New practice builds on deep sector experience in physical AI and robotics, manufacturing, retail innovation, transportation and logistics, and public safety

SAN FRANCISCO and NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Mission North, a strategic communications agency for consequential companies, today announced its new Physical Industries practice, serving companies that put AI into the machines, public spaces, stores, and supply chains that make, move, and sell things in the real world. The practice launches with a focus on physical AI applications across four verticals: commerce, manufacturing, mobility, and aerospace and defense. Executive Vice President Melinda Ball and Vice President Eric Stephens will lead the practice under Co-CEO Bill Bourdon.

The practice formalizes work Mission North has done for years advising leaders in robotics, autonomous manufacturing, transportation, public safety, retail, logistics, and operational technology. Current and former clients include Apptronik, Axon, Instacart, Google, Narvar, Simbe Robotics, Stord, Skyryse, and Verkada. The practice serves digital-native companies building this technology, the incumbents adopting it, and the investors backing both.

“AI is now reshaping how the physical world runs,” said Bill Bourdon, co-CEO, Mission North. “It has moved off the screen and into the spaces, machines, and stores that define the global economy. Melinda and Eric have spent years building the knowledge, relationships, and strategic frameworks companies in this space need to stand out. Codifying that expertise into a dedicated practice is a natural next step.”

AI has changed how work gets done and is transforming the machinery underneath everyday life. Robots fulfill orders in warehouses and carry passengers on city streets. Software routes same-day deliveries. Sensors inside trains and planes flag when a system is failing. Robotic arms assemble our smartphones. The groceries in a cart and the package on a doorstep now move through decisions a machine makes.

“Companies in physical industries are facing growing scrutiny,” said Melinda Ball, EVP, Mission North. “The decisions they make about product safety, policy, and community engagement, as well as how they communicate their progress, all shape trust—and trust often determines whether a company succeeds. The most compelling innovation stories go beyond what your product does; they show the meaningful difference it makes in people’s lives.”

“Physical AI is one of the biggest and most exciting investment themes of the next decade,” said Burke Norton, co-founder of Smith Point Capital. “The companies that will define this category are embedding AI into the load-bearing systems that build, operate, and sell things in the physical world—a fundamentally harder problem than shipping software. Getting that distinction right is what separates credibility from hype.”

“The most meaningful AI innovations are those that solve everyday challenges, and few industries are as physical or as universally understood as grocery,” said Francisca Fanucchi, senior director of communications, Instacart. “Mission North has been a strategic partner in translating complex technology into a clear, compelling narrative that resonates with retailers, consumers, media, and the broader industry.” 

Melinda Ball brings deep global market experience and a track record of pairing bold creative thinking with strategic execution for early-stage startups and global Fortune 500 brands. She has led integrated communications programs both domestically and in the Middle East, driving strategy for category-leading organizations including Shopify, Instacart, Stord, Shift5, FedEx, and Lockheed Martin.

Eric Stephens has led communications programs for robotics leaders, including Simbe Robotics, Standard Bots, and Apptronik, which included launching its Apollo humanoid robot. He has also built programs for Manhattan Associates, Ciena, Shippo, and others, spanning both incumbent and emerging players across physical industry verticals.

About Mission North

Mission North is a strategic communications agency for consequential companies to accelerate their market impact at every growth stage. The agency is headquartered in New York and San Francisco, with hubs in Los Angeles, Boston, Washington D.C., and Portland, Oregon. For more information visit www.missionnorth.com.

About Mission North’s Physical Industries Practice

Mission North’s Physical Industries Practice serves companies bringing AI to the real world, spanning industries including commerce, manufacturing, mobility, and aerospace and defense. The practice helps digital-native disruptors, industrial incumbents, and the investors backing them build the narrative infrastructure to earn category authority, stakeholder trust, and the credibility to lead. For more information, visit www.missionnorth.com/expertise.

Media Contact:

Shara Seigel, Vice President, Media Strategy at Mission North — sseigel@missionnorth.com 

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SOURCE Mission North