigns, coalitions, and strategies alongside organizations taking on some of the biggest challenges of our time, from community health to local economies to education.
This week, Michael Akin (@DCMichaelA), Jamal Holtz (@JamalHoltz), Sherryl Newman (@SHobbsNewman), and Christian Clansky head to Dallas for @Inc Magazine's Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala. Swipe to meet them (if you don't know them already).
If you're in Dallas, come find us. If you're not, we hope you'll follow along. We'll share what we hear, and what we think it means for mission-driven organizations like LINK.
Even bigger things ahead...
Michael Akin retweeted
Five times.
That's how many times LINK Strategic Partners has now been named to the @inc5000, the list of America's fastest-growing private companies.
We're proud to have been named five times. We're prouder of how we got there: by designing campaigns, coalitions, and strategies alongside organizations taking on some of the biggest challenges of our time, from community health to local economies to education.
This week, Michael Akin, Jamal Holtz, Sherryl Newman, and Christian Clansky head to Dallas for @Inc Magazine's Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala. Swipe to meet them (if you don't know them already).
If you're in Dallas, come find us. If you're not, we hope you'll follow along. We'll share what we hear, and what we think it means for mission-driven organizations like LINK.
Even bigger things ahead...
This is my 4th trip to Dublin in the past 18 months on behalf of @LINKStrategic. Each and every time, I come back with specific wins, new opportunities, and - most importantly - deeper relationships. This is an incredible place where ambition abounds and personal friendships form at the pace of trust. A personal highlight this time was facilitating an incredible partnership between @udc_edu University of the District of Columbia and @NCIRL National College of Ireland. So much accomplished on this Trade Mission and so more to be done here; we’ll be back soon! #LINKglobal
Jet lag? ✈️ What’s that? 😂
A simply perfect family night at Nats Park for the sold-out Banana Bowl 🍌⚾️
Our hyperlocal and global work recently took us to Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa 🇿🇦. @LINKstrategic was honored to be at the Skal World Congress, to help facilitate the important work of this worldwide tourism organization.
Spending a week both with leaders from around the globe and with the local leaders from across this amazing country leaves me even more excited for the path ahead.
Sure, the days are long and the miles are many, but I never, ever, take for granted the opportunity to be in these spaces and places. #LINKglobal
What an incredibly productive trade mission this week to London! Coming home with some big wins! #Onward #LINKglobal
Michael Akin retweeted
In the last 2 weeks, LINK has been on the ground in Rio, Doha, Detroit, Nelson Mandela Bay, Addis Ababa, Park City (Utah), Dublin, and London.
Different cities. Different continents. Different conversations. But one model at work.
We have always believed that the strongest work is both hyperlocal and global, deeply rooted in the communities we serve, while constantly building relationships, exchanging ideas and creating opportunity across borders.
Over the last several days, our team has been in conversations around healthcare, trade and economic development, strategic planning, global tourism, sports, cultural collaboration, higher education, placemaking and more.
And while the geography matters, the real story is what happens when those connections begin to move.
For LINK, being global has never been about simply showing up around the world. It is about understanding that the work happening in our backyard and beyond is increasingly connected, and that our role is to help turn those connections into something meaningful.
Hyperlocal on a global stage.
That’s LINK.
This year, @LINKStrategic was named to the @Inc 5000 list of the fastest growing and most successful businesses in America for the fifth time. I couldn’t be prouder of the team that got us here, or the clients who trust us with work that matters.
Next week, Jamal Holtz, Sherryl Newman, Christian Clansky, and I head to Dallas for the @inc5000 Conference & Gala.
I spend a good part of my year on the road, and the lesson I keep learning is that the real work happens face to face…the hallway conversations, over dinner, in the spontaneous interactions that become lasting relationships.
A few days with some of America’s fastest-growing founders is exactly the kind of room I’m excited to be in. If you’ll be there, I’d love to meet you!
#LINKglobal
ICYMI: linksp.com/news/2026inc5000
When you run a firm with a DC HQ 🇺🇸 and a UK Branch 🇬🇧, you best believe we’re going to be at the Washington Commanders game in London! #LINKglobal
Last year I had the opportunity to share with then Mayor, now Prime Minister, @AndyBurnham why we had selected the Mighty Manchester for the @LINKStrategic UK HQ.
There was just something about this incredible city that fit perfectly the aspirations of our growing hyperlocal & global firm. An industriousness, a wonderful grit & determination, a sense that everything is possible with the right amount of hard work.
Returning from my latest visit there last week, I stand solidly behind this decision. Manchester is on the move and I'm so proud that #TeamLINK is a part of that. From our #LINKChangemaker Dinner that featured civic, community, and business leaders from around the region, to visits to our community partners old & new in Wythenshawe & Moss Side, to catching a a football game, and attending a wonderful @gm_chamber luncheon, we made the most of every moment.
A true personal highlight was attending a fundraiser at the Poynton British Legion organized by my dear friend & colleague Poppy Humphrey and her amazing partner Scott to benefit Wearementors. I was honored - and a bit anxious - to be asked to be the auctioneer for the event. We raised so much money for a great cause. But it was the warmth with which I was embraced - literally - that will stay with me for a long, long time.
#LINKglobal
Michael Akin retweeted
#TeamLINK had the pleasure of helping our partners at @RAMWdc launch Together We Dine 2026!
In true DMV fashion, our world-class local dining scene never stops reinventing itself. So, whether you live in the District or are looking for a reason to visit, Together We Dine is your invitation to explore (and taste) something new in the month of October.
From restaurant events, happy hours, and special dinners, this is your chance to grab your foodie friends and head somewhere you've never been or to an old favorite.
Restaurants build community here in the DMV and LINK couldn't be prouder to serve as the official communications partner for an organization that does so much to celebrate and support the restaurant community fueling our taste buds.
It was great to celebrate alongside our partners at @citycruises and @TheEventsDC, and the many friends who helped make the evening special.
Who will you celebrate with this month?
For more information about Together We Dine, visit togetherwedine.org.
Michael Akin retweeted
We have a saying in Manchester 🇬🇧: “We do things differently here.”
Seven years ago, we made a deliberate choice to open our first official international branch here in the Mighty Manchester, a city that has long been a catalyst for positive change. Last Thursday night proved once again why this city continues to be a powerhouse of community-led impact.
#TeamLINK gathered an exceptional group of leaders in Manchester — those inspiring change across the city — for our LINK Changemaker Dinner at the gorgeous Cut & Craft. The evening was grounded in a shared purpose: advancing sustainable, positive change where it matters most, at the local level, in a way that inspires and creates a multiplier.
Surrounded by partners we’ve known since the start of our journey, collaborators we’ve met along the way, and many new friends, the evening sparked ideas, enthusiasm, new networks, and conversations across sectors, generations, and backgrounds. The ideas shared and the energy in the room forged lasting relationships that will extend well beyond the dinner table.
Thank you to everyone who came out to break bread, share stories, and commit to the work of driving positive change for our shared communities in Manchester.
Note: Proud of our President for knowing to wear bee cufflinks! The worker bee celebrates Manchester's commitment to hard work, its hive of activity, and unity in our great city.
#LINKGlobal #LINKChangemakers
Michael Akin retweeted
What does DC's climate future look like? Over this past weekend, the answer to that question presented itself in the form of an enthusiastic room full of students, advocates, and experts, collaborating about the roles they’ll play in shaping what comes next for our communities.
The LINK team was proud to help design the Office of the People's Counsel's Next Gen Climate Con, from outreach and speaker coordination to event communications and day-of logistics. At DC Water's HQO on the gorgeous banks of the Anacostia, we welcomed attendees and supported our partners. And we had the special privilege of having our team members Jae Early (@josephearly01) and Arielle Dickerson join and moderate the opening panel alongside Grady Wright of @udc_edu and Almeta Cooper of @CleanAirMoms.
The immersive dialogue explored climate careers, water conservation, advocacy, and the power of storytelling — framed by vital topics ranging from citywide policy to the specific work of rallying your neighbors for a Saturday block clean-up.
The big lesson of the day? Every one of us has an essential part — and we don’t have the luxury of sitting on the sidelines.
Thank you to @DCOPC, @dcwater, our amazing colleague and emcee Poet Taylor (@JustCuriousPoe), and everyone who made space for young people to learn, connect, and see themselves in DC's future.
As Poet so eloquently put it during our panel on social media — now is the time to “be the difference."
#TeamLINK #NextGenClimateCon #OPCClimateCon26
Michael Akin retweeted
Congrats to Jae, Storm, and Zamiya on their LINK anniversaries this month!
Jae's celebrating 6 years, Storm 3, and Zamiya 7—different points in their LINK journey—but all three have shown the same steady commitment to the work and the people around them. That kind of consistency is what makes a team great, and we're grateful for it!
Thanks for everything you've brought to LINK!
#TeamLINK
Michael Akin retweeted
The Mecca (@HowardU) meets Montego Bay 🌴 at the inaugural #JamaicaCup!
@HUBisonTennis players Michael Major Jr., Imani Jean, Marcus Weekes, and Franchesca Brown are hitting the courts November 11-16 at @HalfMoonJamaica.
They will compete alongside WTA pros Christina McHale (@ChristinaMcHale) and Lauren Davis (@LaurenDavis93) in an elite showcase of tennis excellence. 🎾
Set directly on the shores of one of the Caribbean's most iconic resorts, the Jamaica Cup package includes full event and resort access, fine dining, airport transfers, select beverages, and exclusive opportunities to interact with the players. VIP Packages include a Pro-Am, where attendees can play alongside the athletes, as well as a VIP Players Party for guests to meet and dine with the tennis stars.
For a full list of confirmed players, packages, and information on how to book, visit jamaicacup.com 🇯🇲



































