Raquel Bahamonde is the Owner and CEO of Bahamonde Communications LLC, a full-service strategic communications agency, which she founded in 2012. Bahamonde has more than 20 years of experience in communications and more than 20 years of experience working in the media where she was a two-time Emmy-award-winning journalist.

Bahamonde partners with her husband Steve Crider, who also serves as Creative Director. Combined, they provide a full suite of services: branding, crisis communications, events, internal communications, media relations, media training, podcasts, public relations, social media, speeches, strategy, thought leadership, video, website content and writing.

Bahamonde Communications’ current and past clients include the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) and its talent and industry sector initiatives, AgriNovus Indiana (agbiosciences), Ascend Indiana (talent and workforce development), BioCrossroads (life sciences), Conexus Indiana (advanced manufacturing and logistics) and TechPoint (tech). The agency partnered with CICP to help launch AgriNovus Indiana and Ascend Indiana and several key projects including the 16 Tech Innovation District, Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, Business Equity for Indy, AnalytiXIN and See Yourself IN. In addition, the agency has provided communications for Butler University, the Boundless Futures Foundation, Cummins, the Indy Autonomous Challenge, Applied Research Institute, The Villages of Indiana and the Better Business Bureau of Central Indiana, among others.

Prior to starting her own company, Bahamonde served as Executive Director of Corporate Affairs for AIT Laboratories and as Executive Director of Marketing for AIT Bioscience. She has served as Executive Producer and Director of e-Content for Inside INdiana Business, media relations director for a Carmel, Ind. public relations and advertising agency, and as Noon News and entertainment producer for WISH- TV (Indianapolis). Bahamonde has also held television and radio reporting and producing jobs in Illinois and Michigan.

She has been honored with two Emmy awards and eleven nominations in her career. In 2022, Bahamonde was awarded the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA Hoosier Chapter) Pinnacle Award, the highest honor given by the chapter for public relations and media relations for work done on the Indy Autonomous Challenge.

She earned a B.A. in Radio-TV, with a minor in Art, from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale.

With an extensive background in writing, video, filmmaking and digital communications, Steve Crider can bring your story to life with heart — in a variety of mediums. Crider joined Bahamonde Communications full-time in 2020 to provide video, writing, speech writing and additional communications expertise. Prior to that, he served as Senior Producer and Video Program Manager for a U.S. Department of Defense agency in Indianapolis. In addition, Crider worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on communications and using video nationwide.

He began his career writing for some of the top names in entertainment. His credits include executive speeches, award-winning copy, as well as, screenwriting and film editing for TV network sitcoms, TV movies and feature films. He is also a computer animator, experienced in Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects and Flash.

Crider served as a Sergeant in the United States Army and earned a B.A. in Telecommunications from Indiana University.