It's No Fluke

At Lupine Creative, Kate Wolff serves as pack leader on all business. An award-winning advertising executive, Kate has stewarded some of the world's most impactful brands, helping them tap into popular culture. She built a traditional 360 advertising background through work at agencies including Publicis Modem, DDB, TBWAChiatDay, Omelet LA and RQ. Kate's deep understanding of the advertising and marketing space frequently turns traditional brand marketing strategy on its head through cultural, data and behavioral insights. She built LA-based agency Lupine Creative in February 2020 with a base of experiential, social, and cultural expertise to boast year-over-year revenue growth. The approach that's made the difference: spark solutions with cultural strategy and then create through experiences and partnerships that manifest as cultural capital. Lupine clients include Spotify, Max, LG, Google, Teva, FX, BoxLunch and more.The team has an impressive events innovation story: in their first three months of existence, they created HBO Max's first-ever, award-winning virtual Pride celebration, resulting in a continuous partnership. Kate and her team also champion a diversity story; she is a co-founder of Do the WeRQ, a movement to increase queer creativity, representation, and share-of-voice across the industry. Further extending her commitment to innovative and sustainable solutions, Kate is Co-Founder of LumiTerra. Her dedication to environmental sustainability supported the creation of the LumiCup, an aluminum-based product line designed to reduce the reliance on single-use plastics dramatically.

Victoria Bachan is Co-Founder and CEO of Hyphen, and one of the most consequential builders in the Creator Economy. Her 12-year+ career spans CAA, Sony Music, Wasserman, and Whalar, where she led 300+ Creators as Global President of Sixteenth. She has pioneered Creator houses for Black and Latinx talent, launched Creator-owned brands like Nami Matcha and Nonipup, and brokered deals with Nike, Google, Amazon, and Sephora. A sought-after speaker at Cannes Lions, SXSW, VidCon, and Tribeca, she has contributed to Rolling Stone and is recognized by Variety, Business Insider, and Campaign US as a defining voice in the industry. She mentors South Asian executives through The Salon and supports her community through Play Inspired. When she's not reshaping the industry, you'll find her exploring New Jersey towns with her husband and dog.

Jelena Burcer is a LinkedIn creator and educator who helps professionals and brands grow through content that stands out. With a community of over 22,000 followers on LinkedIn, she shares practical, no-fluff strategies on personal branding, content marketing, and audience growth. Her mission is to make marketing more accessible by turning complex ideas into actionable advice that people can apply immediately.

As one of EMEA's leading experts in creator marketing, Becky Owen has built a career with roles at Disney and Meta, and now as CMO at global social and creator agency, Billion Dollar Boy. With over a decade of experience in the creator economy, she has advised some of the world's most recognizable brands, developed innovation strategies and directed teams in producing best-in-class work.In 2024, Becky founded FiveTwoNine, the agency's sister company: a global platform that empowers creators in their careers and businesses through community, insider knowledge, and exclusive events.She has been recognized on AdAge's Tech Power list, The List 2025, and was named Game Changing Leader of the Year at the Influencer Marketing Awards. Becky is a sought-after industry commentator and regularly speaks at leading events, helping brands adopt a creator-first mindset.Red the report: Creator Instinct®: Unlocking the Social Code 

Sara Ajemian is a communications and marketing leader with 20 years of experience helping enterprise B2B and high-growth technology companies scale and build market resonance. She's held both communications and marketing roles at fast-growing startups and heavily matrixed public companies, spent time in-house and agency-side — and she's at her best in "build mode," diagnosing what's broken and rebuilding it into something that actually works. She currently leads Corporate Marketing at Juniper Square.

For 20 years, Jason Metz has been at the forefront of modern marketing, helping both industry-leading and startup brands expand their reach, impact and connection with their most important audiences.As a strategy and growth lead for agencies within the Omnicom and Publicis ecosystems, as well as founder and CEO of influencer startup Brand Influencers, Jason has driven hundreds of millions of dollars in new business wins and shaped dozens of award-winning campaigns for clients including Porsche, P&G, L'Oreal, Pizza Hut, Sparrow Health System, Bridgestone Firestone, Forever21, Beam Suntory, HSBC, Adidas, IBM, J&J, Conde Nast, ESPN, Bacardi, Anheuser-Busch, the city of Las Vegas and many others.Equal parts business strategist, marketer, content creator and client relationship lead, Jason's true passion is winning at the game of attention - helping brands earn their unfair share by tapping into what matters most in culture. He helped Porsche launch the Panamera, Adidas embrace experiential to transform their youth sponsorship strategy, P&G, Anheuser-Busch, Kia and A&E launch their first-ever influencer campaigns, Wakefern and Home Depot reformat their retail presence to put the customer at the center, and GQ, Nat Geo, KultureCity and NBA hall-of-famer Dominique Wilkins launch into web3.

Meghan Chin is Chief Executive Officer of BIMM, a digital experience and technology agency within the kyu Collective.With more than 20 years of experience across customer experience, loyalty, and enterprise digital platforms, Meghan has partnered with brands including Ford, Scotiabank, Scene, Tangerine, and Audi, leading complex, multi-market programs across automotive and financial services.Since joining BIMM in 2020, she has advanced the agency's digital platform capabilities and led large-scale, multi-market experience initiatives for global enterprise clients.As CEO, Meghan is focused on evolving BIMM into an AI-native experience and technology company, embedding intelligent systems into design, production, and delivery while scaling the agency's operating model for its next phase of growth.

Michael Gewirtzman is the Global Vice President of Programming at Advertising Week, where he leads the editorial strategy and curation shaping the world's most influential conversations across marketing, media, technology, and culture.For over a decade, he has programmed, hosted, and moderated high-profile events and broadcasts featuring global executives, A-list celebrities, policymakers, athletes, authors, and leading voices shaping the future of business and creativity.Previously, Gewirtzman founded and led Vinyl Artist Management, representing internationally recognized mainstream and independent artists.Gewirtzman co-developed and led Purpose, Produced in partnership with SixDegrees.org, earning three Telly Awards and three Webby Award nominations. He and his projects have been featured by Forbes, Billboard, Ad Age, and CBS.

Gigi Robinson is a keynote speaker, bestselling author, creator economy strategist, and chronic illness advocate. She has delivered 100+ talks at global conferences, universities, and corporate events, including CES, VidCon, and Penn State. Featured in Forbes, NBC, The TODAY Show, and Sports Illustrated, she is also the author of A Kids Book About Chronic Illness, relaunching with Penguin Random House in 2025.Her keynotes blend personal storytelling with actionable strategy, leaving audiences of all kinds motivated, empowered, and ready to make lasting change.

Dani Newman is a Creator economy operator. She has spent over a decade at the intersection of Creator communities and the platforms that serve them. She currently leads Creator Growth at GigaStar, serving YouTubers across 20M+ subscribers and 250M+ monthly views. At GigaStar Dani specializes in building the automations and playbooks behind millions raised for Creators from fans and investors. Dani started her career as an early hire at Tumblr and spent nearly a decade at GIPHY, where she launched its first creative studio for brands like Converse, McDonald's, and Warner Bros, and scaled its 0-to-1 Creator program to 20,000+ Creators. She holds a Master's in Human Computer Interaction and Design and is endlessly curious about how technology enables communities to connect and sustain through monetization. Follow Dani on LinkedIn.

Lauren Ridgley is the CEO of Left Hand Agency, a boutique independent full-service media agency based in Portland specializing in CPG brands. Her team plans and buys across the full mix, including retail media networks, paid social, OOH, CTV, programmatic, and paid search, spanning both performance and brand investment. Left Hand isn't a performance-only shop or a digital agency; the team's differentiation is knowing how to balance brand and performance investment for long-term growth, not just short-term response.Before founding Left Hand, Lauren spent years as a marketing director in TV and entertainment. She's deeply versed in the Byron Sharp and Ehrenberg-Bass frameworks around mental and physical availability, and Left Hand has been known to send clients copies of How Brands Grow to make the case.Lauren is a regular voice in industry conversations, having appeared on multiple podcasts and panels, including a past panel with Indie Agency News. She's active in the Pacific Northwest marketing and creative community through NextNW (formerly Portland Ad Fed), and writes the CPG-focused High Five newsletter series.

The brain behind billions of views at Crocs, Duolingo, Smosh, TV and more. Sarah Whittle is an award-winning Director, Producer and Strategist that's worked across television, entertainment, tech, and CPG brands. In 2024, she was honored on AdAge's 40 Under 40 list and is currently building her own empire (Unicorn Social) consulting, directing and creating… You can see her (and her cats) on the internet @rudeunicorns and her internet expert musings on LinkedIn and her newsletter.

Bryan Smiley is CEO of Hard Carry Media (HCM), a digital-first media company dedicated to building multi-platform brands and IP specifically for Gen Z men. Under Smiley's leadership, HCM bridges the content gap for this demographic with plans to create and acquire a portfolio of digitally native brands for every stage of Gen Z male life across verticals, including sports, entertainment, comedy, and lifestyle. A veteran Hollywood executive with nearly two decades of experience spanning content development, production, and studio leadership, Smiley has a proven track record of scaling global media powerhouses. At HCM, Smiley oversees a seasoned team responsible for the company's core offerings in development, sales, audience analytics, and in-house production out of its 20,000 SF studio in Los Angeles. HCM's flagship entertainment brand, Full Squad, is one of YouTube's leading variety and social entertainment channels for Gen Z with more than 11 million followers and 260 million monthly views. Prior to HCM, Smiley served as President & Chief Content Officer of Kevin Hart's Hartbeat, where he oversaw more than $500 million in production and helped grow the company into a global studio with hits across TV, film, audio and digital for partners including Netflix, Peacock, Audible, and SiriusXM. Prior to that, he held an executive role at Columbia Pictures, where he led talent-driven deals including Stephen Curry's Unanimous Media and a multi-picture pact with Issa Rae. He has also consulted for Fox Digital Studio, 20th Century Fox's digital arm for early web-first series and films with social influencers.

Joseph Marchese is Executive Vice President of Creator Partnerships at Studio71 a Fixated Company, where he leads the company's creator partnerships, podcast, and strategic growth initiatives. With more than 15 years of experience across digital media, creator economy, and entertainment, Joseph has helped hundreds of creators, brands, and media companies grow their audiences, expand revenue streams, and build sustainable businesses.Throughout his career, he has worked at the intersection of content, technology, and monetization, leading partnerships across YouTube, podcasting, connected TV, and emerging digital platforms. He is passionate about helping creators navigate the evolving media landscape while developing innovative strategies that drive long-term success.

Melanie Love makes tools so pain relief doesn't have to hurt.Love is the founder of unwind body works. Out of necessity, she created the (un)Block™, a stable, no-roll alternative to foam rollers and massage balls. And developed the unwind body works method, which uses four at a time to balance the body left to right, top to bottom, protecting the spine while giving Type A multi-tasking efficiency.The necessity? Nerve damage in her low back from Bertolotti Syndrome, an unfused S1 vertebrae, combined with hypermobility. She went from walking 18 holes of golf to crawling out of bed in pain in under 6 months. She built the tool she needed but couldn't find.Unwind integrates neurobiology for a fresh, self-directed, cringe-free approach to tight, sore muscles that works for practitioners and their patients. Better mobility work at home makes for better stability work at the clinic. Unwind offers (un)Blocks, group and 1:1 sessions, practitioner PD training, and at-home video content.Love writes about trauma recovery on her Substack, which is how she learned about the nervous system and how much more it influences than most people realize, including pain relief.Learn more at unwindbody.works or reach out on socials at @innatelymelanie

John Mathieu serves as Vice President and Creative Director at Pearpop, leading the company's creative and strategic direction across its portfolio of global brand partners. With nearly 13 years of experience spanning advertising and creator marketing, he partners with brands including Microsoft and Progressive to modernize how brands approach creator marketing. Prior to joining Pearpop, John developed integrated campaigns across broadcast, digital and social for brands including the CDC's national anti-smoking campaign, Ocean Spray, Jack Daniel's, Hasbro and Sallie Mae. Among his work, he created Hacked, a YouTube series for Sallie Mae that earned the 2023 Shorty Award for Best Video Series.

Joy Osinloye is the Vice President of Customer Success, North America at CreatorIQ, where she leads Customer Success across enterprise, mid-market, and agency segments. She oversees retention, expansion, and long-term value creation and realization for a diverse portfolio of high-growth global brands. Partnering closely with revenue, marketing, and executive stakeholders, Joy equips the CreatorIQ customers with the necessary tools and insights to ensure their creator programs drive true measurable business impact.Before joining CreatorIQ, Joy led influencer and integrated marketing initiatives for global brands including Airbnb, Huggies, L'Oréal, Adobe, and Kellogg's. That brand-side experience now informs her approach to customer success by helping organizations operationalize creator marketing as a scalable, revenue-aligned growth channel rather than a series of one-off campaigns.Joy is particularly focused on building resilient customer relationships, strengthening adoption at scale, and aligning creator investments to durable revenue outcomes. She is also a passionate advocate for people-first leadership and mentors emerging leaders across the marketing and technology ecosystem.

Jacob Wallach is a creator and strategist with a background in social media, creator marketing, and consumer insights. He previously worked at TikTok, advising Fortune 500 brands including Mars, Hershey's, and Campbell's on creator-led and social campaigns, and began his career at Nielsen, where he developed a foundation in consumer analytics and data-driven storytelling. He later founded Social4TheWin, a creator and brand community that connected hundreds of creators with marketers, agencies, and companies through events and partnerships. Across his work, Jacob blends creative judgment, cultural fluency, and analytical thinking to understand how brands earn attention in modern media.

Sam Nebel is the Co-Founder and King of All Wipes of goodwipes, a bold and eco-conscious hygiene company revolutionizing how people wipe their butts. With a mission to break taboos and elevate the toilet paper aisle,Goodwipes offers flushable wipes that empower people to feel fresh, clean, and GOOD. Prior to launching the company, he was a franchisee at Complete Nutrition, the fastest-growing wellness retail chain in the U.S. He also co-founded Party Degree, a collegiate nightlife agency that brought marquee EDM and hip-hop talent to campuses across the Southeast. A graduate of Florida State University with degrees in Finance and Entrepreneurship, Sam has scaled goodwipes from a grassroots idea into a nationally distributed brand, now on shelves in Target, Walmart, Kroger, and many more.He is also an active industry advocate, serving on the board of the Responsible Flushing Alliance, where he champions sustainability and product standards for flushable wipes.Beyond the brand: Sam is an award-winning ceramist, occasional trail runner, and spearfisherman. He's a proud FUNCLE to his nephew Noah and niece Lila, an enthusiastic home cook (beta), and a lifelong learner who brings energy and curiosity to everything he does.

Ant Cousins began his journey 25 years ago in technology roles for the British Ministry of Defence but quickly moved to Public Relations where he provided media advice to UK Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan countering Taliban propaganda. This experience led him to roles in Counter-Terrorism for the UK Home Office, where he focused on combatting Al-Qaeda's propaganda, and later to the Middle East during the Arab Spring or ‘Social Media Revolution'. In 2014 Ant started working exclusively in leadership roles in AI-focused startups, resulting most recently in him leading Factmata, an AI startup focused on detecting misinformation, through to an acquisition by the global Comms & PR tech provider, Cision. In May Ant joined Meltwater as VP of Product in charge of AI and Data.Ant is an accredited PR practitioner, member of the UK All Party Parliamentary group on AI, Chair of the Associated for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communications (AMEC) Tech-Hub and featured in PRWeek's 'Dashboard 25' in ‘23, ‘24 and ‘26. Quoted in The Times, Forbes, BBC, TechRound, PRWeek, PRMoment and others on the topic of AI, communications and misinformation.

Steph Lager is the co-founder, CEO, and Executive Creative Director of Mango Creative Co, an award-winning creative agency that helps brands find the sweet spot between powerful, authentic brand storytelling and high-impact performance. Steph has worked as a copywriter, creative director, brand and creative strategist for over 13 years, defining brand voice and leading creative work for some of the world's most loved startups and billion-dollar brands. Her work has shaped brands like hims & hers, Milk Bar, Yelp, Kindred, Dame, End Well, Hey Jane, Aspen Dental, and Lovet.She also owns an LA-based hat brand, We've Hat It, is a Real Time Academy Judge for the Shorty Awards and Shorty Impact Awards, as well as 8x Shorty Award Finalist, Shorty Impact Award winner, and Vetty Award Winner.

Dr. Kristen Wager is PhD-trained consumer insights leader with deep expertise in the food creator economy. Over the past decade, she's led research initiatives at Kellogg Company supporting top CPG brands like Special K, Cheez-It, and Morning Star. Most recently she built research programs for the top 100 food creators at Raptive. That's where she gained firsthand insight into the food creator ecosystem and the challenges creators face. That experience led to the creation of Recifix, a creator-powered cooking platform that connects home cooks, food creators, and brands within one ecosystem.

Mike Nellis is a leading political strategist, social impact entrepreneur, investor, and the founder of Endless Urgency. Over the past two decades, he has helped elect leaders including Vice President Kamala Harris, Adam Schiff, Gretchen Whitmer, Jon Tester, and Lauren Underwood, while raising more than $1 billion online for campaigns and causes. He also built one of the nation's leading social impact agencies and has earned an unprecedented election win rate for his clients. Drawing on that experience, Endless Urgency is where Mike offers unfiltered analysis of American politics and the Democratic Party and challenging conventional wisdom, demanding accountability, and exploring the ideas and strategies needed to improve people's lives.

Emilia Costa has spent nearly 20 years in media and advertising, watching the digital landscape transform from the earliest days of podcast sponsorships to the rise of AI-enabled platforms. She currently serves as Senior Manager of Member Engagement & Development at IAB, where she works with some of the biggest companies shaping the future of digital media and advertising including TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit, Beast Industries and OpenAI. An optimist at heart with a love for trend spotting, she serves as IAB's category lead for the Creator Economy and AI member companies, alongside influential publishers, and broadcasters, and has led strategic sponsorships and thought leadership at events like the NewFronts and IAB's Annual Leadership Meeting (ALM).Before IAB, Emilia spent six years at Vevo leading national integrated marketing and branded entertainment strategy, building campaigns for top advertisers like Apple, Disney, and State Farm with Shawn Mendes, Demi Lovato, and Billie Eilish. Earlier in her career, she was the first dedicated Online Marketing Manager at SPIN, the iconic music publication, and got her start at NPR working on sponsorships in the early days of podcasting.

Camille Dagorn, VP of Creator Partnerships, McCann New York, is an award-winning creator and influencer marketing expert with more than a decade of experience building high-impact campaigns for global brands including L'Oréal, Unilever, Pernod Ricard, GoPro, and Mastercard. She is known for scaling social-first programs, designing creator-led brand initiatives, and driving measurable growth across beauty, lifestyle, tech, and consumer verticals. Camille is passionate about creating meaningful, unforgettable moments for creators and audiences.

Margarita Neymark is a brand executive and community builder who operates at the intersection of strategy and human behavior, connecting physical media to the evolving landscape of technology to create experiences that resonate, while benefiting local communities. Having spent the majority of her life building communities from the ground up, Margarita is passionate about reframing soft skills and principles like inclusion, belonging, care, clarity, and compassion as the most essential skills in business. Her current work focuses on bringing more humanity into how we lead, collaborate, and show up for each other.She is presently the Senior Director of Partnerships at Firefly (a mobility media company that supplements the incomes of rideshare and delivery drivers with digital ad displays and car wraps), The San Diego Chapter Lead of Our Third Place (an in-person and online ecosystem designed for women in media, finance, and tech to network in an approachable, accessible community of like-minded peers), and a TED Community Ambassador.

Spy Ninjas Entertainment is a creator-led media company based in Las Vegas, and is home to Spy Ninjas, the longest-running serialized narrative show on YouTube, which has 47M+ subscribers and 18B lifetime views since its launch in 2018. Founded by creators and entrepreneurs Chad Wild Clay and Vy Qwaint, the company recently announced it is investing $25M into its content pipeline and production capabilities, and aims to hire 50 new employees this year. Shelly Soriano is President of Spy Ninjas Studios, part of the creator-led media company, Spy Ninjas Entertainment, which reaches tens of millions of fans, anchored by its eponymous flagship original family entertainment franchise. Spy Ninjas is the longest-running, serialized narrative show on YouTube. With a career rooted in building and scaling digitally native companies, Soriano has transformed emerging brands into breakout businesses through new platforms and content formats, strategic acquisitions, and high-impact partnerships. As COO for Jubilee Media, she helped drive accelerated company growth through collaborations with top brands such as Amazon, Google, Netflix, Spotify, and McDonalds, and original premium content, including the launch of the viral internet series Surrounded.

Travis W. Keyes makes images and films that live in the spaces most people miss. Cinematic, story-driven work that celebrates connection, character, and the beauty of being seen.From film sets to nightclubs, studios to streets, Travis has always chased moments with energy, intention, and story at their core. Based in New York City, he is a cinematic portrait photographer, filmmaker, and content creator whose work now lives under one roof: Travis W Keyes Creative, a creative house spanning photography, film and motion, live events, content creation, and brand partnerships. A proud alumnus of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts (BFA, Photography), Travis's path began in film and television production before weaving through entrepreneurial ventures in hospitality across New York, Connecticut, and Miami. His collaborations with Sony, Adobe, NBC, AMC Networks, and Bravo reflect a reputation for imagery that balances polish with honesty and presence with restraint.In 2024, that storytelling instinct moved into motion: Travis produced his first feature film, Bulls, released through Vertical Entertainment, and is currently in preproduction on his second, Happy Hour. He documents the honest, unfiltered road of independent filmmaking on his podcast, Just Make the F*#%ing Movie. No fake polish, no gatekeeping, just the real process.Beyond his own work, Travis is deeply invested in the creative community. He served as New York Chair and later National President of American Photographic Artists through January 2026, advocating for photographers at every stage of their careers. He is an Adobe Ambassador, an AMD Ambassador, a Sony Alpha Camera Advocate, a Harlowe Ambassador of Light, and a member of the NAB Content Creator Council, and previously served on Adobe's Lightroom Advisory Board.

Josiah Hritsko is a leading YouTube strategist trusted by the platform's top creators and companies, including JesserCo, CrunchLabs, Theorist Media, Home Renovision DIY, Contrarian Thinking, and Blueprint.Over the past decade, he has shaped the ideas and thumbnails behind videos with 4 billion views. Through thousands of rigorous, data-driven A/B tests he has built a reputation around creating banger thumbnails.

Kaleigh Moore is an AI search strategist who helps B2B SaaS content teams show up in AI-generated answers. She is now researching LLM information retrieval at Harvard, she advises content teams on AI search strategy, and publishes the Context Window newsletter.

Corey Martin has spent over 25 years contributing to powerful integrated earned communications programs – connecting influencer marketing with earned media to effectively take advantage of an ever-changing media landscape. Press + media influencers as well as social + cultural influencers create a media dynamic that requires a cohesive strategy and as Managing Director of Media & Influence at Allison Worldwide, Corey focuses on bringing an evolved approach to an expanding media universe to deliver clear impact for his clients. He has built PR and influencer strategies for a variety of brands across CPG/personal care, beauty, food & beverage, consumer health, tech, pharma and more. Corey is also a professor of influencer marketing at Montclair State University and creates content with his husband and son on their Instagram and TikTok Channel @RainbowDads with over 2M+ followers across Instagram and TikTok. RainbowDads has become a go-to voice for brands looking to connect with families through authenticity and laughter love of sports. Known for deep ties to the NFL, Buffalo Bills, and broader sports community, Corey brings both professional and personal influencer expertise to his work with a variety of clients.

Jeffrey Matisoff is CEO & Managing Partner, North America at The Brandtech Group, the world's leading Gen AI marketing company. Over more than two decades, he has helped global brands including IBM, Nestlé, and Verizon navigate major shifts in media, technology, and consumer behavior. Before joining Brandtech in 2021, he served as Global President of WPP's dedicated IBM agency, where he led an 800-person global organization spanning creative, media, technology, and analytics. Since joining Brandtech, Jeff has played a key role in the acquisition and transformation of Jellyfish and the development of the company's agentic media platform, helping marketers harness AI to drive growth, efficiency, and competitive advantage.

Seth Akkerman is a creative technologist driven by curiosity, humor, and a desire to leave things better than he found them. With a background in architecture, product design, UX, development, and motion, he thrives on cross-disciplinary collaboration and complex challenges.Instrument's Playspace is a living archive of in-progress experiments: a home for scrappy builds, tiny tools, and interactive sketches that explore new patterns, technologies, and creative directions

Eva Nassery is a public relations professional specializing in media relations, influencer partnerships, and brand storytelling. Her passion for PR began at a young age through building online fan communities for her favorite artists and TV shows, where she developed an early understanding of audience engagement and digital culture. Today, she serves as a Senior Account Executive at APC Collective, helping brands connect with audiences through culturally relevant campaigns and strategic communications.

Kenny Gold is Edelman's Global Chief Creator Officer, leading Edelman Creator, the firm's global creator marketing offering. In this role, he is responsible for advancing Edelman's creator-first approach to communications and marketing, helping clients harness the power of creators, culture, and emerging technologies to drive business impact.Kenny joined Edelman from Deloitte Digital, where he served as Managing Director and Head of Social and Creator. There, he built the practice from the ground up, developing a differentiated offering at the intersection of consulting, creativity, and creator-led marketing. Throughout his career, he has led transformative work for some of the world's most recognized brands, including Procter & Gamble, General Mills, and McCormick, and is widely recognized for his expertise in creator strategy, AI-enabled content systems, and integrated marketing innovation.Prior to Deloitte Digital, Kenny led social media at Grey Group, where he architected P&G's groundbreaking #DistanceDance campaign with TikTok creator Charli D'Amelio. The campaign became one of the platform's most successful creator-led initiatives, demonstrating the power of creator partnerships to drive engagement and cultural relevance at scale.Kenny's contributions to the industry have earned widespread recognition, including being named to the Adweek 50 in 2022 and recognized as an AEF Talent Champion in 2021. He is known for helping brands navigate the evolving creator economy and for building innovative marketing solutions that connect audiences, creators, and businesses in meaningful ways

Jason Y. Lee is the Founder and CEO of Jubilee Media, a digital media company with a mission to provoke real human conversation. Under his leadership, Jubilee has grown into one of the most recognizable digital-first media brands for Gen Z, reaching more than 380 million monthly views across platforms through flagship series including Middle Ground, Surrounded, Odd One Out, and Versus 1. Jubilee's format-driven content brings people with differing perspectives into direct dialogue on the issues shaping culture today. Jason also launched Nectar, Jubilee's sister channel and mobile app focused on love and dating, and executive produced the documentary Accepted, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy Award in 2023. Prior to founding Jubilee, Jason was a consultant at Bain & Company and graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

Zach Blume is the co-founder and president of Portal A, an award-winning brand and original content company built for a social world.Portal A has been named Campaign's Brand Entertainment Agency of the Year, Digiday's Video Agency of the Year, the Streamy Awards Agency of the Year, and Cynopsis Digital Studio of the Year. The company's work has been viewed over 4 billion times online and received recognition by the One Show, the Clio Awards, Tribeca, Brand Storytelling at Sundance, the Webby Awards, the Shorty Awards, and many others.Portal A has been independent since its founding, and in 2019 took on a strategic investment from Wheelhouse, the next generation entertainment company founded by Brent Montgomery and partner Jimmy Kimmel.

Michelle Makasini is a D1 All-American soccer player turned award-winning digital marketer who has built social ecosystems from the ground up for some of the world's most iconic brands; Hilton, American Airlines, and Asana. As the architect behind Hilton's first-ever Shorty Award, Michelle proved that the most powerful marketing moments aren't bought, they're earned through authentic storytelling and community trust.Now Head of Social Intelligence, Engagement & Advocacy at Asana and founder of Makasini Group (makasinigroup.com), Michelle brings the same grit, film study, and team-first mindset from her days on the field to every brand she champions. Her philosophy is simple: in sports, you're always live, no edits, no do-overs, just realness over polished perfection and failure is going to be a part of the journey, so use it to get better, and great marketing should feel exactly the same way.The US Men's National Team surprised kicked off the World Cup in style against Paraguay but the process leading up didn't always look confident, a reminder that winning on the biggest stages doesn't happen overnight. It's built in the reps, the losses, the film sessions, and the moments nobody sees. That's exactly what this episode is about. Tune in for the playbook.

Wes Elder is an entrepreneuer, filmmaker and actor. He's the co-founder of Creatorspace, a marketplace connecting brands with creators for everything from standard sponsorships to ambitious branded productions. His background is in film and TV. He co-created and starred in the 2016 romantic comedy The Matchbreaker (a two-year Netflix title) and produced the renovation competition series Gutted, the experience that ultimately inspired Creatorspace. He continues to work across entertainment and tech helping creators get funded to focus on what they're best at, creating.

Nia Testamark is the Director of Strategy and Client Leadership at We Thrive Media, a millennial-led, Gen Z-powered digital marketing agency specializing in digital & social media, influencer marketing, and creative production across culture, entertainment, education, healthcare, sports, and social impact.With nearly a decade of experience across marketing, creative strategy, and digital storytelling, Nia has helped brands, organizations, and cultural campaigns build work that feels relevant, thoughtful, and culturally aware. Her work has contributed to nationally recognized campaigns, including a 2026 Shorty Award-winning campaign.Born in New York, raised in the South, and influenced by her West Indian background, she brings a cross-generational perspective to creativity, communication, and internet culture. Nia is also an author, mentor, and advocate for creating more visibility, representation, and reflection for women navigating marketing, creativity, and leadership today.

David Clarke leads communications at Oh Hello Agency, specializing in public relations, strategic messaging, and brand storytelling. His career spans NYC Public Schools, NYC Pride | Heritage of Pride, Inc., The WNET Group, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, earning high-impact media coverage and shaping resonant campaigns. A published journalist in OutSmart Magazine, BroadwayWorld, and others, David blends strategy and storytelling to elevate diverse voices with authenticity and purpose.

Sara Currie is a video editor for MrBeast turned founder and CEO of the trusted creative agency, Rich Bear Brandworks. She has her finger on the pulse of the real inner workings of the creator economy. And now she's here to share it with you.

Jacques Keyser is the Director of Programming at VidCon, where he leads the strategy and execution of event programming across the US and international markets. With over 15 years of experience in music, entertainment, and the creator economy, he has worked with leading platforms, labels, creators, executives, and global brands. At VidCon, Jacques has helped launch and scale events worldwide, curating industry-leading programming that unites creators, executives, and fans on a global stage. Previously, he held senior roles in talent management and artist development, shaping the careers of top UK digital and music talent while building strategic partnerships across the industry. Jacques also shares insights on the creator economy through his bi-weekly VidCon industry newsletter. 

Drew Sutton is the founder of Drew Sutton Leadership and creator of Culture Systems — a proprietary leadership architecture that replaces force-of-will management with scalable systems for aligning people, culture, and execution across an entire organization. This episode was recorded live at Innovate Summit in Louisville. Check out their next event in Nashville in October. Vibes improved by Old Commonwealth Kentucky Nectar. A former Chief Engineer at Lockheed Martin, Drew holds 30+ patents in rotorcraft systems and composite structures, and has led cross-disciplinary engineering teams on multimillion-dollar U.S. defense programs spanning Air Force acquisitions, SOCOM prototyping, and research partnerships with Johns Hopkins University and the Air Force Research Laboratory.Today he applies that same systems discipline to leadership development — specializing in the doer-to-leader transition for technical professionals and culture-wide change adoption for organizations in transformation. He delivers 37 talks across leadership, AI integration, multigenerational workforce alignment, change management, and decision architecture, in formats ranging from keynotes to multi-day team engagements.Drew is based in Georgetown, Kentucky and serves clients nationally.

Holly Hartman is an AI governance strategist and founder of FWS Enterprise LLC (Future Workforce Systems), where she works with enterprise leaders to build the guardrails, policies, and workforce readiness programs that make responsible AI adoption real, not just a talking point.She is also the co-founder and President of The WO Network, Kentuckiana's largest professional women's community with more than 4,000 members, and an international bestselling author.Holly is a NAWBO Women Business Owner of the Year 2025 honoree, a Louisville Business First Enterprising Women 2026 recipient, and a Bingham Fellow in the Class of 2026.She is currently pursuing her AI Governance Professional (AIGP) certification through IAPP.Her message to organizations wrestling with AI right now is simple: you do not have to choose between innovation and integrity. The ones who will lead are the ones building governance now, not later. Every AI decision is a workforce decision. She works with organizations to move them AI-Anxious to AI-Ready, From Guardrails to Governance all through an ethical AI Lens.futureworkforcesystems.com

Whitney Belmonte spent fifteen years scaling marketing for category-defining brands, including Supergoop!, where she helped scale digital from a single channel into a multi-format engine. She has shipped campaigns, hired teams, and rebuilt operations from the inside.Now she works with founders, marketing leads, and ops teams to put AI to work in the parts of their business that actually move revenue — without the buzzwords, without the gloss, and without breaking the parts of their company that already work.Her clients tend to be the operators noticing what's quietly broken — content cycles that take three weeks, briefs that take longer than the work itself, leads that arrive cold and stay cold. The fix is rarely the model. It's the workflow around it.

Kimberly Bottom is a 15+ year veteran in storytelling and community initiatives. An award-winning broadcast journalist and video producer, Kimberly now focuses on helping nonprofits sharpen their messaging and amplify impact through modern fundraising technology. In her current role as Director of Community at Velora, the nonprofit operations platform, Kimberly's north star is connecting nonprofit professionals to share ideas, elevate diverse voices, and celebrate the people doing the world's most important work.

Emily Benner Snyder leads social media at United Airlines, where she's helped transform the brand into one of the industry's most engaging and talked-about voices online. Named Ad Age's 2025 Social Lead/Community Manager of the Year, she sets the strategy and turns everyday travel moments into scroll-stopping stories. Before United, she brought her storytelling magic to both Disney and Olive Garden—so yes, she knows how to make both planes and breadsticks go viral.

Paddy Smith is Chief Creative Officer at Born Social, where he oversees the creative output for the agency. He's spent his time at Born building a 60+ strong department spanning Creative, Design and Production, developing some of the brightest creative minds in the industry. He's pitched, won and delivered best in class creative across iconic brands like Guinness, Smirnoff, Mars, Uber and Ford, helping them transform into social-first brands. Paddy's work has collected creative awards from The One Show, The Creative Circle, The Webbys, Shortys, Marketing Week, Digiday and Campaign Awards and sat on juries with The Shorty Awards and Creative Review. Paddy has also written and hosted multiple industry events on varied creative subjects spanning brand design, generative AI, influencers, social-first brand building and modern craft, as well as writing thought pieces on creativity for the likes of The Drum, Adweek, Future London Academy and Creative Review.

Asha Shivaji is redefining what it means to innovate in marketing effectiveness and ad tech. As a woman of color and former Google executive, she co-founded SeeMe Index in 2023 to help brands and agencies unlock growth with untapped audiences. Powered by its proprietary Responsible AI, SeeMe is building the industry standard for identity measurement and provides data-driven insights, benchmarks, and certifications that connect representation to measurable business outcomes, from creative effectiveness to long-term brand loyalty.Before launching SeeMe, Asha led strategy for Google's global marketing services organization, where she co-developed global initiatives with the UN's Unstereotype Alliance to dismantle harmful stereotypes in media. Her career includes partnerships with iconic brands such as Apple, Disney, Moët Hennessy, Estée Lauder, and Johnson & Johnson, where she modernized marketing strategies and drove business impact.Asha is an honoree on Ad Age's Tech Power List, ADWEEK's Innovator 50, a Campaign US 2025 Inspiring Woman in the Championing Change category, and 2025 Advertising Week Future is Female Winner. She is a sought-after speaker and advisor and has shared her insights on AI, DEI, and the future of inclusive marketing at major forums, including Cannes Lions, Advertising Week, SXSW, Ad Age's AI Marketing Playbook, CEW's DEIB Forum, the World Women's Federation, and thinkLA's Diversity Summit. She continues to serve as a consultant for the United Nations Unstereotype Alliance and is a vocal advocate for building ethical technology that reflects the richness of human experience.Asha holds a BA in Economics and Political Science and an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business.

Taylor Cromwell is a writer, content strategist, and the founder of Creator Diaries, a newsletter exploring the stories and strategies behind the creator-to-founder transition. She works with companies like beehiiv and HubSpot, and previously wrote for The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. She's obsessed with the intersection of media, storytelling, and the creator economy.