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.”
Kellen has had a presence in Washington since 1990. The headquarters relocation and expansion includes doubling its current office footprint in The National Press Building at 1320 F Street NW. It will also lead to the hiring of at least 50 new team members for that office within the next three years. Since last year, Kellen’s DC office has grown to nearly 100 full-time employees.
“These heavy-hitting hires, with more to come in the months ahead, reflect our commitment to growing our leadership and capabilities in our new Washington, DC headquarters, and signify the leadership depth we are building across multiple sectors,” said Kellen CEO Travis Rush.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kellen’s team to Washington, DC. Kellen’s decision to bring its headquarters here is a win for our city and a win for Downtown,” commented Mayor Muriel Bowser. “The future of Downtown is one centered on people — the people who work here, who live here, and who visit here. Now, Kellen — and the people and associations they represent — are part of that future.”
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.
Read more about about doing business in the Nation’s Capital:
Washington, DC: A Center Of Connectivity & Accessibility
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.
Washington, DC Announces New Tech Hub
Station DC will foster collaboration between innovators and policy makers in the heart of the nation’s capital. Read more…
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.”
