Summer Craig
Intro
Summer Craig is an American business consultant specializing in marketing strategy and digital media. Known for advocating a balanced approach that combines technology with talent, she founded her own firm, Craig Group, in 2019 to provide sales and marketing advisory services to middle-market, private equity-backed companies.
Summer’s career goes back to the rise of digital advertising from its early days. She began at the acclaimed Austin advertising agency GSD&M, working on the Southwestern Bell (now AT&T) account when print Yellow Pages ads were still commonplace. Summer then joined the pioneering internet service AOL before moving to the vacation rental startup HomeAway.com, which later became VRBO under Expedia Group. At HomeAway, she led efforts to monetize web traffic through advertising, giving her first-hand experience with venture capital backing and the IPO process.
After leadership roles at media firm ZenithOptimedia Group and the largest independent distributor for Toyota, Gulf States Toyota, where she oversaw a $100 million marketing budget, Summer decided to launch her own consultancy in 2019. Craig Group was founded to help companies drive revenue growth through integrated sales, marketing, and technology solutions tailored to their specific business challenges. The firm specializes in serving middle-market companies, specifically, those backed by private equity, by combining sales and marketing strategies with emerging technologies. Craig Group has worked with clients across healthcare, manufacturing, Energy, automotive, education, and other industries.
Education
As a University of Texas at Austin alumna, Summer earned her Bachelor of Science in Advertising in 2004, graduating with high honors after the Texas Media program sequence. She was a member of the NCAA Women's Rowing team as an undergrad, later completing her Master of Arts in Advertising from UT in 2005.
Philanthropy
Alongside her business pursuits, Summer actively supports nonprofits in the Houston area through board service and volunteering. She is a founding member of Impact100 Houston, which pools donations from executive Women to award high-impact grants to local organizations. Summer also currently serves on the boards of children's advocacy group The Children's Fund, mental health nonprofit Hope and Healing Center & Institute, and the Vesty for St. Martin's Episcopal Church. From 2008 to 2019, she was a board member of the Junior League of Houston, a women's training organization for community volunteers.
