Agenda

Sales and product strategy executive experienced in launching and scaling data-driven sales teams with global management experience across sales, product strategy, and account management.

Melissa Clark is a Senior Client Partner focused on retail media networks at Snapchat. With over 17 years in digital advertising, Melissa was a founding member of Snapchat’s RMN team and has been instrumental in shaping the platform’s retail media strategy — from identifying monetization opportunities to building scalable partnerships. She began working with retail media networks in 2015 and has deep experience across both the buy and sell sides of the industry. Prior to Snapchat, Melissa spent 11 years at Spotify, where she led the first retail media network activations as an offsite partner, and began her career on the agency side. Melissa brings a unique perspective across media, sales, retail and the evolving RMN landscape.

Sr Manager Retail Media - Nestlé Health Science

Heather Ruiz an award winning marketing leader who builds iconic brands. Over a 20+ year career with Fortune 50 companies including Verizon, T-Mobile, DISH, and Sling TV, she has driven large-scale, omnichannel campaigns that connect culture, community, and performance.

Known for her ability to translate consumer insights into bold, results-driven strategy. She operates at the forefront of media and marketing evolution. She currently serves as a Fractional CMO in San Diego, partnering with brands to elevate visibility, engagement, and long-term growth.

Con más de 15 años de experiencia impulsando estrategias comerciales y de marketing en empresas líderes del sector retail y consumo masivo. A lo largo de su trayectoria, ha liderado iniciativas de transformación digital, shopper marketing y retail media, colaborando con marcas globales para conectar con consumidores en el punto de venta. Actualmente, Noé se enfoca en el desarrollo de soluciones innovadoras de in-store retail media, integrando tecnología, data y creatividad para maximizar el impacto en tienda. Es un convencido del poder del retail como medio para entender y conectar con el cliente y de la colaboración entre marcas y retailers para generar valor conjunto al consumidor.

CJ Pendleton is the Chief Strategy Officer at Matrixx CPG, a full-service, award-winning shopper marketing agency that helps CPG brands engage and win consumers at both physical and digital storefronts. Over the course of his 13-year tenure at Matrixx, CJ has helped the agency stay ahead of the curve as traditional shopper marketing has transitioned into the retail media era, building out new strategies and capabilities to help challenger brands excel at retailers like Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Instacart.

In his current role, CJ leads annual client planning with key retail media networks including agency joint business plans and has spearheaded the agency's partnership with Skai to centralize and streamline retail media campaign management across the organization. Matrixx has also partnered with in-store media platforms such as Swiftly, Looma, Barrows and Vibenomics to add targeted, in-aisle digital signage to Matrixx’s clients’ broader retail media executions all while keeping focus on Matrixx's core objective: driving incremental sales for their clients. His previous experience at Zico Coconut Water gave him firsthand insight into the brand-side challenges that Matrixx now helps clients solve every day.

CJ is a graduate of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado and lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife and young son. He enjoys skiing (when the weather cooperates), gravel biking and making grocery shoppers uncomfortable by taking lots of photos while in the store.

Hiram Norman is a digital media executive and product leader known for building
and scaling streaming, technology, and monetization platforms. As former
Executive Vice President of Digital at The CW Network, he led the network’s
mobile, CTV, and online businesses, overseeing product, marketing, distribution,
and operations.
Norman incubated The CW’s digital business while serving as Senior Vice
President of Digital Marketing at Warner Bros., laying the foundation for one of
the industry’s leading AVOD platforms. As EVP, he scaled digital revenue and
drove over 100 million app downloads and channel installations, while pioneering
FAST channel strategies and non-linear viewing experiences for a digital-first
audience.
Previously, Norman held leadership roles at AOL and ABC and is a recognized
industry voice, having spoken at SXSW, NAB and NATPE.
Norman is the founder of digital strategy practice HTN Advisory and a co-founder
of Upstart, a full-service marketing and brand strategy practice, where he brings
his operator mindset to small and mid-sized businesses to help companies scale,
compete, and unlock their next phase of growth.

Jonathan is a leading expert in Retail Media and AdTech, with a track record of helping brands and retailers harness data-driven media solutions to drive growth. As Head of Retail Media at Broadsign — an advanced advertising platform that helps retailers monetize their Digital In-Store assets — he spearheads sales, strategy, and partnerships, enabling retailers to unlock new revenue streams.

Before joining Broadsign, Jonathan served as Vice President of Retail at Neptune Retail Solutions (formerly News Marketing Canada), where he led the company’s expansion in the Canadian market. Working with major retailers like Loblaw, Metro, and Save-on-Foods, he played a key role in integrating omnichannel media strategies and launching innovative retail media initiatives.

With deep expertise in in-store media, shopper intelligence, and programmatic advertising, Jonathan is passionate about helping brands and retailers create data-driven omnichannel retail media campaigns that deliver measurable impact.

Wendy Rubiano is the Director of Marketing at Vallarta Supermarkets, where she leads brand storytelling, retail media innovation, and digital ecosystem growth for one of the fastest-growing Hispanic grocery chains in the U.S.

With over 20 years of experience in digital marketing, she has built and scaled high-impact programs across social media, influencer marketing, and retail media driving measurable revenue growth and expanding digital audiences. Under her leadership, Vallarta’s platforms have experienced significant growth and increased engagement.

Wendy is known for blending data-driven strategy with authentic storytelling to create meaningful connections with multicultural audiences. She has led 360° campaigns and developed vendor-funded media programs that bridge in-store experiences with digital engagement.

A passionate leader and speaker, Wendy brings a unique perspective on how culture, community, and commerce intersect to shape the future of retail media.

Sean Edwards is the Director of Programmatic & Retail Media at Exverus by Brainlabs, where he oversees the agency’s robust, in-house programmatic trade desk and e-commerce departments for challenger brands like Premier Protein and New Belgium Brewing. His knowledge of cutting-edge ad tech combines broad reach with precise performance and attribution data. Sean brings a decade of paid media experience from leading agencies and regularly lends his expertise to trade publications and conference stages.

Battle tested leader with proven results and experience in managing and growing revenue, partnerships and relationships for diverse media and entertainment organizations. I believe that the most important factor for success is the passion, drive, team building and focus on the job at hand. My specialties are: driving vision, strategy, relationships and revenue, supercharging growth, innovative strategic planning and development, including all forms and levels of media and advertising, agency development, B2B, B to C sales, marketing & customer acquisition, team & partner management, P&L ownership and building high performing teams. Proven track record in leading media sales and partnerships in APAC region

Senior Director - Audience, Insights and Measurement

With over a decade of experience within the Amazon ecosystem, Bob specializes in bridging the gap between complex ad tech and brand growth. After a nine-year tenure at Amazon Ads spanning from grocery brand development to DSP agency strategy Bob joined Tinuiti four years ago to lead their Amazon Commerce Innovation division. Today, he focuses on high-impact initiatives like Amazon Marketing Cloud, Streaming TV, and omnichannel measurement, ensuring brands stay ahead of the curve in an evolving marketplace.  

Benoit Vatere is the chief media officer of Liquid Death, one of the fastest growing non-alcoholic beverage brands. Liquid Death uses comedy and entertainment to make health and sustainability 50 times more fun. It takes low-calorie beverages and packages them into infinitely recyclable cans that compete with the fun marketing of unhealthy brands across beer and junk food. Its product lines include mountain water, soda-flavored sparkling water, iced tea, and energy. A portion of Liquid Death’s proceeds helps kill plastic pollution.

Prior to Liquid Death, Benoit founded Mammoth Media, a digital-to-retail technology company where he built and executed strategic digital media campaigns with focus on incrementality for leading CPG brands such as Pepsi, Lemon Perfect, 7 Eleven, and Siete. Before Mammoth Media, Benoit served as the CEO of mobile gaming monetization platform Playhaven and co-founded conversion optimization company magnify360.

Benoit holds a master's degree in engineering and a marketing degree from Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Sciences Agronomiques de Bordeaux.

Allison McGuire is a marketing executive and advisor with deep expertise in ecommerce growth, digital strategy, and multi-channel marketing. During her 10-year tenure as Vice President of Marketing at Paper Mart, she led initiatives across paid media, affiliate, email, and SMS that drove record revenue and the company’s most profitable years. She now advises companies and executives on digital growth, commerce media, and marketing strategy.

Mark Kapczynski is the Head of Advertising Services as part of the Commerce Media Network at RE/MAX in the real estate market. He focuses on 360 partnerships for brands that help to solve challenges for RE/MAX home buyers and sellers. RE/MAX has a unique home buying audience along with over 50,000 agents in the US.

Kapczynski previously ran Kontrol Media Consultancy and served as CMO for several companies, working in executive roles at Envestnet:Yodlee, Experian, FreeCreditReport.com and Microsoft.

Jeff Coleman is a 15-year veteran of the Retail Media and eCommerce industry. He built and managed industry-leading Amazon management and Retail Media agency teams at CPC Strategy and Tinuiti, and is currently the Chief Client Officer of BirdDog Media Agency. When he's not blazing trails in the Retail Media industry, you can catch him on the softball field coaching his daughters' softball teams, or sailing around San Diego Bay.

Founder & CEO of The Darl | Host of Coffee Nº 5 Podcast

Lara Schmoisman is the Founder and CEO of The Darl, a premier full-service marketing agency where she leads global growth strategy for brands in the beauty, wellness, and lifestyle sectors. With a career spanning radio and television, Lara specializes in bridging the gap between high-level creative vision and rigorous technical execution, ensuring clients are positioned to win in an increasingly complex and connected digital marketplace.

A recognized authority in entrepreneurship, Lara was named to the Forbes Next 1000, a list of entrepreneurs and self-made businesses with the potential to redefine their industries. Her leadership and impact have further been recognized as a finalist for the LA Times Inspirational Women Awards, reflecting her influence as a visionary leader and mentor in the global marketing landscape.

Lara’s influence extends into academia, where she has served as a Lecturer at Cal Poly Pomona and a specialized instructor of Digital Marketing for the Fashion Industry. This academic background informs her commitment to intellectual discipline and her role in developing the next generation of marketing leaders, bringing a unique blend of pedagogical rigor and real-world application to her strategic consulting.

At the core of Lara’s approach is a focus on future-proofing brand discovery and leveraging the "halo effect" to build cohesive, high-impact brand ecosystems. As an early adopter and strategist in Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), she is fascinated by the evolution of AI-driven search and how it reshapes consumer behavior. By anticipating how Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI agents interact with brand data, she empowers her clients to secure a strategic advantage—focusing on building "algorithmic trust" and structured data foundations that drive both performance and long-term resilience.

Through her podcast, Coffee Nº 5, Lara has helped shape the global conversation around brand building, success, and the mechanics of scaling within a modern digital ecosystem. With over 1 million downloads and a consistent ranking in the Top 30 Entrepreneurship podcasts on Apple, the platform serves as an influential space for unfiltered dialogue with industry icons and experts. Lara utilizes the show to demystify the complexities of legacy brand evolution, providing a strategic roadmap to empower a global community of founders and leaders.

Lara is also a deeply respected specialist in international market entry, recognized for guiding brands from Australia and Latin America through the cultural and operational shifts required for a successful United States launch. She provides the strategic infrastructure and market foresight necessary to navigate global expansion with disciplined precision and operational excellence.

Committed to the intersection of strategic rigor and transformative innovation, Lara navigates the complexities of the modern digital landscape with an unwavering focus on long-term value. 

Rich Kim is the Senior Vice President of Biddable Media at Canvas Worldwide.

Nicole Meyers is a media and marketing leader with over 18 years of experience driving innovative, audience-first strategies for some of the world’s leading brands. She currently works at Publicis Imagine as EVP, Client Lead and Investment, where she specializes in integrated media investment, client leadership, and building campaigns that deliver both cultural relevance and measurable impact. Known for her strategic mindset and collaborative approach, Nicole looks to help clients and her team navigate an increasingly complex media landscape to drive value and create meaningful connections with consumers.

Nicole has spent her career on the agency-side, with prior roles at Initiative, OMG23, and Carat.

Abbey Thomas is an industry recognized CTV/Video Expert and AI Enthusiast who works with early stage companies to accelerate adoption and drive rapid growth. As Chief Commercial Officer at Anoki AI, Abbey is helping usher in a new wave of FAST 2.0 aimed at PII compliant and personalization for experience and advertising harnessing multimodal contextual intelligence. Previously Abbey served as Chief Revenue Officer at OpenAP, the platform uniting the television ecosystem’s advanced advertising business across NBC Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers Discovery, and others. Her responsibilities for driving the company’s Holding Company Enterprise MSA’s included oversight of Platform Sales, Client Strategy, and Client Success. As the first Enterprise Sales hire, Abbey built the company's revenue practice from the ground up by driving buy side adoption of TV’s advanced advertising platform, growing OpenAP’s portfolio of clients to hundreds of advertisers and scaling the company north of $1B in total platform sales. Under Abbey's leadership, OpenAP established strategic partnerships with leading holding companies.  Prior to OpenAP, Abbey served as Chief Marketing Officer at Tremor Video, overseeing creative, PR, product and sales marketing functions; and representing the company internationally across the industry’s largest stages at Cannes, Mobile World Congress, and Ad Week. She led various sales teams at Tremor Video including the Entertainment Vertical, as well as founding the Categorical practice at the organization, over her ten year tenure.  Previously, Abbey was responsible for the west coast digital ad sales business at Entertainment Weekly. Abbey began her career at MTV working alongside the industry’s brightest females in early digital advertising beginning in 2000. She has served on the Advisory Board at the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and ThinkLA Entertainment organization. Abbey is a cum laude and early graduate from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Journalism specializing in Advertising, one of the most recognized programs in the country aimed at developing top tier ad talent. Abbey lives in Venice, CA where she resides with her two daughters.