Aaron Dignan – Founder, The Ready
Everywhere he looks, Aaron Dignan sees the same phenomenon. Our most trusted and important institutions—in business, healthcare, government, philanthropy, and beyond – are
struggling. They’re confronted with the fact that the scale and bureaucracy that once made them strong are liabilities in an era of constant change. For the past ten years, he has studied organizations and teams with a new way of working that prioritizes adaptivity and autonomy over efficiency and control. Aaron contends that teams everywhere need to join them in the future of work.
As the founder of The Ready —a global organizational transformation and coaching practice—he helps companies large and small adopt new forms of self-organization and dynamic teaming. Clients include GE, Kaplan, Lloyds Banking Group, Microsoft, Citibank, FreshDirect, Hyatt, Airbnb, Bloomin’ Brands, Charles Schwab, PG&E, Fidelity, New York Public Radio, and charity: water.
Dignan is an active angel investor and helps build partnerships between the startups and end-ups he advises. He’s also a co-founder of Responsive.org. And he has sat on advisory boards for GE, American Express, PepsiCo, and Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, as
well as the board of directors for Smashburger. He is the author of Game Frame (Free Press, 2011) and Brave New Work (Portfolio 2019).
“THIS IS THE MANAGEMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR. CLEAR, POWERFUL AND URGENT, IT’S A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WHO CARES ABOUT WHERE THEY WORK AND HOW THEY WORK.” — SETH GODIN
Joanna Darst – Global Director of Media and Consumer Activation, Molson Coors
Joanna Darst has long been a catalyst for marketing transformation. A pioneer of the digital revolution, her nearly 20-year career spans every stage of product development, system invigoration and brand loyalty. Joanna was an early adopter of using technology and data to better understand consumers and create solutions to everyday needs.
Ms. Darst recently joined beer powerhouse Molson Coors as the Global Director of Media and Consumer Activation, focusing on accelerating global marketing effectiveness through modernization. Prior to joining Molson Coors, Ms. Darst was with Brown Forman Corporation, where she most recently served as the Global Integrated Marketing Director for the Tequila Portfolio.
Ms. Darst’s extensive experience also includes Innovation strategy for Humana, Inc. and leading Kentucky Fried Chicken’s US Digital Marketing strategy. She holds an Undergraduate Degree in Forensic Anthropology from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and received her MBA from Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY. She is an avid gardener, a lover of jam bands and maintains strong curiosity of global cultural effects of digitization. Her favorite beer is Blue Moon Tropical IPA (only found in Denver!) and her go-to tequila is Herradura Reposado, made in the same hacienda since the 1600’s.
Karilyn Anderson – Vice President of Digital at Bliss
Karilyn Anderson is the Vice President of Digital at Bliss®, where she leads digital marketing for the brand.
Prior to joining Bliss®, she led the global digital team at NYX Professional Makeup, a division of L’Oreal, where she managed digital marketing, ecommerce, CRM, loyalty and digital innovation for the brand.
With more than 10 years of professional experience in retail, marketing and digital, Karilyn is passionate about creating a delightful consumer experience and communicating brand values through innovative digital experiences, services and platforms.
Ben Schein – Vice President Data Curiosity at Domo
As Vice President of Data Curiosity, he sparks the fire of data curiosity in enterprises large and small. His regular focus includes exploring data curiosity and innovation with Domo’s 1,500+ customers bringing the insights back to Domo’s product development teams. Ben has more than 15 years of experience leading business intelligence (BI), analytics, and finance teams. He is an expert in user adoption and implementing large-scale BI and analytics initiatives that deliver quantifiable business value.
Prior to Domo, Ben worked at Target Corporation where he led merchandising analytics and enterprise BI capabilities within the Enterprise Data Analytics and BI (EDABI) Center of Excellence. Ben holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in Strategy and Finance from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
Cindy Brown – CEO at Blue Moon Digital
Cindy Brown is the CEO and Co-Founder of Blue Moon Digital, Inc. She is a mathematician turned digital guru who built the agency with the vision to get the right message, to the right audience, at the right moment, on the right device. But that is only a piece. The overarching company values stem from Cindy’s desire to do boundless things for her clients, her team, and her community.
Leveraging her love for numbers and her knack for seeing patterns, Cindy decided to form Blue Moon Digital, Inc. Cindy’s digital mind and competitive prowess has helped her clients surpass industry growth rates threefold. Much like the digital landscape, the agency has evolved and thrived due to her steadfast commitment to growth in the ever-changing scenery of the digital space.
When not donning her digital marketing cape, she can be found tickling the ivories of her baby grand, biking the beautiful mountain landscape with her husband, or cheering on the Denver Broncos with her two sons.
Robert Brous – Vice President of e-Commerce and Digital at rue21
Robert is the Vice President of e-Commerce and Digital as rue21, fast fashion retailer, and formerly Sr. Director of e-Commerce and Spirit Halloween and Spencer Gifts. With his undergraduate work at Johns Hopkins University and MBA from Temple University, Robert has been leading organizations in Marketing, e-Commerce and Product Development functions for 15+ years. While the complexities of e-Commerce continue to unfold, business fundamentals remain steadfast. Robert has been helping organizations and teams cut through the noise and focus on strategies, technologies, and team building that positions e-Commerce for omni-channel growth and profitability.
Robert loves cooking and is a food aficionado. He also is an avid ice hockey fan, running a highly competitive fantasy hockey league spanning 3 generations of his family for nearly a decade.
Chris Morgan – Head of Agency Development at Google
Chris has been part of Google Inc. for over 16 years and has worked with advertisers and agencies from various industries including Healthcare, Retail, and Consumer Packaged Goods. In his role as Head of Agency Development he is responsible for educating agency partners on Google’s full suite of products including search, programmatic, and YouTube while providing sales support, training and marketing resources to help his agency partners differentiate themselves in a competitive landscape. In addition, he collaborates with the agencies to develop new revenue streams, drive client acquisition, and increase retention and advertiser satisfaction.
Arthur Tscopp – Regional Director of Business Development at Listrak
Art holds nearly three decades of experience in marketing and eCommerce, specializing in Fortune 500 retail. At Listrak, he leads business development and management for the Western Division, based in Newport Beach, California. There, he leads the sales team in transforming prospective Listrak Retail – B2C clients into new client relationships. With Art’s leadership, the Western Division Business Development team focuses on strategic partnership relationships, mobile first strategy, cloud solutions, omni-channel commerce integrations, and complete customer journey mapping built on a 360-degree view of the consumer.
David Oberstein – Media Sales Manager at Taboola
David is an integral part of the brand and agency partnerships team out of Taboola’s Los Angeles office. He comes from a strong business development background and found his way to Taboola just over a year ago. Since joining the company, he has successfully helped grow the West Coast business by helping clients leverage the largest native platform for people to discover and engage with their brand.
When he is not discussing KPIs, he’s spending time with his wife, Brittany, and dog, Fitz.
Linda Thomas – Director of Digital Marketing at Destination Maternity
Linda Thomas, Director of Digital Marketing, manages all aspects of digital marketing at Destination Maternity. Prior to her arrival at DMAT, Linda worked for L’Oréal, Nutrisystem and the Philadelphia Eagles helping them with their digital and social media marketing. She has a wonderful family who she will brag about endlessly. Last but not least, she loves memes so send her your favorite!
Rachael Sperling – Creative Strategist at Facebook
Rachael joined the Facebook Creative Shop with the ambition of helping small and medium businesses craft creative strategies to flourish in today’s ever-changing digital landscape. She serves to inspire and provoke partners to create ideas that build valuable connections between people and business through education on mobile principles, creative brainstorms and strategy hacks and co-creating campaign content. Before she joined the Facebook family, Rachael worked at Third Ear, a creative advertising agency in Austin (FKA as LatinWorks), and at Whole Foods Market Headquarters.
Rachael is a proud Longhorn alumna and spends as much time as possible outside: hiking, biking, swimming, and fetching with her pup.
David Finn – Agency Partner Manager at Facebook
David has been with Facebook since 2017, based in Austin, Texas. He supports the growth and success of his agency partners by providing strategic guidance on media strategy, educating his partners on the Facebook family’s full set of advertising placements and product, unlocking exclusive partnership opportunities with Facebook’s cross-functional teams, and assisting with new client acquisition.
Prior to this role, David honed his skills over five years in the agency ecosystem. He led a team focused on user acquisition and retention for mobile gaming companies. He also has experience across verticals including eCommerce, energy, technology, and travel across paid social, paid search, and programmatic display.
Marlene McDade – Vice President of Brand Marketing & Licensing at GIII Apparel Group
Marlene McDade is the Vice President of Brand Marketing & Licensing at GIII Apparel Group, where she leads brand strategy, marketing and licensing for Andrew Marc, G.H. Bass & Co., and Vilebrequin, as well as GIII corporate communications. In her current role, Marlene creates and oversees the execution of integrated marketing plans to optimize market share and profitability across all channels, including media mix, content platform development, visual identity, e-commerce, licensing, public relations, and social media implementation.
Prior to joining GIII, she spent 10 years in the sports & entertainment business, overseeing new business development across various NBA teams and venues. With over 15 years of professional experience in customer acquisition, engagement through audience-tailored communications and driving results, Marlene is passionate about finding new ways to surprise and delight consumers through innovative touch points, platforms, and services.
Dr. Ziyi Wang – Chief Data Scientist at Blue Moon Digital
Dr. Ziyi is the Chief Data Scientist and a Co-Founder of Blue Moon Digital, Inc. A fortune teller scientist hybrid of sorts, and a master of harnessing BIG data. As the Chief Data Scientist, Dr. Ziyi uses analytics as a key focus in development and as a differentiator.
He followed his love of data by earning six degrees. These include two Masters in Chemistry and Computer Science, one Masters in Business Administration, and a PhD. Big data is not a recent phenomenon, but new to this industry. Dr. Ziyi has been using big data since his start in engineering almost 25 years ago. Following the story told by leveraging big data, led him to acquire several patents + one for Blue Moon Digital and multiple publications.
Tracy Smith – Director of CRM at Squaw Valley
Tracy thrives on telling stories that move people to action. For the last 20 years she’s created content, designed strategies, and used numbers to tell these stories in a variety of industries including construction, recreation, hospitality, and health care. As the Director of CRM for a ski resort she wears multiple hats – from creating and deploying digital and data strategies to consumer research, email marketing, business intelligence, and product innovation. For her, it’s the work equivalent of a powder day. And when she’s not having fun at work she loves mountain biking, skiing, playing with her dog, adventuring with her family, and crossfit.
Tom Murray – SVP, Strategic Initiatives at Wiland
Tom has 30 years in the direct marketing field with approximately 20 of those years in Sales and Client Services leadership roles, and the other 10 in senior management on the client side of the business. Prior to joining Wiland in 2012, Tom led the Strategic Accounts team for Abacus, a division of Epsilon, where he dealt with the larger, complex client organizations within the division and was responsible for $30 million in revenue comprised of Cooperative Database List and Data Management Services.
In the late 90s, Tom ran circulation and marketing for a large multi-title consumer catalog organization that circulated over 65 million catalogs annually direct to consumers. More recently Tom led the Client Services and New Business groups at Wiland helping to dramatically grow the company’s revenues and establish leadership in multiple vertical markets including retail/e-tail, publishing & media, nonprofit & political, and others. He now serves as SVP, Strategic Initiatives.
Wesley Barrow – SVP of New Business at Yext
Wesley Barrow is the SVP of New Business at Yext, where he currently runs all Go-To-Market initiatives for new products. Before joining Yext, Wesley founded Nomi — a marketing and analytics platform for brick-and-mortar retailers — which was acquired in 2014. Prior to that, Wesley was an early sales executive at Buddy Media, leading the largest client partnerships at the social media marketing platform before it was sold to Salesforce.com in 2012. Wesley holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in Cinema Studies.
Seth Goroff – VP Head of Growth at Pepperjam
Launching his career as an affiliate marketing intern at a startup company, Seth Goroff, learned about Affiliate Marketing, Business Development and Customer Acquisition. He seamlessly transitioned from Senior Manager of Partnerships and Acquisition into the Agency side of business representing multi-million-dollar brands and fostering their Affiliate program growth YoY.
Today, Seth serves as Pepperjam’s VP, Head of Growth and is responsible for bringing teams together and aligning goals and directives to further develop the positive growth of Pepperjam in the affiliate channel and the digital space at large.
Cassie Schultz – Head of Display Strategy at Blue Moon Digital
As a Head of Display Strategy, Cassie drives channel strategy toward engagement, brand awareness and return-focused campaigns. With ten years of digital advertising experience in email, mobile and display, her expertise is in development of overall digital strategy and leveraging innovative tactics and tests to drive performance in the space.
Cassie graduated from The University of Iowa with a B.A. in Communications with an emphasis in Digital Media. Outside of work, Cassie enjoys swimming, trail runs, cycling (combining the three for triathlons). She heads up the Volunteer Committee at BMDi and is always looking for ways to serve our community.
Chad Seaver – Strategic Account Director at Blue Moon Digital
As a Strategic Account Director, Chad navigates the difficult data collection and automation tasks, and coaches Sales and Marketing departments to become strategic data experts. Chad works to understand clients’ big picture initiatives and helps chart the path towards achieving goals via complex data integration and analytics projects.
Chad is an experienced Marketing and Sales data wrangler with nearly a decade of Software implementations/rollouts for some of the largest brands in the world. Chad graduated with his Bachelor’s in Business Marketing from the University of Colorado in Boulder. In his free time, Chad is a home chef and dog trainer.
Matt NeSmith – Director of SEO at Blue Moon Digital
As a SEO Manager, Matt supports the SEO team in the development of impactful strategies for our clients and the discovery of new growth opportunities in the ever-changing world of search. He’s spent over 7 years analyzing, creating, and implementing data-driven strategies for clients across many industries and businesses sizes. With prior experience both in-house and at an agency, he knows how to work with brands and integrate with their internal teams to create truly successful partnerships.
Matt has a B.S. in Marketing from the University of South Florida and traded the humidity of the Gulf coast for the seasons of Colorado after graduating. In his free time, Matt can be found tinkering under the hood of an old car, riding his mountain bike, attempting to build furniture, fiddling with a camera’s f-stop, or cruising the slopes when winter strikes.
Julianna Renaud – Data Scientist at Blue Moon Digital
As a Data Scientist, Julianna analyzes client’s on-site data and audits the technical implementation of analytics tracking to ensure the accuracy of the data and for the development of actionable insights. Julianna also serves as a Sr. Business Lead and Sr. Technical Lead for DOMO. In this role, Julianna works with her clients to answer their strategic business questions through the use of DOMO dashboards and data visualizations.
Julianna has an MBA from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Arts in Electronic Media from Northern Arizona University. Outside of work, Julianna can be found enjoying the dog park, hiking, or road biking along the Cherry Creek Trail.
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