MediaSource proudly announces that our CEO & founder, Lisa Arledge Powell, has been named an honoree in Ragan’s Top Women in Communications Awards, Class of 2026.
Ragan’s Top Women in Communications Awards recognizes the industry’s most influential leaders across corporate, agency, nonprofit and public-sector communications. The program celebrates women whose leadership, strategy and vision are shaping the future of the communications profession.
Honorees were recognized during Ragan’s Top Women in Communications Awards Luncheon on March 3, 2026, at City Winery in New York City, where communications leaders from across the country and globe gathered to celebrate excellence, impact and innovation.
“Thanks so much to my family, friends, clients and incredible team at MediaSource for being there and elevating me to new levels at every stage of my career,” said Lisa Arledge Powell, CEO & founder of MediaSource. “A leader is only as strong as their team. This is a recognition that would not have been possible without each of you.”
“Each year, the Top Women in Communications Awards celebrates leaders who are elevating the profession and driving meaningful impact within their organizations and beyond,” said Brendan Gannon, Senior Marketing Manager for Ragan’s Awards Programs. “We congratulate all of these influential leaders.”
Trained as a television reporter, producer and anchor, Lisa founded MediaSource to shift public relations away from the written-only model and toward cinematic, evidence-driven video storytelling that puts patient experiences and clinical expertise into clear, shareable visuals across local and national markets.
Through strategic partnerships with leading health systems, hospitals and health-related brands, Lisa has embedded video into clinical communications, patient education and public outreach to change how audiences perceive care and to increase trust in health institutions.
By training communicators at national conferences, cancer forums and professional gatherings, Lisa translated survey insights into practice, teaching teams to craft visual narratives that respect clinical nuance, protect patient dignity and drive measurable engagement and increase viewership for health campaigns. That strategic focus drove aggressive business growth – a 13.3% year-over-year increase that strengthened staff job security and funded expanded service lines without sacrificing the agency’s mission-driven work.
Those outcomes help explain why communicators and health leaders now use Lisa’s methods as practical models for modern communications and why that work resonates among top women in communications as a blueprint for impact and to mentor the next generation of communicators.
Lisa was also recently honored in Columbus Business First’s 2025 C- Suite Awards, a prestigious list that honors the most impactful executives in Central Ohio.
Read more about other honorees in Ragan’s Top Women in Communications Class of 2026 here.