March 30, 2026
Apex Media Partners enters new era under CEO Carrie Hartunian
Veteran media agency builds on 30-year legacy to help mission-driven organizations expand reach across platforms
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Apex Media Partners’ CEO Carrie Hartunian has been guiding the veteran agency through a new phase of growth, building on its 30-year legacy while positioning the firm for the evolving streaming and digital media landscape.
Since its founding in 1993, Apex Media has built its reputation as a leader in direct-response advertising and media sales, serving ministries and mission-driven organizations nationwide. Today, the company works with ministries, nonprofits, higher education institutions and select organizations, providing tailored strategies to attract audiences and foster meaningful engagement aligned with their values.
“Technology is constant; it will always keep changing, but the mission of ministries and nonprofits doesn’t,” Carrie Hartunian said. “Our job is to make sure their message continues to reach people wherever audiences gather.”
Apex Media’s evolution mirrors the transformation of the broader media landscape — from its roots in traditional broadcast sales and media buying to strategies centered on streaming television. Today, the company offers media strategy, distribution planning, platform partnerships and channel launches designed to maximize engagement and efficiency.
The company’s story is rooted in both innovation and family legacy. Dennis Hart founded Apex Media in October 1993, with his daughter, Carrie Hartunian, becoming its first employee. Over the next 18 years, Carrie helped build the company’s operations, scale its national footprint and execute her father’s vision.
In 2007, Apex Media was sold to Cross MediaWorks, where Hartunian remained before eventually departing. In 2017, Hartunian was rehired to rebuild that work and purchased the company two years later.
“Apex has always been personal for me,” Hartunian said. “Buying it back meant honoring the legacy my dad built while reimagining what the company could become in today’s media landscape.”
Under Hartunian’s leadership, Apex Media has positioned itself as a strategic guide, working across nonprofit, higher education and ministry sectors, each with a need for engagement in a fragmented media environment.
A cornerstone of that strategy is Apex Media’s streaming practice, managing every stage of channel development — from technical execution and platform onboarding to audience acquisition and ongoing performance optimization.
“Streaming has fundamentally changed how audiences discover content,” Hartunian said. “For ministries and mission-driven organizations, it creates opportunities to reach people in places that simply didn’t exist a decade ago.”
One of Apex Media’s long-standing ministry partners is In Touch Ministries. Apex Media has supported the organization’s expansion into streaming platforms by launching and growing its FAST channel distribution.
Those efforts reflect a broader shift in how Apex Media approaches growth — helping clients diversify platforms and engagement models. Company leaders say that diversification, paired with a commitment to operational integrity, has been central to Apex Media’s resilience across industry change.
“Apex Media has been a trusted strategic partner to In Touch Ministries for more than two decades,” said Seth Grey, chief operating officer of In Touch Ministries. “Their team has helped guide us through major shifts in the media landscape, including the launch and expansion of our FAST-streaming channel, In Touch+. Carrie’s leadership and deep understanding of both media strategy and ministry priorities have enabled us to reach new audiences while staying true to our mission.”
As Apex Media enters its fourth decade, Hartunian says the mission remains constant even as the media landscape evolves: to solve the problems organizations are trying to address with creativity expertise, and valuable solutions.
“Good strategy starts with listening,” Hartunian said. “When you understand the mission an organization is trying to advance, the media plan becomes clear, creating lasting impact.”
Apex Media Partners, LLC is a full-service media and marketing agency with more than 30 years of experience helping organizations — including ministries and universities — engage communities with purpose-driven resources. Now at the forefront of streaming media and digital outreach, Apex Media develops far-reaching strategies to connect audiences and inspire transformation. For more information, visit www.apexmedia.com.
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To interview Apex Media Partners, contact Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Curt Harding, charding@hamiltonstratetegies.com.
