Who were the diverse voices in digital media and ad tech making waves in 2023?
Brands across every industry are still learning to create a space that adheres to diversity, equity, and inclusion. While some made it a part of their company goals to work towards DEI, others in the advertising industry are noticing that the era of diversity is not what it once was.
Despite this, here at AdMonsters, we are working towards recognizing DEI by hearing from the diverse voices in our industry. We learned about the importance of cultural diversity and how people from all walks of life impact the ad tech industry through their tenacity and innovation.
Here is AdMonsters Best of DEI or “The Inclusion List”:
Black History Month
The stories in this inclusion list exemplify how the people working around us are making industry-wide changes. From a CEO of an SSP who moonlights as a singer to a CMO of the Brand Safety Institute who works on equity and inclusion, there’s something for everyone.
- A Seat at the Table With Lashawnda Goffin, CEO, Colossus SSP
- The Importance of Black Media and Sharing Your Wealth: Cedric J. Rogers, Culture Genesis Inc.
- 10 Black Ad Tech Professionals Making Waves in Digital Media and Advertising
- Breaking the Glass Ceiling: The Legacy of Louis Jones, Brand Safety Institute
- Celebrating Black Pioneers in Ad Tech — Charles Cantu, Reset Digital
AAPI Heritage Month
AAPI Heritage Month sets time aside in May to celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who made history in their communities and the country. Here are just a few of the AAPi industry leaders who are making waves in ad tech:
- Celebrating AAPI Month: NBCU’s Michelle Kim Cracks the Code on Shattering Self-Doubt
- Celebrating AAPI Month: Angelina Eng Reflects on the Evolution of the Digital Media Industry
- Celebrating AAPI Month: Don Valdez’s Parenting-Styled Leadership Approach
- AAPI Heritage Month: 10 Digital Media and Ad Tech Professionals Setting the Standard
- Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month: Glenda Bautista-Baker on Finding Beauty and Truth in Misfortune
Pride Month
Every color of the rainbow touches the ad tech supply chain. For Pride Month, AdMonsters was proud to celebrate all our LGBTQ+ industry peers making a difference through their professional works and personal stories.
- PGA Tour’s Pilar Prassas On PRIDE, People Power, and Partnership
- Ad Tech Veteran Mike Richter: The Power of Community and the Power Built From Experience
- LGBTQIA Publishers Continue to Face Ad Spend Inequality
Hispanic Heritage Month
AdMonsters Hispanic Heritage Month lineup was unmatched. From a privacy lawyer to a thought leader working at the IAB, here are a few Hispanic ad tech professionals pushing the needle forward for DEI and ad tech solutions.
- HHM: Match Media’s Sofia Santiago Says Her Career and Online Dating Have Two Things In Common: Numbers
- Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: My Code’s Alexander Haluska on Navigating a Career in RevOps
- Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: Hearst’s Lacey Gutierrez — Advocating Privacy in the Media Landscape
- Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month With IAB’s Jeffrey Bustos: The DEI Champion, The Retail Media Expert, and The Thought Leader
How CEOs & CMOs Can Get Multicultural Marketing Right
Multiculturalism significantly shapes and drives mainstream marketing, and according to Crystal Foote, Founder of Digital Culture Group, marketers still need help grasping the concept. Despite strides made towards diversity and inclusion in advertising, there’s a profound gap between the intentions voiced by industry leaders and the actual outreach to diverse audiences.
Foote believes that the discrepancy between intention and action arises from several factors. Brands often need more internal multicultural representation necessary to align campaign messaging effectively. Moreover, brands need more data-driven insights to identify optimal approaches to reach diverse audiences online, compounded by broad, generalized strategies.
Bridging the Inequality Gap in Marketing With BRIDGE: Q&A With Founder Sheryl Daija
A key aspect of DEI involves a diverse workforce driving advertising for global audiences. As demographics evolve, businesses must work to embed diversity in their operations, with studies consistently showing that truly diverse companies yield increased revenue and expand their customer base.
Enter BRIDGE, a purpose-driven DEI trade organization focused on making DEI a practical reality. Launched in April 2022 by Sheryl Daija, BRIDGE aims to shift DEI from a mere philosophy to an operational business practice for growth.
“I saw the opportunity to create a trade organization that could leverage the same model we used to build marketing platforms. And I also realized that to drive real systemic change, we needed to bring together diversity, marketing, and business leaders and make DEI an integral part of the business,” said Daija.
Strategies for Sustaining Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging as a Business Imperative
During a session at PubForum Coronado Island, Lisa Mae Brunson, founder of Wonder Women Tech, Alex Haluska, Sr. Director of Revenue Operations at MyCode, and Sheila Marmon, CEO and Founder of Mirror Digital discussed the strategies that they take in their roles to make sure that everyone on their team has a seat at the table, and that their business is inclusive and relatable for all consumers.
“Diversity is not just an initiative but a reality of our pluralistic society,” said Marmon.