Women in the AV industry have long been trailblazers, breaking barriers, driving innovation and shaping the future of technology and integration. Their vision, leadership and expertise have left an enduring mark, inspiring progress across the field. This International Women’s History Month, Commercial Integrator is proud to honor their achievements with a special series. Throughout the month, we’ll be shining a light on some of the most remarkable women in AV, celebrating their contributions and sharing their stories to inspire and empower others in our industry.
Here, we spotlight Krissy Rushing Tomlin, CEO of Rise Media Strategy. She shares her AV industry journey, which began in 1997 as a copy editor for Home Theater magazine. Over the years, she transitioned from journalism to marketing, eventually founding her own agency serving AV manufacturers and integrators. She discusses challenges like re-establishing her brand after a brief departure and the underrepresentation of women in technology. Mentors, including her husband and business partner, helped her take bold risks, like launching Rise Media Strategy — a milestone she’s most proud of. She highlights the industry’s constant innovation and creativity as her favorite aspect of working in AV. Looking ahead, she believes sparking interest in AV careers is key to elevating the industry’s future. Read #HerAVStory below.
Interview with Krissy Rushing Tomlin, CEO of Rise Media Strategy
Commercial Integrator: How did you get into the AV industry?
Krissy Rushing Tomlin: I answered a want ad to be a copy editor for Home Theater magazine in 1997, and got the job! I stayed with that publishing company for some time, moving into executive editor and editor positions for the group, including other magazines like Stereophile Guide to Home Theater, Connected Guide to the Digital Home, and Home Theater Interiors. My journey has touched nearly all facets of AV, from being a journalist to working for manufacturers to starting my own marketing agency for both residential and pro AV manufacturers, service providers and integrators.
CI: Have you encountered any difficulties or obstacles in your AV industry career?
Rushing Tomlin: As I transitioned from being purely an AV journalist to the marketing side of the industry, I went into broadcasting for a hot second. While I was only there for a few years, I was shocked by how quickly the industry moved forward. When I came back full-time to AV as a business owner, I had to re-establish myself and my personal brand, even though I’d never really left the AV industry and was still actively freelancing behind the scenes. However, in both sectors, women are still not equally represented in the industry. Technology seems to have that effect broadly, which is why we volunteer PR and donate to organizations like Rosie Riveters Explores Pro AV, which inspires school-age girls to learn about careers in our field.
CI: Whom would you point to as the most influential and helpful mentors in your career? What did they do to help you?
Rushing Tomlin: Mentorship can take so many forms. My most influential mentors are those who have personally encouraged me to be bold and take risks, like my kids and my husband and business partner, Jayson, who helped me take the huge leap from being the content director at a broadcast audio company to the CEO of my own AV marketing business.
CI: What is your proudest career accomplishment?
Rushing Tomlin: That moment is now. I am so proud of launching RISE Media Strategy almost three years ago, and for the growth we’ve achieved in such a short time. It was a big risk to take the entrepreneurial leap, and now I live for the moments when our clients are happy, impressed, more successful, or simply say, “We love working with you.” It’s the most rewarding experience to be directly responsible for my own success, rather than doing a great job for someone else. As we continue to grow, we add team members. Building this team and leading them is really an honor!
CI: What do you love most about working in the AV industry?
Rushing Tomlin: Constant change and innovation are a given, but we really love working with truly great and extremely creative people who come from all parts of the industry. Among others, we have a client that makes infrasonic subwoofers you can feel. A client that is doing really interesting things with collaboration technologies and making tech more accessible and equitable. Integrators who create tech-powered spaces that make peoples’ lives better at work and home. Immersive audio formats. Media seating that is as bespoke as it can possibly be. Project management software specifically designed for the AV industry. Waking up to this variety of innovation and creativity is always exciting. We have great chemistry with our clients, and I look forward to working with them every day to move their companies and the industry forward.
CI: How can the AV industry become even better?
Rushing Tomlin: That’s a hard one. I think we are doing a great job already. Getting people interested in careers in AV is probably where the biggest improvements can happen to nurture the industry and elevate its image as a whole.
Would you like to nominate a peer or colleague — or perhaps yourself! — to be featured in this #HerAVStory series? If so, just email Dan Ferrisi, group editor, commercial and security, Emerald, at [email protected].
