From http://news.partnered.com - the company-to-company innovation & bizdev, network, 21 of the most important investors, brand managers, agencies and more in the world where brands meet startups. Startups are transforming how brands advertise and market.
But what does it take to compete in this landscape? For new entrepreneurs trying to build companies, there are key players in the ecosystem - from investors to brand managers to agencies to media partners - who are breaking new ground and who can open vital doors.
4. If you’re a startup looking
to work with brands, these
are the 21 people you need
to know now.
5. GARY VAYNERCHUK
CEO - VaynerMedia
1
“The Guru”
WHY:
Early pioneer used social media to transform his family wine
business - and in the process became an expert in new distribution.
Started an agency to translate social media knowledge to the brand
world and quickly became a top expert. His personal investment
portfolio includes some of the best in adtech and he just launched a
new fund.
6. RACHEL WEISS
VP of Digital Innovation,
Content, and New Ventures -
L’Oreal
“The Internal Innovator”
WHY:
Weiss is the person one of the world’s
largest innovators has tasked with
integrating the whole world of new
communications channels. She also is a
champion of female entrepreneurs and
leaders more generally.
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7. B. BONIN BOUGH
VP Global Media + Consumer
Engagement - Mondelez Int’l
3
“The Intrapreneur”
WHY:
Former head of global digital and social media at PepsiCo, now VP Global
Media & Consumer Engagement for Mondelez International - one of the
most respected thinkers, speakers and doers for helping brands adapt to a
socially-wired world.
8. BETH COMSTOCK
CMO - General Electric
“The Uberinspiration”
WHY:
As CMO of GE, Beth Comstock has gone way beyond the fleeting,
tepid startup experiments finding their way into corporate America.
Instead, she has remade GE into a model for how to partner with
emerging tech companies to keep Fortune 500s innovating and
aspiring for more. In the meantime, she’s become a huge influence
to corporate officers, agency leaders, and more.
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9. ZE FRANK
Head of Video - Buzzfeed
“The Video Made The Internet Star”
WHY:
In the mid 2000s The show with Ze Frank became one of the most popular
pre youtube video series. It was where we learned that a brand is simply the
emotional aftertaste of an experience. When Disney recently came knocking
on Buzzfeed's door, it wasn't for cute cats and quizzes. It was about the more
than blillion video views Buzzfeed video had quietly wracked up.
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10. JEN RUBIO
Global Head Of Innovation - AllSaints
“The Retail Futurist”
WHY:
Formerly head of social media for Warby Parker, the brand that
set the template for how to build a new tech-enabled retail
brand. Now runs Digital Innovation for AllSaints global fashion
brand. Jen is more tech-connected than most brand innovation
heads, not to mention more well traveled than, well, anyone.
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11. 7MICHAEL LAZEROW
Founder, Buddy Media
“The Business Link”
WHY:
Built Buddy Media - a social media management platform
for the world's top brands and sold it to Salesforce for
$745m. Investor in some of the most important media
platforms and properties (Tumblr, Facebook, Buzzfeed) and
new adtech properties like Pinfluencer and Social Flow
12. BRIAN MORRISSEY
Editor-in-Chief - DigiDay
“The Recorder”
WHY:
Of the major advertising publications, Digiday has been
a leader in thoughtful interesting coverage at the
intersection of startups, brands, and agencies. Their
coverage of new platforms under their Editor-In-Chief
has gone way beyond the normal fluff of startup
coverage, without veering to a priori skepticism, either.
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13. TROY CARTER
Founder, Atom Factory
“The Guide”
WHY:
What hasn't Troy done? As Lady Gaga's manager, he showed how an
artist can use digital media to weave a closer relationship with her fans
then ever before, and then leveraged that insight to build one of the
best venture investing portfolios anywhere (Uber + Warby Parker),
along with an agency to guide brands through the world of startups and
entertainment. He's also, literally, like, the nicest dude you've ever met.
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14. JANET BALIS
Partner/Chief Revenue Officer -
Betaworks
“The Alley Partner”
WHY:
As a former publisher at the Huffington Post media group, Janet Balis
knew her way around emerging technology. At Betaworks, she’s charged
with driving partnerships and revenue to the NYC incubator-design
studio-investment house. She’s so boss, she has the Twitter handle
@digitalstrategy.
10
15. HOOMAN RADFAR
Founder, AddThis
“The Linker”
WHY:
AddThis is a social media technology that connects sharing plugins
with deep analytics to help 15m brands and publishers broaden and
understand their audience, reaching 1.6b people each month. If that
wasn’t enough, Hooman is an active and highly respected advisor
and investor in emerging platforms.
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16. ARJUN DEV ARORA
Founder, ReTargeter
“The Ultimate Advisor”
WHY:
Built one of the fastest growing of a new generation of retargeting
companies, largely without the aid of venture capital, in the
process amassing the most interesting adtech advisory portfolio in
Silicon Valley. The level of respect other investors and
entrepreneurs accord him is unparalleled.
12
17. FARRYN WEINER
Global Director of Digital and
Social Communications -
Michael Kors
“The Connectinista”
WHY:
Oh, you know. Led the development of the first Instagram ad to hit the
platform. Helped Michael Kors get named 2013's top brand in social
media in research by Starcourt. NBD. NBD.
13
18. RACHEL TIPOGRAPH
Frmr Global Director of Digital
and Social Media - GAP
“The Trailblaizr”
WHY:
Leader of a generation of Millennial thinkers brought in to help
old brands connect with new media, Rachel became known for
such bold campaigns as buying all mobile ads on Tumblr for a 24-
hour period for the Gap's "Back to Blue" campaign. Now she lists
her job as "Sabbatical till Fall 2014." How awesome is that?
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19. 15BRANDEE BARKER
Founder, Pramana Collective
“The Image-ineer”
WHY:
Facebook's PR director, 2007-2010. Image consultant and
advisor to Uber (recent valuation $3.5b), Dropbox (recent
valuation $10b), Airbnb (recent valuation $10b). Advisor to Sheryl
Sandberg (Facebook COO and author of "Lean In."). Most in
demand PR & image advisor in Silicon Valley? Yup.
20. KEVIN COLLERAN
VC - General Catalyst & Slow Ventures
“The Brand-To-Startup OG”
WHY:
The most active investor you don't know yet, Kevin Colleran was an
early architect of brand involvement with modern social networks.
Worked his way into Facebook’s first brand partnerships position
while representing “college media” sites to brands in the mid 2000.
We all know how that worked out. m/
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21. MILANA RABKIN
Digital Media Agent - UTA
“The Agent Disrupter”
WHY:
For entertainers, everything comes down to how they relate to fans. As
distribution is rebuild by media startups, bridge builders like Milana are
essential for building the new infrastructure. She has worked with
dozens of clients to help give them access to new platforms such as
Kickstarter, and has an amazing eye for how artists and startups can
partner to mutual benefit.
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22. BRIAN WONG
CEO - KIIP
“The Real World Rewarder”
WHY:
If there is one thing everyone thinking about digital advertising agrees on, it's
that mobile is the most important growth platform of the future. KIIP is one
of the leaders of a new generation of native mobile advertising solutions -
giving brands the ability to reward in-app achievements with real world
products. At the tender age of 23, CEO Brian Wong is poised to shape
advertising on the medium for years to come.
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23. KRISTINA SIMMONS
Partner, Andreessen Horowitz
“The Opportunity Creator”
WHY:
Having raised $2.5b Andreessen Horowitz is one of today’s most
emulated VCs. Interestingly, they modeled themselves after famed
talent agency CAA and part of that model is sourcing brand
partnerships for their portfolio companies, which is where Kristina
comes in. She sits at the intersection of brands and such run of the
mill and completely unexplosive companies like Airbnb and Lyft.
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24. ADAM HIRSCH
SVP, Emerging Media & Tech
“The Educator”
WHY:
So, the cool thing about Adam’s job is that his company invented it for
him. Adam had cut his teeth in startup land as a senior editor at
Mashable, and was recruited to help Edelman clients understand the full
range of opportunities new tech platforms offered them. So...that’s cool.
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25. BRIAN FLUCHT
Director, Strategic
Investments & Partnerships -
Nike
“The Future Finder”
WHY:
Most corporate investing is for a mix of financial return goals and
corporate strategic goals. Nike, led by Brian, takes it to another
level, thinking about the nature of production, apparel and fitness
a full generation ahead of today when making investments. Just
do that.
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