Who We Are
For more than 30 years, Melonease Shaw, President and CEO of Maven, Inc., has consciously worked on building a network of viable individuals and entities that turn idealistic visions into tangible realities. Consequently, Maven, Inc. was founded as a business development, lobbying and relationship management firm positioned to achieve impactful results for its clients.
Mission
Maven, Inc. is a business development and relationship management firm dedicated to supporting the growth of businesses by providing direct access to legislators and key community leaders and increasing their brand equity.
Our Team
The Maven, Inc. team members read like a ‘Who’s Who’ in the world of politics and government.
Melonease Shaw, President and CEO
Melonease Shaw serves as President and CEO of Maven, Inc. Shaw has served as an effective liaison on negotiations and initiatives that directly impact the Greater Philadelphia region and its communities. Shaw is able to utilize her broad-based experience, visionary “outside the box” forward thinking and leadership skills to her clients’ greatest advantage. With clients ranging from small non-profits to large corporations, her ability to merge her professional and community commitments has enabled Maven, Inc. to leverage clients’ resources for results that surpass industry expectations.
Throughout her career, Shaw has always been keenly interested in the needs of women and people of color. Shaw has worked to enhance the skills of women transitioning from welfare to work, has designed and implemented career-counseling programs, including developing curriculum and training materials. Many organizations have acknowledged Shaw over the years, including the National Minority Supplier Development Council of PA-NJ-DE, Women Making a Difference, Urban League of Philadelphia, National League of Cities, Boy Scouts of America, Cradle of Liberty and Forum for Executive Women, The Black United Fund, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Donald A. Jones, Senior Vice President and Lobbyist
Donald A. Jones serves as Senior Vice President and Lobbyist of Maven, Inc. Jones is a seasoned government relations and political consultant with national, state and local experience. Jones has an extensive network of political operatives, influencers and opinion leaders in all 50 states.
As the founder of Jones & Associates, a political consulting firm, which manages campaigns; lobbies for special interest groups; and works as a government liaison for small firms and large corporations, Jones has become a veteran campaign strategist with a multitude of campaign experience. Jones teaches the Campaign Management tract for the Democratic National Committee Training Academy and is the President of Black and Blue Media which is the only African-American owned national political media company in the country.
Jones serves as an Advocate on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Board of Advisors.
Rusty Cranford, National Director of Marketing, Southwest Office
Rusty Cranford, an experienced lobbyist and political consultant with longstanding ties and deep contacts in Arkansas government and political circles, oversees the Maven, Inc. business in our Little Rock office. He serves as the National Director of Marketing of Maven, Inc.
Cranford is the founder of The Cranford Coalition, Inc. a professional contract-lobbying firm, which was established to provide representation for businesses, professional, and local government interest before the legislative and executive branches of local, state, and federal government.
Cranford’s goal is to educate clients and the membership of the process that govern the industry through legislative process or board rule, increase public awareness of the available services the client offers, and raise legislative awareness of clients’ concerns and needs.
Anthony Cunningham, Vice President, Government Relations
Anthony B. Cunningham, Jr., serves as Vice President of Government Relations of Maven, Inc. Prior, Cunningham served as Executive Director of U.S. Senator Arlen Specter’s Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) office and as the Director of Constituent Services for Philadelphia Councilwoman-At-Large Joan Specter. Through his work, Cunningham has developed and maintained relationships with various organizations and businesses, political leaders and elected officials on every level of government, and their key representatives.
Cunningham is the founder of CHAMWORKS, LLC, a diversified consulting firm that specializes in government relations, business development and strategic communications. As founder, Cunningham has formed an entity that understands and meets the needs of a varied clientele, while skillfully navigating through the red tape of an unwieldy and enormous government.
Christopher Watson, Government Relations, Houston Office
Christopher Watson, a political consultant with local, state and national experience and a background in business, oversees the Maven, Inc. business in our Houston office. Watson has been a Campaign Manager for multiple campaigns, including Alma A. Allen for State Representative in 2004 and Darryl Carter for City Council in 2001, and served as Field Director for John Kerry for President in 2004, Gwen Moore for Congress (Milwaukee, WI) in 2004, and Sylvester Turner for Mayor of Houston, TX in 2003.
Jason Haber, Government Relations, New York City Office
Jason Haber, a media and communications expert, oversees the Maven, Inc. business in New York City. Haber has served in multiple campaigns and in political offices during his career, including Press Secretary for Harold Brazil, President of the Community Free Democrats, the largest Democratic political club in New York City.
Dana Rubenstein, Project-Client Manager
As the Project-Client Manager, Rubenstein plans, executes and finalizes projects according to their strict deadlines and within budget. This includes acquiring resources and coordinating the efforts of team members and third-party contractors or consultants in order to deliver projects according to plan.
Rubenstein serves as a direct contact to the client providing updates on timetables and project completion. She brings experience and skills acquired in her work in project management, event coordination, campaigns and fundraising. She is a graduate of the University of Florida, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Arts in Political Science with a certificate in Political Campaigning.
