Brand Advocate

Dale specializes in Test Automation at Brand Networks, first starting in 2017, and splits his time between Rochester, NY, and Sacramento, CA. Having developed a test framework for our core and backend applications, he designs, writes, and maintains API and UI regression tests. This ensures the highest quality code is what meets our end users. Outside of work, he enjoys the sunshine, exploring the city, playing volleyball, and camping. On rainy days, you’ll find him playing PC games or spending time on video enhancement projects. Whether it be a test project or an old TV show, Dale is passionate about improving what’s in front of him.

Handcrafted from the dust of the Earth and the blood of heroes, it was the very breath of the Almighty that rejoiced at his birth. Just like his first beard, arriving on his first birthday, his experiences continue to grow. Through the years he has been called Teacher, Pastor, Officer, Husband, Associate, Master even Laird but his most coveted title is Dad. Surge is passionate about finding ways to welcome others to the next level and always striving to “be the spark the world needs.”

Alexandra is a Principal Software Engineer at Brand Networks. Since joining the company in 2015, Alexandra has contributed to a variety of web and mobile applications, most recently as a member of the technology team behind Walmart’s My Local Social app. She also serves as BN’s resident yoga enthusiast, frequently leading lunchtime yoga sessions for her coworkers. Alexandra holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Media Arts and Technology from Rochester Institute of Technology. When not working, she enjoys knitting, crossword puzzles, and corny made-for-TV romcoms. Alexandra lives in Rochester, NY with her incredibly spoiled feline companion, Luna.

Claire Pike is a Senior Software Engineer, working on full stack development for Walmart’s My Local Social project. She is originally from Pittsburgh, PA and earned her degree in Web & Computing from Rochester Institute of Technology. She lives in Rochester, NY and enjoys plants, yoga, and cheering on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Karen works as Director, Creative & Campaigns for BN and leads creative strategy and execution for all things visual and video for Walmart’s Local Social program. Because of her background in documentary filmmaking her passion lies in authentic storytelling. She loves to collaborate, problem-solve, and try new things. She is also an avid crime-drama and mythology podcaster and enjoys spending time with her husband, three dogs, and two cats.

I just graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science! When I’m not working, I enjoy hiking, running, watching movies/tv-shows and playing video games! My favorite place to run is Genesee Valley Park, my go-to movie recommendation is The Prestige, and go to tv show is Parks and Recreation. I love the Bioshock Series.

Originally from Westchester NY, Alex graduated from RIT with a degree in New Media Interactive Development. Working at BN is his first career job out of college and is happy to be staying in Rochester. In his free time, he is enthusiastic about games, whether they be video games, card games, or board games.

Based out of our NYC office, Savita joined Brand Networks as a Senior Analyst, Media Services in 2021. Savita comes with 3+ years of marketing and communications experience and graduated with her Master’s degree in Marketing in 2017. Most notably, a case study she wrote during her MPS program was published in 2019 by Bloomsbury Publishing Co. in the UK.

Mike Garsin is the President, Social Activation of Brand Networks and is responsible for the company’s culture, corporate strategy, and growth. A passionate leader, entrepreneur, and lifelong ad tech guru, Mike has spent the last two decades founding, innovating, and growing internet and technology media companies. He has been at the forefront of developing numerous industry-leading technology platforms to increase marketing effectiveness and measurement by identifying, designing, and implementing innovative products and services. This includes Brand Networks, which he co-founded in 2006. For over a decade, Mike led the charge as the CTO and spearheaded the development of award-winning advertising technology. Mike is a graduate of the University of Rochester and lives in Rochester, NY with his wife and three children.

Most people call me Chachi. I have been with Brand Networks since 2013, working with some of the greatest coworkers to provide solutions for some of the biggest brands ever.

Heather McCluskey joined Brand Networks as a Senior Media Analyst and lives just south of Boston. She has 2+ years of experience in paid media and a BA in Advertising and Integrated Communications. When she’s not at work, she spends her free time enjoying tacos, hiking and relaxing at the beach. But the one place you can almost always find her is outside running and playing with her GSD/Husky, Banks.

Frank Maldarelli is the CFO at Brand Networks, working to oversee and manage the Finance team. With over 20 years of experience in Finance roles, Frank has consistently brought strong financial acumen and has worked tirelessly to provide strategic insights that lead to sound business decisions. Because of his modeling prowess and his presentation of the data, he has been called the “Michelangelo of spreadsheets” by his colleagues! Prior to BN, he worked at several tech startups, including ClickSquared and AppNeta, where he helped grow the Finance team into a value-add organization. Frank graduated from Boston University, with a double major in Political Science and International Relations. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters at his home in Belmont, MA.

Jeff Zilberman is the Vice President of Client Solutions at Brand Networks, tasked with leading strategic partnerships and client success. With 10+ years of marketing and advertising experience, Jeff brings a proven track record of developing and executing against innovative strategies for fortune 100 retailers. Prior to BN, Jeff spent 6 years at PayPal leading various functions within digital media, program management, and client services. Jeff is a graduate of Roger Williams University and resides in Boston with his wife and daughter.

Jaci leads the software quality and data science teams and has been at Brand Networks since 2016. Jaci and her teams play a key part in BN’s ability to provide high-quality value-added products and solutions to some of the largest brands in the world. Outside of work, you’ll normally find Jaci on the sidelines cheering at one of her two boys’ sporting events. When there is a break in the sports action, Jaci loves the adventure of camping in the ADK, traveling to a Jimmy Buffett show, checking out the local restaurant scene wherever she is, or working to perfect her latte art. Jaci lives in Webster, NY with her husband and two sons, and insists on only real NY maple syrup.

Terrence is a Senior Divisional Community Manager at Brand Networks, helping associates of a Fortune 100 company leverage local social media to increase sales and customer engagement. Prior to BN, Terrence spent 8 years with Walmart with overseeing >$60 Million facilities and 250+ employees, as well as managing Local Social on a store level. Outside of BN, Terrence is an award winning announcer and filmmaker, scoring six announcing awards and two film awards with eight nominations. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Wings of Honor Museum, a non-profit organization in his hometown. Terrence currently resides in Arkansas with his wife Mikayla.

Michael Wackell is an Analyst, Media Services operating out of Brand Network’s Boston office. In his role, he supports the team with day-to-day operations and works on client accounts to ensure successful campaign creation, launch, and reporting. This is Michael’s first position out of school and he is very excited to be a part of the BN Family. When it comes to his free time, Michael enjoys watching movies, especially crime dramas, but has picked up reading in recent months. He’s an avid baseball fan and a diehard supporter of the Boston Red Sox. Bar Trivia is one of his favorite activities to do with his friends.

Amy has been a part of the Brand Networks’ technology team since 2015. She started her career in the pharmaceutical industry validating equipment and software systems, traveling from coast to coast. Amy returned to Rochester with a focus on software testing. She is a graduate of SUNY College of Technology at Alfred. Amy lives in Ontario, NY with her husband and children. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities, attending her son’s hockey games, and visiting her daughter at college in Kentucky.

Justin is an Engineering Manager who has been at Brand Networks since 2016. He has worked on a wide variety of projects over the years and is now leading development of Spotlight, the new Associate Influencer app for Walmart. When not working he like to play guitar, read, and spend time with his wife, two young boys, and dogs. He lives with his family outside of Rochester, NY.

Brittany Haines is our Marketing Project Manager, representing the #GreenTeam of Walmart! Brittany has worked for the #GreenTeam for over 5 years, and has truly committed her career to engaging with Neighborhood Market associates. She is a recent graduate of the University Of West Florida, and was born in Newport Rhode Island.

Matt is a Senior Software Test Engineer, Automation who has been with Brand since 2021. Prior to joining the team, Matt had been a Software Test Engineer in the telecom industry for 6 years. In his free time, he enjoys riding his motorcycle and spending time with his wife and two daughters.

Lisa works as a Director, Client Solutions, supporting the My Local Social app users for Walmart, ensuring a seamless experience that empowers users. She’s worked in social media, media campaign strategy, and creative development and brings these skills to the table to provide the best output for the client. When she’s not working, she enjoys boxing and volunteering as a youth leader for her church.

Desirée Gaston has a passion for local social media with over eight years of experience in social media program management. Currently, she works on the My Local Social Team for Sam’s Club as a Director, Client Solutions and enjoys creating training materials, communications, and supporting nearly 600 clubs and Social Champs. In her previous role with Hilton, Desirée managed local social Team Member programs, including the award-winning Hilton Suggests program. She led comprehensive training development, social tool implementations, and recognition programs. In her free time, Desirée enjoys hanging out with her three daughters and two fur kids. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Desirée loves the Portland Trailblazers and the Seattle Seahawks. However, not a fan of rain, she transplanted to the Phoenix area where she enjoys the dry desert heat. Her favorite thing to do is travel, try new restaurants, and support her girls’ many activities.

Equally left- and right-brained, Kate thrives on building creative solutions using data. Her skill set spans everything from database architecture and maintenance, building data pipelines, data sourcing and cleaning, to advanced analytics and visual presentation, dashboard creation, and even algorithm development and machine learning. At Brand Networks, Kate is a key member of the Walmart team leading the charge on insights and analytics. When she’s not nerding out at her computer, she’s probably hiking with her dog Levi, boxing, online shopping, listening to trance music, or growing her Magic the Gathering card collection.

Elliot’s experiences have taken him around the world learning things at each stage. At Brand Networks he manages programs and products, connecting the services, engineering, and paid media teams to drive results for our biggest clients. Prior to Brand Networks, Elliot worked at PayPal in the Marketing Technology and Marketing Operations departments. During his free time, Elliot enjoys soccer, snowboarding, music, fostering dogs, and traveling!

Alex joined the Brand Networks data science team in December of 2021. He graduated with a Masters in Data Science from Elmhurst University. Alex has a passion for learning and can be found outside of work researching odd things, trading cryptocurrencies, playing video games, watching sci-fi shows, and reading.

Nikki joined Brand Network’s Boston office as a Junior Media Analyst in 2021. In Nikki’s first position after graduating from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), she supports the Media Services team working with clients to create, optimize, launch, and analyze campaigns. In her free time, Nikki can most likely be found enjoying nature, looking for New England’s best bagels, building Instagram-worthy charcuterie boards, or reading a good book!

Graduated from the School of Management at the University at Buffalo with concentrations in MIS and HR. Prior to accepting my current position at Brand Networks, I was a Test Engineer and Scrum Master and was fortunate to work with many diverse products and teams in the payroll, and human capital management space. Currently, I am a member of the AMEX BTI team. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, seeking out new food experiences, and creating food. My hobbies are veggie gardening, cooking, baking, beer brewing, and spending time with my wife and four-legged son Oliver.

Mark joined BN’s Data Science team in 2017 and enjoys the diverse projects that he is able to contribute toward. He graduated with his Master’s in Biostatistics from University at Buffalo and became an avid Sabres and Bills fan in the process. In his free time, Mark enjoys spending time outdoors, whether it means biking, brewing beer, or scuba diving.

Karen is a Principal Software Test Engineer at Brand Networks. She started with the company in 2016 and has played a significant role in ensuring the quality of our product and solutions work. She is a certified scrum master as well, the first in our company! Karen lives in Fairport NY with her husband, 2 sons, and their dog Brutus. She enjoys a good true-crime podcast, hot weather, a day on the lake, Sunday football (go Bears), and anything Greek!

Dave Thomas is the Chief Architect within the Technology organization. He works closely with many parts of the company to ensure the technology solutions meet client and business objectives. As a restless and fidgety person, Dave is always on the move, and loves to run and visit various hiking trails with his family. Dave is a graduate of Roberts Wesleyan College. He resides in Rochester, NY with his wife and son.

Paul Falzone is a strategic advisor to the executive team at Brand Networks. He focuses on the company’s corporate development, partnerships, M&A activity, and global expansion. His experience helping Fortune 500 customers leverage digital marketing in international markets contributes to the company’s overall vision. Prior to Brand Networks, Paul was President of SDI Media Group, the market-leading language localization company with operations in 30 countries. Paul graduated with Honors from Northwestern University. He resides in Tiburon, Calif.

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Amy Slife Mullins is the VP of Media Services at Brand Networks. In her role, Amy is charged with leading the Services side of the company with an emphasis on client satisfaction and growth, strategy and education. Prior to joining Brand Networks in 2014, Amy spent time at Nanigans, where she drove paid social media efforts for a variety of brands. Amy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!) and a Master’s in Integrated Marketing Communication from Emerson College. She lives in Cambridge, MA with her husband, Sam.

Andrew Zimmer is a Senior Media Analyst at Brand Networks located in Buffalo, NY working out of the Rochester office. Andrew has 3+ years in paid digital advertising, personally managing $3M+ in adspend for DTC brands prior to joining BN in February 2022. In his free time, Andrew enjoys learning about investing, playing volleyball and basketball, and cleaning up his dogs’ accidents.

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Arianna joined Brand Networks as an Associate Media Analyst in 2022. She graduated from Roger Williams University with a degree in Marketing and lives in coastal Rhode Island. Before joining Brand Networks, Arianna worked in broadcast advertising, organic social media, and influencer marketing at both an agency and a start-up. When she’s not working, Arianna enjoys lounging at the beach with a good book, walking along the Newport Cliff Walk, and cooking—especially perfecting her family’s secret Italian recipes.

As VP of People & Culture, Brad is tasked with maintaining all aspects of employee relations. He is responsible for continuing to build, support, and improve workplace culture. The department additionally oversees all recruiting efforts, along with maintaining compliance. Brad started with Brand Networks in 2012 as its first recruiter. Since joining he has been instrumental in the growth and responsibility of the department as well as Brand Networks. He resides in Rochester NY with his wife and three children. When not enjoying time with the family you can find Brad on the golf course, or cheering on the Buffalo Bills!

Born in a little town in Venezuela, destiny brought me here today, Started in the retail business for the largest retailer in the world Walmart, now taking on a new challenge with an amazing company Brand Networks as a Divisional Community Manager for the West BU.Never be afraid to create real content with real people for a real audience.

Jamie Tedford is the Founder of Brand Networks. Prior to founding Brand Networks in 2006, Jamie was SVP, Marketing and Media Innovation at Arnold Worldwide, a top-10 US brand advertising agency. Recognized as an innovative entrepreneur and a pioneer in the growing “Word of Mouth” industry, Jamie launched the WOM division at Arnold and is a founding board member of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. Jamie is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, and he lives in Marblehead, Mass.

Jeremy has been a part of the Brand Networks tech team since 2014 and considers it his mission to empower the team to thrive on solving challenging problems and driving innovation for our customers. Jeremy started his career as a software engineer and received a Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology, where he remains active on their Industrial Advisory Board. In 2020 Jeremy was recognized by the university and inducted into the Kate Gleason College of Engineering Academy. Jeremy lives with his wife and three daughters in Ontario, New York. In his free time he is an avid reader, loves woodworking, and is a fan of the Buffalo Bills and New York Yankees.

Wyatt joined Brand Networks on the engineering team in 2019 as a contractor, and was excited to be able to join the team on a more permanent basis in 2020. He went to college at Drew University in New Jersey and graduated with a bachelor’s in computer science, and previously had done research into computational linguistics and software development and maintenance while attending the university.

Naveen Katuri is the Director of Media Services at Brand Networks,he has been in the Advertising and Ad Tech industry for 15+ years and is charged with leading the services team and operations at our India Office. Prior to joining BN, he co-founded Rype helping startups and technology firms successfully establish, manage and optimize remote operations. Naveen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from JNTU Hyderabad. He lives in Hyderabad with his wife and son

I currently live in Rochester NY with my fiancé, my dog Toast, and my cats Maple and Moon. I enjoy playing basketball, socializing with friends, video games, and watching basically any sport that’s on.

Zarah Fath is the Vice President of Media Solutions, APAC at Brand Networks. In her role, Zarah is charged with leading the solutions side of Brand Networks with an emphasis on consulting, strategy and developing client-specific solutions to ensure customer retention and growth. Prior to joining Brand Networks in 2016, she spent time at News Corp Australia, where she helped build up and expand the internal digital agency start-up “News Xtend” as part of their social media team. Originally from Germany, Zarah earned her Masters (Hons.) of Media Studies and Journalism from the Friedrich-Wilhelms University of Bonn, Germany and Louisiana State University, USA. She resides with her partner in Sydney, Australia.

Brian first came to Brand Networks in 2012, so we’re pretty sure he likes it here. He enjoys helping individuals work effectively together as a team to create high quality software that they can truly feel proud of. When he’s not in a meeting or writing code, he can be found cursing up a storm trying to make home improvements. If those home improvement projects ever end (they won’t), he hopes to someday continue playing volleyball, riding his bicycle, or learning Adele songs on the piano.

After former stints as a Flash developer, he decided to take a chance and join a social media tech startup. It’s been nearly 9 years later and he’s still kicking around – we think he just likes to have people to play nerdy board games with. When he’s not working, you might find him at home tending the backyard farm, in the kitchen cooking & canning, or traveling the world with his fiancée. As a proud guncle, he enjoys every chance to play with his nephew and two nieces.

Collaborator, thinker, builder, problem-solver. With a passion to continually learn and grow, Dan loves surrounding himself with intelligent ideas and people. He developed a love for all things technology at a young age. He especially loves cloud-first systems and currently enjoys architecting infrastructure and networking to be highly available and scalable. When his head isn’t in the clouds, he enjoys snowboarding, fishing, and exercising but most of all spending time with his wife and kids.

I am a B.Tech graduate and having 4+ years of experience in campaign management. Apart from work, I would like to play chess, reading blogs and loves to watch suspense thriller movies.

Merit (Bob) Wilkinson got his first programming job in high school developing logistics software on Unix and has been hooked ever since. He has a degree in Computer Science from RIT and has been leading developers for over ten years now. Bob has two fantastic children who have been doing all they can to “help” out while he works from home.

Sarah started her career in influencer marketing almost immediately after graduating college. After 4 years of start-up experience and 2 years as a freelance influencer marketing manager, Sarah joined Brand Networks to help manage an employee influencer program for one of our largest clients. Before Sarah joined the team, she was backpacking around Asia, Australia, and Europe. When she is not travelling, she loves photography, Thai food (not spicy though), running, hiking, and anything adventurous outdoors.

Lauren Castle is the newest member of the My Local Social Team, serving as Divisional Community Manager for Walmart Health & Wellness as well as Influencer Platform Manager for Spotlight. Lauren is a 10-year Walmart Associate, most recently serving as a Market Health & Wellness Director, and still working as a part-time pharmacist. She holds a PharmD from Ohio Northern University and an MS in Human Nutrition & Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. She is the Founder & CEO of the Functional Medicine Pharmacists Alliance. Lauren resides in Ohio with her husband and 3 cats: Olive, Pickle, and Fluffy.

Ken Hertzog is a Principal Software Engineer at Brand Networks. As a full-stack engineer, he is involved in everything from the UI to the backend cloud infrastructure for a wide array of products and services. Ken received his B.S. in Computer Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He lives with his wife in Rochester, NY. When not working, Ken enjoys collecting music on vinyl and appreciating good craft beer and whiskey.

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Patrick is a Senior Manager leading the paid local social initiatives. He specializes in large-scale paid execution & optimization and loves to find unique solutions that get the job done! In his free time, he likes to write and perform music as well as relax on the porch with his wife Jen and their two cats.

I’m a Software Engineering graduate from Rochester Institute of Technology. At home, I spend most of my time with my cat and girlfriend playing video games, reading- mostly fantasy and outdoors-related books, or obsessively following ice hockey. Outside of the house, I spend almost all of my free time outdoors- hiking, camping, and skiing primarily. I started the Adirondack 46er challenge in 2020, and am already a third of the way done!

Life is bananas.

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Nicole brings many years of paid social experience to the BN team, having worked with a wide range of B2C and B2B brands. She loves the problem-solving aspect of her job the most, always working to improve every campaign she touches. Nicole currently lives in Rochester, NY with her husband, their son, and two mischievous cats. She loves anime, video games, and ice cream. If you see her parents, make sure to let them know it wasn’t “just a phase.”

As Manager of People & Culture, Matt is responsible for leading the talent acquisition strategy while supporting the workplace culture. Matt joined BN back in 2012 and has helped the company build a talented workforce across the US and several other countries. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development from Binghamton University and enjoys golfing, watching sports, playing video games, and spending time with his family.