Science connects us all

Science is solving the problems that remind us we are in this together: our health, our human dignity, and the fate of our planet. And it’s never been more critical that we find a common way forward.

Common+Critical is a strategic and creative communications partner for the people building a better future through science.

We craft crisp, clear, and resonant messages that give a voice to the questions transforming our world and bring each and every one of us along for the experience of discovery.

How We Think

We’re deeply curious

We’re wonderers, learners, and relentless question-askers. It’s how we fearlessly tackle technical information to reveal powerful stories.  

We’re fierce partners

We’re here for wholehearted collaboration. We’re your thought partners. Audience advocates. Sometimes even provocateurs. All because we care just as deeply about science as the people behind it.

We’re big picture thinkers

We believe in the power of a good story to change minds—and in the power of a great science story to shape a more sustainable and healthier world.

Meet OUR founder

Hannah Krakauer

Principal

Hannah is a science writer and strategist with 15 years of experience bringing the power of storytelling to science. She cut her teeth as a science journalist, writing for outlets including MIT Technology Review, New Scientist, and the Washington Post. She has worked with companies and thought leaders across the life sciences to build brands, lead strategic workshops, write op-eds for top-tier media outlets, and coach executives through enlightened pitches. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in human biology and philosophy and a master’s degree from MIT in science writing.

From Our Clients

As scientists, we often think that presenting facts or data should be enough, but we were not attracting the level of interest that we expected... Hannah’s ability to highlight our technology and—more importantly—articulate our mission was critical to our development as a company and has already resulted in outreach from multiple investment firms.

— Laura Shelton, PhD., Senior Manager, Business Development and Marketing

bitBiome

Hannah excels at sifting through a tremendous amount of scientific material and zeroing in on the most resonant and relevant angles and stories almost immediately. From a comms perspective, she can spin straw – or, really, anything – into gold. Bonus: she's a joy to work with!

— Mary Carmichael, Head of Science and Technology Communications

Danaher

We are experts in our domain and could speak at length on a number of relevant talking points, but were struggling to pare it all down into a concise and compelling pitch... Hannah was able to dive right in, highlighting the elements that mattered most and providing insights that helped us completely reshape our story for greater impact.

— Tara Ghazi, Ph.D., Co-Founder

Malcova