Burak Vardal is the Co-Founder of the Istanbul-based mobile game company Rollic, acquired by the global gaming giant Zynga in 2021 with a valuation of $220M.

Prior to his career at Rollic and Zynga, Burak managed the EMEA market for AdColony and was responsible for Growth.

Burak earned bachelor’s degrees in Law and Sociology from Bilgi University with a full scholarship. Besides his professional career, Burak is an ex-player of the Turkish National Tennis Team with an ATP ranking. He is a game enthusiast, chess player, and the youngest entrepreneur to achieve an exit story of only 20 months in Turkey’s tech scene.

Anzu’s Co-Founder and CEO, Itamar Benedy, is the driving force behind the global intrinsic in-game advertising revolution that has transformed how game developers monetize their titles and advertisers reach gaming audiences.

When Benedy co-founded Anzu in 2017, he had a degree in Computer Science, a background in marketing and advertising, had been recognised by Forbes Israel as part of their ‘30 Under 30’ program, and had led AdTech giant Glispa as CEO. Ultimately, these experiences have culminated in him building and leading a company that bridges the gap between advertising and gaming, and is the most advanced intrinsic in-game ad solution for mobile, PC, console, and the metaverse.

Krishan Bhatia serves as President & Chief Business Officer for NBCUniversal’s Advertising and Partnerships division, reporting to Linda Yaccarino, Chairman, Global Advertising & Partnerships. Bhatia oversees Advertising Sales for all Streaming & Data Products as well as the division’s One Platform Strategy, Partnerships, Data, Product, Technology, Measurement, and Operations functions — spanning a portfolio of TV, CTV and digital assets that reaches 1B viewers globally, including the company’s ad-supported streaming platform Peacock.

In 2021, Bhatia launched the company’s Enterprise Data unit to develop NBCUnified, the first-party data platform that serves NBCUniversal’s portfolio of industry-leading consumer businesses — including the company’s TV & streaming properties, the NBC News Group, Universal Filmed Entertainment and Universal Parks & Resorts.

Bhatia also manages the corporate partnerships with Comcast Advertising, Freewheel and Sky Media, as well NBCU’s advertising partnerships with Amazon, Apple, Google/YouTube, Roku, Snap, The Trade Desk, TikTok, Twitter and others.

Bhatia took on his role at NBCUniversal after Comcast acquired the company in 2011 and led the integration of the two companies’ advertising businesses. He joined Comcast in 2005 as a founding executive team member of Comcast Interactive Media, where he played an instrumental role in creating and growing the digital media business for Comcast through acquisitions and partnerships.

Prior to Comcast, Bhatia was a Principal with Booz Allen Hamilton’s Global Media & Entertainment Practice in New York, advising many of the world’s leading media and technology companies.

Bhatia serves on the Executive Committee of the IAB, as a board member of OpenAP and a board observer for the company’s investments in Anzu and TVScientific.

With 10 years of experience in advertising and emerging media channels, Yasin has conceptualisedand implemented programmatic strategies for a number of start-ups and traditional publishers.Having spent time at the Association for Online Publishers (AOP), he has been a pivotal figure insolving the problems of our ad tech ecosystem. Yasin joined Bidstack in early 2020 and is responsiblefor growing Bidstack’s programmatic offering globally.

As Senior Director of US Sales, Kelly Drake oversees all of Activision Blizzard Media’s direct sales efforts and agency partnership relationships in the US. Prior to joining Activision Blizzard Media in early 2019, Kelly led the direct sales efforts at AdColony, where she oversaw a team focused on brand and agency relationships across the east coast. With over 13 years of digital marketing experience and over 8 years with a concentration in gaming, Kelly brings a unique perspective on the effectiveness of gaming to both her clients and the marketplace.

Luis (Lou) Garate is Head of Global Sponsorship Sales for Twitch. Since joining the organization in 2019, Garate has overseen the build and implementation of the Twitch Properties business, creating a new sponsorship strategy for the Twitch sales organization that leverages intellectual property, promotional and partnership rights, events, hospitality and more across Twitch’s premium owned and operated non-media assets and major third-party esports and gaming properties. His team has successfully entered into partnerships with category leading brands that include – Ally Bank, Dunkin, Pizza Hut, State Farm and Verizon. Previously, Garate acted as Senior Vice President at NASCAR, leading their sponsorship team which included major Fortune 500 clients such as Coca-Cola, AB InBev, Goodyear, Xfinity and many others. In addition, he has served in various sales and marketing roles at Ryan Partnership, Loews Cineplex, Millsport, National Football League and Sports & Co. A University of Connecticut graduate, Garate resides in Connecticut with his wife and two daughters.

Ryan Griffin is Senior Director of Brand Partnerships at Niantic, the world’s leading augmented reality company, with a focus on how AR-games, entertainment experiences, and education unite the digital and physical worlds.

In this role, Ryan leads the efforts that bring brands to life inside of Niantic’s vision for the “Real-World Metaverse”, working hand-in-hand with marketers, agencies, and consultancies to create innovative programs that drive real-world business results. He can also be found catching Pokémon with his family in their Brooklyn neighborhood, pushing towards 4 Million steps taken in Pikmin Bloom, and dogfooding upcoming Niantic releases.

A veteran of the mobile, gaming, and advertising industries, Ryan previously led revenue, strategy, and solutions teams at Flipboard, AdColony, and Undertone. He started his career in the agency world, where he spent more than 13 years building innovative programs with clients including Mars-Wrigley, American Express, Coca-Cola, IBM, Samsung, Cisco, and Volkswagen.

Gabrielle Heyman is Head of Global Brand Partnerships for Zynga, where she is responsible for Zynga’s direct advertising business. Gabrielle is a leader in Gaming and Digital Media, and has a passion for the revolution in entertainment consumption and its impact on brands.

With over fifteen years of experience in game advertising, Agatha Hood has worked with major developers and brands, held different roles from ops to creative production, and developed ads for everything from downloadable PC games through VR. Currently, Agatha runs the Customer Success Everywhere team at Unity and prior to that she was the Director of Global Advertising where she built up Unity’s programmatic and brand businesses, as well as, coordinated Unity’s iOS 14 privacy effort.  Prior to Unity, Agatha led several teams at Zynga and WildTangent including Client Services, Sales Development, and Partner Development.

Sam Huber is the founder of Admix, the leading technology to insert product placements within games and virtual worlds. Launched in 2018, Admix works with dozens of games publishers such as Gameloft or Supersonic, and helped hundreds of advertisers place their brands seamlessly within games and virtual worlds, raising $37m from top VCs in the process. In 2021, the company re-focussed to bring brands into the metaverse and completing several acquisitions in the space, as well as the launch of a virtual estate investment vehicle. Sam is a blockchain investor since 2013, having personally invested in over 20 companies, and various virtual land projects since 2017. Previously, he was running an indie game studio and in a previous life, was a Formula One engineer.

Joanne is SVP of the Global Partnerships team at dentsu and is dedicated to creating market leading products and solutions through best-in-class strategic partnerships. As the lead for dentsu’s Attention Economy program, Joanne spearheads a market-leading research program with global forward-thinking researchers, tech companies, media owners, and dentsu clients that is aimed at developing attention-based capabilities and metrics to revolutionize the way the industry plans, measures, and buys media. 

Joanne has 14 years of experience in the media industry with a strong focus on strategy, consumer insights, and communications planning, across various verticals including CPG, Telecom, and Financ

Dave Madden is the President of PlayerWON®. PlayerWON® is the first engagement and monetization platform for Free to Play console, cloud gaming and PC video games, and EVP, Gaming and OTT for Simulmedia. He is responsible for extending the company’s advertising platform into console/PC video games and OTT platforms. Prior to joining Simulmedia, Dave was the SVP of Global Brand Partnerships at Electronic Arts. In his role with EA, he led the teams that managed all aspects of the game publisher’s sponsorships, in-game advertising solutions and brand partnerships, across mobile, PC, console and esports on a global basis, beginning in 2011. Before EA, Dave was a founding member and EVP of WildTangent, an innovative online games platform company. While at WildTangent, he and his team developed the first “rewarded ad” in video games, BrandBoost, which became the default ad model for mobile video games today. Earlier in his career, Dave was in health and sports publishing with Rodale Press.


A graduate of Princeton University, with a B.A. in History, Dave has done several rotations on the Board of Directors of the IAB and MMA, and also sits on the advisory board of the M-School at Loyola Marymount University.

Francesco has more than 15 years of international, commercial and startup experience. As a founder
of multiple tech start ups he joined Bidstack in 2015 as CTO and co-founder, here he focused on
shaping the development of the in-game advertising category, evolving Bidstack’s tech ecosystem
and driving innovation and growth. Fran now leads the team’s commercial strategy across all aspects
of the business.

Nicole is one of the esports & gaming sector’s most-respected experts, boasting 15+ years of experience in consulting, custom research, sales forecasting, brand tracking, and sponsorship measurement in the space. She has built her career collaborating with major players in the industry to build meaningful data streams and insights, and shaping industry standards for measurement of esports. In a role specially created for her at YouGov, Nicole is designing the future of the company’s analytics in the esports and gaming sectors, building on what are already some of the industry’s deepest and most sophisticated research tools.

Ashley Schapiro is a Global Marketing executive who brings brands to life, shaping the full consumer journey- striking a balance between brand love and growth.   Consistently pushing innovation boundaries to remain present and relevant in highly dynamic environments.  Excels in moments of change, anticipates strategic trends and is adaptive to change.

As Vice President Marketing, Media, Performance & Engagement at American Eagle, Ashley is responsible for all media, performance, social, talent, influencers and PR. Beyond driving the business and reaching new customers her #1 priority to is to make AE the most relevant and innovative brand in the eyes of Gen Z. This means being present where customers are most active (aka social), showing up in the right way with the right talent and being a part of their passions – this translates into music, gaming and social causes such as mental health, voting, and sustainability. This supports AE’s commitment to be at the heart of Youth Culture.

Focusing on the social issues and causes that matter most to today’s youth, she has supported meaningful partnerships with America’s Food Fund, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Delivering Good, and It Gets Better, among others. Ashley has ensured AE continues to align with rising talent who its customers find relatable and authentic and who reflect the brand’s core values of self-expression and individuality.

Prior to AE, Ashley worked at Coach Inc. and held positions of increasing responsibility to lead

Global expansion across EMEA, LATAM and APAC and global strategy to build fashion credibility in the affordable luxury sector. Interested in shifting her focus from affordable luxury to fast fashion, Ashley joined the team at AE to lead International marketing strategy. Focused on building the international marketing organization and positioning AE to be a truly global brand she launched the brand in Europe and India before moving into her current role. Ashley resides in New York with her husband and two children.

Matt Sharpe serves as Creative Director, Advertising at Zynga, where he helps guide campaigns for brand partners across the company’s portfolio of titles. He is a 15 year veteran of the tech and advertising space with a focus on creating engaging experiences for audiences.

Kris Soumas is the Director of Platforms & Programming for the Verizon Consumer Group. In this role, she leads the development and ongoing content operations for Verizon’s +play platform, as well as next gen immersive partnerships with iconic creators from gaming and entertainment.
Prior to joining Verizon, Kris created content strategies and immersive entertainment experiences for blockbuster entertainment brands including Disney, NBC Universal, A+E Networks, the Oscars and ABC News. Kris started in TV but shifted to digital early on. She has produced award-winning websites, AR, VR, apps and social games which have grossed millions and reached the top of the app store charts. She has run game studios in Seoul and Mumbai and was an early advocate for women in gaming.

Jonathan Stringfield is VP Global Business Research & Marketing at Activision Blizzard and the author of Get In The Game: How to Level Up Your Business with Gaming, Esports, and Emerging Technologies. At Activision Blizzard he oversees a global team responsible for crafting legendary marketing experiences, conducting rigorous science to substantiate the unique power of gaming to advertisers, and supplying partner teams with evidence-based insights that drive innovation.

Previously, Jonathan was Director, Marketing Insights and Analytics at Twitter where he was responsible for all measurement and ad effectiveness research for the US advertising business. Prior to that, Jonathan was an early member of Facebook’s measurement solutions research team and led demographic research for Nielsen’s TV and media research services. Jonathan holds a PhD in Sociology, where his NSF-funded research focused on identity and audience conceptions among users of social media technologies.

Cary Tilds is the Chief Strategy and Advocacy Officer for Frameplay and is responsible for leading strategic planning and industry advocacy. Prior to Frameplay, Cary was the SVP, Corporate Strategy for FordDirect focused on digital strategy and operations. Cary also held leadership roles as GroupM’s Chief Innovation Officer and led Digital Media Operations for Mindshare.

Jonathon Troughton is CEO and co-founder of Frameplay, responsible for leading the team’s vision and strategy. In 2018, Jonathon seized an opportunity to improve the gaming experience by creating Frameplay, a platform that bridged his passion for gaming, building engaging products and commercialization. He’s empowering publishers and advertisers to create an ad experience that fits cohesively into the cinematic universe of gaming. Jonathon is a serial entrepreneur having started previous businesses in building media and retail products, and an internet technology consultancy.

Prior to joining SuperAwesome, Walters was founder and CEO of Hopster, the app that helps kids learn through the stories they love. Founded by Walters in late 2012, the Hopster app grew to serve eight languages and over 100 countries, topping the App Store grossing charts in over 20 markets. Before founding Hopster, Walters spent six years at Viacom International Media Networks.

Mike Wann currently serves as Chief Strategy Officer for Super League Gaming.

Mike brings over a decade of proven experience fueling significant growth and revenue opportunities for a range of technology and entertainment companies. He joined Super League in 2021 when the company acquired Mobcrush, where Mike was CEO.

Under his leadership at Mobcrush, Mike led the company’s efforts to disrupt the emerging and lucrative segments of live streaming and gamer-driven media with its free, broadcasting tools, including a proprietary AI-powered real-time clipping engine. Before joining Mobcrush, Mike served as Chief Revenue Officer for Fullscreen, where he was instrumental in the company’s rise as a global video network. In this pivotal role, he steered the company to meteoric growth, which led to its successful acquisition by AT&T-owned Otter Media. He has also held executive positions with Tastemade, where he served as Head of Business Development and Strategy, as well as key business development roles at Amazon and MSNBC, among others. 

He holds a bachelor’s degree and MBA from the University of Redlands.

Matt Wolf is the Vice President, Blockchain Gaming at Zynga. In his role, Wolf is focusing on integrating non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain technology into Zynga’s existing portfolio and owned IP, as well as to developing games from inception that are built with NFTs as part of the core gameplay loop.

Before joining Zynga, Wolf was the founder and CEO of D20, an emerging media agency that focused on gaming, esports, creator culture, blockchain and NFTs. During his time with D20, Wolf provided growth strategy, marketing insights, creative ideation and industry access.

Prior to D20, Wolf was Vice President of Entertainment and Ventures at The Coca-Cola Company where he oversaw marketing strategy, business growth and venture investment innovation through the lens of gaming, music, film, fashion, social media platforms and creator culture. He is an ​​advisor to several startups and venture capital firms, including leading NFT platforms Epics Digital Collectibles and Kolex.

Prior to joining SuperAwesome, Zagorski hailed from SNL’s digital comedy studio, Above Average, where he held the role of Chief Revenue Officer. Prior to that he was CRO for storytelling site Upworthy, with experience across some of the top US media companies including the New York Times, The Atlantic and The Daily Beast.