#24 Michael Scott Cohen & Jon Alagem

Harper + Scott (asi/220052), a BDA Company

2024 Rank: #33

Michael Scott Cohen – Co-Founder | SVP of Client Services & Strategy

Industry Experience: 14 years

Previous Appearances on Counselor Power 50: 3

Jon Alagem – Co-Founder | SVP Creative & Merchandising

Industry Experience: 11 years

Previous Appearances on Counselor Power 50: 3

Michael Scott Cohen and Jon Alagem – the duo behind NYC-based distributorship Harper + Scott (asi/220052) – have had a heck of a year.

It wasn’t just the flurry of high-profile client projects – including a viral drop of noodle-themed Olive Garden pool floaties. Cohen says the distributor had more requests from Fortune 500 and enterprise companies in 2025 than they’ve had in the past five years combined.

The really big news came in September when it was announced that Counselor Top 40 distributor BDA (asi/137616) had acquired Harper + Scott – and Cohen and Alagem couldn’t be more excited for what the future holds under the BDA umbrella. The acquisition, to them, is a recognition of the value Harper + Scott adds to the industry, an opportunity to scale the firm’s agency model more globally and the chance to shape how the promo industry evolves by taking a leadership seat at a larger organization like BDA.

“We could have sat here for another couple of decades building on what BDA has or others have,” Alagem said in an interview with ASI’s Promo Insiders podcast. “But it was really important to understand that we could grow bigger and we could grow better if we were a part of a company like BDA.”

The ultimate goal? For “Harper + Scott, a BDA Company” to still feel like Harper + Scott – but with 10 times the reach by the new year.

In addition, Cohen and Alagem were also rated highly by their Counselor Power 50 counterparts on this year’s survey (which was fielded before the acquisition) – one of many reasons they continue to skyrocket up the rankings, jumping up nine spots on this year’s list.