Allison Kugel

Allison Kugel is an American journalist, editor, and entrepreneur. In 2001 Kugel founded two online enterprises which led to her being featured in Entrepreneur Magazine in 2004. She manages her own public relations firm, and serves as a freelance writer. As Senior Editor of PR.com, she frequently conducts celebrity interviews.

Kugel was laid off after 9/11. She was inspired to become an entrepreneur after reading an Internet start-up book owned by her 15-year-old brother, Jared. The two pooled their savings to start the website LongIslandLefty.com, an e-commerce site for left-handed specialty products, operating out of their parents' home.

Kugel launched a second website, TireSignal.com, after her father showed her a clever but then-unpopular tire cap with a pressure indicator he'd received as a sample. TireSignal.com sold a similar product that Kugel's cousin had developed. The website started with online orders and bulk overseas sales, and eventually landed an account with AAA. The business expanded to sell a variety of niche auto products, and Kugel established offices in Plainview, New York, and New York City, and warehouses on Long Island. In 2004, Entrepreneur Magazine estimated the combined projected sales for the two start-ups in 2004 as $1.1 million.

After a February 2004 profile in Entrepreneur, Kugel began to receive emails asking for advice on business start-ups. A friend urged her to open a consulting firm. As her firm began to incorporate public relations and marketing consulting, she branded it Allison Dawn Public Relations. As of 2011, the company is based in Long Island, New York, and has a satellite office in South Florida.