Contributors

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Heather Holst-Knudsen

Heather runs all aspects of H2K Labs, including working directly with each client to optimize, scale, and accelerate revenue across the entire organization.  She applies the skills and knowledge gained over 30 years working in events, media, and technology to help customers innovate, outsell, and outperform the competition. Outside work, she loves cooking, entertaining, traveling, and playing with her white collie, Frankie.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherholstknudsen/

Guests

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Allison Markert

Allison Markert serves as the Vice President, Global Head of Strategy & Operations for Future B2B, a division of Future, plc. Future B2B is home to fifteen brands, serving twenty diverse end-markets through media and publishing, marketing services, events, and more.


Since joining Future in 2019, Allison has held a number of senior leadership positions across Future for B2B and B2C brands, leveraging her deep expertise in operational excellence, email monetization, and growth-focused account management.


Allison holds a BA in English & History from Colgate University, and is based in Atlanta, GA.


https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonmarkert422129/

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Amanda Landsaw

Amanda Landsaw is a marketing leader known for her ability to bring together passionate teams that connect strategy with creativity and data with real human insight. With a career built around understanding audiences and driving meaningful engagement, she’s dedicated to building authentic connections between brands and the people they serve. Her expertise lies in transforming data into strategic, innovative decisions that deliver measurable results. Amanda is driven by curiosity—about what motivates people, how industries evolve, and how marketing can stay relevant, intelligent, and human. She’s led successful campaigns, rebrands, and cross-functional projects with a leadership style grounded in collaboration, clarity, and a touch of humor.At her core, Amanda is committed to using data-driven storytelling to create marketing that not only performs but resonates.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandalandsaw/

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Amy Roman

Amy Roman is a Fractional CRO and Founder of AmplifyGTM. The AmplifyGTM team has shouldered the responsibility of driving profitable growth while working directly in MSPs, VARs, and SaaS companies of all sizes, from startups to private equity-backed roll-ups. They ignite or re-ignite growth by providing a customized mix of strategic planning, marketing, and sales services that change growth trajectories and maximize enterprise value.

Amy has led marketing and sales teams at a variety of companies including global Fortune 500 organizations, technology start-ups, and regional and national IT Managed Services Providers and VARs. She is known for developing and integrating customer-centric, revenue-generating initiatives and executing high-profile product launches that surpass financial goals. Her work has been recognized by Advertising Age magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart. 



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Anne Lafère

Anne Lafère became CEO of Easyfairs Group on 1 September 2022, after joining in 1998. She has worked closely with founder Eric Everard, gaining deep expertise across marketing, sales, operations, venue management, talent, tech, and business development. Appointed Managing Director of Easyfairs Belgium in 2010 and Group COO in 2014, she led major European acquisitions and built a centralized tech backbone, industrialized processes, and group-wide training programs. Her work enabled scalable success across regions and sectors. She also founded The Easyfairs Academy and developed the company’s digital and data intelligence roadmap, including EasyGo—now contributing 10% of Group revenue.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/annelafere/

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Billy Carney

Billy Carney is the Co-Founder of RocaNews and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, recognized for reshaping how the next generation consumes news. At Roca, he leads product and strategy for one of the world’s fastest-growing digital media companies—a Gen-Z-focused platform dedicated to making the news engaging, balanced, and accessible.


Since its launch in August 2020, RocaNews has amassed more than 3 million followers and subscribers across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, its mobile app, and daily newsletters. The company has raised over $6 million in venture funding, generated millions of annual engagements, and recently introduced a gamified news app that is approaching 40,000 monthly active users. Under Billy’s leadership, Roca has become a trusted source for digestible, entertaining, and nonpartisan news for young audiences.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/billy-carney-02a041152/

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Blair LaCorte

Blair LaCorte is an accomplished business executive, investor, and transformational leader known for guiding companies through growth, restructuring, and IPO stages across industries including entertainment, aviation, AI, technology, aerospace, and supply chain.


Driven by curiosity, collaboration, and competitiveness, Blair has built a career spanning executive leadership, board service, and mentorship. He is recognized for his ability to engage teams at any stage, align strategy with purpose, and deliver strong growth and investor returns.


Over his career, he has advised or invested in more than 100 companies and nonprofits. Blair holds an MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, where he received the Leibowitz Award, and completed executive studies in Human Capital and Organizational Behavior at Stanford University. 


https://www.linkedin.com/in/blair-lacorte-68084/

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Brian Weaver

Brian Weaver is Chairman and CEO of Torch.AI, which he founded in 2017 to help the U.S. defense and intelligence community operationalize AI in high-risk environments. With 20+ years of experience leading mission-driven tech companies, Brian is known for accelerating innovation through self-funded R&D and delivering ready-to-deploy solutions. He also serves as President of AFCEA Kansas City and is a trustee of The U.S. Army University/CGSC Foundation. Previously, he acquired and scaled MEDQOR into a data-powered healthcare media leader. Brian’s ventures have served over 10 million users, won multiple Inc. 500 awards, and earned him recognition as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. A former elite Ironman competitor and Forbes-featured thought leader, he lives in Kansas City with his family and maintains a residence in Arlington, VA.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/briangweaver/

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Chris Dyer

Chris Dyer is a recognized company culture and remote work expert. As a former CEO managing thousands of people, his companies consistently were named a best place to work. They have also been named a fastest growing company by INC Magazine 5 times. Chris routinely consults and speaks, and Inc Magazine ranked him as the #1 Leadership Speaker on Culture. He has three bestselling books The Power of Company Culture and Remote Work, and has been named #5 on
the LeadersHum's Power List, a Top 50 Voice in Leadership, a Top 40 Change Management Guru, a Top 50 Global Thought Leader, and a Top 50 leadership podcast, Top 50 HR Leaders Shaping the Future of Work, and a Top 101 Global Employee Engagement & Experience Influencers by Inspiring Workplaces and Work Buzz, just this year.


https://chrisdyer.com/

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Christine Shaw

Christine Shaw is a two-time CEO with more than 20 years of executive and board-level experience across media, events, and B2B sectors. She is passionate about building strategies that drive growth, innovation, and impact.


In her current role as CEO and President of Naylor Association Solutions, Christine leads a dynamic organization that helps professional and trade associations strengthen member engagement and grow non-dues revenue through integrated media, events, and technology solutions. Her focus is on setting clear strategy, aligning teams around shared goals, and executing with precision to deliver measurable results.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineashaw

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Constance Sayers

Constance Sayers is the President of Government Executive Media Group (GEMG), where she leads revenue growth and strategic programs across all GEMG brands. She is the visionary behind the launch of Route Fifty, an award-winning digital publication for state and local government leaders. Her innovative leadership in product development, marketing, and sales strategy has earned her a place on Folio’s “Folio 100” list of innovators in 2014 and 2015, as well as a spot among the “Top Women in Media” in 2015.

Before her current role, Sayers was Publisher of GEMG, where she helped launch the Defense One brand. During her time at National Journal, she managed high-profile partnerships with CBS News and ABC News for the 2008 and 2012 Presidential Elections, producing over 38 events and an award-winning mobile app. Her media experience also includes leadership roles at CQ/Roll Call, where she earned a Chairman’s Award for revenue growth.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/constancesayers/

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David Newcorn

David Newcorn is a customer-focused digital media executive with more than 25 years of experience building profitable B2B digital media businesses. Throughout his career, he has led cross-functional teams across sales, marketing, editorial, and production, consistently turning strategy into execution and driving sustainable growth.


David is known for his ability to not only develop innovative digital products, but also to design, staff, and implement the business processes required to scale them successfully. His work bridges media, technology, and revenue, with a strong emphasis on customer value and operational excellence.


https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidnewcorn/

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Denise Medved

Denise Medved is the current Chief Commercial Officer at Informa Markets, North America, where she leads commercial strategy and drives growth initiatives across the region. Before joining Informa, she served as Senior Vice President of Money 20/20 USA and as a fractional executive for several major companies, contributing her expertise in business strategy and event management.

Medved previously founded and led Tiny Kitchen Inc. as President and CEO, overseeing the strategic direction of popular events like the MetroCooking DC’s Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show, which later sold a majority stake to E.J. Krause & Associates. Her extensive career also includes senior leadership roles at Reed Exhibition Companies, IDG World Expo, and National Trade Productions, where she honed her skills in trade show and conference development.

Medved is also the author of two books on cooking and entertaining. 



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Diana Florescu

Diana Florescu is the CEO and Founder of mediaforgrowth (MFG), a multi-media investment firm managing one of the leading media capital funds in the U.S. She is a pioneer in the media-for-equity investment model, an innovative approach that combines venture capital with strategic media to accelerate the growth of consumer brands.


At MFG, Diana also played a key role in advising the creation of MMC, the first independent media capital fund in the U.S., helping design and deploy the fund.Prior to founding MFG, Diana led global marketing and growth strategy at Startupbootcamp and Rainmaking, two of the world’s largest early-stage investors and venture studios, which operate more than 20 accelerators across 15+ countries. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianaflorescu/

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Doug Emslie

Doug Emslie is a distinguished leader in the global exhibitions and events industry, known for his three-decade track record of building, scaling, and transforming event businesses around the world. 


He is the Founder of Cuil Bay Capital (CBC), an investment platform launched in 2023 that acquires and accelerates entrepreneurial, high-growth businesses and events—particularly those serving passion-driven communities and sectors undergoing transition. 


Under Doug’s leadership, CBC has already completed nine acquisitions, including its inaugural investment in Raccoon Media Group, rapidly establishing a diverse and forward-thinking portfolio.


Before founding CBC, Doug served as CEO of Tarsus Group, joining at its inception in 1998 and leading the company through years of global expansion. His tenure culminated in Tarsus’ acquisition by Informa plc, where he now acts as Senior Advisor on integrating the two organizations.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-emslie-2540405/

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Doug Llewellyn

Doug Llewellyn, the CEO of Data Society Group, a pioneering platform that empowers companies to harness the full potential of data and AI, is a seasoned leader in the business information sector. With a proven track record of delivering exceptional business value and maximizing investor returns, Doug has joined forces with Growth Catalyst partners to create a new platform dedicated to advancing data leadership and fostering data-driven organizations. His people-centric approach to driving results has led multiple companies to successful exits, even amidst challenging market conditions. By cultivating a company culture where employees are deeply invested in the company's mission, Doug ensures alignment among employees, customers, and investors.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-llewellyn-74629/

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Jacob Donnelly

Jacob Cohen Donnelly is the Founder and CEO of A Media Operator (AMO), a fast-growing media company born from his widely respected twice-weekly newsletter about building sustainable, modern media businesses. Known for his sharp analysis and operator-level insights, Jacob has become a trusted voice for executives, creators, and entrepreneurs navigating the evolving media landscape.

Under his leadership, AMO has expanded from a single newsletter into a full-fledged media brand, offering events, intelligence products, and deep industry reporting. Jacob’s work centers on one mission: helping people understand how to build, scale, and operate profitable media companies.

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Jaime Schultheis

Jaime Schultheis has been championing the power of data for over two decades. Her career began with a database marketing company, where she honed her skills in developing effective strategies for publishers. After 13 years of consulting, Jaime joined a consortium of major publishers, including Tribune, Hearst, McClatchy, and Gannett, focusing on boosting national advertising revenue through collective first-party targeting scale across top U.S. markets. 


Today, Jaime serves as the Head of Global Media Partnerships at Bombora, a leading provider of intent-based B2B marketing data solutions. In this role, she collaborates with hundreds of media companies worldwide, helping them harness the power of enriched first-party data, offer scalable targeting and measurement solutions, and leverage intent data at scale. Jaime's expertise lies in smart data integration, which she believes can "unlock serious marketing magic". 


https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimeschultheis/

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Jane Qin Medeiros

Jane Qin Medeiros is a GM at Industry Dive, the leading B2B digital media company serving 14m+ audience members across 37 publications. She focuses on studioID, Industry Dive’s global content marketing services group. Previously, Jane was the SVP of Customer Success at NewsCred. 

 

Jane was born in Beijing, grew up in California, and lives in New Jersey with her husband and two kids.

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Janice Liu

Janice Liu is a serial entrepreneur and the Chief Executive Officer of Mantisgroup.AI, a Canadian data company focused on transforming ethical data into a competitive advantage.She is also the co-founder of TheSuperClub.ca, a human-first leadership network and community, and Filling the Gap, a non-profit organization that donates all proceeds to the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic. 


In addition to her entrepreneurial ventures, Janice sits on multiple boards, serves as a serial angel investor, and advises startups and businesses globally.Under her leadership, Mantisgroup.AI believes every company is a data company and Mantis helps organizations bridge the gap between their data and their future.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janice-liu-89905620/?originalSubdomain=ca

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Jason Bateman

Jason Bateman is a mission-driven growth leader dedicated to advancing organizations that create meaningful global impact. With a strong foundation in sales, fundraising, and operations, he has built a track record of elevating underperforming programs, cultivating lasting business relationships, and implementing innovative strategies that strengthen loyalty and market presence.


In his current role as Vice President of Community at XPRIZE, Jason develops and executes strategies to engage, educate, and expand the organization’s donor community while nurturing new partnerships. His previous positions have equipped him with deep experience across leadership, operations, recruitment, and business development, all of which inform his ability to deliver solutions that exceed organizational expectations.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbateman/

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Jerry Li

Jerry Li is the CEO and Co-Founder of Gradual, the all-in-one community platform built to turn engagement into insight and scale connection with purpose. Before starting Gradual, he led engineering teams at Amazon and Groupon, focusing on building systems at scale and mentoring emerging leaders.  His passion for community took shape through building ELC—the Engineering Leadership Community—which has grown into the world’s largest and most recognized network for engineering leaders and executives. What began as small, in-person gatherings evolved into a global community. During the shift to virtual at the start of the pandemic, the internal tools created to support ELC became the foundation for Gradual.  Today, Gradual powers communities for companies like OpenAI, Perplexity, Fiverr, Scale AI, and Siemens. Jerry remains focused on helping organizations build community-led ecosystems that drive growth, deepen relationships, and unlock collective intelligence.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-li-1bb1177/

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Kate Spellman

Kate Spellman is a seasoned leader with a distinguished career in the media and events industry, bringing a wealth of expertise in driving growth, innovation, and strategic leadership. Currently, she serves as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Questex, a role she assumed in August 2023 after serving as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) from 2018 to 2023. 

 

Prior to Questex, Spellman was President of Informa Engage, where she led revenue growth initiatives and strategic client engagement. During her time at Penton, she significantly elevated the company’s enterprise value by tripling it, while also driving marketing and data services revenue to an impressive $40 million.

 

With over three decades of industry experience, her visionary leadership has left a lasting impact across multiple organizations. Spellman holds a degree in Political Science, with a minor in Philosophy, from Ohio Wesleyan University.

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Laura Davidson

Laura Davidson is currently the CEO and Director at Tag Digital, a company specializing in paid media across various platforms exclusively within the events sector. With over 2500 event campaigns run annually in 40 countries, Laura has a wealth of experience in this field. Prior to her role at Tag Digital, Laura worked as a Lecturer at the Digital Marketing Institute, teaching courses in SEO, PPC, ecommerce, and analytics. She also worked as the Communications Director at Moviecom.tv and as a Contributing Writer at LiPulse Magazine. Laura holds a 2:1 degree in Law and English from the University of Strathclyde.


https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauratagdigital/

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Laura Molen

Laura Molen is a visionary marketing and advertising executive with decades of experience driving innovation, revenue growth, and transformation across media, streaming, and advertising. She is widely recognized for her ability to develop innovative growth strategies, build high-performing teams, and forge transformative partnerships with global brands, agencies, and technology leaders.


At NBCUniversal, Laura spearheaded the launch of One Platform, the company’s groundbreaking cross-channel advertising strategy, and played a pivotal role in scaling Peacock’s ad-supported streaming business, helping it surpass $1 billion in revenue. Her leadership has consistently combined commercial impact with a human-centered approach, emphasizing equality, empowerment, and DEI, while guiding teams through change and crisis to achieve professional success and personal fulfillment.




https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-molen-62248028/

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Lia Bliss

Lia Bliss transforms digital engagement into measurable business growth. As a LinkedIn strategy expert with algorithm intelligence that cuts through the noise, she operationalizes social selling for Fortune 500 companies and high-growth entrepreneurs alike.


Beyond traditional platform tactics, Lia's systematic approach converts digital presence into revenue through her Executive Thought Leadership programs, Enterprise Training for teams, and dynamic Keynote Speaking. With a background in sales enablement and a reputation for delivering predictable results, she brings both strategic vision and tactical precision to professionals navigating the digital landscape. When corporate leaders need digital engagement that performs, they turn to Lia for the systematic advantage their competition hasn't seen before.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/liabliss/

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Liz Irving

With over 20 years of experience in the events industry, Liz Irving has transformed the businesses she works with through her strategic vision, and customer-centric approach to drive commercial outcomes. 

In her current role as President of Clarion Events North America, Liz oversees the strategic direction for the Clarion North American business by focusing on customer and behavioral insights, commercial effectiveness, digital platform development, and innovation. In addition, she is responsible for product strategy development where she partners with Clarion’s portfolio directors to identify growth opportunities to enhance our existing events and develop new digital offerings. Her forward-thinking mindset constantly has her eye on the customer experience and how to continuously evolve what our events, media and products offer to increase the value we provide face-to-face and digitally. 



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Lucky Gunasekara

Lucky Gunasekara is the CEO and Co-Founder of Miso Technologies, Inc., and an accomplished entrepreneur and leader with a dynamic background across multiple industries. He began his career as an Intellectual Property Analyst at Dube Technologies, focusing on R&D and patent analysis. In 2009, he co-founded Medic Mobile, a healthcare technology startup, where he served as Managing Director. As CIO at Metabiota from 2010 to 2012, he led the development of an epidemic surveillance system. His advisory role with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation from 2012 to 2014 saw him contribute to healthcare innovation.

 

Lucky’s expertise extends to academic and research roles, including serving as a Technologist in Residence at Cornell Tech and as Senior UX Researcher at Tapstack. From 2015 to 2017, he was Senior Advisor at the Peterson Center on Healthcare, where he helped develop an evidence-based model for primary care transformation. 

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Marilú Páez

Marilú Páez is a bold strategist who thrives in dynamic environments, passionate about simplifying complex challenges and driving actionable results. She helps small businesses overcome obstacles through strategic synergies, smart funding solutions, and operational excellence—turning ideas into sustainable growth.


With over 17 years of experience across industries including health, consumer goods, digital products, and venture capital, Marilú brings a unique blend of operational expertise and visionary leadership. 


Marilú partners with founders and organizations to reinvent their businesses, operationalize ideas, and unlock strategic opportunities for growth.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilu-paez/

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Mark Shashoua

Mark Shashoua is the Chief Executive Officer of Hyve Group, one of the world’s leading international exhibitions and events businesses. Since joining Hyve in 2016, Mark has led the company through a period of strategic transformation, sharpening its focus on high-growth, must-attend events that deliver measurable value for customers, partners, and communities.


Prior to Hyve, Mark served as Chief Executive Officer of i2i Events Group and Chief Executive Officer of Expomedia Group, building a reputation as a decisive operator with deep expertise in scaling global event portfolios, driving organic growth, and executing successful acquisitions.


With a career rooted in business services and live experiences, Mark is known for his disciplined leadership approach, global perspective, and commitment to innovation across the exhibitions ecosystem. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-shashoua-956b8b12/

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Matt Reilly

Matt Reilly is a three-time CEO who brings more than 25 years of relevant
experience in technology and business services to his current role at Fusable. He previously served as division CEO and one of four named executive officers at a NYSE-listed company, where he doubled the size of his division during his tenure. Prior to that, Matt spent 11 years in various senior executive roles at Accenture, led its North American consulting business, played a key role in launching its digital services business and served as chief executive of an acquired firm.

Matt began his career in the U.S. Navy as an engineering officer and department head. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors of Goizueta Business School at Emory University and has published thought leadership on a range of strategic topics in outlets such as Harvard Business Review, the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-reilly-801520/

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Max Gabriel

Max Gabriel is the CEO of Markus AI, where he is focused on reimagining how technology enhances live experiences through three guiding principles: amplifying human connections, minimizing event friction, and making AI invisible. He leads a deeply mission-driven team united by a shared passion for building intuitive, human-centered technology and enjoying the journey along the way.

Previously, Max held senior executive and transformation leadership roles across global media, technology, and enterprise organizations. Most recently, he served as Chief Transformation Officer and President at Informa, and earlier as Chief Digital Officer and Chief Technology Officer at Taylor & Francis, Informa’s academic publishing division. Across these roles, he was responsible for enterprise-wide technology strategy, digital transformation, and innovation at scale.


https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxgabriel/

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Michael Barnett

Michael Barnett is a social marketing entrepreneur and CEO of InGo, a company driven by a new vision for event marketing: creating advocates by empowering attendees to engage their friends with events they love, with the goal of making events more fun and more social.


Prior to starting InGo, Michael spoke around the world about using Social Media to start and develop grass roots organizations and often captured hundreds of supporters in a single day. Michael studied at Virginia Tech with a brief break to intern in Parliament for Nigel Waterson, the Member of Parliament from Eastbourne. He resides in the Washington D.C., area, where he actively leads InGo.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljbarnett/

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Michelle Metter

Michelle Metter is the co-founder and owner of Fast Forward Events, a leading creator of fan-based B2B and B2C communities in the wine, beer, spirits, and culinary industries. 


She spearheads the creation of engaging and immersive live events, tradeshows, and conferences, including award-winning productions such as SommCon Conference & Beverage Expo, SommGo, The Tasting & Tap Room Expo, The Craft Beverage Expo, Women In Craft, Concours Wine & Spirits Competitions, and the San Diego Food + Wine Festival. 


Under her leadership, Fast Forward Events has become known for connecting passionate enthusiasts and industry professionals through unforgettable experiences and innovative community-building events.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-metter-89b7a25/

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Michelle Troop

Michelle Troop is the Chief Revenue Officer of Ai4, the world’s largest AI event, recently acquired by CloserStill Media. With over 35 years of experience across trade shows, consumer events, and conferences, she has built and scaled industry-leading brands including InsureTech Connect (ITC), Mobile Apps Unlocked (MAU), and LeadsCon—all of which reached critical mass and were acquired by Clarion and Access Intelligence. Earlier in her career, she helped launch the original PlayStation globally and rebuilt top shows into Trade Show Top 35 events. At Ai4, she helped transform the event from 300-person gatherings into an 8,000+ attendee global platform. Michelle is passionate about building not only great events but also high-performing teams. She lives in Dallas with her husband and is dedicated to animal rescue and good wine.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-troop-8b10735/

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Narisa Wild

Narisa Wild is a senior digital leader with over 26 years of experience creating innovative digital solutions for global companies. She is passionate about delivering customer-first, people-first, and impactful outcomes. Narisa holds a BA double honours in French with Management Studies from King's College London and certifications from Kellogg Executive Education in design thinking, leadership, and collaboration.

As Chief Digital Officer at Clarion Events North America, Narisa leads digital transformation and innovation of customer-facing platforms. She drives growth through product development, user experience, and digital marketing, with a proven track record in P&L management, SaaS creation, and fostering strong relationships. Known as an advocate, disruptor, and innovator, Narisa thrives on meaningful connections and is committed to supporting and challenging her team every day.


https://www.linkedin.com/in/narisawild/

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Paul Miller

As CEO of Questex, Paul Miller drives the company’s growth strategy and strengthens its position as a leader in the experience economy. A proven business leader, he has successfully grown companies with revenues between $30 million and $250 million. He played a key role in the $1.2 billion sale of Penton to Informa.

 

Before Questex, Paul was President of Informa’s Industry & Infrastructure Intelligence, where he focused on innovation and ROI for customers. He also served as President of Penton’s Industry Group and CEO of UBM Tech, overseeing digital transformation and international expansion.

 

Paul holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from Sheffield Hallam University and a Marketing Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. He is also a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmiller/

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Pete Pachal

Pete Pachal is the founder and CEO of The Media Copilot, a newsletter and podcast about how generative AI is changing the media. He also instructs journalists and communications professionals how to use AI tools through online courses, and he has consulted with publishers such as The Washington Post and the BBC. Pete is a longtime journalist, previously holding senior roles in global newsrooms such as CoinDesk and Mashable. As a thought leader in tech, crypto, and AI, he’s appeared on Fox News, CNN, and The Today Show. He also puts his encyclopedic knowledge of Doctor Who to good use in his side hustle, the popular podcast Pull To Open.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterpachal/

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Philip Thomas

Philip Thomas is the Chief Creative Officer (Global Brands) at Informa PLC and Chairman of LIONS, the umbrella organization for Cannes Lions, Warc, Contagious, and Effie. 


In his current role, he partners with talented teams to shape a portfolio of global events that are brand-led and experience-driven, positioning them for the future of live, digital, and hybrid experiences.


Previously, he served as CEO of Ascential, a FTSE 250 company, where he led transformative M&A initiatives and returned over £850 million to shareholders. 


He played a pivotal role in developing and scaling marquee events such as Cannes Lions and Money 20/20, growing them from a combined £185 million acquisition to their ultimate sale to Informa for £1.2 billion in 2024—achieving one of the highest multiples ever recorded in the sector.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-thomas-127a541/

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Samantha Skey

Samantha Skey is CEO of SHE Media, a top 10 media company reaching 80 million monthly unique visitors through brands like SheKnows, Flow Space, StyleCaster, Soaps, and TVLine. Acquired by Penske Media Corporation in 2018, SHE Media also operates one of the largest networks of independent lifestyle publishers and creators in the U.S. via the SHE Media Collective, launched by Skey in 2016 to support underrepresented voices. The Collective drives millions in annual revenue to women- and minority-led publishers.


With over 25 years in digital media and tech, Skey previously held leadership roles at CNET, Disney, and RecycleBank, and joined SheKnows in 2013. She’s earned honors including Ad Age’s “Women to Watch,” Folio’s “Corporate Visionary Award,” and DM News’ “Hall of Femme.” 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthaskey/

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Sean Griffey

Sean Griffey is the Co-founder and former CEO of Industry Dive, a leading B2B media company acquired by Informa PLC in 2022. A visionary in digital business journalism, Sean also co-founded FierceMarkets, later acquired by Questex Media Group. As a member of the Revenue Room™ CXO community and Executive Advisory Board, he brings deep expertise in digital transformation, growth strategy, and executive engagement.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/seangriffey/

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Taylor Kessel-Salomonsson

Taylor Kessel-Salomonsson is a consultant, advisor, and operator specializing in building revenue and growth engines for B2B organizations. She currently serves as Chief Growth Officer at Naylor Association Solutions, a PE-backed media company that helps associations maximize non-dues revenue streams.


Previously, Taylor was VP of Marketing at Bloomfilter, a VC-backed B2B SaaS startup, where she transitioned from advisor to operational leader—helping the company secure a $7.5M seed round, sign on their first beta customers, and launch into general availability. She also served as Head of Product & Content Marketing at Conexiom, a PE-backed automation SaaS company, leading cross-functional marketing teams focused on product positioning, go-to-market strategy, sales enablement, competitive intelligence, and customer advocacy programs. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-kessel-salomonsson/

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Tina Hannagan

Tina has over 20 years of experience in the data and analytics industry. Tina joined Fusable in 2022, bringing strategic leadership and expertise in propelling business growth through innovative data-driven strategies. 

 

Prior to Fusable, she served most recently as the SVP of Shared Services at Dun & Bradstreet where she was committed to understanding customer needs to drive growth, forging client relationships, and implementing sales methodologies with client satisfaction at the core. 

 

Tina holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Delaware.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-hannagan-b940142/

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Tom Bohn

Tom Bohn is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience leading and transforming organizations across a range of industries, including publishing, media, associations, trade shows, data platforms, AI, and subscription services. As President and COO of Advanced Home Improvement Media, parent company of TheHomeMag, Tom oversees operations and growth for America's largest home improvement-focused multimedia platform, which spans 69 markets across 29 states and reaches over 10 million homes monthly.


Tom has demonstrated expertise in high-growth leadership, M&A, strategic planning, private equity, and change management. He is known for fostering strong, empowered cultures, driving product innovation, and executing growth strategies that deliver top-line revenue and profitability.  Tom's leadership has helped scale companies through product diversification and franchising, positioning him as a pivotal figure in the home improvement and media industries.

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Will Lee, CEO, Adweek

Will Lee is the CEO of ADWEEK, the leading media brand and platform serving the marketing and advertising industry. Prior to ADWEEK, Will served as Chief Operating Officer of NPR, overseeing strategy, transformation, and growth for the revered news and cultural organization and its network of 249 member stations. Previously, Will led the digital businesses for PEOPLE, Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated, and The Hollywood Reporter, and has two decades of experience in content creation, audience expansion, brand development and a continuing commitment to and evolution of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Will lives in New York City with his wife Suejin and son Troy.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/willwlee/

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