Elevate 2024 - Speaker Series Guide
Exclusive to Elevate participants - register today and join speaker series on zoom each week
Want to attend Elevate? Click here to request an invite.
Mark you calendars! The Elevate Speaker Series kicks off on May 23rd and will take place online over 8 weeks leading up to this Summer's Elevate Retreat. These weekly exploratory conversations will serve as an opportunity for Elevate participants to listen, learn, and engage with industry leaders and experts on a variety of relevant subjects. Your presence and participation will greatly enrich the multi-week experience - we can't wait to see how your input will shape these conversations.
Funny Thing - Comedic Brand Storytelling Works!
May 23rd | 1:00 PM PST
With an array of emerging platforms at their disposal, brands have seemingly endless opportunities to disseminate their programming. However, the challenge lies in determining how and where brands can locate the appropriate audience. Posing this question after the content has already been produced proves futile - instead, it is imperative that brands create a complete plan for production and success from end-to-end. And while it shouldn't be expected that brands have all the answers to determine what it takes to reach their desired audiences and achieve programming and distribution success, the savviest among them will recognize that delegating to and working with a great partner can make all the difference. Leading this interactive peer-to-peer discussion on cultivating strategic partnerships, navigating available channels and reaching the right eyes and ears are Brian Newman, Founder of Sub-Genre; John Baez, Head of Brand Solutions and Strategy at Fuse Media; and Jon Scarlett, VP of Content Studios at Fuse Media.
Adam Puchalsky
Global Head of Pulse
HARTBEAT
Adam Puchalsky is EVP, Global Head of Pulse at Hartbeat, the global, multi-platform entertainment company with a mission to keep the world laughing together. Pulse is Hartbeat's brand entertainment studio and marketing consultancy, trusted by some of the world's biggest brands including P&G, Netflix, Comcast/NBCU, JP Morgan Chase, Sam's Club, and more. In his role, Adam oversees Pulse's partnerships, which include broadcast and streaming TV, film, audio and experiential solutions for brands, creative campaign execution and access to its production facilities, marquee talent network, scaled reach through its distribution network, and the broad range of exclusive and cross-platform Hartbeat IP. Prior to Hartbeat, he served as the Global Head of Content at Wavemaker, where he redefined the agency's boutique offering into a pivotal component of the agency's success. His visionary leadership helped develop a team of over 600 content experts worldwide, and he boasts a wealth of experience in transforming content strategies. A graduate of the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Adam began his career in account management, working on global brand assignments for Samsung, Merrill Lynch, Trident Gum, and Macy's before immersing himself in all things digital - working on brand and product launches online for AT&T, FedEx and United Airlines."
Neel Williams
Group Creative Director
The Martin Agency
Neel likes making stuff that brings other people joy. Or, at the very least, begrudging amusement. As creative lead on the GEICO account at The Martin Agency, he has the honor of being able to do this on a daily basis. Ad nerds know him as one of the creatives behind GEICO’s Unskippable Pre-Roll Ads, which won the Cannes Lions Film Grand Prix and Adweek & AdAge’s Ads of the Year. Regular people know him as the guy who helps make funny ads with celebs like Tag Team & Will Arnett and characters like the Gecko & Caveman. His family knows him as the guy who embarrasses them. Here’s some other stuff Neel has made: two questionable moustaches, two unquestionably amazing girls, a futuristic high-five machine, a modern storytelling podcast that spun off an award-winning animated short film, a nationally published book about Useless Superpowers, a children’s book where a unicorn loses her horn then tries out a troll’s toilet plunger, an Antonio Banderas pun meme, uncomfortably long eye contact with Ray Liotta, annnnd a song about diarrhea with Boyz II Men.
Randi Jachino
VP Marketing
Prestige Health Film
Experienced, digital advertising award-winning V.P. Marketing with a demonstrated history of achieving / exceeding business goals in various categories, companies, and environments. Flexible strategic leadership style (equal left & right brained) with proven success building internal & external collaborative teams, from the ground up, to deliver results in a range of environments from fast-paced, high-growth, small mission-driven company, to larger public Fortune 500s.
Cindy Weisskopf
Managing Director of Brand, Promotions and Advertising
Synchrony Bank
Cindy Weisskopf is managing director of Brand, Promotions and Advertising for Synchrony’s direct to consumer banking and is bringing “fun” and storytelling to financial services that promotes good savings habits because we believe saving is the right thing to do. Cindy has led the development of award-winning advertising that’s helped grow the consumer bank 10X in size in 10 years. Under her tenure, she’s fused entertainment with banking through multi-year promotions and credit sponsorships with Marvel Studios. A former film studio marketing executive, she’s happiest when she’s ideating and shaking things up. If she had it her way, her career tombstone would read “She had a vision to create change and the drive to see it through.” She currently resides in and works from Paradise Valley, Arizona.
