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

LEYLA TURKKAN: Founder & President | 1987 – Present

Astute, strategic communications and public relations leader with over 39 years 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.

Selected Work:

  • Legs McNeil memoir 'Resident Punk'
  • 'When Rock Met Hip-Hop' (Steven Blush)
  • 'Pusherman' documentary — Co-Producer
  • 'Mogul: The Life & Death of Chris Lighty' podcast — Co-Producer
  • Grandmaster Flash memoir "Birth of a Culture"

 
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.

25 years ago, 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.

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

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!

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.

About Us

Imagination, Inspiratation, 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

CLIENTS

A Tribe Called Quest
Beastie Boys
Public Enemy
Buster Poindexter
Q-Tip
David Bowie
The Roots
Sonic Youth
The Cure
KRS-One
New Order
John Lurie
Slayer
Ice Cube
Cibo Matto
Luscious Jackson
LL Cool J
Danzig
Built To Spill
Sloan
The Cramps
Lionbabe
Ben Lee
Violent Femmes

SPECIAL PROJECTS

"Pusherman“ - The New Documentary Film From Legs McNeil

FRANK LUCAS AND THE TRUE STORY OF ‘AMERICAN GANGSTER’ - PUSHERMAN is the real-life story on Harlem kingpin Frank Lucas — the infamous Harlem drug lord who built an empire by smuggling pure heroin from Southeast Asia’s “Golden Triangle” into the U.S. inside the coffins of dead GI’s flown back from Vietnam. Mark Jacobson wrote the original story for New York Magazine on which the hit movie “American Gangster” was based. The film is produced by Legs McNeil, award-winning best-selling author and film documentarian, with extra commentary by Daily News and New York Magazine crime writer, Michael Daly.

Pusherman will reveal the spectacular story of heroin and Vietnam and the cultural phenomena known as Blaxploitation films in the 1970’s. The ending reveals the epidemic of police corruption in New York City during the 1970’s.

All the subjects and stories the $255 million grossing film, “American Gangster” left out!
Directed by Legs McNeil
Publicity: The Catalyst Group
Produced by: Legs McNeil, Leyla Turkkan & Burt Kearns
Featuring: Frank Lucas, Mark Jacobson, Richie Roberts, Fab Five Freddy, Darius James & Michael Daly

“Pusherman is the best Behind the Music episode ever done about a non-musical figure. It is more entertaining than American Gangster and a f*** of a lot truer.”
- Mark Jacobson
LEGS MCNEIL
'Pusherman' Movie
Co-Produced + Strategic Marketing
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CEASEFIRE
PSA Video
Directed & Produced
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AUDIBLE
'Crack Legacy' Documentary
Co-Produced
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HBO
'Class Divide' Documentary
Consultant
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GIMLET
'Chris Lighty' Podcast
Co-Produced
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CORDOBA HOUSE
Ground Zero Mosque
Strategic Marketing
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#MARCHFORTRUTH
Political Movement
Co-Produced
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I AM A MUSLIM TOO
Documentary
Consultant
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WE ARE NOT AFRAID
Human Rights Movement
Co-Produced
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SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Life Musical Performance
Public Relations
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EVENTS & NGO's

Hip Hop Summit
Tibetan Freedom Concerts 1,2 & 3
Bowery Mission
NYCLU
International Rescue Committee
Human Rights Watch
Foundation For Ethnic Understanding