What separates a founder from a CEO? According to Eli Portnoy—it’s humility, discipline, and protecting your mental runway.

Eli’s no stranger to building and scaling companies—he’s successfully founded and exited two startups (Sense360 and Thinknear), and is now back at it with BackEngine.ai, building the future of applied AI.

In a recent conversation, Eli shared some standout lessons:

🔹 Hire people better than you to elevate your vision—not just execute it.

🔹 Quality beats hustle. 10–11 hours of focused work a day > burning out in the name of “grind.”

🔹 Mental health is strategy. Protecting your mind is just as important as managing your runway.

🔹 From zero to one? Speed matters—but clarity of purpose matters more.

🔹 Down markets? Stay capital efficient, stay bold, and remember that discipline is a superpower.

Eli’s leadership style is a reminder that building something great starts with knowing who you are—and being honest about what you’re not.

🚨 Cookies are crumbling—and Jeff Greenfield is already building what comes next.

Dubbed the “Cookie Monster” for his unmatched expertise in advertising attribution, Jeff is now leading Provalytics, an AI-powered, cookie-less platform reshaping how we measure marketing—especially in channels like CTV and podcasts.

In a recent conversation, Jeff dropped insight after insight:

🍪 What the “cookie apocalypse” really means for marketers—and why some fears are overblown

📊 How GA4 and privacy laws are forcing a rethink of measurement strategies

📈 The #1 lesson growth-stage brands should steal from the big players

🤖 Why AI in attribution isn’t just about tracking—it’s about unlocking more budget and getting the most out of it!

If you care about performance, attribution, or future-proofing your marketing, Jeff’s POV is a must-follow.

🎥 When it comes to B2B video, Tim Bradley is not just making content—he’s shifting strategy.

As CEO of Pennant Media, Tim built the Video Marketing Trifecta™—a mid-funnel power move that combines brand narrative, buyer enablement, and social proof to help B2B brands actually convert, not just impress. It’s thoughtful, data-driven, and built for the real buyer journey.

💡 Tim’s worked with giants like Cisco and Philips and with scrappy startups. His #1 rule? Great storytelling doesn’t care about your budget. It cares about clarity, emotion, and purpose.

As a former creative director who scaled a 25-person team, Tim brings the rare combo of leadership + empathy. His advice to creative leads juggling clients, growth, and creative integrity? Build a culture where feedback is fuel—not fire.

📣 And if you’re not following Tim here on LinkedIn, you should. His posts are packed with practical insights and humor—which explains why his brand (and client list) keep growing. Real talk resonates.

🎓 One more thing: Tim’s a mentor at heart. He’s passionate about supporting the next generation of storytellers—and his advice for new marketers is gold: learn to listen, then create. Tech changes fast. Empathy lasts.

Tim, thanks for raising the bar for what creative leadership looks like.

From building bikes in his Queens apartment to building worlds for kids, Don Moody has always been a creator at heart.

After a start in art school and the ad world, Don’s first big leap was WordWorld—a breakthrough PBS series inspired by his young daughter Liola. It didn’t just teach kids to read—it became a 360° media success that shaped a generation of early learners.

Fast forward to today, Don’s newest adventure—Codie Blocks and the animated series

Mia & Codie—is another family-inspired innovation, sparked by his daughter Mia and a powerful insight from #MIT’s Mitch Resnick and the Scratch Foundation: “Coding is the new literacy.”

Built over 7 years and now airing on PBS Kids in the U.S. and TVO in Canada, Mia & Codie is STEM learning disguised as storytelling magic. Mia, a clever young coder, programs her sidekick Codie using emoji-like blocks—teaching sequences, logic, and creativity to pre-readers and emerging learners through fun, adventure, and play.

👉 For educators, it’s an easy and joyful way to introduce coding in the classroom.

👉 For parents, it’s a breakthrough series with built-in learning and upcoming products to bring the experience home.

👉 For investors, it’s a purpose-driven, media-forward platform with massive potential in STEM education and kids entertainment at global scale.

🚀 And Don? He’s still exploring. He says AI has given him more time to wonder and wander—just like the kids he designs for.

When you dive into Mia and Codie, you might just rediscover that creative, curious version of yourself. And that’s exactly the point.

We haven’t seen the influencer-first CMO yet—but when we do, there will be a reckoning for how advertising budgets are built, spent, and justified.

Few people have been more prepared for that moment than James Nord, Founder & CEO of Fohr—the original influencer marketing company in the U.S.

Since 2012, James has:

• Built a 250,000+ creator network

• Delivered $300M+ in influencer-led campaigns

• Partnered with iconic brands like Dick’s, Marriott & Kohl’s

• Grown a team of 100 humans doing wildly creative, data-backed work

What makes James special (besides having once been Oscar de la Renta’s house photographer and somehow surviving Wall Street)? He gets the creator economy from every angle: business, brand, technology, storytelling—and how it’s all converging.

James isn’t just building tools. He’s shaping the future of how influence is measured and monetized.

And he really, really loves his job.

When it comes to e-commerce, Richard Chalme, Rockstar CEO of BlueSwitch, is a true original. With over 25 years in the space, he’s helped brands navigate—and thrive—through wave after wave of digital disruption.

He didn’t set out to become a tech entrepreneur. In the early 2000s, unsure of his path, he teamed up with a partner, blending his love of media with tech. That leap became the foundation for Blueswitch. Fast forward to today, and Richard is still ahead of the curve—guiding major brands through transformation with heart, hustle, and serious strategic vision.

We talked about where the market’s headed:

🔹 The urgent need for brands to focus on their top 3 strengths

🔹 Why B2B e-commerce is the next big wave

🔹 And how clarity, focus, and adaptability are critical to surviving—and winning

👉 One standout moment: his father’s advice—“If you want to travel, write music, or create something that brings you joy—do it early. Don’t wait. Let it be part of your life while you build.” Wise words from a man who built, lost, and rebuilt one of the biggest fashion businesses in NYC.

🗽 Also, listen to the end for the origin story behind the name “Chalame”… (Hint: Ellis Island gets a cameo.)

Oh—and did we mention? Richard was one of the first five authorized Shopify professional services vendors. A real pioneer in the Shopify universe.

If you’re in #DTC or Shopify and you don’t know Blueswitch yet—now’s the time.

🚨 Today on we sit down with Sabir Semerkant , eCommerce strategist and growth mastermind 🚨

With over $1B in revenue generated, endorsements from GaryVee, Neil Patel, and Shark Tank ABC’s Matt Higgins, and clients like Canon USA, Tommy Hilfiger, and Sour Patch Kids, Sabir brings both credibility and clarity to the chaos of modern growth.

We dive into:

✅ Why he’s here to kill your hope and give you a prescription and a plan vs. a crystal ball

✅ The origin of the 8D Method and why it’s different

✅ How he helped Ashley Stewart grow from $3M to $30M

✅ Why 2025 will be brutal for many eCom brands—and how to prepare to 9X your Meta Ads

✅ What #AI is really doing for your business and how to work smarter (like 10 hours a week) vs. 90 and still win

Whether you’re scaling a brand, launching a product, or navigating uncertainty, this conversation is packed with sharp insight and practical advice.

🚀 Meet Brian Vella: A Visionary Leader in Innovation & Customer Experience

As CEO of AKQA #APAC, Brian Vella has spent his career shaping innovative brands, exceptional customer experiences, and high-performing teams. A true digital pioneer, he brings a growth-driven mindset to helping businesses navigate digital transformation and unlock new opportunities in an era defined by AI, data, and emerging tech.

In this episode we chat about:

🔹 Navigating Digital Transformation – Lessons from the first dot-com boom to today’s AI-driven landscape.

🔹 Driving Innovation in Customer Experience – How brands can leverage technology and strategy to create meaningful consumer interactions.

🔹 What's keeping clients/CMO’s up at night?

🔹 How AI is it impacting advertising and marketing in APAC

If you’re exploring what’s next in digital, customer experience, or brand innovation, Brian is a leader you’ll want to connect with. Reach out to learn, collaborate, or spark the next big idea.