Life in Digital

In this episode of Life in Digital, host Daniel Bolter is joined by Jen Starr, Director of North America at Strava for Business, to explore how brands can build meaningful connections through community. Drawing on her experience across BuzzFeed, Nextdoor and Strava, Jen shares how her approach to community has evolved and what makes Strava’s active audience such a unique opportunity for advertisers.The conversation explores how Strava is opening up new opportunities for brand partnerships, from creating campaigns that resonate with its community to turning everyday movement into meaningful engagement. Jen shares what makes a successful sponsored challenge, how brands can become part of people’s routines rather than interrupt them, and which industries are finding new opportunities on the platform.Daniel and Jen also discuss the lessons that have shaped her leadership approach, the importance of community in the fitness and wellness space, and what the future holds for brands looking to connect with audiences through shared passions.🎧 Tune in for a conversation about community-led marketing, creative brand partnerships and the power of connecting with people through what they love.

In this episode of The She Suite, host Sonia Atwal is joined by Hester Bates, CMO at True Rights, to explore her career journey from being Influencer’s first employee to becoming a CMO and leading marketing at True Rights. Hester reflects on how growing with a business from its earliest stages shaped her approach to leadership, as well as the lessons she has carried throughout her career.Hester shares what she has learned from both being mentored and mentoring others through initiatives such as Girls in Marketing, the advice that has stayed with her, and why some of her most influential managers have been men. Sonia and Hester also discuss what meaningful allyship looks like in practice and how leaders can better support and champion women in the workplace.The conversation also explores Hester’s experience as a female leader at board level, the progress still needed around representation and inclusion, and the advice she wishes she could give her younger self.Tune in for an honest conversation about mentorship, allyship and what it really means to build a career and lead with purpose.

In this episode of Life in Digital, host Daniel Bolter is joined by Stacey Bohrer, SVP Global Buyer Development at OpenX, to explore how programmatic is evolving around the needs of modern media buyers. Stacey shares her perspective on OpenX today, the changing expectations of buyers and partners, and the challenges facing the industry as technology continues to move at pace.The conversation dives into OpenXBuild and OpenX IQ, exploring how OpenX is developing new tools to help buyers make smarter decisions and navigate an increasingly complex programmatic landscape. Daniel and Stacey also unpack where AI is delivering genuine value for media buyers, where the industry may be getting ahead of itself, and what buyers are really looking for from their technology partners.Stacey also shares her approach to leadership and building high-performing teams in a fast-moving industry, before looking ahead to what she hopes will change across OpenX, its customers and the wider programmatic ecosystem over the next year.Tune in for a conversation on smarter buying, practical AI and the future of programmatic.

In this episode of The She Suite, host Sonia Atwal is joined by Lauren Berkemeyer, CMO at YuLife, for a conversation about building a career without following a traditional path. Lauren reflects on her journey across high-growth brands, startups and scale-ups, sharing what has guided her decisions and why embracing a “squiggly career” has opened up unexpected opportunities.Lauren also discusses making the move from New York to London, building a career in a new market and the lessons she’s learned from working in entrepreneurial environments. The conversation explores the challenges of taking brands international, adapting to fast-growth environments and building marketing strategies that can scale.Sonia and Lauren also dive into female leadership, navigating moments that challenge your confidence and what effective leadership looks like today. Lauren shares advice for anyone considering a less obvious career path, taking risks and making choices that could shape their next chapter.Tune in for an honest conversation about career curves, taking risks and finding your own path to leadership!

In this episode of Life in Digital, host Daniel Bolter is joined by Violaine Cabrol, US Managing Director at Soundcast, to explore the evolution of digital audio and the opportunities shaping the next era of programmatic advertising. Violaine shares her career journey into AdTech and audio, as well as how SoundCast is helping publishers and advertisers navigate the unique challenges of the audio ecosystem.The conversation explores the changing SSP landscape, the shift from buying on pure scale and reach towards quality, curation and intent, and why audio requires a different approach to technology and measurement. Daniel and Violaine also discuss the differences between the US and European markets, the importance of local insight when scaling internationally, and why high-touch client service remains central to Soundcast's approach.They also dive into the role of AI in audio advertising, from automating processes and identifying patterns to why human judgement and relationships still matter. Finally, Violaine looks at the growth of digital audio, the challenges around fragmentation and measurement, and what needs to happen for the channel to realise its full potential.Tune in now for a conversation on the evolution of digital audio, smarter programmatic buying and what comes next for the industry!