We do the work beneath the surface.
Iceberg Public Affairs is a public affairs and strategic advisory firm in Austin, Texas, founded in 2022 by Gavin Nicholson. We run fundraising and field programs for candidates and write proposals that win state and local government contracts. Gavin runs every engagement himself.
Iceberg Public Affairs
An iceberg shows about a tenth of itself above the waterline. The other ninety percent, the largest and most impactful part, is out of sight.
Campaigns and advocacy work the same way. The public sees the ad, the rally, the floor vote. What they don't see is the strategy, the targeting, the donor calls, the coalition-building, and the hundreds of small, unglamorous decisions that decided the outcome before anyone was watching.
That hidden ninety percent is our whole job. We named the firm after it.
Who we are and our story.
Gavin Nicholson is the Founder and Principal of Iceberg Public Affairs and the Founder of TexCap Policy Institute. With 6 years of legislative experience and 10 years of campaign experience, he has built a career at the intersection of business and government, advising elected officials, executives, and organizations on how to win in Texas.
Gavin has worked on campaigns and as a political consultant since 2017 and in 2022, he founded Iceberg Public Affairs, a Texas-based firm specializing in public & government relations, campaigns, and business development. In 2025, he launched TexCap, a nonpartisan think tank advancing an abundance agenda for Texas in energy, infrastructure, and economic opportunity.
Prior to founding his firms, Gavin served as Chief of Staff in the Texas House of Representatives, where he was one of the youngest Chiefs of Staff in the Capitol. He guided Members through the state appropriations process, helped pass multiple bills, and built bipartisan coalitions in an increasingly partisan legislature.
Gavin is a graduate of the University of North Texas ('20) with a BA in Political Science and a certification in Peace Studies. After more than a decade in North Texas, he now lives in Austin.
Gavin Nicholson
Founder & Principal
Let's build something that wins.
If our approach sounds like the partner you've been looking for, we'd like to hear what you're working toward.