Wednesday, November 13th, 2019

2:15 PM - 3:15 PM

Track I: Herscher Hall, Guerin C, Live Webcast

The Future of Brand Partnerships and Influencer Marketing

Jen Garcia Allen, Head of Editorial & Programming, Whalerock Industries

Simon Kelly, Co-CEO and Chief Enthusiasm Officer, Story Worldwide

Ron Bloom, CEO, Reach TV

Sybil Grieb, former, US Head of Influencer Strategy, Edelman

Corey Weiss, Head of Business Development, ipsy

Moderator - Mark Kapczynski, President, Storymill

Ron Bloom is the visionary media and technology entrepreneur and co-founder of ReachTV. Bloom was the architect of the Company’s distribution platform, production studio and delivery systems and presides over the ReachTV’s growing lineup of original content, production and programming. Most recently Ron Bloom was the founder and CEO of BiteSizeTV, where he designed and built the first vertically integrated digital/television studio on the ground floor of the W Hotel on the corner of Hollywood and Vine. He developed the company’s unique content platform and produced a broad range of “digital for television” programming. Bloom cofounded one of the first internet media companies, Think New Ideas, where he pioneered the first live “cybercast” during the 1995

Grammy Awards. After selling Think, he went on to build multiple companies and brands across the new media space, working with some of the largest consumer and entertainment brands, such as Anheuser Busch and IBM, to develop internet strategies and build global products.

Jen Garcia Allen, Head of Editorial & Programming, Whalerock Industries As Head of Editorial & Programming, Jen Garcia Allen oversees editorial strategy and programming for Whalerock Industries’ digital entities and partnerships includingAdam Savage’s TESTED, Wonderwall, SiriusXM, and Howard Stern. Jen joined Whalerock Industries in July 2015 as the Executive Editor of the Kardashian/Jenner Apps.  In her first eight months, she successfully launched the official apps of Kim Kardashian West, Khloé Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian,Kendall Jenner, and Kylie Jenner—as well as the KIMOJI app. A respected entertainment journalist, Jen spent more than a decade at PEOPLE and Us Weekly.  At Whalerock Industries, she collaborates with the Kardashian and Jenner women to develop and execute their distinct creative visions.  Jen’s work has resulted in highly engaging editorial content for the groundbreaking platforms—apps and websites—where each woman shares her passions, current obsessions, personal diaries, original videos, signature styles, breaking news announcements, and milestone moments.  Under Jen’s leadership, the apps for Kim Kardashian West, Khloé Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, and Kylie Jenner were the top-ranked entertainment apps in the app store (1 through 4, respectively) when they launched in September 2015.  Jen’s stewardship also ensured that Kourtney Kardashian’s app was one of the top entertainment apps when it launched in December 2015.  All five apps continue to dominate the charts worldwide. Upon its release in December 2015, the KIMOJI app was the top-selling app in 120 countries, and it continues to rank among the best-selling apps in the world. Jen serves on the board of directors of Jessica Seinfeld’s Good + Foundation, an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of family poverty through the power of donated goods and transformational services. She is also on the entertainment board of Best Buddies, a non-profit dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  She has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from The University of Delaware.  She resides in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters.

Sybil Grieb, former, US Head of Influencer Marketing at Edelman: Edelman is the largest privately owned Communications Marketing Firm in the world, with 65 offices around the globe. Drawing on over 12 years of experience as a digital media executive, Sybil serves as Head of Influencer Strategy and Programming at Edelman. She oversees the influencer teams, creating top quality integrated influencer programs for clients, leveraging all tiers of talent, from micro-influencers to top-tier creators, and has built collaborations across teams to amplify influencer content across owned, earned and paid media. Prior to joining Edelman, Sybil was Head of Digital Influencer and Brand Integrations at William Morris Endeavor, creating custom campaigns for brands and agencies across social media. Sybil launched her digital career at ZAM Network (now Tencent) from 2005-2010 where she built and ran both the Ad Sales and Ad Operations teams, increasing advertising revenue 400% globally. At OTTER Media’s Crunchyroll Network, she was Head of Ad Sales and Ad Operations, more than doubling direct sales revenue in her tenure. Her clients have included Starbucks, Barilla, Kellogg’s, Activision Blizzard, NBC, Lionsgate, Dell, AMD, Square Enix, Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation, Nickelodeon, and many more.

Simon Kelly, Co-CEO Story Worldwide: Simon Kelly has been recognized as a pioneer of the branded content industry and is credited with introducing the first integrated approach for custom content providers in the US. Since then Kelly and his partners at Story Worldwide have evolved that audience-first approach to create a brand narrative practice that he believes will replace traditional advertising. Kelly began his career with IDG, then went on to co-found TPD, one of the leading independent custom publishers in the UK at the time. In 1995, Kelly moved to Seattle to launch the company’s US operation with the launch of Microsoft Magazine – incidentally its companion web-site also marked the launch of one of the world’s first web-zines. In 1997 he spearheaded the launch of the Custom Publishing Council and in 1999 he was named in the Folio: 40 for his work integrating print and web content. Kelly was the first recipient of the John Caldwell Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the content marketing industry. In 2001 TPD became part of Interpublic. In 2005 Kelly and his partners bought it back and rebranded the company Story Worldwide. (www.storyworldwide.com). Since then, they have transformed a custom content company into a global, multi-channel content advertising and branding agency. Story Worldwide’s signature approaches, storyfinding and making, help turn their clients’ brands into engaging media channels. Today, with over 100 employees and offices in New York and Seattle, Story is leading the post-advertising revolution. Story’s clients include FX Network, Lexus, Unilever, USVI, RCI, Pernod Ricard, Criteo and SEI. Most recently Story led the world record-breaking twitter marathon for every Simpsons episode ever.  Simon regularly addresses marketing, advertising and media professionals about the rapidly-changing advertising landscape and why it is that brands that tell the best stories will win in the post-advertising age.

Mark Kapczynski has a successful track record as a serial entrepreneur, chief executive, and cross-industry expert.  He serves as an Executive Director of the UCLA Venture Capital Fund, helping to foster innovation connected to the university.  Programs include early stage investing, mentoring, and access to Intellectual Property from university patents. Mr. Kapczynski advises startup businesses as part of the LA Chamber of Commerce’s Bixel Exchange.  In this role, Mr. Kapczynski assists technology startups in Southern California to design their businesses, build out their teams and raise capital to fuel their growth. He also serves as a Venture Partner for Arrowroot Capital in Santa Monica, CA. At Arrowroot, Mr. Kapczynski focuses on investments in the SaaS market in need of growth capital to further develop their businesses.  The areas that Mr. Kapczynski addresses are Big Data & Analytics, Financial Services, and Consumer Internet. Mr. Kapczynski last served as VP of Corporate Development and Strategy for Experian's consumer businesses which include leading consumer brands: Experian, FreeCreditReport.com, and ProtectMyID. Through executing on over 8 M&A transactions, Mr. Kapczynski helped to facilitate Experian’s under-lying growth and profitability. Mr. Kapczynski graduated from UCLA film school and continues to be active in multiple industry associations that span media, mobile telecom, technology, and consumer internet.  He has 12 patents to his name and an additional 40 patents pending.