Paige Velasquez Budde Named Austin Business Journal’s 2025 Best CEO

CEO of Zilker Media and author of The Strategic Business Influencer honored for people-first leadership, culture, and client impact.

AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES, September 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Paige Velasquez Budde, co-founding partner and CEO of Zilker Media, has been named the 2025 Best CEO in the Micro Company category by the Austin Business Journal. Honored at the annual Best CEO Awards in downtown Austin on Sept. 18, Velasquez Budde joins an elite class of leaders recognized for driving organizational success, shaping culture, and making a lasting impact on Central Texas’ business community.

“This award is especially meaningful because it reflects the work and trust of the incredible Zilker Media team,” said Velasquez Budde. “Being a CEO is never a solo achievement. It’s the collective impact of people who show up with courage, curiosity, and commitment every day. I’m grateful to lead alongside such talented individuals who push me to be better.”

Now in its 16th year, the Best CEO Awards spotlight the region’s top executives across industries who exemplify visionary leadership, innovation, and people-first management. Selected by a panel of business leaders and peers, Velasquez Budde was chosen for her role in scaling Zilker Media into a nationally recognized agency while cultivating one of Austin’s strongest workplace cultures.

Since becoming CEO in 2019, Velasquez Budde has led Zilker Media through significant growth, scaling the team, expanding national client impact, and embedding a transparent, trust-centered culture. The agency has earned recognition as one of Austin’s Best Places to Work, a Fastest Growing Company, and a Coolest Company, all while championing leaders and entrepreneurs across industries. Most recently, Velasquez Budde was honored with a Women in Business Award by the Austin Business Journal.

This year was also a standout for the Zilker Media client community, with several leaders earning nominations in the Best CEO Awards, including:
- Adam McGraw, CREW
- Zac Staples, Fathom5
- Jeff Wilkinson, Keystone Bank
- Ellen Wood, vcfo

Paige’s forthcoming book, The Strategic Business Influencer: Building a Brand with a Small Budget, is available for pre-order now. To learn more about Paige and Zilker Media, visit www.zilkermedia.com or connect with Paige on LinkedIn.

About Paige Velasquez Budde
Paige Velasquez Budde is a marketer, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and Co-Founding Partner & CEO of Zilker Media, an award-winning PR and brand strategy agency based in Austin. She is the author of the forthcoming book The Strategic Business Influencer: Building a Brand with a Small Budget (November 2025) and a frequent speaker on building trusted leaders and companies at organizations including Ernst & Young, JPMorgan Chase, Harvard Medical School, and The University of Texas. She delivered a TEDx talk at the University of Texas Graduate Business School in 2023. Paige resides in Dripping Springs, Texas, with her husband and son. To learn more about Paige, visit www.paigevelasquezbudde.com.

About Zilker Media
Zilker Media is an award-winning PR, brand strategy, and creative design agency based in Austin, Texas. Known for building trusted leaders and companies, the firm helps executives, entrepreneurs, and mission-driven companies scale credibility and visibility through earned media, thought leadership, and AI-optimized digital footprints. With a philosophy rooted in trust as today’s most valuable currency, Zilker Media specializes in making leaders and companies both discoverable to algorithms and deeply trusted by humans across a range of industries, including health care, construction, banking, fintech, venture capital, B2G, commercial real estate, law, and more. From high-authority media placements to executive brand strategy and AI discoverability audits, Zilker Media equips its clients to stand out, earn influence, and drive impact in an era where visibility is everything. Learn more at www.zilkermedia.com.

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Coleman Pyeatt
Zilker Media
+1 512-298-4081 ext. 709
coleman@zilkermedia.com

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