The Pub Way: An AdTech Podcast for Media Leaders

In this special episode for International Women’s Month 2026, we bring together female leaders across adtech and media to share the moments that shaped their careers, the lessons they wish they had known earlier, and how experience can help others move forward faster: Priti Powell (Co-Founder of Advance Women)KiYonna Carr (Director, O&O Yield Management at Yahoo)Shari Munoz (Head of Research and Measurement at Seedtag)Mariam Topeshashvili (Entrepreneur)Hosted by Tina Iannacchino (VP, Publisher Partnerships NA at Seedtag), the conversation explores leadership, career growth, and how sharing knowledge can drive more inclusive progress.

​​In this episode of The Pub Way podcast, hosts Tina Iannacchino and Mike Villalobos sit down with Amanda Gomez, SVP of Revenue Operations & Ad Technology at New York Post, to explore how news publishers are balancing brand safety, user experience, and monetization while future-proofing their digital products in an AI-driven world.They discuss the shift away from keyword blocklists toward sentiment-driven suitability, why “ad-light” experiences matter as search declines, and how publishers can build loyalty through apps, talent-led brands, and smarter product strategy.Interested in being a guest? Contact us: thepubwaypodcast.com/contact

In this episode of The Pub Way Podcast, hosts Tina Iannacchino and Mike Villalobos sit down with Heather Carver, Chief Revenue Officer at Freestar, to explore how AI and curation are redefining brand safety and reshaping publisher monetization strategies.They talked about the evolution from traditional blocklists to smarter, contextual brand suitability approaches, the growing role of automation in curation, and how publishers can future-proof their revenue in a rapidly changing digital landscape.Interested in being a guest? Contact us: thepubwaypodcast.com/contact

Mike and Tina welcome Scott Young, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Transmit, to discuss the evolution and innovation in streaming, particularly in live sports. Scott shares his extensive background in digital advertising and the challenges faced in monetizing live sports streaming. They also explore the operational challenges within FAST channels and the need for standardization in the industry. Scott’s Book recommendation: The Stargate Chronicles: Memoirs of a Psychic Spy (Joseph McMoneagle, 2002)Interested in being a guest? Contact us: thepubwaypodcast.com/contact

In this episode of The Pub Way podcast, Tina and Mike welcome Stephanie Layser, Global Head of Publisher Ad Tech Solutions at Amazon Web Services (AWS).Stephanie shares exclusive insights on the launch of AWS RTB Fabric, a fully managed, cloud-native framework that simplifies integrations, reduces latency and infrastructure costs, and powers faster real-time bidding.The conversation also explores agentic workflows, the future of ad serving, and how AWS is helping publishers innovate with AI to build smarter, more efficient monetization strategies.Interested in being a guest? Contact us: thepubwaypodcast.com/contact

In this episode, our hosts Mike and Tina discussed the transformative impact of AI and automation in the publishing industry with Jared Siegal, founder and CEO of Attitude. They explored how large language models (LLMs) are being utilized in ad operations, the importance of traffic shaping, and the challenges of navigating user data in a privacy-first world.Interested in being a guest? Contact us: thepubwaypodcast.com/contact

In this episode of The Pub Way podcast, Tina and Mike discuss the evolving landscape of adtech with Brendan Norman, Co-Founder and CEO of Classify. They explore the decline of traditional taxonomies, the rise of agentic experiences driven by AI, and the importance of contextual targeting. They also cover the challenges of accessibility and governance in the industry, the need for sustainability, and strategies for publishers to prepare for Q4. Interested in being a guest? Contact us: thepubwaypodcast.com/contact

In this episode of The Pub Way podcast, Tina and Mike welcome Mike Brooks, Global Head of Business Development and Partnerships at LG Ad Solutions. They explore the evolving landscape of connected TV (CTV) and digital identity formats, the transition from mobile advertising to CTV, and the challenges and opportunities that arise in this new environment.Brooks shares valuable insights for media planners and newcomers to the industry, emphasizing the importance of taking risks and building relationships.Interested in being a guest? Contact us: thepubwaypodcast.com/contact

Carter Lassy (Chief Product Officer at SheerID) joins hosts Tina and Mike to discuss the evolving role of data and identity in advertising.The conversation covers the importance of verified data, the hybrid model of merging verified and behavioral data, the challenges posed by walled gardens, and the future of trustworthy data in a privacy-focused landscape. Interested in being a guest? Contact us: thepubwaypodcast.com/contact

In this episode of The Pub Way podcast, hosts Tina and Mike, welcome Jon Wallett (Seedtag’s VP of Sales East Coast) to explore the complexities of programmatic advertising. They discuss the initial promises of one-to-one targeting and efficiency, the disconnect between these promises and the realities faced by marketers, and the challenges of audience targeting and transparency. Interested in being a guest? Contact us: thepubwaypodcast.com/contact

In this episode of The Pub Way podcast, hosts Tina Iannacchino & Mike Villalobos welcome Michael Scott, VP, Head of Ad Sales and Operations at Samsung Ads North America, to explore the transformative landscape of television advertising. The conversation delves into the shift from traditional brand marketing to performance-driven strategies, the rise of interactive ad experiences, and the importance of data in optimizing advertising efforts. Interested in being a guest? Contact us: thepubwaypodcast.com/contact

In this episode of The Pub Way podcast, Tina and Mike discuss the rise of ad-supported streaming and the evolution of the programmatic supply chain with guest Kris Magel (VP, Head of Global Agency Partnerships at FreeWheel).They explore how consumer behavior is shifting towards ad-supported platforms, the current state of programmatic advertising in streaming, and the changing landscape of upfront negotiations.

In this special crossover episode of AdTech Heroes x The Pub Way podcasts, recorded from Cannes in partnership with The Drum, we explored how brands and publishers can use real-time context and AI to connect with audiences through their interests, emotions, and intent. Hosted by Tina Iannacchino and Marko Johns, with guests Jamie Dunlop (Managing Partner at Mediaplus UK) and Tony Gemma (VP Global Head of Yahoo Creative.Relive Seedtag at Cannes Lions 2025: https://info.seedtag.com/cannes-25

In this episode of The Pub Way podcast, Mike and Tina sit with Tyler Romasco (SVP, Global Publisher Development at OpenX) to discuss the evolving landscape of advertising technology, focusing on curation, supply quality, and the impact of AI. They explore the definitions of curation from both supply and demand perspectives, the importance of transparency in curated deals, and the challenges of scaling programmatic linear TV. Interested in being a guest? Contact us: thepubwaypodcast.com/contact

In this episode of The PubWay podcast, hosts Tina and Mike welcome Brian Lin, Senior Vice President of Product Management, Advertising at TelevisaUnivision, the world's leading Spanish-language media company.They discuss the evolving landscape of programmatic advertising, particularly focusing on data quality, measurement challenges, and the future of monetization in Connected TV (CTV). The conversation highlights the importance of leveraging first-party data, the potential of AI and quantum computing, and innovative ad experiences that enhance consumer engagement.Interested in being a guest? Contact us: thepubwaypodcast.com/contact

In this episode of The PubWay podcast, hosts Tina and Mike welcome Tony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab, to explore the evolving landscape of ad tech. They discuss the importance of innovation, open source solutions, and the role of IAB Tech Lab in standardizing practices within the industry. The conversation delves into the challenges of measurement in connected TV (CTV), the emergence of the Trusted Server initiative, and the need for integrity and security in open source projects.Interested in being a guest? Contact us: thepubwaypodcast.com/contact

In this episode of The PubWay podcast, hosts Tina and Mike welcome Tony Franklin, CEO of Tidbit Consulting, to explore the challenges of programmatic advertising, the importance of understanding both sides of the market, and the value of mid-tier publishers.They also cover the evolving landscape of media and advertising, from the transition from print to digital, to the impact of AI on future trends.Interested in being a guest? Contact us: thepubwaypodcast.com/contact

In this special episode for International Women's Month 2025, we bring together female leaders across adtech & media to explore how we can #AccelerateAction for gender equality: Jackelyn Keller (CMO, Comscore), Natasha Byrne (Global Business Lead, Omnicom Media Group), Luisa Izquierdo (CHRO, Seedtag). Hosted by Tina Iannacchino (VP, Publisher Partnerships NA, Seedtag) the conversation highlights leadership, industry transformation, diversity, & actionable solutions.Interested in being a guest? Contact us: thepubwaypodcast.com/contact

In this episode, Tina and Mike were joined by Don Valdez, during his time as Head of Ad Tech and Publisher Partnerships at The Media Trust. Don explored how AI can enhance content quality, protect user data, and ensure regulatory compliance in publishing. He shared practical strategies for building user trust through transparency, verification, and collaboration with brands. Also, Don emphasizes the importance of using AI to improve efficiency and encourages publishers to embrace and effectively utilize these tools.

In this episode of The PubWay podcast, Mike Villalobos speaks with Jessica Breslav, Chief Customer Officer at Index Exchange, about the evolution of Supply-Side Platforms (SSPs) in the AdTech ecosystem. They discuss the critical role of automation, the importance of value creation for publishers, and the challenges posed by privacy regulations. Jessica shares insights on sustainability initiatives within the industry and offers predictions for the future of ad tech, emphasizing the need for innovation and collaboration.