Stacy Mayo Martinez
CEO & Co-Founder, Martinez Media & Marketing Group
Q: For someone meeting you for the first time—where are you from, and what brought you to Manhattan?
Stacy Mayo Martinez: I grew up in Garden City, Kansas, and I’m a fourth-generation K-Stater. K-State has always been part of my family—we’ve had season football tickets since 1990—so I grew up immersed in that culture. I always knew I wanted to go into agriculture, though I didn’t know exactly how. With my background in 4-H and FFA, coming to Kansas State just made sense.
I’m the youngest of three, and all of us ended up with communications degrees from K-State in one way or another. I tried to avoid it at first, but eventually embraced it and graduated in agricultural communications and journalism, with minors in animal science and ag business. I loved college—student government, Ag Council, being an ambassador—it’s where I found my people.
That’s also where I fell in love with Manhattan. Working at the Convention and Visitors Bureau as a freshman helped me see the community beyond campus, and that really stuck with me.
Q: What did you originally think you’d do with that degree?
Stacy: I thought I’d go into agricultural education. In a way, I still do—I just do it through communication instead of a classroom. I explored grain science and animal science, but ultimately realized my passion was in helping tell agriculture’s story.
Over time, that evolved into helping people—whether individuals or businesses—connect with the right audience. Most people aren’t their own audience, and figuring that out has really driven my career.
Q: After college, what led you away from Manhattan?
Stacy: I started in the suburbs of Chicago, then moved to Milwaukee for work. That’s where I met my husband and business partner, Ray. Eventually, we wanted to be closer to family, and Manhattan made the most sense.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture was moving to Manhattan at the time, and I joined the team to help launch the “From the Land of Kansas” program. It was a great opportunity to support small businesses and promote Kansas agriculture statewide.
Q: What did you learn during your time with the Department of Agriculture and Kansas Corn?
Stacy: At KDA, I learned how to help position people and stories for impact—especially in policy and advocacy. I didn’t need to be the one asking for change; I could help others tell the story that made it possible.
At Kansas Corn, I worked in market development and leadership programs, traveling across the state and internationally. That experience really opened my eyes to how different cultures communicate and make decisions. Whether hosting international buyers or working with farmers, it always came back to storytelling and connection.
Q: So how did Martinez Media & Marketing Group come to life?
Stacy: In 2020, Ray and I decided to take the leap together. He had been building a photography and videography business on the side, and I missed working directly in communications and marketing.
We started MMMG with just the two of us, but we intentionally called it a “group” from day one. I knew we’d need a team to truly serve clients well. Over time, that’s exactly what we’ve built.
Q: What’s the mission behind MMMG today?
Stacy: At the core, we want to work with good people and do good work.
We primarily serve three areas:
Small to mid-sized businesses
Nonprofits
Colleges and universities, including K-State
No matter the client, it always comes back to helping them reach the right audience and tell their story effectively.
Q: What services do you offer?
Stacy: We operate across five main pillars:
Strategic Content Maximization: Turning one piece of content into many—video, social, web, newsletters, fundraising materials.
Photo & Video Production: From simple shoots to full-scale production.
Podcast Production: From editing to full launch strategy.
Event Activation: Not just planning, but the full experience—before, during, and after.
Strategy & Facilitation: Helping organizations think clearly, plan effectively, and align their teams.
We also do full-service marketing—social media, websites, and more—depending on client needs.
Q: You’ve grown quite a bit. What does the team look like today?
Stacy: We have 13 team members right now, including interns, part-time, and full-time staff. We’re based in Manhattan, but also have team members in Wichita and Wisconsin, and clients across the country—and even internationally.
Q: It sounds like the business keeps expanding. What’s next?
Stacy: Right now, the focus is execution—not adding more.
We’ve recently launched new ventures like event rentals and MMMG Sports, which covers K-State athletics and beyond. Those are exciting because they’re our own ideas, not just client work. But the key right now is doing what we do really well and staying nimble in an ever-changing marketing landscape.
Q: You’re also heavily involved in the Manhattan community. Tell me about your work with the Manhattan Catbackers.
Stacy: That started through relationships I built early in my career. It’s grown into something really meaningful.
The Catbackers support K-State athletics—especially non-revenue sports—through fundraising and community engagement. Last year, we gave back over $100,000 to teams, the band, cheer, and more. It’s incredibly rewarding to see exactly where those dollars go and the impact they make.
Q: Outside of work and volunteering, what do you enjoy?
Stacy: I love being outside—working with flowers, gardening, just being in the yard. I joke that I’m “outsidey,” not necessarily “outdoorsy.”
We travel quite a bit, so when I’m home, I try to actually be home and enjoy it.
Q: You’ve lived elsewhere and come back to Manhattan. What do you love most about this community?
Stacy: Manhattan has a small-town feel with opportunities you wouldn’t expect for a town its size, largely because of the university.
There’s also a strong sense of support among local businesses. It’s not easy to run a business, but people here show up for each other. You can choose to support local, and that choice really matters.
At the end of the day, we get to do meaningful work with good people—right here in Manhattan—and still impact people anywhere.
Q: Final question—what drives you personally?
Stacy: I grew up in a family where I didn’t know there were limits as a woman. There were no “girl chores” or “boy chores”—just work that needed to be done.
That shaped me. I want to help empower other women, but also help men understand how to support that empowerment. My goal is to make the path a little easier for the next person—to bend down, pull someone up, and keep creating opportunities.
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Stacy Mayo Martinez has always understood the power of story. A fourth-generation K-Stater who grew up in Garden City, she came to Manhattan with deep roots in agriculture and a natural curiosity about communication, eventually earning a degree in agricultural communications and journalism from Kansas State University. What began as a passion for agriculture education evolved into something broader: helping people, brands, and organizations find their voice and connect with the right audience.
After professional stops in Chicago, Milwaukee, the Kansas Department of Agriculture, and Kansas Corn, Martinez and her husband, Ray, took a leap in 2020 and launched Martinez Media & Marketing Group. What started as a two-person venture has grown into a multi-layered creative company serving clients in Manhattan and far beyond. Under her leadership, MMMG has expanded into strategic marketing, content creation, podcast production, event activation, and more, all rooted in one guiding principle: work with good people and do good work.
Just as important is Martinez’s commitment to Manhattan itself. She praises the city’s small-town feel, strong business community, and culture of support—qualities that mirror the way she leads: with purpose, optimism, and a desire to pull others up along the way.