It's No Fluke

Jacques Keyser is the Director of Programming at VidCon, where he leads the strategy and execution of event programming across the US and international markets. With over 15 years of experience in music, entertainment, and the creator economy, he has worked with leading platforms, labels, creators, executives, and global brands.

At VidCon, Jacques has helped launch and scale events worldwide, curating industry-leading programming that unites creators, executives, and fans on a global stage. Previously, he held senior roles in talent management and artist development, shaping the careers of top UK digital and music talent while building strategic partnerships across the industry. Jacques also shares insights on the creator economy through his bi-weekly VidCon industry newsletter.

Jessy Grossman is a long time entrepreneur in the digital media space. She's passionate about supporting women in business and being at the forefront of innovation. She’s been quoted in the New York Times (again here), Forbes and was awarded a spot in the “Influencer Top 50” by Talking Influence. In less than two years she created one of the fastest growing influencer talent agencies in the country. Amidst unprecedented growth, she sold the multi-six-figure agency and pivoted to focus on her long-time passion project: Women in Influencer Marketing (better known as WIIM). Founded in 2017, WIIM is the premiere professional organization for those who work with influencers.

The community offers networking and new business opportunities, career services, continuous education and so much more. Jessy also does consulting, advising and influencer marketing recruiting through her consultancy Tribe Monday. You can find inspiring stories and more about Jessy on the WIIM Podcast. Check out iamwiim.com and tribemonday.com for more information.

Aidan Brannigan is the Founder of No Boring Brands, the content agency making Memes + Skits for Fortune 500 companies, SaaS Unicorns, and legacy brands. They are generating 100s of millions of organic views for their B2B clients via evergreen content and built the largest marketing meme page on IG in less than 2 years. He lost $500k in crypto when he was 20, lost a spam eating contest to Joey Chestnut in front of 14,000 people and can probably hit a 4 hybrid further than you.

He spoke at SXSW about memes - is a twin - his mom checks his follower count every day and takes a screenshot, so you better follow or you'll upset her - Featured in AdAge for a skit filmed in his bed.

Julie Alvin is a digital media executive, consultant, editor, and speaker. She has led cross-platform content strategy at brands like Refinery29, TheSkimm, InStyle, Real Simple, and Bustle, and now has her own content strategy and brand marketing consulting practice, taking on clients across fashion, beauty, lifestyle, wellness, tech, politics, and the nonprofit space. She is a former adjunct professor for NYU’s master’s in publishing program, a founding member of Chief executive women’s network, a board Member at FOKO, and a former regular on Fox News.

Julie's still very relevant piece in Adweek.

Bill Zimmerman is an assistant teaching professor in the department of advertising and public relations in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State. He’s the author of “Understanding the Creator Economy: Making Digital Media Work for You,” published by Kendall Hunt. He teaches courses such as Digital PR and PR Campaigns, and in the spring semester will offer Digital Content and the Creator Economy, a new course launching Penn State's content creator certificate program. Prior to teaching, he worked as a newspaper reporter and public relations professional in higher education. He also holds the Accreditation in Public Relations.

With 15 years’ experience spanning some of fashion’s most influential global names, including Stella McCartney, Farfetch, and Net-a-Porter, followed by senior roles in both nimble independents and major network agencies, Lucinda Bounsall brings a rare blend of brand-side insight and agency-honed expertise. Her practice is rooted in both doing and thinking, interrogating outdated models and reimagining how strategy is applied for the way modern brands actually operate. The result is a sharper, more culturally attuned approach that bridges big-picture vision with tangible impact.

If you haven’t seen the ad just yet, “Driven” kicks off with a high-octane brand campaign starring Chalamet and directed by Oscar-nominee James Mangold (A Complete Unknown, Ford v. Ferrari). The spot blends cinematic flair with automotive innovation, with Chalamet and a bride (played by Larsen Thompson) hijacking the Lucid Gravity SUV from a top-secret desert facility in a two-minute “director’s cut.”

Akerho “AK” Oghoghomeh is the Senior Vice President & Global Head of Marketing at Lucid Motors, where he’s redefining what it means to build a premium brand in the EV space. Known for blending creativity, culture, and strategy, AK has led some of the most transformative campaigns in food, beverage, and now mobility. At Lucid, he’s steering global storytelling and cultural partnerships around the launch of the Gravity SUV and beyond.

Before Lucid, AK was Chief Marketing Officer at Beyond Meat, where he helped reshape how people think about food, and Senior Vice President of Marketing at Red Bull North America, where he drove record-breaking U.S. growth. From scaling Amazon’s recruitment engine to building lifestyle movements with Red Bull, AK thrives on turning bold ideas into brands that inspire.

Ian Grody is Chief Creative Officer of Giant Spoon, an independent, integrated agency that expands the ways people experience brands. As the only creative agency on Fast Company’s Top 50 Most Innovative Companies 2023 and #1 in its Advertising category, Giant Spoon is known for turning marketing upside down. Obsessed with culture and driven by insatiable curiosity, the agency is composed of teams across creative, media, and strategy to stir shit up for ambitious brands.

Leading creative at Giant Spoon, Ian has produced award-winning work for clients like Lucid, Autodesk, HBO, Johnnie Walker, Netflix, Away, Marvel, and Savage x Fenty across offices in New York City and Los Angeles.

Over the course of his career, Ian has been named one of Adweek's 100 People Shaping Culture and Media and included on The Drum's 100 Most Awarded Creative Directors in the World. Ian has written superhero shows, dystopian thrillers, and raunchy country musicals for networks like MTV, SyFy, and CMT; optioned features domestically and abroad; and published a graphic novel with AWA Studios and The Tribeca Film Festival.

Latha Sarathy is the founder of SALIENT HQ, a first-of-its-kind research agency and advisory service providing best-in-class, real-world-tested insights and strategic guidance on a fractional basis. In an age of AI, SALIENT HQ is committed to blending human intelligence with rigorous, intentional research to help clients achieve their goals.

With over 30 years in media and market research, Latha has held senior leadership roles across blue-chip companies and industry organizations. Most recently, she served as Chief Research Officer at the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), overseeing analytics, insights, and measurement while driving initiatives such as SeeHer.where she laid the groundwork for industry insights and benchmarks in gender equality in media and marketing.

Previously, as SVP of Insights & Strategy Activation at Ipsos North America, she managed a multimillion-dollar portfolio of global consumer insights projects for leading media and technology clients. She has also built high-performing research teams at NBCUniversal, Univision, CBS, Disney Publications, Interactive One, and Wenner Media.

A frequent industry voice, Latha has presented at Cannes Lions, ANA conferences, Advertising Week, ARF, Comexposium Japan, and CTAM. She has also led strategic workshops for brands including American Express, Walmart, Georgia-Pacific, and General Mills, helping organizations translate insights into innovation and growth.

Jordan Matter is a two-time New York Times bestselling author (Born to Dance and Dancers Among Us) and the most-followed photographer in the world, with nearly 50M followers across socials. As the creator behind the #2 most-watched YouTube channel in the U.S., and the #1 channel for female viewership, he has built a global audience of 31M subscribers and more than 11B views.

Jordan’s path to becoming one of the most prominent creators in the world began in photography, with his street portraits and dancer series gaining international acclaim and exhibitions across Korea, Moscow, France, Montreal, Chicago, and New York. His work has been featured by The Today Show, BBC, ABC World News, People, The New York Times, and more.

At the core of Jordan’s storytelling is joy, authenticity, and connection, reflected in his frequent collaborations with his daughter, Salish. Together, they’ve earned recognition, including People Magazine’s Top 50 Creators of 2024, a 2024 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Family Creator, and a 2025 Webby Award. Salish was also named Kids’ Choice Female Creator of the Year in 2025.

Jordan and Salish launched their young adult skincare brand, Sincerely Yours, on September 6th in Sephora stores nationwide, further expanding their influence from digital entertainment into consumer products.

Sara Rezaee is Head of Creator Marketing for North America at Edelman, where she leads a best-in-class team of Creator specialists and helps clients across sectors harness the power of the Creator Economy to drive meaningful business impact. With 17+ years of experience in digital and communications, she has shaped DJE’s global approach to creator marketing, building deep relationships with creators, agencies, and platforms worldwide.

Her award-winning work—recognized by the Webbys, Shortys, Clios, and more—reflects her focus on data-driven, earned-centric, and culturally relevant programs that connect brands.