Every time you stream a show, scroll through social media, or visit a website, a sophisticated ecosystem of technology is working behind the scenes to connect audiences with advertisers. Hear from professionals across advertising technology as they demystify the industry and share how they built careers at the intersection of media, data, and innovation. Whether you're drawn to strategy, sales, analytics, or product, you may be closer to a future in ad tech than you think.
Lemu Coker, CTV Ecosystems Partnerships Manager, Google
Lemu is a seasoned executive at Google focused on supporting strategic partners & business development centered on expanding the adoption of Google Ad Manager ad serving and programmatic monetization within the Media, Entertainment, and Telco & FAST verticals. As CTV Ecosystems Partnerships manager he coordinates directly with the Engineering, Product, and GTM teams to enable product solutions to help 3rd party technical partners and Google succeed in the fast moving Connected TV (CTV) space. He has 15+ years of experience spanning across strategy, business development, and operations within the media and technology sectors, with previous roles at prominent companies like Twitter, MTV Networks, Apple, and Myspace.
Lemu received his MBA from the University of Michigan, and his B.A. from the University of Connecticut in Mass Media and Marketing Studies.
Greg Joseph, VP, Inventory Development, StackAdapt
Greg Joseph is Vice President of Inventory Development at StackAdapt, where he leads strategic inventory partnerships and supply development across CTV, DOOH, audio, and digital advertising. Greg brings extensive experience in ad tech and programmatic advertising, including previous roles at FreeWheel, A Comcast Company and Magnite (formerly Rubicon Project). He focuses on expanding access to premium inventory, strengthening publisher partnerships, and enabling advertisers to reach audiences across the evolving digital media landscape.
Danielle Moore, Head of Global Creator Solutions, Nielsen
Danielle Moore is a digital native and seasoned sales leader with over two decades of experience spanning new and traditional media. As the leader of growth and strategy for Nielsen’s Content Creator Solutions, she is helping shape how creators are measured and valued in the modern media ecosystem.
Throughout her career, Danielle has held key roles at major industry innovators, including Hulu, Warner Bros. Discovery, Fandom, and Spotter. Her expertise across Streaming, Sports, News, Gaming, and Fan Communities makes her a trusted advisor for brands seeking to navigate and succeed in creator-led storytelling.
Danielle is an active member of SheRunsIt and Chief, advocating for leadership and empowerment in media and tech. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University (Go Stags!) and resides with her husband and two daughters in Connecticut.
Ashley Wheeler, SVP, DV+ Platform, Magnite
Ashley Wheeler is the SVP of DV+ Platform at Magnite. Ashley has been with the company for twelve years, starting as an Account Director at the Rubicon Project. She and her team work hand in hand with publishers to determine monetization and yield strategies to power premium content on the internet. Ashley also sits on the board for Prebid.org, the open-source industry organization that helps digital publishers run header bidding auctions to maximize programmatic advertising revenue.
Ashley received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania with a double major in English and American History.
Moderator: Tim Sims, Former Chief Commercial Officer, The Trade Desk
During his time as Chief Commercial Officer at The Trade Desk, Tim Sims shaped the company’s growth strategy globally with a particular focus on expanding capabilities in connected TV (CTV). He led both the global client services and inventory teams, two critical pillars that drive client success by meeting business objectives and ensuring seamless access to premium ad inventory across every screen worldwide. Tim has more than 24 years of experience in the advertising industry, ten of which were with The Trade Desk.
Tim is renowned for his ability to forge meaningful partnerships that deliver exceptional outcomes for clients. Prior to his appointment as CCO, Tim served as Chief Revenue Officer at The Trade Desk. In that role, he was instrumental in driving revenue growth, identifying new business opportunities, and expanding the company’s client base beyond traditional advertising budgets.
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Tim spearheaded The Trade Desk’s growth in emerging channels like CTV and Audio, with CTV spend on The Trade Desk’s platform increasing 137% percent year-over-year from 2018 to 2019 and audio spend on the platform up 185% from 2018 to 2019. Tim has been influential in driving The Trade Desk’s continued global growth, with first-to-market integrations with many premium publishers in the past year, including Amazon Publisher Services, Disney Advertising Sales, NBCUniversal, SlingTV, Freewheel, Spotify, and TubiTV in the U.S., TikTok and AbemaTV in the Asia Pacific region, and RakutenTV and TFI in Europe.
Additionally, Tim leads the company’s industry-shaping publisher management platform, where advertisers can transact with publishers to buy premium inventory through programmatic channels.
A recognized industry leader, Tim was named one of the 23 insiders shaping the future of TV advertising by Business Insider and he has been quoted and published in a variety of media, including Adweek, Variety, ZDNet, MediaPost and eMarketer’s ‘Behind the Numbers’ podcast. He is a frequent speaker at industry events including Cannes Lions, DMEXCO, Advertising Week, IAB’s Programmatic Symposium, and Modern Marketing Summit as well as many partner events.
Tim is an advertising technology veteran, having previously served as Director of Business Development at OpenX, and Director of Media at Spot Runner. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Ad Council, an American nonprofit organization that produces, distributes, and promotes public service announcements.
Tim is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and lives and works in New York City.
Presented with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and SVA Theatre
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
The Center's programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
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