Supply-side platform

Well, yeah, I mean, for me, I started in programmatic before programmatic.

Um, I sort of accidentally invented the SSP in 2004.

Um, yeah, actually, the SSP came before the ad exchange.

Uh, I was working at a little ad network called Right Media, and we had a competitor that would tell publishers they were getting a $5 CPM.

And we were like...

And so this was, like, you know, a head exploding moment for me.

I said, "Well, what if we could just auction every ad and ask all of the networks whether they'll pay for it at the same time?" And so if they do have this amazing $5 CPM, they can take those, and then we'll monetize the rest at 25 cents and the publisher will make twice as much money.

And so that was the SSP.

And I thought, "That's where I need to go.

Follow the money." So I moved into ad tech, um, started with OpenX as an SSP.

That was the rise of header bidding.

The timing was absolutely perfect.

Um, but that is also a threat.

It's a huge threat to independent publishers as we know it, especially in the mid to long tail.

And I think because it started out and my mother was a journalist and I've had journalism in my blood in content and editorial, um, and I've made money for publishers over the last 10 years as an SSP, it's my job to make money for publishers.

I really do have a natural affiliation with publishers and quality content and journalism, and I'm passionate about that, and I felt as though now was the time for me to really go back- Um, and lead the future-