Modern Marketing Summit

Friday, July 10th, 2026

• 8:00 AM Breakfast and Registration
• 9:00 AM Welcome and Opening Remarks

  Brandon Gutman, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Brand Innovators

  Marc Sternberg, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Brand Innovators

• 9:05 AM Inside the Brand: Molson Coors on Modern Marketing

  Get an inside look at how one of the world’s most iconic beverage companies thinks about modern marketing. Molson Coors leaders share the mindset, strategies, and lessons behind building and evolving beloved brands in today’s fast-changing consumer landscape — setting the tone for a day of bold ideas and honest conversations.

  Sofia Colucci, Chief Marketing Officer, Molson Coors

  Moderated by: Tara Rohde, Manager, Agency Sales, Netflix

• 9:40 AM Powering Engagement through Strategic Brand Collaborations

  Brand collaborations done right can unlock new audiences, generate cultural buzz, and reinforce brand values in ways traditional advertising simply cannot. In this candid panel, marketing leaders share what they’ve learned from their best (and most instructive) brand partnerships.

  Emily K. Spaeter, Senior Brand Manager, Whirlpool Brand, Whirlpool Corporation

  Katie Rush, Senior Brand Manager, KitchenAid, Whirlpool Corporation

  Lexie Winter, Senior Brand Manager, KitchenAid, Whirlpool Corporation

  Amanda Abraham, Integrated Brand Manager, Maytag Laundry, Whirlpool Corporation

  Moderated by: Brian Zaben, Vice President, Sales and Strategy, Yahoo DSP

• 10:15 AM Networking Break
• 10:30 AM Brand Authenticity in a High Growth Environment

  Scaling a brand without losing what made it resonate is one of the defining challenges of modern marketing. This session explores how brand leaders protect their core identity, maintain consumer trust, and stay true to their values even as the pressure to grow accelerates.

  Annie Belgrade, Senior Manager, Integrated Content Marketing, Ferrara Candy Company

  Christopher Krautler, Senior Director, Brand Marketing & Communications, Grubhub

  Alyssa Lynner, Marketing Director,  Coors Banquet, Molson Coors

  Moderated by: Tom Hatton, Divisional Vice President, Enterprise, Bazaarvoice

• 11:10 AM From Intelligence to Influence: The Marketing Leader's Blueprint for Business Impact

  The brands that endure are the ones that never stop learning who their consumer is. But staying relevant to a changing audience at scale is harder than it’s ever been. In this session, consumer insights veteran Bridgette Vargas shares how she built and led a team that sits at the intersection of data and marketing action, and why that leadership position has become critical to sustainable growth.

  From navigating moments of real consumer uncertainty to earning a seat at the strategy table, she’ll offer a practitioner’s blueprint for what it actually takes to turn intelligence into organizational impact. Honest, experience-driven, and grounded in the real challenges of building a high-performing function, this conversation is for any marketing leader trying to make consumer intelligence a genuine business-changing capability.

  Bridgette Vargas, Executive Director, CRM & Lifecycle Marketing, Disney Experiences

  Bryan Gernert, Chief Executive Officer, Resonate

• 11:40 AM Networking Break
• 12:00 PM The New Era of Customer Engagement: Building Community & Brand Loyalty

  The rules of consumer engagement have fundamentally shifted and loyalty can no longer be bought, it has to be earned. Join this conversation on how brands are building genuine communities, fostering meaningful relationships, and turning everyday customers into passionate long-term advocates.

  Lauren Eiden, Social Media Brand Manager, United Airlines

  Caitlin Josephs, Manager Loyalty, McDonald’s Corporation

  Moderated by: Brian O’Neill, Industry Lead, Restaurants, Fetch

• 12:30 PM Lunch hosted by Molson Coors
• 1:30 PM From Insight to Impact: Molson Coors on Staying Close to the Consumer

  What does it really take to stay genuinely connected to your consumer as markets shift, audiences evolve, and culture moves faster than ever? Molson Coors marketers pull back the curtain on how they stay agile, interpreting, and acting on consumer insights to keep their brands relevant and ready for what’s next.

  Ashley Austin, Marketing Manager, Miller Family of Brands, Molson Coors

  Courtney Donlan, Marketing Media Manager, Molson Coors

  Rory McClenaghan, Group Strategy Director at Volt, Molson Coors

  Elizabeth Oates, Vice President, Consumer Insights, Molson Coors

  Moderated by: Will Hoyt, Executive Sales Manager, Enterprise Media, T-Mobile

• 2:00 PM Relevance in Real Time: How Challenger Brands Stay Top of Mind

  Nimbleness isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a competitive advantage that separates brands that lead cultural conversations from those that follow them. Hear from marketers who have built the internal structures, creative pipelines, and decision-making speed to stay consistently relevant.

  Ashley Findlay, Senior Director of Marketing, Nordic Naturals

  Jonathan King, Partner & Head of Growth, Quality Meats

  Chris Steele, Senior Director of Value, Keystone Light Apple, Molson Coors

  Moderated by: John Solymossy, Senior Account Executive, Kargo

• 2:30 PM Marketer-Moderated Panel: The Future of Media Partnerships

  The best media partnerships go far beyond media buys – they’re built on collaboration, shared goals, and a deep understanding of today’s consumer. As the marketing landscape continues to evolve, brands are rethinking how they work with agencies, platforms, and partners to drive stronger business outcomes. Hear how industry leaders are building strategic partnerships that deliver lasting value and fuel innovation.

  Jaime Byrdak, Chief Executive Officer, North America, Billups

  Joe Frick, Senior Vice President, Growth, Goodway Group

  Mandie Kijinski, Vice President, Agency Partnerships, Experian

  Moderated by: Nicole Kane, Vice President and General Manager, Breakfast Category, Bimbo Bakeries USA

• 3:10 PM Networking Break
• 3:30 PM From Influence to Impact: How to Drive Cultural Relevance and Engagement

  Influence without impact is just noise. This session examines how brands are evolving their approach to creators and cultural partnerships, moving beyond vanity metrics to build campaigns that drive genuine engagement, shape consumer behavior, and leave a lasting impression.

  Angie Madigan, Vice President/General Manager of Taste Elevation, Kraft Heinz

  Moderated By: Breck Mahoney, Senior Account Executive, Attain

• 4:00 PM What Modern Marketing Looks Like From Here

  Marketing leaders reflect and share the ideas that mattered most from the day, distilling them into a practical view of what’s ahead – where budgets, teams, and strategy need to go next, and what it will take to stay competitive as the landscape keeps changing.

  Amanda DeVore, Senior Director of Marketing Innovation, Molson Coors

  Michelle Karagodin, Brand Director, Whirlpool Corporation

  Moderated by: Mandie Kijinski, Vice President, Agency Partnerships, Experian

• 4:30 PM Happy Hour at Molson Coors
• 5:30 PM Event Wraps