Boardroom Media (CEO News)
At CEO (Boardroom Media) we track over 1,000,000 startups and over 5,000,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top Chicago based CEO’ operating in the Digital Marketing space. If you think a CEO’ is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on [email protected].
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Don Russell
Chairmen, CEO of IndyBuild
Mr. Russell has more than 25 years of experience and a strong track record of success that includes streamlining operations and maximizing productivity. Prior to launching IndyBuild Corp, he served as President and CEO of Piracy Control Technology. Also, Mr. Russell served as Director of Marketing at Rockstar Beverage Corporation. There, Mr. Russell was responsible for researching and understanding product brand study demographics, producing promotions to target key areas, coordinating product breakouts to maximize productivity, and acting as a liaison between various departments. Mr. Russell gained additional experience by serving as the Creative Director of Expo Theatre Productions, where he prepared and presented client presentations and maintained responsibility for hiring independent contractors. He was also the President and Owner of PM Studios for more than five years, while serving as an A&R director at MCA/Universal Music Grou. Mr. Russell attended Columbia College in Chicago and the University of Phoenix – Chicago campus. He has extensive experience as a performer, producer, manager and director in the entertainment industry. He has performed in or directed several notable productions over the past 10 years. Some of his production credits include: • “Riverdance,” where he served as a principal artist • “Satin Suite,” where he performed as headliner on the Olive Garden Theater stage at Walt Disney World • “Broadway Soul Jam,” where he performed in Amsterdam as a headliner in the very popular and successful musical directed by Maurice Hines Mr. Russell’s innovation in the area of musical theater has captured the attention of many great icons such as: • Oprah Winfrey, on whose show Mr. Russell performed • Gregory Hines, with whom he has performed • President Bill Clinton, for whom Mr. Russell performed for at the opening ceremony for the 1996 Democratic National Convention As sole owner of one of California’s premier recording studios, Mr. Russell has had the opportunity to work with such talents as R. Kelly, Dr. Dre, Jamie Fox, Randy Jackson, Common, Kid Rock, Ludacris, Jermaine Dupri, Be Be Winans, Glenn Jones, Al B Sure, Faith Evans, Jon B, The Brat, Onyx, Ideal, 112, Savion Glover, LeVert, The Gap Band, Terrance Howard, Malik Yoba, Brian McKnight, The Nicolas Brothers, Sinbad, Bernie Mac, and Steve Harvey. Mr. Russell has also directed or produced industrials and tradeshows for such companies as Honda, Seagram’s, McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Fujitsu, Nupremis, AMD, Unisys, and IBM.
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About IndyBuild: IndyBuild is a free entertainment industry platform developed to fully showcase creative and performing artists
Arsen Avakian
CEO and Founder of Cooler Screens
Mr. Arsen Avakian is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cooler Screens. He was the Founder of Argo Tea and serves as its Chief Executive Officer before that.
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About Argo Tea, Cooler Screens: Cooler Screens is a developer of interactive digital displays to replace glass doors in store aisles.
Ajay Pattani
Founder/CEO of Perfect Search Media
Ajay is the founder/CEO, resident comedian, & reigning ping pong champion of Perfect Search. He is also a member of the Chicago Founders Circle and Entreprenuers’ Organization (EO), a mentor at the co-working startup space 1871, & a board member of the non-profit organization Streetwise. He holds degrees in Finance & Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign & a JD from DePaul University.
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About 1871, Chicago Founders Circle, Packback, Perfect Search Media, SpaceX, YEC: Perfect Search Media is a full-service digital marketing agency.
Jack Philbin
Co-Founder, President & CEO of Vibes
As one of the premier thought-leaders in mobile marketing and wireless, Jack spearheads Vibes’ strategic direction and drives the company’s position as the leading provider of mobile relationship management technology solutions for leading brands. An entrepreneur and builder, Jack has specific expertise in business development, strategic client management and consumer marketing. Jack currently serves as Chairman of the Mobile Marketing Association North America Board of Directors and on the CTIA Wireless Internet Caucus. Jack was honored with the MMA’s “Outstanding Individual Achievement” award in 2005. Under Jack’s leadership, Vibes was ranked #92 on the 2007 Inc. 500 list of fastest growing US companies and has received numerous awards for their innovation.
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About FireStarter Fund, Mobile Marketing Association, Vibes: Vibes is a mobile marketing software platform.
Reid Lappin
CEO of VOKAL Interactive
Reid is CEO and a founding partner of VOKAL. He takes the role of lead strategist and operations manager where he directs the company to help cultivate innovation and deliver unique client solutions. Prior to starting VOKAL, he co-founded and managed Fresh From the Hills, an organic farm, catering to restaurants, residential delivery, and farmers markets. Reid is an active volunteer in the entrepreneurship community and a board member at the DePaul Coleman Center for EMerge. He has been featured on CNBC, spoken at PRSA America, and the Extreme Entrepreneur Tour. Additionally, he often guest lectures at several local universities, including DePaul and Northwestern.
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About GoodMogul, VOKAL Interactive: Vokal is a leading-edge digital agency in Chicago, specializing in mobile apps. We design, develop and deploy digital experiences.
Chuck Elias
Co-Founder & CEO of 42Chat
As senior vice president, strategy & corporate development, Chuck Elias works with FBHS operating unit leadership on strategies across a wide range of strategic initiatives. He also leads the company’s corporate development activities, including mergers & acquisitions. Prior to joining FBHS, Chuck served in senior leadership roles at Supervalu, a $35 billion grocery retailer/wholesaler. Most recently, he was Supervalu’s senior vice president of retail operations. Prior to joining Supervalu, Elias was a managing director for portfolio operations at Ridgeview Capital, a private equity firm. He also held several leadership positions at The Home Depot. Elias holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management, with honors, from the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in Boston.
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About 42Chat: 42Chat make AI Chatbots that provide instant answers and personalized connection over regular text (and other channels)
Sampo Parkkinen
CEO of Revieve
Co-founder @Revieve. General Partner @LandInChicago. Co-founder & COO @ RapidBlue Solutions (acquired in 2013). Member of Board @PromoRepublic. Mentor, advisor and early stage angel investor in startups.
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About Forbes Technology Council, Gorilla Capital, Impact Engine, LandInChicago, Revieve, Techstars: Market-leading beauty customer-experience personalization solution for beauty brands and retailers
Stephen Corby
CEO & Founder of Specless
Stephen initially saw the need for a product like Specless while at CBS Interactive where he managed mobile monetization for properties such as CNET.com and CBSNews.com. His time at CBS and his previous experience at a global creative agency working with Fortune 500 brands has given him a unique perspective on the process of creating and running successful campaigns. Stephen’s work experience, combined with his award-winning design background and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The University of Michigan, has proven to be a combination perfectly suited for building a new way to create ads for the responsive web.
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About Specless: Specless empowers publishers to evolve beyond tired display ad formats and bring to market a more valuable advertising experience.
Zain Raj
President & CEO of SolutionSet
Zain is one of the industry’s best prognosticators, with the ability to anticipate and create consumer demand across a broad range of brands and categories. His strategic approach and progressive solutions have resulted in dramatic top- and bottom-line growth for many companies in multiple categories. He has developed proprietary intellectual property in the area of creating branded behavior change. He brings SolutionSet extensive experience in strategy, digital, data and targeted marketing with his global and North American leadership experience. Before joining SolutionSet, Zain was North American CEO of Euro RSCG Discovery, the digital, CRM, data, and analytics arm of Euro RSCG Worldwide as well as its Global Practice Leader for Retail Brands. He began his career at Grey Advertising in Bombay before moving to the U.S. to join Wunderman Cato Johnson. Global leadership positions at Bayer Bess Vanderwarker, J. Walter Thompson, Foote Cone & Belding and Euro RSCG rounded out his management career. Zain is a frequent speaker at leading marketing and advertising conferences. He is also featured and quoted in leading publications from the Wall Street Journal to Fast Company. His views on business can be found at zainraj.wordpress.com.
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About Shapiro+Raj, SolutionSet, Zednext: SolutionSet develops web, mobile, social and digital marketing solutions to help companies better engage and serve customers.
Jemal Swoboda
CEO & Chief Dabbler of Dabble
CEO & Chief Dabbler. Swoboda manages national operations, strategy and company growth as CEO for Dabble with a focus on expanding Dabble in new markets around the globe as well as securing funding and investment for future growth. His enthusiasm for Dabble led him to approach the company in the Spring of 2013 about taking on a leadership role in expanding Dabble. Instead, he took the reins in July 2014. Jemal dabbles in ultra marathons, fiddle playing and vegetarian cooking and has proudly driven in a demolition derby at a county fair and pole vaulted nearly 15 feet.
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About Dabble: Dabble is a marketplace for people to discover, teach and host in-person classes, events & experiences in the community.
Voltaire Miran
Chief Executive Officer and Head of Client Experience of mStoner
Voltaire Miran hold a BS in communication from Northwestern University and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Business. He also spent a few years in the bioethics program at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School before trading in his theology books for guitar lessons at Old Town School of Folk Music.
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About mStoner: mStoner bring your institution’s unique story to life.
John Kampas
Founder and CEO of EMPIST
John Kampas is the founder and CEO of EMPIST.
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About EMPIST: EMPIST is a full-service technology company that covers the spectrum of the digital landscape.
Jesse McCabe
Founder & CEO of Solid Digital
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About Aurora Community, Solid Digital: Solid Digital is a full-service digital agency, guiding businesses to achieve digital growth.
Michael Hoffman
Founder and CEO of Gather Voices
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About Gather Voices, Kindred, University of Chicago: Gather Voices is a company that helps organizations to easily collect, manage, and share user-generated videos.
David Zaretsky
CEO, Co-Founder, Chief Scientist of Snips
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About Snips: Real Influence. Real Results.
Nick Kalm
Founder, President and CEO of Reputation Partners
Nick Kalm is president of Reputation Partners, LLC, the communications firm he founded in 2002. He brings more than 30 years of experience in leading public relations firms and major multinational corporations. Nick has worked with companies, not-for-profits and educational institutions in enhancing, protecting and rebuilding their reputations. His clients have ranged from Fortune 500 and “Most Admired” to middle-market organizations across a wide range of industries and geographies. A graduate of Kenyon College, and a resident of Northfield, Ill., Nick enjoys playing with his son Jack, exercising, reading or going out to dinner and a show with his wife Tracy.
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About Reputation Partners: Reputation Partners LLC is a full service, integrated communications firm based in Chicago.
Corey Northcutt
Founder, CEO of Northcutt
As a founder and sole marketing manager behind multiple multi-million dollar companies, Corey builds upon more than a decade of success with inbound marketing strategy, especially when working with major tech brands.
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About Northcutt: Northcutt is a Chicago-based SEO agency for enterprise, cloud, and ecommerce brands.
Tyler Mose
CEO of Indirap Productions
Tyler Mose is a CEO at Indirap Productions.
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About Indirap Productions: Indirap Productions is a full-service production and marketing agency that offers creative insight for the development of video content.
Levi Wilcox
Founder & CEO of Traekam
Levi has garnered 8+ years of experience in the Music Industry as a Tour Director, Lighting Designer, Music Producer, and Artist Broker. Clients include Multi-Platinum & Grammy Nominated Artist affiliated with Universal Music Group, Atlantic Records, and RCA Records. Prior to launching the technology arm, Levi worked as the senior partner and co-founder of LW Sound – an audio production company that has worked alongside A-list artists & celebrities and blue chip brands across multiple international markets. Fast forward to date, Levi has been able to leverage his passions as a Business Development and Digital Strategy consultant in supporting clients globally as they bring their ideas and visions to life.
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About Traekam: Musician A.I. Digital Twins that personalize each fan’s journey, engagement, and conversation.
Michael Marchese
Founder and CEO of Tempesta Media
Founder and CEO of Tempesta Media, a leading content and influencer marketing platform, serving small and medium businesses. To learn how Tempesta Media can help your business drive your business forward, please visit us at http://www.TempestaMedia.com and learn more. Mr. Marchese also is the founder of the SEO & Content Marketing Leaders of America, found on LinkedIn. It serves marketing and business executives throughout North America. To request an invitation to join, please following this link: http://www.linkd.in/1E2dWcV
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About Tempesta Media: Performance-based content marketing solution that drives revenue for your business
Brandon Burr
CEO of JetWebinar
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About JetWebinar: The Breakthrough Video Conferencing Platform For Monetizing Online Events
