Agenda

Mike Pastore is the Head of Content & Media for Third Door Media, a Semrush company. Mike has spent nearly three decades in B2B marketing as an editor, writer, and marketer. He first wrote about marketing in 1998 for internet.com (later Jupitermedia). He then worked with marketers at some of the best-known brands in B2B tech, creating content for marketing campaigns at both Jupitermedia and QuinStreet. Prior to joining Third Door Media as the Editorial Director of the MarTech website in 2023, he led demand generation at B2B media company TechnologyAdvice.

Mike Pastore is the Head of Content & Media for Third Door Media, a Semrush company. Mike has spent nearly three decades in B2B marketing as an editor, writer, and marketer. He first wrote about marketing in 1998 for internet.com (later Jupitermedia). He then worked with marketers at some of the best-known brands in B2B tech, creating content for marketing campaigns at both Jupitermedia and QuinStreet. Prior to joining Third Door Media as the Editorial Director of the MarTech website in 2023, he led demand generation at B2B media company TechnologyAdvice.

Greg Boone is a tech-savvy CEO and innovation strategist helping organizations turn AI into real business value. As CEO of Walk West, he leads digital transformation for brands seeking to scale smarter and faster. He previously co-led Blue Acorn iCi through a $125M acquisition by Infosys and served as CEO of Cleartelligence. Greg blends deep technical expertise with strategic clarity, advising Fortune 500s through startups on how to lead through disruption, implement AI effectively, and build future-ready cultures. He’s a sought-after speaker known for translating complexity into momentum for a variety of topics, including new approaches to GenAI, technology, and digital innovation.

Shawn Goodin is a MarTech Visionary and Principal AI Engineer at HubSpot. He has dedicated two decades to spearheading marketing transformation initiatives, demonstrating his leadership potential through various roles at Capgemini, Silicon Valley Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Clorox, Northwestern Mutual, and SC Johnson.

In his professional journey, Shawn has garnered wide recognition as a distinguished Marketing Executive and innovator, epitomized by his inclusion in MarTech Cube's 2022 "Top 50 MarTech Leaders Setting Innovation Ablaze". His reputation is built on a solid foundation of innovative solutions coupled with an uncompromising commitment to the Marketing Technology community. Over a decade he has occupied international stages as an engaging and insightful speaker, helping the marketing industry navigate technology's evolving role through his presentations and keynotes.

Contributing beyond his corporate role, Goodin assists in the evolution of the marketing industry by serving on the advisory boards of the MarTech Conference and the Customer Data Platform (CDP) Institute. His discerning guidance has synergized the current shape of the MarTech landscape, positioning him as an influential figure who continually raises the standard of the Marketing Technology industry.

Melissa Reeve creator of the Hyperadaptive Model and author of Hyperdaptive: Re-wiring the Enterprise to Become AI-Native. Hyperadaptive brings together process excellence, systems thinking, and the human side of AI integration to help leaders reimagine how their organizations learn and adapt. Prior to leaning into AI, Melissa spent 25 years as an executive and Agile thought leader, which led to pioneering work in Agile marketing and her role as the first VP of Marketing at Scaled Agile and co-founding the Agile Marketing Alliance. She lives in Boulder, CO, with her husband, dogs, and chickens, where she enjoys hiking and gardening.

Marc Sirkin is a former CEO, CMO, and digital transformation leader known for driving growth, innovation, and exits at iconic brands including Microsoft, PwC, and Autism Speaks. As Founder of Marc Sirkin Consulting and host of the “Playbook Broken” podcast, he helps executives navigate existential change by integrating AI, aligning teams, and accelerating outcomes. He led the integration of Third Door Media into Semrush post-acquisition by preserving editorial independence while transforming virtual events and launching AI-powered products.

Mike Pastore is the Head of Content & Media for Third Door Media, a Semrush company. Mike has spent nearly three decades in B2B marketing as an editor, writer, and marketer. He first wrote about marketing in 1998 for internet.com (later Jupitermedia). He then worked with marketers at some of the best-known brands in B2B tech, creating content for marketing campaigns at both Jupitermedia and QuinStreet. Prior to joining Third Door Media as the Editorial Director of the MarTech website in 2023, he led demand generation at B2B media company TechnologyAdvice.

Eric Dates is an accomplished and ambitious global marketing leader who enjoys the psychological nuances of marketing, brand, and overall business growth. With deep roots in early-stage startups, he focuses on breaking down complicated topics to their essence and obsesses over grasping the multiple 'whys' behind individual and consumer behavior. Outside of work, Eric lives in Tennessee with his family and is an avid outdoor enthusiast, exercise junkie, and lover of music.  

Natalie Jackson is the Director of Demand Generation at CBIZ and co-host of the podcast Humans of Email. She has more than a decade of experience in B2B marketing strategy, demand generation, account-based marketing, and digital marketing, including more than eight years of strategic consultation on CRM and marketing automation alignment strategy. She combines her work brand side, agency side, and for a marketing automation platform to deliver a broad perspective on both digital marketing trends and practical applicability. Natalie has spoken on the topics of email marketing, ABM tactics, CRM strategy, and content marketing at Unspam, Gartner Marketing Symposium, Litmus Live, Dreamforce, Really Good Emails, Digital Summit, MarketingProfs, Microsoft Dynamics CRMUG Summit, DynamicsCon, and for countless vendor webinars and local marketing organizations.

Lisa Shaw is a former journalist who helps B2B companies tell better stories through original research, expert interviews, and events. Her research practice connects brands with industry partners who lend credibility and reach to survey-based studies, turning data into conversations that matter. She's ghostwritten for startup founders and tech CEOs, created content strategies for global conferences, and runs workshops that get cross-functional teams actually excited about working together on events.

Annette Franz is a globally recognized thought leader, author of three books (Customer Understanding, Built to Win, and Employee Understanding), and speaker in culture transformation, employee experience (EX), and customer experience (CX). As the founder and CEO of CX Journey Inc., she helps organizations build strong, values-driven cultures that empower employees and drive exceptional customer experiences.

With over 30 years of experience, Annette has worked with brands across industries to develop strategies that foster engaged employees, enhance customer relationships, and create long-term business success. She is passionate about ensuring that culture is the foundation for meaningful change, believing that fixing the culture fixes the outcomes.

Shiv Gupta is a trusted advisor to marketing leaders, specializing in driving marketing effectiveness and helping them elevate their role within the C-suite. With over 20 years of experience in data-driven marketing, Shiv has worked with top-tier brands and consultancies, including Exelon, Farmers Insurance, Merkle, Prophet, and Lippincott - Oliver Wyman.

He has led transformative engagements for an impressive roster of blue-chip clients, such as Intel, Guardian Life, Novant Health, Crate & Barrel, and Elevance Health.

As the Principal at Quantum Sight, Shiv partners with marketing executives to enhance organizational impact, harness deeper customer insights, and deploy strategies that drive measurable results.

Haley is an experienced product marketer who builds at the intersection of technology and human connection. As a Director, Product Marketing at Braze, she’s spent the past five years bringing new messaging channels to market, leading major launches, shaping compelling narratives, and building a high-performing team. She began her career in ed tech, working on an SMS platform that helped schools connect with students to support college access and success, sparking a career-long focus on using technology to bring people closer.

She holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BS from Vanderbilt University. Outside of work, you’ll find her wandering Central Park, knitting something cozy, or tackling a crossword puzzle.

Mike Pastore is the Head of Content & Media for Third Door Media, a Semrush company. Mike has spent nearly three decades in B2B marketing as an editor, writer, and marketer. He first wrote about marketing in 1998 for internet.com (later Jupitermedia). He then worked with marketers at some of the best-known brands in B2B tech, creating content for marketing campaigns at both Jupitermedia and QuinStreet. Prior to joining Third Door Media as the Editorial Director of the MarTech website in 2023, he led demand generation at B2B media company TechnologyAdvice.

Scott Gillum is the founder and CEO of Carbon Design, a marketing services firm that specializes in AI-enabled personality-based marketing. Prior to founding Carbon in 2017, he founded and lead the Washington, DC office of gyro (now Merkle). Merkle is the largest B2B agency in the world and a past winner of Ad Age’s B-to-B Agency of the Year. 

At gyro, Scott led the global Channel Marketing practice, along with his duties as an office President. Prior to joining gyro, he was a partner at a management consulting firm specializing in Go-to-Market strategy for hi-tech and financial services clients. Scott also has had previous roles as the head of marketing of an Inc. 500 company, and as an interim CMO at a Fortune 500 company.

In 2015, Scott partnered with Pat Spenner, co-author of The Challenger Customer, to build “Challenger Marketing” which Carbon Design executed for clients today. In 2007, his work on integrating sales and marketing funnels became the subject of a Harvard Business School case study.

Scott sits on Gartner’s Sales & Marketing Leadership roundtable and is the founder of the B2B Hub on The Drum, where he contributes a monthly post.  In the past, he has been a feature columnist for Forbes, Fortune, Adage, and MediaPost.  

Shawn Goodin is a MarTech Visionary and Principal AI Engineer at HubSpot. He has dedicated two decades to spearheading marketing transformation initiatives, demonstrating his leadership potential through various roles at Capgemini, Silicon Valley Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Clorox, Northwestern Mutual, and SC Johnson.

In his professional journey, Shawn has garnered wide recognition as a distinguished Marketing Executive and innovator, epitomized by his inclusion in MarTech Cube's 2022 "Top 50 MarTech Leaders Setting Innovation Ablaze". His reputation is built on a solid foundation of innovative solutions coupled with an uncompromising commitment to the Marketing Technology community. Over a decade he has occupied international stages as an engaging and insightful speaker, helping the marketing industry navigate technology's evolving role through his presentations and keynotes.

Contributing beyond his corporate role, Goodin assists in the evolution of the marketing industry by serving on the advisory boards of the MarTech Conference and the Customer Data Platform (CDP) Institute. His discerning guidance has synergized the current shape of the MarTech landscape, positioning him as an influential figure who continually raises the standard of the Marketing Technology industry.

Milton Hwang is currently a strategic consultant (Mission MarTech LLC) and supports clients through a unique combination of strategy, operations, and technology experiences. He enjoys being a cross-functional translator and can provide advisory services in parallel with hands-on implementation and support. 

In addition to consulting, Milt is also a passionate higher education instructor. He is currently a Program Leader for Kellogg's Graduate School of Management Executive Education, and is teaching Marketing Strategy and Digital Marketing at UW-Madison.

With 30+ years of leadership experience, Milt has focused on aligning service, marketing, sales, and IT processes around the customer journey.  Milt started his career with GE, and led cross-functional initiatives in field service, software deployment, marketing, and digital transformation. Following his time at GE, Milt led marketing operations and customer experience teams at Connecture, HSA Bank and MSI Data, and he has always enjoyed being labeled one of the early digital marketing technologists. He has a BS in Electrical Engineering from UW Madison, and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management.

In addition to his corporate leadership roles, Milt has been focused on contributing back to the marketing and regional community where he lives, and he supports multiple non-profit boards. 

Marc Sirkin is a former CEO, CMO, and digital transformation leader known for driving growth, innovation, and exits at iconic brands including Microsoft, PwC, and Autism Speaks. As Founder of Marc Sirkin Consulting and host of the “Playbook Broken” podcast, he helps executives navigate existential change by integrating AI, aligning teams, and accelerating outcomes. He led the integration of Third Door Media into Semrush post-acquisition by preserving editorial independence while transforming virtual events and launching AI-powered products.

Janet Driscoll Miller is the president and CEO of Marketing Mojo, an award-winning digital marketing agency.  She has worked with clients including National Geographic, Mazda, Activision, LexisNexis, and many others. She is a frequent speaker on search, analytics and conversion and guest lectures at the University of Virginia and James Madison University. Janet is the author of "Data-First Marketing: How to Compete and Win in the Age of Analytics," published by Wiley. She is a graduate of James Madison University.

Nikki Lam is a seasoned SEO expert who has spent over a decade elevating the online presence of global brands like Adobe, Lenovo, Samsung, Under Armour, Levi’s, T-Mobile, Office Depot, American Airlines, Western Union, SoFi & more. 

As VP, Head of SEO at NP Digital U.S., she oversees the Organic Search offering, leads a team of passionate search strategists, and assists in pitching and formulating award-winning SEO campaigns for NP’s growing roster of enterprise and Fortune 1000 clients.

Nikki's impact extends across the globe, as she collaborates with NP Digital's growing global Earned Media teams to ensure consistency, foster innovation, nurture collaboration, and uphold operational excellence across 19+ countries.

As a contributing author to Search Engine Land, member of the SMX Programming Committee, course instructor at the Digital Marketing Institute, speaker at brightonSEO San Diego, contributor to Neil Patel webinars, and author of ongoing social media industry update videos, Nikki is committed to engaging with the SEO community through thought leadership and open dialogue about the ever-changing search landscape.

Gerald is a seasoned digital strategist with over a decade of experience helping enterprises leverage data-driven insights to achieve measurable growth. With a background in Information Retrieval, he brings a unique ability to align digital initiatives with business objectives, turning complex challenges into actionable strategies.

Gerald’s tech career includes impactful roles at “BrightEdge”, delivering bespoke analyses to inform strategy and “Similarweb”, where he bridged the gap between GTM strategy and product innovation. Now, as an Evangelist at Semrush, Gerald partners with business leaders to showcase how cutting-edge tools and data-led insights drive competitive advantage, maximise ROI, and foster sustainable growth.

Gerald specialises in integrating digital strategies with organisational goals, empowering teams, and unlocking opportunities in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Sara Resnick is a Leader in the SEO space with a passion for helping brands grow organically. With 20 years of marketing experience, Sara has held roles in a variety of industries including fintech, e-commerce, music, television, non-profits and publishing.

Currently Sara is the Marketing & SEO Global Lead at Western Union where she leads global organic growth strategies including SEO and ASO.  Previous to Western Union, Sara was the Global Head of Organic Growth & SEO at Shutterstock, leading organic channel initiatives to optimize the integrated customer acquisition strategy.  Prior to that, for 12 years Sara was the Vice President of Enterprise SEO & Partnerships for 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. where she led the organic search efforts across their Family of Brands including top gifting brands 1-800-Flowers.com and Harry & David.  Sara is also held marketing roles at America's flagship PBS station WNET, Music Sales & G. Schirmer, and Sony Music. In 2021 Sara was listed as one of Brand Innovators' 40 Under 40 Honorees, a Women2Watch in Business Disruption by Remodista, and is an active member of CHIEF.  When Sara is not SEOing, she can be found loving NYC, coffee, concerts and music.

Tamara Scott is co-founder and Chief Content Officer of overQualified, a full-service digital agency that defines your story, creates a narrative that matches your business goals, and designs websites that serve both. With over a decade in marketing in both B2B and B2C spaces, she is a writer, editor, and content strategist whose work is defined by curiosity. Catch her in her garden or pottery studio in Nashville, TN.

Mike Pastore is the Head of Content & Media for Third Door Media, a Semrush company. Mike has spent nearly three decades in B2B marketing as an editor, writer, and marketer. He first wrote about marketing in 1998 for internet.com (later Jupitermedia). He then worked with marketers at some of the best-known brands in B2B tech, creating content for marketing campaigns at both Jupitermedia and QuinStreet. Prior to joining Third Door Media as the Editorial Director of the MarTech website in 2023, he led demand generation at B2B media company TechnologyAdvice.

Scott Gillum is the founder and CEO of Carbon Design, a marketing services firm that specializes in AI-enabled personality-based marketing. Prior to founding Carbon in 2017, he founded and lead the Washington, DC office of gyro (now Merkle). Merkle is the largest B2B agency in the world and a past winner of Ad Age’s B-to-B Agency of the Year. 

At gyro, Scott led the global Channel Marketing practice, along with his duties as an office President. Prior to joining gyro, he was a partner at a management consulting firm specializing in Go-to-Market strategy for hi-tech and financial services clients. Scott also has had previous roles as the head of marketing of an Inc. 500 company, and as an interim CMO at a Fortune 500 company.

In 2015, Scott partnered with Pat Spenner, co-author of The Challenger Customer, to build “Challenger Marketing” which Carbon Design executed for clients today. In 2007, his work on integrating sales and marketing funnels became the subject of a Harvard Business School case study.

Scott sits on Gartner’s Sales & Marketing Leadership roundtable and is the founder of the B2B Hub on The Drum, where he contributes a monthly post.  In the past, he has been a feature columnist for Forbes, Fortune, Adage, and MediaPost.  

Greg Boone is a tech-savvy CEO and innovation strategist helping organizations turn AI into real business value. As CEO of Walk West, he leads digital transformation for brands seeking to scale smarter and faster. He previously co-led Blue Acorn iCi through a $125M acquisition by Infosys and served as CEO of Cleartelligence. Greg blends deep technical expertise with strategic clarity, advising Fortune 500s through startups on how to lead through disruption, implement AI effectively, and build future-ready cultures. He’s a sought-after speaker known for translating complexity into momentum for a variety of topics, including new approaches to GenAI, technology, and digital innovation.

Shawn Goodin is a MarTech Visionary and Principal AI Engineer at HubSpot. He has dedicated two decades to spearheading marketing transformation initiatives, demonstrating his leadership potential through various roles at Capgemini, Silicon Valley Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Clorox, Northwestern Mutual, and SC Johnson.

In his professional journey, Shawn has garnered wide recognition as a distinguished Marketing Executive and innovator, epitomized by his inclusion in MarTech Cube's 2022 "Top 50 MarTech Leaders Setting Innovation Ablaze". His reputation is built on a solid foundation of innovative solutions coupled with an uncompromising commitment to the Marketing Technology community. Over a decade he has occupied international stages as an engaging and insightful speaker, helping the marketing industry navigate technology's evolving role through his presentations and keynotes.

Contributing beyond his corporate role, Goodin assists in the evolution of the marketing industry by serving on the advisory boards of the MarTech Conference and the Customer Data Platform (CDP) Institute. His discerning guidance has synergized the current shape of the MarTech landscape, positioning him as an influential figure who continually raises the standard of the Marketing Technology industry.

Tony Hillery, driven by a commitment to address health and academic challenges faced by public elementary school students in Harlem, founded Harlem Grown. In 2011, Tony began volunteering at a local Harlem elementary school, where he directly observed the insufficient resources allocated to schools and the inadequate nutritional support for students. While volunteering, Tony caught sight of an abandoned community garden across the street and envisioned an opportunity for positive change, marking the beginning of Harlem Grown’s first-ever growing season. Tony worked alongside 400 students to plant 400 seedlings, witnessing their development of healthier, sustainable eating habits and valuable life skills among the youth. The initial season yielded 38 pounds of produce, setting the stage for a remarkable journey. Over the past fourteen years, Harlem Grown has expanded to partner with six local schools, impacting nearly 12,000 youth annually. The organization served 23,493 community members, taught 967 food and farm education classes, diverted food waste through 9,580 pounds of food scraps turned to nutrient-rich compost, and nourished the bodies and minds of our youth and community through 118,211 pounds of food distributed through our farms. Tony Hillery’s dedication has played a pivotal role in transforming the lives of youth, families, and community members.”

Milton Hwang is currently a strategic consultant (Mission MarTech LLC) and supports clients through a unique combination of strategy, operations, and technology experiences. He enjoys being a cross-functional translator and can provide advisory services in parallel with hands-on implementation and support. 

In addition to consulting, Milt is also a passionate higher education instructor. He is currently a Program Leader for Kellogg's Graduate School of Management Executive Education, and is teaching Marketing Strategy and Digital Marketing at UW-Madison.

With 30+ years of leadership experience, Milt has focused on aligning service, marketing, sales, and IT processes around the customer journey.  Milt started his career with GE, and led cross-functional initiatives in field service, software deployment, marketing, and digital transformation. Following his time at GE, Milt led marketing operations and customer experience teams at Connecture, HSA Bank and MSI Data, and he has always enjoyed being labeled one of the early digital marketing technologists. He has a BS in Electrical Engineering from UW Madison, and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management.

In addition to his corporate leadership roles, Milt has been focused on contributing back to the marketing and regional community where he lives, and he supports multiple non-profit boards. 

Melissa Reeve creator of the Hyperadaptive Model and author of Hyperdaptive: Re-wiring the Enterprise to Become AI-Native. Hyperadaptive brings together process excellence, systems thinking, and the human side of AI integration to help leaders reimagine how their organizations learn and adapt. Prior to leaning into AI, Melissa spent 25 years as an executive and Agile thought leader, which led to pioneering work in Agile marketing and her role as the first VP of Marketing at Scaled Agile and co-founding the Agile Marketing Alliance. She lives in Boulder, CO, with her husband, dogs, and chickens, where she enjoys hiking and gardening.

Marc Sirkin is a former CEO, CMO, and digital transformation leader known for driving growth, innovation, and exits at iconic brands including Microsoft, PwC, and Autism Speaks. As Founder of Marc Sirkin Consulting and host of the “Playbook Broken” podcast, he helps executives navigate existential change by integrating AI, aligning teams, and accelerating outcomes. He led the integration of Third Door Media into Semrush post-acquisition by preserving editorial independence while transforming virtual events and launching AI-powered products.