North Star Leaders: Positioning, Brand Strategy, and Leadership

Adriana Gil Miner, the CMO at Iterable, brings a wealth of experience and passion to the world of marketing. With a background that spans industries like financial services and tech, Adriana's unique perspective on brand building and customer experience shines through in her work. Known for her dedication to creating joyful experiences and building emotional connections between brands and people,...

Elena Donio is a seasoned leader with a wealth of experience in the tech industry. As the former CEO of Axiom and President at Concur, she played pivotal roles in driving growth and innovation. Elena's expertise extends to advising and serving on the boards of companies like Twilio, Benchling, Databricks, Contentful, and PayScale. With a passion for mentoring the next generation of talent, Elena's...

Barry Padgett, CEO of Amperity, is a seasoned executive with a proven track record in leading innovative companies like Stripe and SAP Concur. His genius lies in driving transformative business strategies and creating new categories in the customer data unification space. Barry's focus on better data, better results exemplifies his commitment to delivering audacious economic value while staying tr...

Elissa Fink, former CMO of Tableau, led the company from its startup phase through its IPO and beyond. With a focus on helping people see and understand data, she emphasized the importance of human connection in marketing. Elissa's expertise extends to advising tech companies and serving on boards for companies like Intellimize, Pantheon Platforms, and Cumulo. Her passion for creativity, collabora...

Frank Mycroft is the CEO of Booster, a company providing energy delivery and logistics solutions for decarbonizing last-mile delivery. With over eight years of experience, Frank has led Booster in its mission to eliminate the need for traditional gas stations and bring mobile energy solutions to the world. When leading his team, he focuses on increasing velocity, raising the bar, and narrowing the...

Jessica Rolph is the CEO of Lovevery, an early learning platform that offers stage-based information for parents and products for children. With a background in brand strategy and a passion for helping children reach their fullest potential, Jessica leads Lovevery in providing tools for intentional play and connection between parents and children. Her dedication to creating meaningful learning exp...

Xiao Wang is the co-founder and CEO of Boundless Immigration, a technology company that assists immigrants in navigating their immigration journey. With a background at Amazon, Xiao has honed his leadership skills to create a purpose-driven organization. Under his leadership, Boundless has served tens of thousands of immigrants annually, receiving countless positive feedback and testimonials. Xiao...

Raj De Datta is the CEO and co-founder of Bloomreach, a leading software platform for digital commerce experiences. He is a multiple-time entrepreneur and bestselling author of The Digital Seeker. Raj is known for challenging the status quo and operationalizing company values to drive continuous improvement. With a focus on seeker-centric experiences, he emphasizes the importance of mission-driven...

Tarang Amin is the Chairman and CEO of e.l.f. Beauty, a cosmetics company he took public in 2016. He previously served as CEO of Schiff Nutrition and has over 30 years of experience in the consumer products industry. Under his leadership, e.l.f. has grown into a digital-first cosmetics powerhouse while staying true to its roots of providing prestige quality at accessible price points.  You’ll hear...

Kristen Hamilton is a seasoned tech founder and CEO. As the co-founder and CEO of Koru, she played a pivotal role until its acquisition in 2019. Currently serving as General Manager with Enjoy the Work, Kristen is dedicated to helping founders evolve into great CEOs. She has over 25 years of experience in building and running companies, and brings a unique blend of expertise and empathy to her adv...

Charlie Cole is the CEO of Tribute Technology, a leading provider of software solutions for the funeral industry. His leadership experience includes roles such as CEO of FTD, Chief eCommerce Officer at Samsonite, and Chief Digital Officer at Tumi. He embraces a leadership style rooted in transparency and a commitment to driving positive change. This approach involves blending the best of the past...

Leigh McMillan is the CEO of Whitepages. She has a diverse professional background that includes roles in politics and Major League Baseball. As the CEO of Whitepages, she has helped to steer the company into the new era of data and technology. Leigh is not only a seasoned executive but also a winemaker and co-owner at Welcome Road Winery in Seattle. She joins Lindsay Pedersen to explore insights...

Clayton Lewis has over three decades of experience launching and scaling early-stage companies. His impressive track record includes leading two companies, Onvia and HouseValues, to public offerings and serving as a general partner at Maveron. He co-founded Arivale in 2014, and served as its CEO. He currently advises CEOs and is a member of the Board of Trustees for Harborview Medical Center. Clay...

Robbie Cape is the co-founder and CEO of Mt. Joy, a mission-driven restaurant aiming to demonstrate that profitability and positive impact can coexist. Having previously served as CEO and co-founder of both 98point6 and Cozy, Robbie has dedicated his career to building mission-driven businesses that transcend traditional boundaries. He envisions a world where restaurants not only serve exceptional...

As CEO of Assurance IQ, Allison Arzeno is at the forefront of harnessing technology to make a tangible difference in people's lives. Under her leadership, Assurance IQ has focused on its mission to improve and protect personal financial well-being of underserved consumers. She believes that data can be an equalizer in society. Episode Highlights: Data science lays the foundation for innovative sol...

Zack Rosen is the co-founder and CEO of Pantheon Platforms, the leading WebOps platform. With a background in computer science and a passion for innovation, Zack’s North Star is to innovate and protect the open web, ensuring a balance of power and freedom in the digital space. As a purpose-driven leader, Zack emphasizes the importance of autonomy and fulfillment in his career, paralleling the valu...

Yoko Miyashita is a prominent figure in the cannabis industry, serving as the CEO of Leafly, a leading online platform dedicated to cannabis information, education, and connecting consumers with licensed retailers and brands. With a passion for both business and purpose-driven leadership, Yoko brings a wealth of experience and insights to the industry. In her role as CEO, she has addressed challen...

Rajeev Singh is the CEO of Accolade, a healthcare technology company that provides personalized, technology-enabled solutions to improve the healthcare experience for individuals. Accolade's platform aims to simplify and streamline healthcare navigation, making it easier for individuals to access the right care and resources. In this episode, you’ll hear Lindsay and Rajeev discuss: Rajeev's favori...

Matt Oppenheimer is a prominent figure in the world of finance and technology. He is best known as the co-founder and CEO of Remitly, a digital financial services provider that has made significant strides in the fintech industry. With a passion for leveraging technology to solve real-world problems, Matt has played a pivotal role in the company's journey from startup to becoming a publicly traded...

As a leader, how do you know where to focus? When there are a hundred possibilities, how do you direct your time, your team, your budget, your emotional energy? And - how do you step back and consider the longer term? How do you set conditions for the business to create value not just now, but for years and decades? How do you dance the tension between creating economic value now, while also servi...