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Richa Pande - Head of Global Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Programs - HP May 20, 2026

Show notes

Richa Pande is a highly accomplished B2B marketing executive specializing in Account-Based Marketing (ABM), customer journey design, and precision targeting. She is currently a driving force behind HP’s global commercial and industrial print marketing strategies.

Key Highlights of Her Career & Expertise:

The "Science" of ABM: Richa is a leading voice in the marketing community regarding the foundational structure of ABM. She advocates that true marketing success isn't about letting sales "fend for themselves," but rather doing the heavy analytical lifting beforehand—filtering firmographics, building rich persona insights, and mapping out tight customer journeys.
Customer-Centric Execution: A major pillar of her philosophy is creating "peer-to-peer" environments. She leverages marketing to connect high-value clients with one another and with industry experts, prioritizing relationship-building and direct feedback over traditional, aggressive sales pitches.
MarTech & AI Integration: Richa frequently speaks at industry events (like Martechify) on the future of B2B marketing. She focuses heavily on how modern enterprise brands can leverage artificial intelligence, marketing mix modeling, and zero-party data to align marketing and sales teams under unified revenue goals.

Scott Floyd – Chief Community & Performance Officer - ACC (Marketing & Entertainment) May 19, 2026

Show notes

This Scott Floyd is a highly accomplished, senior-level marketing and entertainment executive with over 25 years of experience building global brands. He serves as the Chief Community and Performance Officer for the Acceleration Community of Companies (ACC), a fast-growing marketing collective that owns heavy-hitting agencies like MKG, DKC, and Pink Sparrow.

Role & Impact: Floyd is responsible for driving revenue, overseeing massive M&A onboarding operations (such as reabsorbing legacy agencies like PMK Entertainment), and managing dedicated teams for tier-one global clients like Pepsi and T-Mobile.
Prior Background: Before stepping into his executive role at ACC, he was the Senior Vice President of Brand Strategy and Operations for i.am+ (the tech startup founded by musician will.i.am), where he helped raise $117 million in funding. He also spent 20 years at the legendary Hollywood PR and marketing powerhouse PMK*BNC, serving as its Chief Growth Officer.

Kate O'Brien - Founder & CEO - Powers of Reasoning May 19, 2026

Show notes

Kate O'Brien is a prominent media executive and entrepreneur who is actively disrupting the traditional advertising landscape. Before launching her own venture, she built a formidable reputation in the performance media space, notably leading a 200-person agency team and driving massive revenue growth (over 30%) by securing heavyweight clients like DraftKings, Virgin Voyages, and Rao’s.

In May 2024, she took her company, Powers of Reasoning, out of stealth mode.

Key Takeaways on Her and the Agency:

The "Guaranteed Performance" Model: Kate founded Powers of Reasoning to fix a major flaw she saw in legacy advertising. While traditional agencies make "esoteric" promises about brand savings, her agency utilizes a unique business model that legally guarantees specific media results or financial returns for clients.
Cutting the Agency Markup: Her philosophy centers on extreme data transparency, AI-driven Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) made for modern operators, and completely eliminating hidden agency markups.
The Procurement Gap Advocate: As the head of a certified Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE), Kate is a vocal advocate for changing corporate procurement. She frequently highlights the stark statistic that despite massive corporate DEI promises, only about 1% of Fortune 100 companies actually procure services from certified women-owned agencies.

She is based in Brooklyn, New York, and is currently a rising star in the independent agency space.

Spencer Schrage - Managing Director of North America - M&C Saatchi Consulting May 19, 2026

Show notes

Spencer Schrage is an accomplished brand and business strategist who currently serves as the Managing Director of North America for M&C Saatchi Consulting, a role he stepped into in early 2026 to lead the agency's regional consulting division, focusing on brand repositioning and go-to-market strategies.

Brand & Corporate Strategy: Throughout his career, Schrage has counseled numerous CEOs and executive leadership teams on major corporate transformations, rebrands, and transactions. He specializes in connecting brand identity directly to corporate growth strategy, purpose, and narrative development.
Weber Shandwick: Prior to joining M&C Saatchi, he served as the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Consulting and Corporate Brand at Weber Shandwick.
Ogilvy Consulting: For nearly a decade, Schrage was a Partner and Principal with Ogilvy Consulting, the strategy and innovation branch of the creative network. There, he managed the group and oversaw a high-profile portfolio of clients primarily in the financial services and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors, including American Express, Capital One, Coca-Cola, Citizens Bank, and Robert Half.
Early Career & Politics: Before transitioning into corporate consulting, Schrage worked in the political sphere. Notably, he served as the Head of Communications for the Port Authority of NY & NJ during the rebuilding of the World Trade Center, and as a chief fundraiser for Hillary Clinton’s first presidential campaign.

Schrage is a frequent commentator on modern marketing trends, particularly regarding how heritage brands can evolve without losing their core identity, and how companies must shift away from static "brand purpose" statements to better engage Gen Z and Millennial audiences.

In recognition of his leadership in the business community, he was honored as a David Rockefeller Fellow by the Partnership for New York City in 2023.

Core Expertise & Career HighlightsThought Leadership & Recognition

David Yankelewitz - Founder and Creative Director - Public Display of Affection (PDA) May 19, 2026

Show notes

David Yankelewitz is a prominent figure in the advertising and creative world, currently serving as the Founder and Creative Director of Public Display of Affection (PDA), a creative studio based in Brooklyn, New York.

His career is defined by high-impact, viral marketing campaigns that often blend pop culture with innovative brand experiences.

Public Display of Affection (2021–Present): Founded this studio with the philosophy that "the more love you give, the more you receive," focusing on brand activations, apps, and art.
R/GA (2020–2021): As Executive Creative Director, he led the Verizon account, notably building a 5G Super Bowl stadium in Fortnite and producing a weekly livestream series featuring stars like Billie Eilish and Alicia Keys.
Ogilvy & Mather (2015–2017): Served as Group Creative Director, where he built the agency's Content Group and led projects for brands like IBM, Coke Zero, and NASCAR.
360i (2011–2015): Spent four years as Group Creative Director, winning the agency’s first Cannes Lions for work with brands such as Oreo, Oscar Mayer, and Ben & Jerry’s.

Yankelewitz is well-known for "internet-breaking" campaigns, including:

#MAMMING: A viral photo-sharing campaign to raise breast cancer awareness.
Say It With Bacon: A luxury gift service for Oscar Mayer that packaged bacon like fine jewelry.
Oreo "Nomsters": A series of bite-sized horror films for Halloween that reimagined cookies as candy-hybrid monsters.

He began his career as a business reporter for The Jerusalem Post and an editor for the University of Pennsylvania’s humor magazine, 34th Street. His creative approach often involves "The 5 Love Languages" framework, where he advocates for brands to move beyond "Words of Affirmation" (traditional ads) toward "Physical Touch" and "Acts of Service" (meaningful brand actions).

⁠Rick Blackshaw⁠ - Co-Founder and CEO - ⁠STOKE Shoes⁠ May 19, 2026

Show notes

Rick Blackshaw is a powerhouse footwear industry veteran and entrepreneur who has overseen the sale of more than half a billion pairs of shoes throughout his illustrious career. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of STOKE Shoes, a performance-lifestyle footwear brand launched to serve the 65 million American men who have wide feet and are consistently overlooked by mainstream athletic giants.Before disrupting the wide-width footwear market with STOKE, Rick built an incredibly diverse leadership resume. He served as the global CEO of CCM Hockey, the President of Sperry Top-Sider, the President of Keds, and the Vice President/General Manager of Chuck Taylor at Converse. Known for his "no-BS" approach to consumer products, Rick specializes in revitalizing heritage brands and identifying massive, unaddressed gaps in the global marketplace.

Christine Capone – President - MKG May 18, 2026

Show notes

Christine Capone – President of MKG (Experiential Marketing)

This Christine Capone is a high-profile executive in the experiential marketing and branding industry. She serves as the President of MKG, a top-tier creative agency known for producing massive live events and brand activations.

Career Background: Her expertise is rooted heavily in relationship building and partner management. Before moving agency-side, she led Sponsorships and Licensing for the lifestyle brand Vineyard Vines, where she managed their "Official Style" partnership with the Kentucky Derby and orchestrated deals with the America’s Cup and the New York Giants.
Early Career: She also worked on the partnership marketing team at the United States Tennis Association (USTA), managing top-tier sponsors for the US Open (including Heineken, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Mercedes-Benz). She holds a degree from Lehigh University.

Brad Hoos - CEO - The Outloud Group May 15, 2026

Show notes

Brad Hoos is the CEO of The Outloud Group, a fast-growing influencer marketing agency specializing in creator partnerships and digital campaigns for major consumer brands. He is known for helping brands leverage influencer marketing to drive measurable business results across platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Under his leadership, The Outloud Group has worked with companies including Grubhub, SimpliSafe, Athletic Greens, and KiwiCo. Hoos has also been featured in Forbes and on Cheddar discussing trends in the creator economy and digital marketing innovation.

Brian Watson - Chief Creative Officer - Cactus May 14, 2026

Show notes

Brian Watson: The "Cactus" Legend Brian is essentially the embodiment of the agency's history. He is often cited as the "ultimate homegrown talent," having spent his entire 24-year career at Cactus. Career Arc: He started at the agency as a junior copywriter in the early 2000s and worked his way up to Executive Creative Director before being named Chief Creative Officer in June 2025. The "Man Therapy" Fame: Brian was a key leader behind one of the most famous and effective mental health campaigns in advertising history: "Man Therapy." This campaign used a fictional character (Dr. Rich Mahogany) and dark humor to reach working-age men about suicide prevention—a demographic traditionally hard to engage. Clients & Impact: His portfolio includes massive regional and national brands like the Colorado Lottery, Fjällräven, and the University of Miami.

Tara DeVeaux - CEO - Burrell Communications Group May 13, 2026

Show notes

Tara DeVeaux is an award-winning marketing executive and brand strategist known for her leadership across advertising, entertainment, and media. She currently serves as CEO of Burrell Communications Group, where she leads the agency’s next phase of growth and cultural impact. Prior to Burrell, she was Chief Marketing Officer at Wild Card Creative Group and BBDO New York, helping drive major campaigns for brands including HBO, PepsiCo, adidas, Netflix, and Hulu. DeVeaux is recognized for blending data-driven marketing with culturally resonant storytelling and has earned industry recognition for her work in creative innovation and brand transformation.

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