Virtual Conference: Content Marketing

Ryan Brock

Ryan Brock is a brilliant storyteller who founded and ran the content and SEO agency Metonymy Media for over a decade. With 14 years’ experience driving measurable content outcomes for businesses in every industry, Ryan is a seasoned SEO expert. Now, as Chief Solution Officer at DemandJump, Ryan works with companies worldwide to remove the guesswork from SEO and drive industry-leading organic traffic results through Pillar-Based Marketing methodologies. Ryan is the co-author of Pillar-Based Marketing: A Data-Driven Methodology for SEO and Content That Actually Works.

Maureen Carter

Maureen Carter is an Emmy award winning design expert with over 20 years of industry experience working in brand design, interactive media conceptualizing, UX and visual strategy within the digital ecosystem. Spending a considerable portion of her career working in the music industry for BMG Entertainment, Maureen led the creative strategy at the introduction of digital with the online brand vision for platinum selling urban artists such as Usher, Outkast, Pink and TI for recording labels Laface Records in Atlanta and Arista Records, NY. Maureen’s work history also extends to streaming, television networks, advertising, brand experiences and leading award winning digital design solutions with major brands such as Vibe, Sony Pictures, Comcast/Hulu, Adobe, and
The White House.

Currently, Maureen is a Global Design Leader for the iconic NIKE, where she oversees design for sneaker culture and street fashion app SNKRS. As the head coach and leader of innovative digital design, this role is responsible to drive creative initiatives across the SNKRS brand/enterprise and team delivery of all digital design and brand milestones. As a thought leader and partner who guides the vision for
the business, this role focuses on the high-level view of the work with insight and consumer intelligence. While cultivating an environment where diverse views are valued, while mentoring and developing a global design team in New York, Paris, Milan, Berlin and London this role influences international brand experiences that extend to Japan and Korea promoting the #1 sneaker brand worldwide digitally and IRL. Streetwear and sneaker culture cannot be denied as it relates to celebrity endorsers, trends, fashion, culture and storytelling that are the key priorities of the day to day. As the key leader, this role is responsible for defining how Nike connects with sneaker consumers and engages them through community and content across the entire digital ecosystem via UX reimagination and data science intel. This ‘big picture” thinking moves and influences culture by speaking to the brand strategy and business while cultivating a collaborative culture internally and between all cross-platform initiatives.

Maureen was formerly the Vice President of Design and User Experience for BET DIGITAL (BET Networks/Paramount.) Ultimately serving as the key user/audience advocate, ideating and collaborating on designing original, engaging digital products, as well as enhancing existing products – putting an optimized and engaging user experience as the central outcome from the collective work product with respect to the brand where she also leads the creative vision for the suite of BET’s digital products and experiences. Maureen focuses on staying on the cutting edge of digital trends and user experience conventions while leading the creation of immersive experiences for mobile web, desktop, apps and connected devices with focus on the “voice of the user” from aesthetics to brand voice. Her role involves to lead the creation of visually compelling digital content/social media and understanding that modern user experience is more than just skin deep while working alongside her editorial and technology counterparts to ensure that BET digital experiences engage, delight, inform and entertain.

Prior to that, she was the Vice President of Brand Creative for Nickelodeon Digital where she leads the digital design vision for the iconic Nickelodeon brand via its online destinations: NICK.com, Teennick.com, Nick@Nite.com, Nickjr.com, Nicktoons.com and Nickmom.com as well as creating entertaining mobile and tablet app development. Her role was to provide over 50 mm young users an engaging user-centric and well designed experience that ties the on air brands to the digital space for franchises such as Nick Cannon’s Halo Awards, Kids Choice Awards, Spongebob, iCarly and Dora as well as leading the creative strategy for all of Nickelodeon’s online integrated advertising and digital marketing.

With over 40 design awards (Clios, Webbys and Stellar) she holds an undergraduate design in Graphic Design from Hampton University, VA, a Masters degree in Communications Design from Pratt Institute, NY, as well as a graduate of UCLA’s Anderson School of Business Management Executive Leadership Development Program (NAMIC). She is also a NAMIC luminary, a Black Enterprise Top Women of Power (The List), and a graduate of the Yale School of Management Program, Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders as she loves what she does. Maureen is also an adjunct professor with over 20 years of teaching experience in design, branding and fashion for numerous colleges and universities. Maureen is also an international published writer and lecturer on design theory with global accolades.

Shama Hyder

Shama Hyder helps leaders and companies get good and ready for a future that’s ever changing — from consumer expectations to competing with AI. As a well respected and early pioneer in the world of social media, she brings a rare “from the trenches” perspective. She’s the Founder & CEO of Zen Media, one of today’s leading B2B marketing and PR companies in the country. Shama is also an active Henry Crown Fellow within the Aspen Global Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute.

Shama is the bestselling author of The Zen of Social Media Marketing, now in its 4th edition, and Momentum: How to Propel Your Marketing and Transform Your Brand in the Digital Age. An acclaimed keynote speaker, Shama has delivered keynotes in over 24 countries and spoken for recognized brands including NASA, Yale, Movado, Marriott, Chase, Toyota, Mastercard, and Disney. Shama Hyder helps leaders and companies understand strategically and practically how to connect what’s next to what now. She has been named the “Zen Master of Marketing” by Entrepreneur Magazine and the “Millennial Master of the Universe” by Fast Company. Shama has also been honored at both the White House and The United Nations as one of the top 100 young entrepreneurs in the country. As a result of her success, Shama has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious Technology Titan Emerging Company CEO Award. She is one of the only entrepreneurs to be recognized by Business Week, Inc, and Forbes alike for being an Under 30 Mover and a Shaker. LinkedIn named her one of their “Top Voices” in Marketing and Social Media for four years in a row. In 2023, she was named the Top Marketing Leader by Masthead Media.

As a preeminent thinker in the digital age, Shama is a coveted media contributor, frequently featured on platforms such as NPR, Inc, Fox Business, MSNBC, Bloomberg, and CW. Her insights continue to shape the industry, inspiring others to confidently navigate the ever-shifting digital terrain.

Ariana Keil

Ariana Keil is Growth Marketing Manager, North America for Canto. Ariana has a background in both B2B sales and marketing, which gives her an appreciation for GTM strategies that holistically target the entire buyer’s journey, and a passion for sales and marketing department collaboration. She is passionate about harnessing the power of content to drive revenue.

Matt Weingarden

The AMA’s Communities & Journals team serves the broad AMA membership by designing and nurturing a host of conferences, local experiences, unique content, and volunteer driven initiatives. A fan of AMA and Marketing history, Matt Weingarden appreciates the tradition, passion and innovative spirit that are hallmarks of the AMA’s three broad communities and five scholarly journals. As Vice President, Communities & Journals, Matt is grateful to support the AMA’s network of community leaders and get-it-done volunteers. 

Matt has worked in volunteer management and marketing roles at internationally recognized universities, traditional membership associations, and municipal government. If you know any AMA trivia or want to test your knowledge, please reach out at mweingarden@ama.org.

Molly Soat

Mark Abraham

Mark is a Senior Partner at BCG and the founder of the firm’s Personalization business, which he has built into a global team of more than 1,000 agile marketers, data scientists, engineers, and martech experts. Mark’s passion is bringing together disparate capabilities across different parts of an organization to drive innovation and results. It is how he and his team have accelerated the personalization efforts of more than a hundred iconic brands (including Starbucks, The Home Depot, and Google) and built some of BCG’s largest ventures and AI platforms, including Fabriq for personalization. In his everyday interactions, Mark saw the urgent need for a book that would address the many questions business executives face in their effort to deliver on the Promises of Personalization. Currently, Mark leads BCG’s North American Marketing, Sales & Pricing practice and is re-energizing the growth and development of talent in what is one of the firm’s largest regional practices. A dedicated father of two, Mark lives with his boys and his partner Jason in the Pacific Northwest. His stories and photographs from their off-the-grid treks speak to his love of adventure, the outdoors, and special family time.