The AVP team just got back from Henry Stewart DAM NY 2025, and we’re unpacking it all — live, unfiltered, and together.

Host Chris Lacinak is joined by Kara Van Malssen, John Horodyski, Pamela Vizner, Jason Ulsh, and Brian Courtney for a roundtable recap of the biggest themes, surprises, and hot takes from this year’s conference.

From AI hype vs. reality, to governance gaps, to why “DAM is a human endeavor,” the team breaks down what stood out most — and what’s coming next for the DAM community.

If you missed the event (or just want to hear what your peers really thought), this candid, high-energy conversation will bring you up to speed.

🎧 Listen for insights, laughs, and a few spicy predictions about the future of the DAMosphere.

Guest Info:

Kara Van Malssen – Partner and Managing Director, AVP – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvanmalssen/

John Horodyski - Managing Director, Strategic Client Growth, AVP – https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhorodyski/

Pamela Vizner - Associate Director, AVP – https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-v%C3%ADzner-oyarce-a1085518/

Jason Ulsh - DAM Solutions Architect, AVP - https://www.weareavp.com/team/jason-ulsh/

Brian Courtney - Senior Consultant, AVP - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bg-courtney-bb9374/

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Henry Stewart 2025 DAM NY Conference - https://www.henrystewartconferences.com/events/dam-new-york-2025
• C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) – https://c2pa.org
• DAM Right Spotify Playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs?si=53fcb86bfbf14f85

Engage:

📅 Find us at upcoming events online and in-person at https://www.weareavp.com/avp-events/

🆓 Get amazing free DAM resources at https://www.weareavp.com/free-resources/

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

In this episode of the DAM Right Deep Dive Series, host Chris Lacinak takes you behind the scenes with Orange Logic, a long-standing player in the DAM space that has experienced remarkable growth over the past several years.

Joining Chris are Misti Vogt (Chief of Staff & Head of Customer Success), Jim Cavedo (Vice President of Solutions), and Brad Pearson (Senior Vice President of Product). Together, they explore Orange Logic’s origins, evolution, and perspectives on what makes a DAM platform adaptable, scalable, and future-ready.

Together, they explore:

• The origins of Orange Logic and how a photographer’s side project became an enterprise DAM platform.
• Customer success patterns, use cases, and lessons from organizations managing petabytes of content.
• How Orange Logic defines adaptability and what differentiates its approach to DAM adoption.
• The company’s technical foundations, product philosophy, and roadmap for AI and autonomous DAM.
• Industry challenges, DAM adoption trends, and what the next era of DAM might look like.
• Personal insights on leadership, culture, and the mantra behind “Be Orange.”

Guest Info:

Misti Vogt – Chief of Staff & Head of Customer Success, Orange Logic – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mistivogt/

Jim Cavedo – Vice President of Solutions, Orange Logic – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcavedo/

Brad Pearson – Senior Vice President of Product, Orange Logic – https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradtpearson/

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Orange Logic – https://www.orangelogic.com/
• DAM Selection Masterclass – https://bit.ly/yourdamchoice
• C2PA – https://c2pa.org/
• AVP – https://www.weareavp.com/
• DAM Right Soundtraack – https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs?si=b740229561b34318

Engage:

🆓 Check out the ultimate DAM selection guide at https://bit.ly/yourdamchoice

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

In this inaugural episode of the DAM Right Deep Dive Series, host Chris Lacinak takes you behind the scenes with Frontify. Joining Chris are Roger Dudler, Founder and CEO of Frontify, and Thomas Meichtry, Director of U.S. Sales, who share their unique perspectives on the company’s origins, culture, customer successes, and vision for the future of DAM.

Together, they explore:

• The founding story of Frontify and how it evolved from a designer-developer workflow tool to a global brand management platform.
• The role of culture, product obsession, and “scrappiness” in shaping the company.
• Customer stories from Bosch, Lufthansa, and Uber that highlight measurable impact at scale.
• Common pain points DAM buyers face today and how Frontify addresses them.
• Technical differentiators like Frontify’s SDK, developer-friendly extensibility, and new automation capabilities.
• Industry insights on DAM adoption, procurement best practices, and what the next 3–5 years may hold for the DAM space.

Guest Info:

• Roger Dudler – Founder & CEO, Frontify – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerdudler/
• Thomas Meichtry – Director of U.S. Sales, Frontify – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-meichtry-9248a2b7/
• Frontify: https://www.frontify.com

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• DAM Selection Guide – https://bit.ly/yourdamchoice
• DAM Selection Webinar – https://bit.ly/selectingyournextdam
• Bosch Case Study – https://www.frontify.com/customers/bosch
• Lufthansa Case Study – https://www.frontify.com/customers/lufthansa
• Uber Case Study – https://www.frontify.com/customers/uber
• Mercedes Case Study – https://www.frontify.com/customers/mercedes
• Frontify Developer Portal & SDK – https://developer.frontify.com
• Frontify Paradigms Conference – https://paradigms.io
• n8n – https://n8n.io
• Make – https://www.make.com
• Tray – https://tray.io
• ElevenLabs – https://elevenlabs.io
• Cursor – https://cursor.sh

Engage:

📣 Register for Selecting Your Next DAM: A Step-by-Step Webinar on October 7th. https://bit.ly/selectingyournextdam

🆓 Check out the ultimate DAM selection guide at https://bit.ly/yourdamchoice

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

This episode of the DAM Right Podcast features an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on DAM governance with industry experts Kara Van Malssen and John Horodyski from AVP. The discussion covers the fundamental principles, challenges, and best practices for implementing and maintaining effective governance in Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems.

Guest Info:

- Kara Van Malssen

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvanmalssen/ 

Bio - https://www.weareavp.com/team/kara-van-malssen/

- John Horodyski

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhorodyski/

Bio - https://www.weareavp.com/team/john-horodyski/

Digital Asset Symposium Info:

- DAM in GLAM event - http://digitalassetsymposium.com 

- Aprimo - https://www.aprimo.com/ 

- Allied Vaughn - https://www.alliedvaughn.com/

- Acquia - https://www.acquia.com/products/acquia-dam 

- Iron Mountain - https://www.ironmountain.com/ 

- Aviary - https://www.aviaryplatform.com/

- NBCUniversal - https://www.universalstudioslot.com/post-production 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

- Managing Chaos: Digital Governance by Design – Lisa Welchman https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Chaos-Digital-Governance-Design/dp/1933820828 

- Non-Invasive Data Governance: The Path of Least Resistance and Greatest Success – Robert S. Seiner - https://www.amazon.com/Non-Invasive-Data-Governance-Resistance-Success/dp/1634620726 

- European Accessibility Act (EAA) - https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/disability/union-equality-strategy-rights-persons-disabilities-2021-2030/european-accessibility-act_en 

Engage:

📣 Join us at DAM in GLAM on May 7th in NYC at MOMA. Find out more and register at https://digitalassetsymposium.com

🆓 Download the DAM Strategy Canvas & other free resources at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

👍 Like, Subscribe, and follow on your platform of choice.

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn athttps://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

In this episode host Chris Lacinak joins Misti Vogt and Brian McLaughlin from Orange Logic to offer a 2025 DAM Forecast. They explore key trends shaping the future of Digital Asset Management (DAM), including connected DAM, adaptive DAM, and autonomous DAM with some veers into sustainability, content authenticity, user adoption and more. The episode provides insights into how organizations can future-proof their DAM strategies for greater efficiency and competitive advantage.

Guest Info:

• Misti Vogt - Chief of Staff and Head of Customer Success, Orange Logic -https://www.linkedin.com/in/mistivogt/
• Brian McLaughlin - CEO, Orange Logic - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-mclaughlin-540613/
• Orange Logic - https://orangelogic.com

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• DAM Strategy Canvas -https://lp.weareavp.com/avp-dam-strategy-canvas
• How to make the case for a new DAM investment -https://www.orangelogic.com/blog/how-digital-asset-managers-can-make-the-case-for-a-new-dam-investment
• Content Authenticity Initiative -https://contentauthenticity.org/
• C2PA - https://c2pa.org/
• DAM and Carbon Footprint Control: Less Clutter, More Impact -https://www.cmswire.com/digital-asset-management/dam-and-carbon-footprint-control-less-clutter-more-impact/
• Digital Asset Symposium: DAM in GLAM -http://digitalassetsymposium.org/

Engage:

📣 Join us at DAM in GLAM on May 7th in NYC at MOMA. Find out more and register at https://digitalassetsymposium.com

🆓 Download the DAM Strategy Canvas & other free resources at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

💡 Download great DAM resources from Orange Logic at https://www.orangelogic.com/digital-asset-management-guides

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn athttps://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

Host Chris Lacinak is joined by Kara Van Malssen, Managing Director at AVP to talk about the Operational Model for DAM Success that she created.

The Operational Model comes out of what Kara has learned in almost 2 decades of helping organizations design, build, and scale DAM operations.

Guest Bio: 

Driven by a passion for helping organizations build impactful DAM programs, Kara Van Malssen is the Managing Director at consultancy AVP. Merging her deep expertise in systems thinking, user experience design, library science, and business analysis with extensive DAM experience, Kara crafts scalable and sustainable asset and data management solutions. Her diverse client portfolio ranges from Fortune 1000 powerhouses to esteemed cultural heritage institutions and transformative non-profits. Beyond her consulting role, Kara frequently shares her insights at conferences and workshops around the globe.

Connect with Kara at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvanmalssen/

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Operational Model for DAM Success: https://damopmodel.com
• Henry Stewart DAM NY 50% Off Registration Giveaway: https://bit.ly/DAMRIGHTNY2024
• DAM Right Soundtrack - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs

Engage:

🆓 Download amazing and free DAM resources from the best DAM consultants in the business at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

⭐ Please rate, like, follow, and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. See all the places we are at https://dam-right.com/listen

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

Host Chris Lacinak is on his own in this episode, sharing 5 warning signs that your DAM project is at risk. This is based on 18 years of talking with and working with hundreds of organizations on DAM projects. Avoid these 5 warnings and you'll be off to a much better start!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• DAM Operational Model - https://damopmodel.com
• Your DAM use cases are only as good as the humans involved - https://bit.ly/HUMAN-PROBLEMS
• Get your DAM budget: How to get your boss on board with your Digital Asset Management strategy - https://bit.ly/GET-DAM-BUDGET
• The Importance of Choosing the Right Digital Asset Management System - https://bit.ly/WRONG-DAM-COST
• The 5 Whys - https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_whys
• DAM Right Soundtrack -https://https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs

Engage:

🆓 Download amazing and free DAM resources from the best DAM consultants in the business at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

⭐ Please rate, like, follow, and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. See all the places we are at https://dam-right.com/listen

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

Host Chris Lacinak is joined by Amy Rudersdorf, Director of Consulting Operations at AVP to talk about resources that she recently published focused on helping organizations select the right DAM, MAM, PIM, digital preservation solution, etc. for them.

Amy has put almost a decade of expertise and experience performing and refining these projects at AVP into resources that help people do this work themselves. And in addition to making those freely available, we dive deep in this episode to offer even more context and information on how to put them to use.

Guest Bio: 

Amy Rudersdorf brings to AVP over 20 years of experience managing digital assets at all points in their lifecycle, from DAM and digital preservation system selection and implementation to long-term access to and preservation of digital assets. She has had a career focused on helping organizations develop strategies to preserve and provide maximal access to their digital content with good stewardship practice and quality metadata. She brings a unique perspective to her work, after years of running digital asset management and preservation programs in academic, government, and nonprofit settings, and with organizations of all sizes.

Recent projects at AVP include developing a digital strategy for a small, nonprofit organization, helping select technologies via an RFP process for large public libraries, supporting the development of an AI system for metadata capture from audiovisual materials, and implementing a DAM for a large music-streaming service. 

Amy is an active member of the Digital Library Federation and NDSA working groups and presents widely on topics ranging from digital preservation best practices to technology selection and DAM. She holds an MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh, and a BA in English from the University of Wisconsin. Amy lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her family and a very gentle pitbull.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Amy's Blog Post: https://www.weareavp.com/creating-a-successful-dam-rfp/
• Amy's Handouts: https://lp.weareavp.com/dam-rfp-checklist
• The Cost of Getting DAM Selection Wrong: https://www.weareavp.com/the-importance-of-choosing-the-right-digital-asset-management-system/
• Kara's Blog Post on the Eight Worst Ways to Choose a DAM System: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kvanmalssen_the-8-worst-ways-to-choose-a-dam-system-activity-7193968033856446464-Zc6L
• Radiolab "Choice" episode: https://radiolab.org/podcast/91640-choice
• DAM Right Soundtrack - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs

Engage:

🆓 Download amazing and free DAM resources from the best DAM consultants in the business at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

⭐ Please rate, like, follow, and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. See all the places we are at https://dam-right.com/listen

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

Host Chris Lacinak is joined by Aaron Edell, SVP of AI at Wasabi to talk about the recently launched Wasabi AiR, AI, object storage, and more. Wasabi AiR is an innovative and strategic development in the DAMosphere that aims to change business as usual and push boundaries with what Aaron describes as redefining object storage. This is a fascinating deep dive and behind the scenes look into an important milestone in the intersection between AI and digital asset management from a leader and expert in the field.

Disclaimer: Neither Chris nor AVP can be held responsible for Aaron's ownership of, or affinity for a Cybertruck :-).

Guest Bio: 

Former GrayMeta CEO Aaron Edell joined Wasabi as SVP of AI & Machine Learning in 2024, following Wasabi's acquisition of Curio AI From GrayMeta. Aaron leads the team tasked with developing the company's intelligent cloud storage technology.

Aaron brings deep-rooted experience in media & entertainment product development, innovation, and digital asset management to his newly created role at Wasabi. He was responsible for building many of GrayMeta’s first products, including Curio, and grew GrayMeta into an essential workflow component for the likes of Netflix, Walt Disney Studios, and NBC Universal. He also co-founded Machine Box, an AI company that revolutionized where machine learning could run, and served as Global Head of Business for AWS, leading its Customer Cloud Intelligence and FinOps division.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• DAM Right Soundtrack - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs
• Wasabi AiR - https://wasabi.com/cloud-object-storage/wasabi-air
• Aaron's Fake News Detection Blog Post - https://medium.com/towards-data-science/i-trained-fake-news-detection-ai-with-95-accuracy-and-almost-went-crazy-d10589aa57c
• GrayMeta - https://graymeta.com/
• Fortune Magazine Article on Liverpool FC's use of Wasabi AiR - https://fortune.com/europe/2024/05/08/data-driven-tactics-are-great-but-liverpool-fcs-real-ai-goal-is-to-help-fans-get-more-kicks-out-of-their-content-google-wasabi-air/

Engage:

🆓 Download amazing and free DAM resources from the best DAM consultants in the business at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

⭐ Please rate, like, follow, and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. See all the places we are at https://dam-right.com/listen

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

License info:

Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/hey-pluto/the-gentleman

License code: PYLFGIFQ88M6KNBS

We're trying a couple of new things this episode. First, this episode will be around 10 minutes instead of 60 - 90 minutes. Let us know what you think about that at [email protected]. Second, after the intro from host, Chris Lacinak, the interviewer for this episode is Kerri Willette. Since doing this interview, Kerri has moved on to do wonderful things, no doubt, at Dropbox. In this episode, Kerri interviews Kara Van Malssen, Partner and Managing Director at AVP about the central theme of a journal article and blog post that Kara wrote. The theme is about managing expectations in order to realize success when implementing a DAM. The blog post and this episode bring this home (pun intended) by using buying and owning a home as an analogy to implementing a DAM.

In lieu of the last favorited song question in this episode, host Chris Lacinak is adding the song Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros to the DAM Right soundtrack.

Guest Bios: 

Driven by a passion for helping organizations build impactful DAM programs, Kara Van Malssen is the Managing Director at consultancy AVP. Merging her deep expertise in systems thinking, user experience design, library science, and business analysis with extensive DAM experience, Kara crafts scalable and sustainable asset and data management solutions. Her diverse client portfolio ranges from Fortune 1000 powerhouses to esteemed cultural heritage institutions and transformative non-profits. Beyond her consulting role, Kara frequently shares her insights at conferences and workshops around the globe.

Connect with Kara at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvanmalssen/

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• DAM Right Soundtrack - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs
• Manage Your DAM Expectations Blog Post - https://www.weareavp.com/manage-your-dam-expectations/
• Henry Stewart Journal of Digital Media Management, Volume 7 - https://www.henrystewartpublications.com/jdmm/v7

Engage:

🆓 Download the DAM Strategy Canvas & other free resources from the best DAM consultants in the business at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

⭐ Please rate, like, follow, and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. See all the places we are at https://dam-right.com/listen

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak