Speakers
We are excited to announce the following individuals who will be speaking at BOLO 2012. Please check back regularly as additional speakers are added to the roster.
You can connect with our speakers before the conference by checking out their Twitter and LinkedIn accounts which are linked below each speaker bio.
JONATHAN FIELDS
Author, Speaker, and Entrepreneur, JonathanFields.com
Jonathan Fields is a dad, husband, serial-entrepreneur, award-winning author, speaker, A-list blogger, web-show host and mindful innovation strategist. He is on a mission to humanize and empower the process of creation, helping individuals and organizations leverage disruption to conceive and build better solutions, businesses, art and lives in less time, with more joy and less effort. And he’s doing it in a rather unusual way—from the mindset out.
His latest book, Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt Into Fuel For Brilliance, was named #1 personal development book of 2011 by 800-CEO-Read and has been widely praised by everyone from Zappos CEO, Tony Hseih, to Drive author, Dan Pink, and The Happiness Project’s Gretchen Rubin. Fields first book, Career Renegade, was named a Top 10 Small Business Book by Small Business Trends and a Top 5 Summer Read by MSNBC.
Fields writes on the crossroads of entrepreneurship, innovation and life at JonathanFields.com, explores life well-lived with acclaimed entrepreneurs, artists and authors on his Good Life Projectweb show. He’s been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, FastCompany, Inc., Entrepreneur, Forbes, USA Today, CNBC, CNN.com, PBS Nightly Report, Elle, Self, Fitness, Vogue, O, People and thousands of other websites that sound cool, but don’t impress his daughter all that much.
TOM WEBSTER
Vice President Strategy and Marketing, Edison Research
Tom Webster is Vice President, Strategy and Marketing of Edison Research with nearly 20 years of experience in media research, marketing strategy and product development. An expert in qualitative and quantitative research techniques, Webster has directed hundreds of studies in nearly every major U.S. market and worldwide. Webster has conducted research for some of America’s most popular media programs, including nationally syndicated shows such as All Things Considered, The Takeaway, and The Bob and Tom Show. Webster also has experience in consumer research and new product development, and has worked with leading companies in the pharmaceutical, high technology and financial services sectors.
His work has been widely published in both print and on-line media, and he is the author of several widely quoted studies, including “Twitter Usage In America” and “The Podcast Consumer Revealed,” and co-author of the Edison/Arbitron “Infinite Dial” research series. In 2000, Webster served as partner and CIO for Puremix, an online music service backed by UK-based Chrysalis Group. Webster also spent seven years with Broadcast Architecture, most recently serving as Vice President.
Webster is a graduate of Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. He recently was awarded his MBA from the Bryan School of Business and Economics at the University of North Carolina, and serves as a member of Beta Gamma Sigma.
JAY BAER
Founder and Social Media Strategist, Convince and Convert
Jay has provided Internet marketing and strategy since the inception of the medium in 1994. In addition to his work with leading PR firms, Jay has worked with more than 700 companies and organizations, including Nike, John McCain, Sony, Head & Shoulders and 25 of the Fortune 1000.
A founder of five companies, Jay started Mighty Interactive a leading Internet marketing company in 2000, and merged the firm with Off Madison Ave in 2005. Mighty Interactive has been named Arizona’s best Web Design and Internet Marketing Firm for the past five years by readers of Arizona Business Magazine.
Jay was the co-founder of azfamily.com, one of the country’s largest local Web sites, and was a Vice President in the world’s first virtual Web hosting company. Before getting involved with the Internet, Jay was a public relations and political consultant.
In February 2011, his book The Now Revolution was published, written with co-author Amber Naslund.
RON BAKER
Founder, VeraSage Institute
Ronald J. Baker started his career in 1984 with KPMG’s Private Business Advisory Services in San Francisco. Today, he is the founder of VeraSage Institute, the leading think tank dedicated to educating professionals around the world.
As a frequent speaker, writer, and educator, his work takes him around the world. He has been an instructor with the California CPA Education Foundation since 1995 and has authored fifteen courses for them.
He is the author of six books, including: Professional’s Guide to Value Pricing; The Firm of the Future: A Guide for Accountants, Lawyers, and Other Professional Services, co-authored with Paul Dunn; Pricing on Purpose: Creating and Capturing Value; Measure What Matters to Customers: Using Key Predictive Indicators; and Mind Over Matter: Why Intellectual Capital is the Chief Source of Wealth; and his latest book published in December 2010, Implementing Value Pricing: A Radical Business Model for Professional Firms.
Ron has toured the world, spreading his value-pricing message to over 100,000 professionals. He has been appointed to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountant’s Group of One Hundred, a think tank of leaders to address the future of the profession, named on Accounting Today’s 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 Top 100 Most Influential People in the profession, and received the 2003 Award for Instructor Excellence from the California CPA Education Foundation.
He graduated in 1984, from San Francisco State University, with a Bachelor of Science in accounting and a minor in economics. He is a graduate of Disney University and Cato University, and is a member of the Professional Pricing Society.
PAUL BENNINGHOVE
VP of Digital Strategy, Tattoo Projects
In most cases chained to his desk with a phone in one hand and Alienware laptop beneath the other, Paul skirts the fine line between creative and business developer. Directing the personality of the brand and how it’s delivered, Paul has helped create a culture that allows creative people to thrive.
Educated at Art Institute of Pittsburgh and Penn State, Paul’s unique experience comes from fifteen years of working in the digital space as a full-time designer and project manager for companies such as AMP Incorporated, iCepts Technology Group, Imagevision, and Sellstufflocal.com.
Recognized multiple times in 3D World Magazine for his 3D modeling, Paul has also recently been recognized by the Central Penn Business Journal as a Top 30 Under 30 Entrepreneur. Paul has served as lead designer for local and national clients ranging from fortune 500 companies to start ups, and everything in between, including NASCAR, Joe Gibbs Racing, Fox Sports, and Amp, Inc.
Founder & CEO, AdVentures
Brent owns AdVentures, which invests in communications-based companies. These investments range from ad agencies and media properties to a software development firm and a film company. There are currently 13 active investments and AdVentures was recently ranked #28 on the 2011 Inc. 500.
Brent is involved in the national startup scene, serving on the advisory board of Startup Missouri and recently joined Gen Y Capital Partners, a $30 million venture capital tech fund based out of NYC, as a Venture Partner.
Brent is the founder of the League of Innovators, which is a 16,000 sq. ft. co-working space and entrepreneurial incubator and involved in a number of non-profits as a board member including the Heart of Missouri United Way and the Community Foundation of Central Missouri. Brent’s efforts in launching the Joplin, MO Tornado Recovery Facebook page and raising $2 million for the relief efforts garnered him a 2011 VH1 Do Something Award nomination.
LINDA BUSTOS
Director of Ecommerce Research, Elastic Path Software
Linda Bustos is the chief blogger for the Get Elastic Ecommerce Blog and director of ecommerce research for Elastic Path Software, an ecommerce platform for digital goods, media and publishing companies. As an ecommerce consultant, Linda has helped some of the world’s largest online retailers and technology brands improve their conversion rates and user experience. An online retailer herself, Linda moonlights as a jewelry designer for Robin Hood Couture, her line of handmade accessories.
RICKY RAY BUTLER
President Plaid Social Labs
With a degree in Advertising and Communications at BYU, Ricky Ray Butler co-founded Plaid Social Labs in 2009. Since then, Ricky Ray has exercised his expertise of YouTube and Facebook to grow views and sales for companies such as Intermountain Health Care, Orabrush, and Ubisoft. In several of these occasions, expanding Facebook pages to over 100,000 ‘Likes’ in one week. Ricky Ray’s innovative social media campaign for Ubisoft’s Just Dance 2 won a gold at M16′s Marketing Awards for Best Co-Branding and Video Asset. Ricky Ray’s similar creative strategy was also awarded Best Product Launch Strategy at the Video Game Marketing Awards for Ubisoft’s Rocksmith.
PETE CAPUTA
VAR Sales & Marketing Manager, HubSpot
Peter Caputa IV is a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Insitute with degrees in Chemical Engineering and Web Development. Before joining the sales team at HubSpot in 2007, Pete founded and ran a company that provided a SaaS solution for event registration, event marketing and email marketing. Previous to that, he held a variety of positions in sales, R&D and web development for a large multi-national multi-brand manufacturing firm. A true digital citizen, Pete has been blogging about internet marketing since 2004.
Pete created the HubSpot Value Added Reseller Program during his nights and weekends, while performing duties as HubSpot’s first sales engineer. As a side project, Pete demonstrated to the Company how marketing agencies could help HubSpot grow and help our mutual customers become super-successful inbound marketers. As Director of the VAR program, Pete manages the 40 member (and growing) VAR team, and a network of 600+ marketing agency partners, which is now responsible for 35+ % of HubSpot’s new client acquisition each month.
When Pete isn’t obsessing over how to help marketing agencies be more successful, he spends time with his wife, Amy, and his 4 year old son, Peter V. When he’s not vegetable gardening with V, they’re playing matchbox cars, puzzles, mazes or soccer, among other really fun things most adults should never stop playing.
SANJAY CHADDA
Partner & Managing Director, Petsky Prunier
Sanjay Chadda focuses on origination, due diligence, marketing, management, and negotiation of both M&A and private placement transactions. He is active in all of the firm’s industry practice areas and brings clients a unique combination of extensive sell-side and buy-side M&A experience, with a deep understanding of business models of companies in the interactive advertising, marketing services and technology, and out-of-home and specialty media industries. Sanjay has led more than 60 completed transactions.
Sanjay has been a speaker at Strategy Institute’s Digital Out-of-Home Media Conference and the DMA Annual Leader’s Summit. He has also been a guest lecturer at New York University’s School of Continuing & Professional Studies Interactive and Direct Marketing Program. Prior to joining Petsky Prunier in 1999 he served as a financial analyst in GE Capital’s Financial Management Program. Sanjay holds a B.S. from the Charles F. Dolan School of Business at Fairfield University, where he graduated with honors.
In addition to his investment banking responsibilities, Mr. Chadda is responsible for personnel development and is active in the firm’s marketing, recruiting and strategic initiative activities.
BART CLEVELAND
Founder, Job Propulsion Laboratories
After a thirty-year career of creating award-winning advertising for companies including Coca-Cola, The Ritz-Carlton, CNN, Cartoon Network, DuPont and Bloomberg, Bart Cleveland founded Job Propulsion Laboratories. The company has a simple mission: revolutionize the ad industry by empowering its professionals to successfully manage their careers.
As a creative leader at agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi, Falgren, Sawyer Riley Compton and his own McKee Wallwork Cleveland, Bart mentored dozens of young professionals, guiding them to award-winning careers at hot agencies and companies such as Goodby Silverstein, RPA, Wieden & Kennedy, Mother NY, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, The Martin Agency, Coca-Cola, Cartoon Network and FedEx. He has been an instructor or guest lecturer at the industry’s leading advertising schools and professional organizations including The One Club, VCU Brandcenter, Miami Ad School, Creative Circus, and a myriad of local advertising clubs.
DANIEL CONNER
CEO, Struck
Daniel is a graduate of Thunderbird, The American School of International Management and has an MBA in Finance, emphasizing Global Expansion Strategy. With a sound understanding of technology, finance, and strategy, Dan has become a unique figure in the digital and marketing arena.
His career path began in the technology sector at Equifax where he was named the Youngest Regional Manager in the company’s history. Next he managed the western division of Activant Soultions, which streamlines the supply chain needs of Fortune 1,000 organizations.
Daniel started his career at Struck as its COO in 2007 and initiated a strong period of growth for the agency. Daniel was named CEO of Struck after he completed the merger with Axiom Design Collaborative in 2009 and has since expanded Struck’s geographic footprint to New York City, Los Angeles, Portland and Salt Lake City.
Struck was recently named AdAge’s Small Agency of the Year and continues to attract top-tier clients such as Dreamworks, Nickelodeon, Jack In The Box, TCBY and Gatorade. Struck is also a founding agency of SoDA – The Society of Digital Agencies, and Daniel has served on the board for three consecutive years.
