Good Company with Michael Kassan

Michael Nyman has spent decades operating at the crossroads of entertainment, media, and culture. He built one of Hollywood's most respected communications businesses inside the traditional holding company world, then set out to do it differently, founding Acceleration Community of Companies, a network of specialized firms spanning PR, experiential, data, and talent. In this episode, he joins Mich...

Christine Cook has navigated nearly every major shift in modern media, from early digital days at The New York Times, to to the rise of mobile and social at Flipboard, the scale and speed of CNN, and now Bloomberg Media, where she serves as Chief Commercial Officer overseeing one of the most influential audiences in the world. In this episode, she joins Michael Kassan to explore why trust and cont...

As media, commerce and technology converge, Nili Klenoff is helping shape one of the most consequential shifts in modern marketing. She joins Michael Kassan to explore commerce media, AI-powered decision-making, consumer trust, and the challenge of driving innovation at global scale, offering a rare look inside the systems increasingly influencing how people discover, choose and buy. See omnystudi...

Bill Wise and Zvika Netter have spent decades building the invisible machinery that powers modern advertising — and now, with Mediaocean and Innovid under one roof, they’re creating a rare alternative to the industry’s increasingly closed ecosystems. In this candid conversation, the two architects of modern ad tech unpack the collapse of the traditional marketing funnel, the AI r...

Don Kurz has lived enough lives for three careers - from championship lacrosse fields to Studio 54 dance floors to Wall Street trading desks to the boardrooms of modern advertising - and in this candid conversation with Michael Kassan, he reflects on the chaos, reinvention, and hard-earned instincts that shaped them all. With the release of his new book, Do the Hustle, Don opens up about resilienc...

Music is no longer just something we listen to... it’s something we interpret, share, and use to make sense of the world around us. In this episode, Michael Kassan sits down with Jackie Vignone, CRO of Genius, to explore how the platform has evolved from a lyrics destination into a powerful meeting point for artists, fans, and brands. Together, they unpack what music reveals about culture, w...

Christian Muche has built his career on a contrarian instinct: when the world pulls back, he builds opportunities that bring people together. From co-founding DMEXCO during the 2008 financial crisis to launching POSSIBLE in the middle of COVID, Christian has consistently bet on one idea: real progress happens when the right people are in the same room. In this episode, he joins Michael Kassan to u...

What if the most powerful growth strategy isn’t another ad, but a simple “thank you”? Nift Founder and CEO, Elery Pfeffer, joins Michael Kassan to unpack why gratitude may be the most overlooked engine in modern commerce, how AI can create meaningful discovery instead of digital noise, and why the brands that recognize customers as people (not just wallets) will win the future. S...

Serge Matta, President of Global Ad Sales at LG Ad Solutions, is turning the TV from a passive box in the corner into the most valuable real estate in media - an interactive command center where content, data, and commerce meet in real time. In this episode, he joins Michael Kassan to talk candidly about making connected TV accountable to real business results, why independent measurement and true...

Childhood friends turned Cognitiv co-founders, Jeremy Fain and Dr. Aaron Andalman, went from zebrafish brains and ad-tech trenches to rewiring how brands predict human behavior in an AI-saturated marketplace. Together, they draw a sharp line between predictive and generative AI, show what first-party data can really do, and demystify context and “agents” so marketers can push performan...

Lynnwood Bibbens isn’t chasing viewers; he’s owning the traveler. While most brands struggle to capture this high-intent audience, he built ReachTV around winning that moment. From “dreaming-only” sessions that reshaped the company to rewiring the travel ecosystem with live sports, precision data, and relentless service, he lays out his entrepreneur’s code: bet on wha...

Tom Freston turned a bohemian streak, entrepreneurial hustle, and serious wanderlust into one of the most consequential runs in modern media. He co-founded MTV, busted through gatekeepers with an original DTC playbook, and built a creative-first house of brands that reshaped music, fashion, art, politics, and advertising. In this episode, the legendary architect of the MTV generation joins Michael...

Recorded at the 3CV Villa in the heart of CES 2026, this special episode curates standout insights from executives shaping how people watch, shop, pay, and belong. They unpack the biggest themes of CES, reflect on broader industry shifts, and share what they’re prioritizing as the year ahead takes shape. Along the way, they share practical insights for marketers navigating a world where medi...

Ajit Mohan, Chief Business Officer at Snap, joins Michael Kassan to unpack how a “middle child” platform can outmaneuver giants by protecting sacred consumer spaces and betting on deeper connection over infinite scroll. From reimagining advertising inside messaging to challenging marketing leaders to confront inertia, Ajit shares a clear-eyed vision for building relevance, growth, and...

Entertainment industry veteran Charlie Collier joins Michael Kassan to unpack how Roku is transforming fragmentation into advantage – emerging as the modern “lead-in to all television,” proving interoperability beats walled gardens, and turning the home screen into a vibrant cultural canvas in its own right. Along the way, they dive into leadership philosophies, creative risk-tak...

Michael sits down with Tim Armstrong - Google trailblazer, AOL reinventor, and Flowcode founder - to decode the next frontier of marketing: turning every real-world interaction into a high-impact, data-rich connection. It’s sharp, surprising, and packed with the kind of insights only a true transformation architect can deliver. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Enchanted to Bones to Kiss of the Spider Woman, Barry Josephson has mastered the art of turning imagination into impact. From overseeing a slate of Hollywood hits as President of Production at Columbia to producing culture-shaping stories at Josephson Entertainment, he joins Michael Kassan to unpack the alchemy of storytelling in a tech-driven world where creativity, courage, and curiosity co...

From the Air Force to the frontlines of cybersecurity, HUMAN CEO Stu Solomon has built a career around one mission: protecting what’s human. In a world where AI bots increasingly outnumber people online, he joins Michael Kassan to explore how leaders can safeguard digital integrity, build trust, and lead with humanity in the next era of digital transformation. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

From Ask.com to Tinder to CBS Interactive, Jim Lanzone has spent his career redefining how we connect online. In this episode, he joins Michael to share how he’s reimagining a 30-year-old internet icon for a new era, leading Yahoo through a bold new chapter defined by innovation, trust, scale, and cultural impact. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen Upstone has spent two decades proving that AI isn’t just a tool, it’s the new operating system for brand advertising. In this episode, the LoopMe Founder and CEO joins Michael to reveal why mobile apps and gaming are marketing’s most undervalued frontiers, how the mid-funnel is becoming the next big battleground, and what it takes to turn disruption into lasting competiti...

From Disney to Condé Nast, Lisa Valentino has helped shape some of the most iconic media businesses. And now, as President of Best Buy Ads, she’s turning a trusted retailer into a modern media powerhouse. In this episode, Lisa and Michael unpack how scale, data, and creativity are transforming retail media, why storytelling still matters in a metrics-obsessed world, and how AI, cultur...

Buckle up as Jordan Zimmerman reveals how “brand-tailing,” hyperlocal precision, and AI-powered innovation fueled the rise of one of the world’s largest agencies. In this episode, Jordan proves that outcomes beat accolades and leaves listeners with actionable insights on grit, growth, and reinvention. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From music to media to fintech, Frank Cooper has built a career by seeing around corners, and now as CMO of Visa, he’s redefining what it means to build a global brand in a borderless, tech-driven world. In this episode, Frank shares how culture drives commerce, why AI must serve human creativity, and what it takes to lead through complexity with clarity. See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Edgar Hernandez is turning cultural intelligence into business growth and building the infrastructure to scale it. In this episode, he joins Michael to share how he’s redefining growth audience marketing, producing culture-shaping content, and helping brands lead with purpose, empathy, and long-term relevance in an increasingly diverse world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

James Rooke, President of Comcast Advertising, is leading a bold transformation of the TV ad marketplace, making premium video more accessible, more measurable, and far less complicated. In this episode, he unpacks how he's breaking down industry silos, simplifying access for marketers, and challenging Big Tech’s dominance with a powerful call for transparency, consistency, and next-gen inno...