THE CATALYST GROUP / SET TO RUN
– New York, NY

LEYLA TURKKAN: Founder & President | 1987 – Present

Astute, strategic communications and public relations leader with 4 decades of experience shaping influential voices across music, film, and culture. Trusted advisor translating vision into high-impact, results-driven campaigns.

Expert in high-visibility media strategy, brand positioning, and narrative development. Extensive network across top-tier media and entertainment industries.

Lead boutique communications firm representing artists, authors, podcasts, and entertainment brands. Develop strategic campaigns, manage crisis communications, and oversee teams.

ACTIVE PROJECTS

Project		Our role
	Memoir · Grandmaster Flash	Strategic PR
	Memoir · Legs McNeil	Strategic PR
	Album · Coming in 2027	Strategic PR
	Book · Steven Blush	Strategic PR
	Documentary · Legs McNeil	Co-Producer
	Podcast · Gimlet	Co-Producer

About Us

Imagination, Inspiration, Experience

The Catalyst Group is a Public Relations Collective of seasoned communications professionals led by Leyla Turkkan. We pool our respective talents and relationships to produce iconic results for a very select roster of artists, brands, causes and corporate executives. Our approach is creative and holistic. No templates, no silos, no one-size-fits-all strategy – that’s how we win for our clients, every day.

Advisory Board: Danny Goldberg and John Silva

The Catalyst Group is open to a select group of new projects. We keep our roster small so every client gets our full attention, and we partner only with artists and projects we’re aligned with.

Contact Us

leyla@catalystgroupsite.com

(917) 374-8020

Testimonials

It's rare to find people who are both visionary and pragmatic, but Leyla is one of them. To her, every client is a mission that she approaches with originality, intelligence and a relentless drive to achieve results. I've worked with her since the late Eighties and she has never failed to impress me.

Anthony DeCurtis, Contributing Editor, Rolling Stone

I first started working with Leyla at Def Jam Records. Since then, we have worked on a wide variety of projects. Leyla can represent a diverse clientele from music to executives to causes. Leyla is highly professional and can straddle the lines of corporate America and the most spirited entertainers in music seamlessly. She handles controversy and crisis-management with a level head and finesse.

Lyor Cohen (CEO 300 Entertainment & Global Head of Music YouTube)

Leyla is brilliant, creative, tenacious and loyal. Anyone who works with her will be glad they did.

Danny Goldberg (President of Gold Village Entertainment)

Leyla is committed to getting the job done. She's a straight shooter, utterly reliable and willing to work and work and work at making it happen -- whatever it is!

David Hershkovits (Co-founder, Paper Magazine)

Leyla Turkkan is a true innovator...she brilliantly knows how to take groups of rabble rousers and put them on a trajectory that leads to the Halls of Fame. Leyla is a real game changer.

Q-Tip (A Tribe Called Quest)