Speakers

Keynote: Jason Falls, Social Media Explorer

Jason Falls is one of the most in-demand speakers in the social media, public relations and marketing fields due to a simple truth: he delivers value. Known for his clever insights, sharp wit and the ever-present brutal honesty, Jason is one of the leading educators and thinkers in social media and communications.

Jason has the unique perspective of having led a national advertising agency’s Interactive and social media efforts, worked with Fortune 100 brands as a social media strategist and served as an independent consultant in the social media industry. He has advised major, regional, and niche brands including Humana, The Envelope Manufacturers of America, Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbons, Louisville Slugger, SHPS and The National Center for Family Literacy. His work has resulted in acclaim and recognition in publication and honors, including a 2009 SAMMY Award for Best Integrated Social/Cross Media Campaign.

Jason can be found online at http://socialmediaexplorer.com, consistently rated at or near the top of the prestigious Advertising Age Power 150 Blogs and at http://exploringsocialmedia.com, an online learning community focused on social media tools, technology and strategy.

Toby Bloomberg, President, Bloomberg/Diva Marketing
Toby is Founder/President of Atlanta-based strategy and social media consultancy, Bloomberg Marketing/Diva Marketing. She is a widely recognized for her expertise in combining social media with traditional marketing values (strategy, customer insights, segmentation, etc.) while maintaining the authenticity of digital conversations.  Her blog, launched in 2004, was acknowledged by Forbes as one of the 20 Best Marketing and Social Media Blogs By Women. Toby has been profiled in books on social media like Naked Conversations, Now Is Gone, Twitterville and The Digital Handshake, and has been quoted in publications including INC magazine, BusinessWeek, Wall Street Journal and Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Entrepreneur.com, MSNBC, The Street and the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Michelle Brigman, Director, Social Media Listening Command Center, Dell
Michelle Brigman is the Director of Dell’s Social Media Ground Control & Command Center, where she is responsible for Dell’s listening & engagement operations.  Her global team influences the Dell brand by ensuring the business units are consistent & effective in their social media interactions with customers.  The team’s efforts were recognized with Altimeter’s Open Leadership Award, Bees Award & have been the subject of various reviews like Forbes, Mashable, and ZDNet for their industry leading approach to listening & engagement .  Michelle has been with Dell since 1995 and is an expert in steering innovative strategies that serve to generate revenues, build dynamic teams, and improve the customer experience.  Michelle’s  passion lies in building strong relationships and sees social media as a method to take this to a whole new level.

Jacqui Chew, Principal, iFusion Marketing
Jacqui is the principal of iFusion Marketing, a consultancy that offers fractional chief marketing officer services to technology start-ups. She is an award-winning strategic marketer with a passion for helping technology start-ups connect with the right audience for their product or service. An active member of the Atlanta technology and business community, she has spent the last 15 years leveraging digital and traditional programs to help enterprise software, Internet, information security and consumer products and services companies build their business.  An early adopter of social media, Jacqui has been actively incorporating social elements in her clients’ marketing plans since 2006.  She has provided expert commentary to the DemandGen Report, Newspaper & Technology and DM News among others. She has also written for iMedia Connection, ChiefMarketer.com, the Association Publishing and the Atlanta Business Magazine. Jacqui’s high-energy but approachable style makes her a sought after industry Jacqui currently serves on the boards of the Atlanta Press Club, TEDxPeachtree and StartupChicks and is a past board member of the American Marketing Association – Atlanta, Women in Technology and the New Leaders Council.

Mack Collier, MackCollier.com
Mack Collier is a social media consultant, trainer and speaker located in Alabama, specializing in helping companies use social media to better connect with their customers. He has been actively immersed in social media since 2005, and in that time, has helped businesses of all shapes and sizes better connect with their customers via these amazing tools and sites. His clients include businesses of all sizes, from sole proprietorships, to Fortune 100 companies.

Jeff Cutler, JeffCutler.com
Jeff Cutler is a social media journalist with 21 years experience in traditional and new media. He is also the Social Media Trainer for the Society of Professional Journalists nationwide. Jeff harnesses the power of social media in his job as a journalist and content creator. He also advises clients on the best way to reach their audiences through the use of various media and content.  Jeff is a published author and has written for WBUR (NPR Boston), the Boston Globe, AutomotiveRhythms.com, New York Post, Gatehouse Media, MobileMag.com, Technology Review, and other publications.

David Felfoldi, Chief Experience Officer, Sherpa! Web Studios
David Felfoldi is Chief Experience Officer and founder of Sherpa! Web Studios — an Atlanta-based digital marketing firm specializing in search and social media marketing.  A web veteran with 15 years industry experience, David has guided notable firms — ADP, Spanx, Rinnai, & Buckhead Life Restaurant Group –  through and around the perils of web marketing initiatives. His secret: acai berry infused trail-mix.  Earlier in his career David was co-founder and Senior Vice President of Interactive Services for one of the largest web software development firms in Atlanta. His current firm, Sherpa!, was recently recognized with “Most Effective Search Marketing” from their peers in the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association. David is honored to be recognized as one of Atlanta’s “40 and 40″ by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.  His goal is to make the Web a better, more useful place, including for people who write emails or post comments in all capital letters.

Kevin Geraghty, VP Research & Analytics, 360i

Kevin Geraghty is an expert in revenue focused analytics. He has developed business processes and systems that contribute hundreds of millions to the revenues of a number of Fortune 500 companies. A guest lecturer at graduate business programs, Kevin has received honors from INFORMS (Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences ) for outstanding Operations Research practice. In the 1990′s his work was pivotal in advancing pricing and revenue management in a range of industries. As Vice President at 360i, Kevin is leveraging his revenue focus and analytic capabilities to drive actionable insights in Digital Marketing.

Barbara Giamanco, CEO, Sales and Social Media Consultant, Talent Builders Inc.
Talent Builders CEO Barbara Giamanco is the co-author of The New Handshake: Sales Meets Social Media. She has a proven, 30-year track record in generating sales and capped her corporate career at Microsoft where she led sales teams and coached executives. Her clients include The Parks Image Group, Trinity Performance Solutions, Georgia Pacific, StratAchieve, The Profitability Channel, Microsoft, Executive Forums, GE Healthcare, MD&E, Payne Quest, Pepsico, University of Georgia, UPS Capital Insurance Agency and Wrigley Manufacturing.  As an active member of the business community, Barb serves as the Atlanta Chapter President of Sales Marketing Executives International (SMEI) and she is the Conference Chair for the Atlanta Women in Business 2012 celebration.

Scott Hepburn, Consultant, MediaEmerging.com
Scott Hepburn teaches companies how to behave like humans so their customers will like them. He is a PR, marketing and social media consultant based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Despite his Klout score, he can’t get his three-year-old son to eat his vegetables.

Chuck Hemann, Vice President, Digital Analytics at Edelman Digital
With a forthcoming book, “Social Media Metrics for Dummies,” Chuck Hemann provides strategic counsel to clients on a variety of topics including online reputation, social media, digital analytics, investor relations and crisis communications. Before joining Edelman Digital he was VP of Digital Strategy and Analytics for Ogilvy Public Relations, and prior to that he served as Director of Social Analytics for WCG, a global media services company based in San Francisco. Chuck is a former Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research, a global nonprofit research and education foundation think tank focused on the latest developments in media and communications.

Krista Neher, CEO, Boot Camp Digital
Krista Neher is a leading authority, trainer, educator, author and international speaker on Internet marketing and social media, and is currently the CEO of Boot Camp Digital, a leading provider of social media marketing training and consulting solutions. She has deep roots in marketing, having worked at Procter and Gamble for almost six years in a career spanning sales, finance and marketing. Krista is the author of “Social Media Field Guide: Discover the Strategies, Tactics and Tools for Successful Social Media Marketing” and is the managing director of the Institute for Social Media at Cincinnati State, training thousands of people in social media marketing.

Zachary Pousman, Director of Strategy and User Experience, IQ Interactive  As IQ’s Director of Strategy and User Experience, Zach leads a team of strategists, psychologists, and ethnographers to crystalize business, brand, and consumer insights into a clear and compelling opportunity for each solution. Zach believes that strategy can be inert without a way to bring it to life across the totality of user experiences and touchpoints, so the team also includes interaction and experience designers to infuse the strategy into digital executions. This approach has led to insights that have exceeded user expectations and business goals for clients. Zach has led major work for fortune 500 clients including Microsoft, Blackrock, UPS, Allstate, and New York Life. He holds a BS in Philosophy from the University of Chicago and an MS degree in Human-Computer Interaction from Georgia Tech.

Nick Westergaard, Creative Account Director/Principal, Westergaard Advertising
Nick Westergaard is Creative Director and principal at Westergaard, a brand development and marketing firm with offices in Central and Eastern Iowa. Nick works directly with organizations large and small to create powerful marketing communication programs that get results. His areas of expertise include branding and new media. In addition to heading up new media initiatives for the agency’s current clients, he is also responsible for new business development.  Prior to joining the firm, Nick held progressively responsible marketing positions at Buckle Down Publishing and ACT. During his tenure at both organizations he led bold efforts in branding, direct marketing, and e-commerce. He holds a BA in Psychology and Theatre Arts from the University of Iowa. In 2005 he started his Brand-Driven Insights blog at NickWestergaard.com that covers a variety of topics including branding, new media, and communications.   Nick is a frequent speaker at the University of Iowa, where he sits on the Advisory Council for the Marketing Institute, as well as conferences and workshops nationwide. He is an Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassador and serves on the board of directors for United Action for Youth and the Englert Theatre. Nick is also on the Marketing Advisory Committee for the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature.

Heather Whaling, President, Geben Communication
Heather Whaling fuses strategic thinking, strong writing, and creativity to deliver PR, social media and marketing results to businesses and nonprofits. Heather is president of Geben Communication, where she draws on a decade of agency experience to help organizations implement traditional and digital PR strategies.  Named one of the top 30 PR experts to follow on Twitter, Heather has been quoted in Inc Magazine, BusinessWeek and Mashable about technology’s impact on communication and business She co-moderates the popular PR 2.0 chat (#pr20chat on Twitter), a weekly live discussion exploring social media’s influence on public relations.

Andrew Worob, Manager of Digital Communications at Finn Partners, A Ruder Finn Group Company
Andrew is a PR and social media professional with a background as a reporter and blogger. Current clients include: DIRECTV, JVC, Beringer Wines, among others.  His experience includes being the main blogger and publisher of PR at Sunrise, which is ranked a Top 20 PR blog according to eReleases, and a Top 100 Social Media/Internet Marketing & SEO blog according to Cision.  His PR placements have included broadcast segments, including Late Show with David Letterman, The View, The Today Show, CNN, CNBC and Fox News Channel, and print outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Forbes, Associated Press and USA Today.  Before starting a career in PR, Andrew was a journalist at publications such as MLB.com (Major League Baseball), Rivals.com, and Gannett Newspapers.

Lionel Menchaca, Chief Blogger, Direct2Dell
Lionel Menchaca is a 16-year Dell veteran and chief blogger at Direct2Dell, Dell’s main corporate blog. Before launching Dell’s blog, Lionel was one of the main architects behind Dell’s blog monitoring process, begun in April 2006. He works with a team within the company to coordinate activities and content across all of Dell’s internal and external social media initiatives including the Dell Community Forum and IdeaStorm. Lionel also serves as a technologist to help Dell define new software to monitor and engage in conversations in the blogosphere, and to facilitate collaboration among the Dell teams that respond to customer feedback.

Maria Peagler, Founder, SocialMediaOnlineClasses.com
Maria Peagler is a serial entrepreneur and Founder of SocialMediaOnlineClasses.com, an online social media training website focused exclusively on small businesses, solopreneurs, and freelancers.  She is frequently published in national print and online media, including AllFacebook, Smart Blog on Social Media, and Personal Computing magazine. She is former Director of Courseware Development for ExecuTrain, the nation’s largest PC training company, a veteran technology trainer, and an award-winning publisher/author of eight books.  Her latest book, Color Mastery, won the Benjamin Franklin award for Best Craft Book of 2010.  A long-time resident of the metro Atlanta area, she now calls the gorgeous north Georgia mountains home.