His Holiness the Dalai Lama

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of eight million Tibetan Buddhists and serves as the inspiration to millions more people around the world. After years of planning, His Holiness visited New Orleans in May 2013 for an event called “Resilience: Strength through Compassion and Connection.” His visit included a conference, two public talks, and more than 60 community initiatives.

Ragusa managed the public relations for this historic event and worked to expose the people of the greater New Orleans area to His Holiness’ messages of peace and compassion. Ragusa’s strategy garnered widespread media attention in every major media outlet in the targeted market. All 12,000 seats at the Dalai Lama’s public speeches were filled, and his message was streamed online to many thousands more.

The project also engaged the public through various community activities, including workshops, a film series, and other commemorative events. As a result of Ragusa’s comprehensive strategy, more than 50,000 prayer flags were voluntarily raised at homes and business across the region.