Matt Gielen is the Co-Founder & CEO of Electric Monster, a portfolio company of digital content properties in the general entertainment and kids and family space. Matt started his career in production and audience development at Driver Digital, then served as VP of Programming & Audience Development at Frederator. In 2016, he founded Little Monster Media Co., an agency that helps brands and publishers build out their YouTube audience, which was later acquired by his latest venture...

Austin Petersmith is the Founder & CEO of Racket, an app for creating and sharing 99-second audio clips. Austin started his career in journalism before becoming a developer evangelist for early SaaS products. In 2014, he started an email newsletter called ReadThisThing that was acquired by Inside.com, where he ultimately served as President & GM. He then co-founded Capiche, which was acquired by Vendr, before dedicating his time to building Racket. Austin is also a General Partner at...

Adam Frank is the Founder & CEO of Wisio, a platform that enables creators to offer their followers individual guidance via personal videos. Adam served 5 years as an Intelligence Officer in the Israeli Air Force before studying computer science and business at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Prior to Wisio, he worked at social news startup Tok Media, where he rose through the ranks from junior developer to CTO. In this episode, Adam and I discuss his journey from Israeli Air Force...

Teresa Phillips is the Co-Founder & CEO of Spherex, a technology company that uses machine learning to adapt entertainment content for international audiences. Teresa started her career in the U.S. Army, serving tours of duty at the Pentagon and NATO’s Allied Command Operations. She later worked as a Group VP of Business Operations at Time Warner Cable and VP of Business Intelligence at Yahoo before launching her first company, an educational video marketplace called Graspr in 2006. She...

Larissa Rydin is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Tiltify, a fundraising platform for live streamers to raise money for charities. Larissa has spent over a decade working for non-profits, including Children’s Home Network, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Autism Speaks, and the Alzheimer’s Association. Prior to Tiltify, Larissa served as the Vice President of Strategic and Brand Partnerships for the United Way. In this episode, Larissa and I discuss the evolution of online...

Rex Woodbury is a Principal at Index Ventures, focusing primarily on the creator economy. Rex started his career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs, during which he time he also co-founded Worthy, an LGBTQ+ mentorship organization. Prior to Index, he worked in impact investing at the Rise Fund, growth investing at TPG, and growth strategy at Airtable. He publishes a weekly newsletter called Digital Native to share his thoughts about the intersection of people and technology. In this...

Steve Gottlieb is the Founder & CEO of Shindig, a video chat platform for large-scale online events. Prior to Shindig, Steve was the Founder & President of TVT Records, an independent record label that helped launch the careers of Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Pitbull, and other popular artists. Steve was also a founding member of the American Association of Independent Music and has been an active angel investor and advisor to several companies over the years. In this episode,...

Christopher Erwin is the Founder of RockWater Industries, a strategic growth advisory firm for next-generation consumer brands. Chris started his career in finance and M&A before going to business school and transitioning into media and entertainment. Prior to RockWater, he served as the COO of Big Frame before and after the digital talent agency’s acquisition by AwesomenessTV. Chris is also the creator and host of The Come Up, a podcast featuring untold stories from entrepreneurs and...

Evan Britton is the Founder of Famous Birthdays, a website that profiles celebrities and social media stars in what Evan describes as "Wikipedia for Generation Z." Prior to Famous Birthdays, Evan founded Site Launcher to offer services to web domain registrants and later founded ResourceWebs, which operated a network of educational web properties. In this episode, Evan and I examine the collision of traditional celebrities and Internet personalities. Actors, musicians, and pro athletes are...

Jim Louderback is the GM & SVP VidCon at Viacom, overseeing the world’s largest event series for online video creators, fans, and industry executives. Jim began his career in consulting and publishing, helping companies navigate the transformation to online media. In 2007, he became the CEO of Revision3, one of the first online video networks, which Discovery acquired in 2012. Since then, he’s spent his time investing in and advising early stage companies before joining VidCon full time...

Tom Pick is the Founder of Webbiquity, a B2B marketing agency and strategy consultancy. Prior to launching Webbiquity, Tom spent 25 years in PR and digital marketing at SoftBrands, John B. Collins Associates, and KC Associates. In this episode, Tom shares the secrets to successful B2B marketing. Although the fundamental goals of lead generation and brand awareness haven’t changed much over the years, there are constantly new strategies and tactics to experiment with, from the rise of social...

Charles Gabriel is the Head of Global Advertising Sales for WildBrain Spark, a premium kids and family AVOD network. Charles started his career in finance before transitioning to media, initially at Broadband Enterprises and later at 5min Media, AOL, and Maker Studios. Prior to joining WildBrain Spark, Charles served as the President of Apester and CRO of First Media U.S. In this episode, Charles and I explore what advertising looks like in the children’s entertainment space. Charles shares...

Jason Falls is the Director of Digital and Social Strategy at Cornett, a creative agency based in Lexington, KY. He’s also an author, frequent industry speaker, and the host of both Winfluence and the Digging Deeper podcasts. Jason started his career in PR at Doe Anderson before founding Social Media Examiner, which he sold in 2012. He then led digital strategy at CafePress and later Elasticity before joining Cornett in 2017. In this episode, Jason and I discuss the growth and evolution of...

Shane Barker is the Co-Founder & CEO of Content Solutions, a creative agency that focuses on digital strategy and content marketing. Prior to launching Content Solutions, Shane served as the VP of Sales and Marketing at ZBodyFitness, VP of Digital Marketing at Kamere, and CMO at Modera. He also teaches personal branding at UCLA, hosts the Marketing Growth Podcast, and writes for a number of publications. In this episode, Shane and I examine how the creator economy has changed over the...

Phil Ranta is the COO of Wormhole Labs, a technology engine that enables users to immerse themselves in live virtual experiences. Phil has spent more than a decade in the digital media industry, first as an Executive Producer for Viva! Vision and later as VP of Networks at Fullscreen. He went on to serve as COO of Studio71, Head of Creators at Mobcrush, and most recently as Head of Gaming Creators, North America at Facebook. This is a special round 2 episode with Phil, who originally joined...

Chris Roebuck is the Founder & CEO of Clicktivated, an interactive video technology that connects video and commerce. Chris started his career on the agency side before launching his first startup in early 2010. After spending 4 years developing mobile applications, Chris founded Clicktivated in October 2013. In this episode, we discuss the future of interactive video technology. Chris shares his early experience building mobile apps in both the U.S. and Brazil to help drive foot traffic...

Bastian Manintveld is the Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of 2btube, a digital media group specializing in Spanish language content. Bastian started his career in television, working at On Demand Group in the UK and Spain before launching his first venture BeBanjo in 2008. BeBanjo was acquired by TDF Group in 2011. In this episode, Bastian and I discuss how digital media defies traditional boundaries and shapes a global culture. Bastian first witnessed this generational shift at home...

Lizz Warner is the Founder & CEO of Gleam, a video-based dating app making it easier to meet your matches. Prior to Gleam, Lizz spent 6 years as a producer at BuzzFeed where she created the hit travel franchise Bring Me! She also worked with Snapchat and NBC as a video producer for the 2016 and 2018 Olympics, and more recently she served as an executive producer and digital content adviser for Biden for President. In this episode, Lizz and I discuss how video chat is revolutionizing...

Brendan Gahan is the Chief Social Officer of Mekanism, a full-service creative agency that specializes in social content. Prior to Mekanism, Brendan served as VP of Brand Strategy for Fullscreen and then founded social-first agency Epic Signal, which was acquired by Mekanism in 2015. Brendan and I pack a lot into this episode, focusing on why 2020 was a breakout year for short-form video. TikTok is the poster child for the short-form video movement, though it’s facing increased competition...

Ricky Ray Butler is the CEO of Branded Entertainment Network (BEN), a global entertainment marketing company that specializes in brand integrations across streaming, TV, film, music, and influencer programming. Prior to BEN, he founded Blue Frog Video Marketing, served as Director of Brand Integration at Familylink.com, and founded Plaid Social Labs, which was acquired by BEN in 2015. In this episode, Ricky and I discuss the powerful applications of AI to influencer marketing. Ricky explains...

Tracy Benson is the Co-Founder & CEO of Obsesh, a sports platform and markets that connects athletes and fans. Tracy is a former professional athlete who has worked at some of the world’s biggest brands and agencies. Prior to launching Obsesh, Tracy served as CMO at Best Buy, Monster, and Seek Thermal. In this episode, Tracy shares her passion for helping athletes make a living doing what they love. From her time at Home Depot, where she launched the Olympic athlete work program, to her...

Amir Zonozi is the Co-Founder & President of Zoomph, an audience intelligence and sponsorship measurement tool for sports teams, leagues, and agencies. Amir started his career in social media strategy and management before taking the entrepreneurial leap and launching Zoomph in 2014. In this episode, we examine how social media has fundamentally changed sports and politics. Perhaps the most striking example from the sports world is the popularity of individual athletes over teams. Not...

Patrick Reese is the General Manager of CoComelon, which creates 3D animation content for children. CoComelon is the world’s second most-viewed and third most-subscribed YouTube channel in the world and was acquired by Moonbug Entertainment earlier this year. Patrick started his career in independent film and worked as a Hollywood assistant to Lia Buman and later Peter Chernin. Prior to CoComelon, Patrick worked in strategy and business development at Fullscreen. Patrick and I cover a lot of...

Jill Paiz-Bourque is the Founder & CEO of RushTix, an online platform for interactive comedy live streams. A long-time improvisor, stand-up comedian, and producer, Jill created the international hit improv show How We First Met and produces the annual stand-up and music show Not Your Normal New Year’s Eve. She started her career in public relations, then transitioned to a full-time producer and performer before launching RushTix in March 2015. In this episode, Jill explains how she...