Who We Are
Words Matter founder and principal Dawn Rachelle Kotapish excels at helping individuals, organizations, and businesses shape their messages into content that informs, inspires, and ignites action. A published author and seasoned expert in results-driven communication, Dawn has a Master of Arts degree in literature and creative writing from Harvard University and specializes in mission-driven sectors like humanitarian aid, sustainable global development, philanthropy, and higher education.
Dawn brings expertise in everything from long-form journalism and feature profiles to web-optimized content, direct mail, video scripts, institutional case statements, and capital campaign and donor collateral, with a year-to-date total of $1 billion in philanthropic funds collaboratively raised.
Saved by Storytelling
Stories helped Dawn navigate a nomadic childhood that straddled distinctly different cultures, countries, and continents. Reading, writing, and telling stories provided a safe space from which to learn adaptation, empathy, and cross-cultural sensitivity.
Elevating the Voiceless
Nestled in the Nepalese foothills of the Himalaya, the village of Pipaltar provided a formative home. Pipaltar offered no electricity, running water, or plumbing. But its pure mountain springs, electric-green rice fields, and warm-hearted people created a child’s paradise. The village children quickly became friends and the local language and culture second nature.
Growing Up Between Worlds
Dawn’s nomadic childhood sensitized her to the voices of the disenfranchised. Throughout her career, she has visited 50 world nations and interviewed and written profiles of hundreds of individuals from diverse walks of life throughout North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.