Advokate, LLC
Tooting horns since 2010
Advokate empowers startups, small businesses, nonprofits and artists with the marketing tools they need to be successful.
Our clients increase their sales, web traffic, event attendance and public awareness with our help.
We offer web design, graphic design and branding, marketing, consultation, PR, social media, videography, photography, jingles, and more.
Advokate was named Independent Business of the Year by the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce in 2013, and has been nominated for this award three different times. Founded in October 2010 by art activist Kate E. Austin, Advokate is a family-run, woman-owned business operating out of Upstate New York. Kate was named a Woman of Distinction by New York State Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner in 2023.
Our client list includes the Glens Falls Collaborative, the City of Glens Falls, World Awareness Children’s Museum, Charles R. Wood Theater, WAIT House, Cedarific, NorthCountryARTS, Queensbury Land Conservancy, Fun World Arcade, Adirondack EAP, Botelho Law, Glens Falls Housing Authority, Turning Leaf Counseling Services, Rock Hill Bakehouse Cafe, Natural Stone Bridge & Caves, Premier Buildings of the Adirondacks, Finch Vending, Amity Farm Batik, and hundreds of others.
Advokate is a proud member of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce, the NAACP, LARAC, NorthCountryARTS and the Glens Falls Collaborative.
Kate E. Austin
Founder, Owner & CEO
Born and raised in Killington, Vermont, Kate resides in Glens Falls, New York, with her dog Sasha, husband Jeremy and her four kiddos Henry, Daniel, Elizabeth and Matilda.
Kate currently serves on the boards of the Glens Falls Business Improvement District (BID), the Jackson Heights Elementary School PTA, and is on the Advisory Council of the World Awareness Children’s Museum, the A-GFTC Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and the WSWHE-BOCES Early College Career Academy (ECCA) Advisory Committee. She is the founder of Glens Falls Vegan and Glens Falls Queen Team, and co-founder of the Arts District of Glens Falls and Lower Adirondack Pride.
Kate is known in Glens Falls for her creative advocacy and event promotion. She’s co-founder and administrator of the Arts District of Glens Falls and her involvement in the arts includes roles as interim director of the World Awareness Children’s Museum, manager of The Shirt Factory Arts & Healing Center, president of NorthCountryARTS, and arts calendar editor for the Glens Falls Chronicle. She was named a Woman of Distinction by New York State Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner in 2023 and was one of the Post-Star’s 20 under 40 in 2019. She has previously served on boards including Lower Adirondack Pride, The Bridge, and is former Co-President of NorthCountryARTS, and in the past was the chief organizer of Colors of Fall and LocalFest, and for many years participated in Wing Fest’s organizing committee.
Kate is a regular presenter, twice yearly delivering her sought-after Marketing for the 21st Century talk at SUNY Adirondack’s Startup ADK class since 2014. She has presented about marketing, social media and branding for the Innovation Center at Saratoga, the Small Business Development Center at the Albany-Colonie Chamber of Commerce, for the Adirondack Business Development Partnership at SUNY Adirondack’s Regional Higher Education Center, at LARAC and for other organizations. She also speaks at career days about her path to success. She is a regular panelist, whether the topic is small business, women in business, branding and marketing, or the new era of AI.
Kate was hired by the Regional Alliance for a Creative Economy as an Arts Advocate in 2015, and was invited to participate in the Creative Economy in the Rural Northeast roundtable discussion at the Slate Valley Museum, and the Freelancers/Artists/Small Business Needs Strategic Recommendations Committee to the Capital Region Creative Economy Project. For many years she wrote a biweekly column called Family Time for The Chronicle Newspaper, and had a blog by the same name.
She studied art at Hartwick College and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Art from Empire State College.
Jessica Ryle
Marketing & Communications Director
Jess started out with Advokate as Marketing & Communications Associate in August 2023 and quickly moved up in the ranks as her organizational skills, attention to detail, and excellent communication became key to Advokate’s success. Jess founded Vegan Outdoor Adventures, a popular website that served as a guide for vegan shopping when it comes to adventuring outside, and was also one of Advokate’s first clients with the organization Adirondack Animal Advocates. She operates a successful Etsy shop and helps manage wholesale orders for Rock Hill Bakehouse. She brings exceptional skills in social media management, a careful eye to brand guidelines and stays on top of trends and tools.
Erika M. Austin
Digital Marketing Strategist
Erika Austin is Advokate’s strategic partner in developing digital marketing strategies with clear insights and proven tactics that propel our clients’ growth and success. Erika specializes in all things Google, whether it’s providing an SEO strategy that will improve your discoverability on search engines, implementing a measurement plan that can allow you to reach your goals, or providing actionable insights on how you can more effectively reach your audience. Erika has worked with enterprise organizations, non-profits and e-commerce companies for 15 years with a proven track record in demystifying the complex and ever-changing marketing ecosystem into clear and actionable solutions with results. She’s also Kate’s sister!
Candice Frye
Marketing & Communications Associate
Candice has ten years of experience working in the arts and nonprofit business sector. She has a passion for working with nonprofits, community collaborations, and Glens Falls.
After being a part of the LARAC team in Glens Falls for more than ten years, Candice recently left her position as Executive Director to pursue her new independent adventure managing short term rental properties in the Adirondack and Saratoga area. She has also been an instrumental piece of the Arts District of Glens Falls and is Vice President of the Glens Falls Collaborative, and has been responsible for numerous festivals in Downtown Glens Falls. She is a frequent volunteer.
Gina Boyce
Office Manager
Gina is a skilled administrative professional, and you may recognize her from her former career at The Chronicle Newspaper.
Not only does Gina adeptly handle the administrative duties of the office like filing, mailing, bank runs and keeping supplies stocked, she also welcomes our clients, decorates birthday cards and provides all the thoughtful touches that make the office run smoothly.
Gina also enjoys walks in nature, visiting bookstores, creating artwork, and spending time with her bird and guinea pig. She is a mother and grandmother.