case study
Positioning the Iconoclast Dinner Experience as a Cultural Institution at Year Eleven
Overview
The Iconoclast Dinner Experience (IDE) is an Anthem Award-winning cultural platform founded by Dr. Lezli Levene Harvell in 2015 to elevate the Black chefs, sommeliers, and beverage professionals shaping American cuisine. First and Last PR was IDE's launch partner in year one.
In 2026, at year eleven, Dr. Lezli brought the agency back to reposition an established institution in a market saturated with branded dinners and influencer activations. First and Last PR built a cross-vertical media strategy across two marquee events, the Iconoclast Dinner at Carnegie Hall and "The King is Dead" on Martha's Vineyard, to establish IDE as a cultural institution, not an event. Coverage spanned nine verticals with 99% positive sentiment.
Signature Coverage Moments
Bloomberg The Close
A 7-minute in-studio segment with Honorary Chair Esi Eggleston Bracey, aired live the day before Carnegie Hall.
Essence Feature
"How Dr. Lezli Levene Harvell Created Martha's Vineyard's Most Coveted Dinner Invitation."
Fast Company
Stephanie Scott-Bradshaw authored an article on nostalgia as a brand-building strategy featuring IDE.
Black Enterprise
Secured tier-one business placement by strategically curating journalists already present on Martha's Vineyard.
As Seen In
Our Approach
First and Last PR built a cross-vertical media program to position IDE as a cultural institution in a crowded summer market, and to establish Dr. Lezli as a cultural architect whose eleven-year platform merits coverage across business, culture, and lifestyle media.
- Developed two parallel feature tracks: a founder profile of Dr. Lezli as a cultural architect and a cultural-institution angle built on IDE's eleven-year record, pitching them to a targeted national list and securing 16 confirmed press hits ahead of Carnegie Hall.
- Secured a 7-minute in-studio segment for Honorary Chair Esi Eggleston Bracey on Bloomberg's The Close the day before the dinner.
- Invented a new editorial lens, "Farm Chic," for the Martha's Vineyard event, positioning the all-female farm-to-table residency as a fashion, sustainability, and society moment that opened style and travel media.
- Curated on-site press access with discipline, working with journalists already on Martha's Vineyard rather than flying writers in.
- Protected founder voice end-to-end with tailored media coaching, confirmed-topic lists for high-stakes broadcast interviews, and real-time on-site support.