We are pleased to introduce our valued member, Colette Cote, Founder, Côte à Côte Marketing Communications | Strategic Marketing & Communications Leader.
Colette is a bilingual (English/French), bicultural strategic marketing and communications leader with 15+ years of experience helping global innovation-driven companies launch, scale, and grow. As founder of Côte à Côte Marketing Communications, she partners with startups, scaleups, and global enterprises – aligning brand, strategy, and execution to deliver measurable results. Her expertise spans go-to-market strategy, brand positioning, and integrated communications across various sectors, including cleantech, AI, SaaS, biotech, and advanced hardware. More than a decade living in France and working across Europe shapes her transatlantic perspective and collaborative approach.
We invite you to get to know Colette through the Q&A below, where she shares insights into the values that drive her, the experiences that have shaped her, and the purposeful work she’s doing to create impact across industries and geographies.
Who is someone that has made a big impact on your life – personal or professional?
A former CEO of a global Fortune 500 company who demonstrated that strategic clarity, integrity, and humanity are not mutually exclusive. He modeled what it means to lead with vision and values, shaping not just company direction but company and industry culture.
What has been your biggest professional achievement?
Conceiving and managing the launch of a global campaign in just 36 hours—during a period of significant market disruption—stands out. But what made it meaningful wasn’t the speed or the industry recognition it received. It was the way it brought together cross-functional teams across geographies, aligning them around a shared purpose and sense of urgency. That experience reinforced how alignment, trust, and decisive action can move organizations forward, especially in uncertain times.
What do you love most about your job?
Helping companies unlock what makes them different—and translating that into clarity, alignment, and measurable growth. I especially enjoy partnering closely with leadership teams to drive traction, elevate performance, and adapt strategy across markets, cultures, and stages of scale.
What is a project you’re working on right now and why is it meaningful to you?
I’m advising several emerging and established sustainability-focused tech startups on go-to-market strategy, brand positioning, and integrated communications. These founders are building real solutions to some of the planet’s most urgent challenges, and it’s meaningful to help translate complex ideas into clear strategies that accelerate growth, investment, and impact. It’s work that advances innovation with intention, blending purpose and performance across markets.
What professional advice do you live by?
Start by deeply understanding the people you’re trying to reach—their needs, challenges, and context. Let that shape strategy. Stay curious, keep learning, and listen more than you speak. The best work begins with empathy, earns trust through relevance, and creates impact through connection.
What’s one thing that surprised you about your current role?
How often companies don’t fully recognize what sets them apart. I’m consistently surprised by how many organizations struggle to see or articulate their true value or differentiation. Helping uncover and elevate that is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do, and it starts by asking the right questions and listening.
What are your goals for the next few months?
To expand transatlantic partnerships through platforms like FACC-NY, deepen my advisory work with sustainability and innovation-focused ventures, and continue building purposeful connections with founders and growth-stage businesses looking to accelerate results. I’m also planning a visit to France, with an eye toward deepening my long-standing ties to the region.
What do you think sets you apart in your field?
Adaptability. I’ve worked across North America, Europe, and Asia with companies ranging from early-stage startups to Fortune 100s. That cross-sector, cross-cultural, and cross-functional experience allows me to quickly assess context, align stakeholders, and deliver results, whether the goal is market entry, brand elevation, or scalable growth.
What’s a cause that you are passionate about?
I’m passionate about advancing climate and sustainability innovation, especially at the intersection of business strategy and real-world impact. I’ve partnered with cleantech and climate tech startups on both sides of the Atlantic, supporting efforts in energy, efficiency, and resilience. Helping bold ideas adapt to market needs and scale across geographies is work that blends purpose with performance.
Thank you, Colette, for sharing your time, perspective, and expertise with the FACC-NY community. Your global mindset, strategic agility, and commitment to advancing sustainability and innovation are inspiring. We look forward to seeing the impact of your work across markets and missions that matter.
Learn more about her company: Côte à Côte Marketing Communications
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