The Harmony Team Closes Out 2019

by | Dec 23, 2019 | Harmony

The second half of the year is always a crazy time, but that did not stop Harmony – our social responsibility team – from continuing their commitment to fostering a caring community. The team has grown tremendously this year, allowing Harmony to increase participation and impact across all three of our U.S. offices through a variety of first-time events, like our Holiday Children’s Carnival, and even annual classics like our Mental Health Week, Toys for Tots Toy Drive, and more.  

Check out below to learn more about the awesome events and initiatives that Harmony has accomplished to close out an amazing year! 

Yappy Hour & NOLA on Tap

Animals have always held a special place in the hearts of many Remedier’s, and this September, we were able to give back to local animal shelters through two unique events. In NOLA, the team took time out of their weekend to participate in NOLA on Tap, the largest beer festival in Louisiana that happens every year, where all proceeds benefit the Louisiana SPCA. Digital Remedy helped serve drinks to fest-goers in order to raise as much money as possible for the nonprofit organization which uses the funds to help eliminate animal suffering all across the state. This event not only gave our NOLA team the chance to give back to a cause they all care about, but it was also the perfect excuse to hang out with some furry friends outside of the office. 

That same week, our NYC team headed downtown to Animal Haven, a local no-kill animal shelter, where they worked side by side with staff to help clean the shelter and care for the animals. Remediers cleaned cages, prepped meals, bathed puppies, walked dogs, organized inventory, and did everything and anything to help the Animal Haven team. To close out the day, the team got to relax and have a “Yappy Hour” with pizza and drinks while playing with a few adoptable (and obviously adorable) dogs from the shelter.

Mental Health Week

In honor of World Mental Health Day on October 10th, Harmony hosted our Second Annual Mental Health Week. Full of programs and events, Mental Health Week is designed to encourage Remediers to learn about the ways in which you can improve and maintain your mental health in the workplace. This year, each day focused on a different topic that contributes to positive mental health. Our topics this year were: Healthy Space, Healthy Spirit, Healthy Mind, Healthy Heart, and Healthy Body. Daily communications were sent out each morning containing a schedule of the day’s activities, along with educational facts on mental health and helpful resources on getting help, helping others, or just starting a conversation. 

Though every activity was able to gain a great amount of participation in all three of our offices we, of course, had a few fan favorites. Kicking the week off on the right foot, we created healthier spaces by planting succulents that could then be kept and maintained right on our desks. Knowing that plants can help reduce stress, boost productivity, and increase creativity, everyone was happy to come together and pick their favorite succulent to care for for the rest of the year. On our healthy heart day, our NYC office was thrilled to once again be visited by our favorite pups from New York Therapy Animals. Everyone interested was given the opportunity to take a break from their workday and come sit with, pet, play with, and even hug their new furry friends, all while enjoying the therapeutic effects of a dog’s presence. Our final office favorite for the second year in a row was our Sunshine Notes. A week-long event, sunshine notes gave our employees the opportunity to share positive notes of appreciation and gratitude for their teammates. On Friday, everyone received their own bag of sunshine notes containing all the messages made especially for them. 

Our second year with Mental Health Week not only gained greater engagement from our employees, but also received recognition from Crain’s New York as a finalist for their “Best Idea” initiative at this year’s Best Places to Work luncheon! 

Toys for Tots & Jacket Drive

Digital Remedy continued some holiday traditions this year by holding our annual Toys for Tots Toy Drive and Winter Coat Drive in both our NOLA and NYC offices. Our Toys for Tots Drive was able to collect over 50 new and unwrapped toys before the holiday break that were donated to children in time for the holiday season. 

Our NYC office will once again be working throughout the rest of winter into the new year to collect as many winter coats for One Warm Coat, an organization that collects gently-worn winter gear and donates it to local groups and individuals in need. Meanwhile, NOLA will be working hard to support Project Lazarus, an amazing organization giving support to those affected by HIV/AIDS in the New Orleans community, with winter gear as well.  So far, participation has been overwhelming, and we are excited to see just how much we can do for these two great organizations. 

Lucky Forks Holiday Carnival

To close out the year in NYC, members of our Harmony Team was able to experience something new as we headed to the Lower East Side for a Holiday Carnival hosted by Lucky Forks’ Give Me Five in partnership with Knock Knock Give a Sock, aiming to bring together two communities in order to spread holiday cheer. With the help of 23 companies from the New York City area, over 150 homeless children and their families were treated to an afternoon of fun, food, and holiday spirit. 

Hopping, slipping, and sliding our way to the finish line, our team ran the Jingle Bell Race carnival booth. A holiday-themed potato sack race, kids and parents were encouraged to race in an attempt to be the first person to ring the bells at the finish line. Although winners got bragging rights, all children received a Digital Remedy Flying Elf as a prize for participating. Several hours, 150 flying elves, and a great workout later, our Harmony Team left the event truly feeling the holiday spirit and looking forward to more great events like this in the new year. Check out a full recap from the Lucky Forks Team here.

NOLA Steps Up Again!

Our NOLA Team also worked hard to spread some cheer this holiday season, stepping up big time to make sure that more people are able to have a joyful holiday. The magic started in November when the team decided to donate their annual Thanksgiving office lunch to their local Covenant House, a non-profit that dedicates time to provide housing and support services for homeless youth. They then took this time to throw their own potluck where Remediers were encouraged to bring in their own dishes to share their personal Thanksgiving traditions.

On the week before Christmas, the Harmony Team was able to unite the entire office once again to create one-of-a-kind, beautiful, festive, and fun holiday cards for their local St. Margaret’s Nursing Home. Hand-delivered the next day, the team was able to create over 60 cards to help brighten the spirits of those who are unable to spend the holidays with their loved ones.  

As we close out the year, our Harmony Team is excited to continue our work and create an even larger and more caring community in 2020. Keep an eye out for more updates to come!

Mike Seiman

Mike Seiman, CEO & Chairman, is the founder of Digital Remedy, a digital media solutions company leading the tech enabled marketing space he co-founded while still a college student at Hofstra University in the early 2000s. The company has grown quickly and is now a major player within the crowded digital advertising landscape. The rapid growth of Digital Remedy, formerly CPXi led to its inclusion on Inc. Magazine’s list of fastest growing privately held advertising/marketing companies in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2014. Mike was selected as a semi-finalist in Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year initiative in 2010 and 2013 and as a finalist in 2009 and 2014. In his free time, Mike serves on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Hofstra University. He also focuses on numerous philanthropic initiatives including sitting on the boards of the H.E.S. (Hebrew Educational Society non-profit community center) and Children International, where he spearheaded the development of community centers in both Guayaquil, Ecuador in 2010 and Barranquilla, Colombia in 2014.

David Zapletal

Before graduating in 2005 with degrees in Retail and Consumer Science (with an emphasis in eCommerce) and a Minor in Public Business Administration at the University of Arizona, David Zapletal had already successfully grown a start up ad network from serving an initial 1 million impressions per day to over 10 million impressions per day. It was his deep understanding of internet advertising during the industry’s beginning stages that led him to another start up at the time, CPXi. More than 8 years that have passed and Zapletal currently serves as Chief Operating Officer for Digital Remedy. In that role he continues to help grow and implement optimization tactics across various ad serving platforms, oversee daily operations of the account management and trafficking groups and maximizes ROI for Direct Response advertisers as well as for Publishers. Outside of Digital Remedy, Zapletal commits his efforts to an organization called Camp Dream Street, a camping program for children with disabilities, where he serves on the Board of Directors.

Jeff Reitzen

Jeff has worked in multiple facets of the online industry, from sales to operations as well as consumer engagement, content analytics and most recently in data optimization. His career began as a wedding, bar mitzvah, and Sweet 16 DJ where he learned the delicate balance of crowd energy management. Quickly, this skill made him incredibly successful in managing online sales for Geico. He joined CPXi at its startup stage as employee number 4 and has been a key driver of continued growth. His unique knowledge of what converts in the digital ad space, the application of data, and how to optimize platforms for efficiency continues to be invaluable to Digital Remedy clients. Today, Jeff is responsible for innovating and optimizing all Digital Remedy offerings including platforms, systems, tools, and internal processes—ensuring the organization remains on the precipice of the marketplace.

Mike Juhas

Mike Juhas, has over 13+ years of experience in ad tech client services, working with brands, agencies, and publishers ranging from top 10 advertisers to small regional organizations, to rep firms, holding companies and independent shops. An integral member of the Digital Remedy team, Juhas leads all client relationships, including facilitating onboarding and integration, establishing relationship protocols, overseeing Quarterly Business Reviews and status meetings, navigating financial coordination, and overseeing 24/7 team support. His specialties include consultative services, planning strategy, and account management disciplines. Juhas lives in New Canaan, CT with his wife and two daughters, and their dog, Perry–the unofficial company mascot.

TJ Sullivan

TJ Sullivan has over 20 years of media sales and leadership experience. His knowledge of the digital media landscape, ability to develop strategic solutions that solve brand challenges, and talent for motivating sales teams, have made him a vital member of several media and ad tech organizations. Before joining Digital Remedy, Sullivan was VP, Connections at iHeart Media, a cross-divisional group that enabled national advertisers to seamlessly work with multiple iHeart business units; CRO of Reelcontent, a video distribution company for brands; SVP of sales at AdoTube, a video ad network; and was Co-Founder and SVP of video measurement company, OpenSlate—for which he is still an advisor.

Sullivan had served as the President of 212, New York’s Interactive Advertising Club, and currently advises many early stage start-ups in the programmatic and video space. Notably, RUN (sold to Publicis in 2014), Futures Media, Transmit.Live, and Kubient.

Outside of his work in the media industry, Sullivan sits on the Board of St. Elizabeth School in Wyckoff, New Jersey and the Advancement Committee of St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, New Jersey. He resides in New Jersey with his wife and four children.

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Buying Power and Quality

Let’s be honest. Your ad ops are limited by your access to only a handful of channels and DSPs. You want more reach and better prices, but don’t want to sacrifice quality in order to achieve those goals. Digital Remedy has access to a vast multitude of channels based on relationships we’ve cultivated over nearly 20 years in business. That means we get the best prices, have personal relationships, and don’t get sent to voicemail when we call.

It also means that we can execute omni-channel ad ops for better prices than an internal team, while ensuring the quality is up to industry standards. On top of access to all sorts of specific audiences we’re able to to leverage first- and third-party data across all your campaigns and pivot across platforms based on results. Any campaign, any budget, any platform, any audience. Digital Remedy backed by AdReady is restriction free ad ops….and what could be better than that?

Resources, Time, and Overhead

When was the last time you enjoyed balancing budgets, reading resumes, dealing with aggressive sales teams, or wasting years of time for small gains in performance. By partnering with Digital Remedy you get the full support of $30m in OPEX including marketing teams, sales teams, and a dedicated 24/7 ad operations team. No hiring new employees for media optimization, business development, or account management. No months of training and on-boarding. No long meetings crafting sales materials. Just your team focused on making deals, and our teams and tech focused on supporting and executing those deals in a tech-enabled, digital ecosystem designed to get the most out of any KPI.

Reporting and Support

How nice would it be to have all of your data and insights in one location. We don’t mean an excel sheet sent out once a week with complicated charts, or an XML file with pages and pages and pages of tables (what is this, 2003?). We mean a fully customizable dashboard reporting in real time, or as real time as possible. You get to decide the how, what, and when of the reporting you’re seeing. And that’s ALL of the how, what, and when’s. If you want to see breakouts of all of the individual campaigns in your system, done. If you want broad scope comparisons of all of the campaigns in the last year, done. If you want to see CTR’s for specific audiences and compare them to CPM for your best performing advertiser but limit the scope to campaigns greater than 30k, done. All of this is at your fingertips with the AdReady Dashboard, all in one place.

Jessica Cortapasso

With more than a decade of experience in human capital management, Jessica Cortapasso serves as SVP, People at Digital Remedy. After graduating from Muhlenberg College, she quickly recognized her passion for people and entered the workforce in Human Resources where she gained expertise in employee relations, designing strategic benefit plans, and the development, implementation, and curation of corporate engagement initiatives for big-name brands and small companies alike. Becoming a member of the Digital Remedy family in 2013 while simultaneously acquiring her Masters Degree in Human Resources Management and Development from New York University, Jessica has steered company culture through significant events ranging from acquisitions and a rebranding, to the development and application of our Core Values that shape our daily business practices. Cortapasso resides in Brooklyn, plays competitive volleyball, and loves spending time with her nieces.

Erez Feld

Responsible for the financial and legal practices of Digital Remedy, Erez brings 22 years of experience in precision financial analysis, growth management practices, strategic acquisition, and investment leadership. A graduate of Hofstra University, Erez began his career modeling for corporate finance, and expanded his accounting prowess in the real estate sector. Erez joined Digital Remedy in 2008 as a senior accountant, and helped to create and build an accounting department that could support the rapid growth of the company and aligned with those needs. Over the past 12 years he has evolved through various positions at the company within the finance discipline, supervising and mentoring additional finance personnel, while growing under the tutelage of Michael Fleischman, former CFO of Digital Remedy. Today, he leads the Finance Department by supporting high-level projects such as acquisitions and restructuring, and is responsible for overseeing all financial assets, establishing financial procedures, controls, and reporting systems.

Michael Fleischman

After a successful career as an accomplished Fortune 500 financial professional leading Corporate Finance and Strategic Planning at Cablevision Systems Corporation and its programming subsidiary Rainbow Media Holdings, Michael currently plays a role in the overall management of Digital Remedy including direct responsibility for all financial-related activities including accounting, financial planning, M&A, legal, insurance, real estate and banking relationships. Michael brings more than 25 years of media experience at Cablevision and Rainbow Media and during his career was instrumental in the launching and managing of a number of cable television networks including 10 Regional Sports Networks across the US, American Movie Classics, Bravo, and the Independent film channel as well as the structuring of corporate partnerships with companies including Liberty Media, NBC, Fox/NewsCorp and MGM. Additionally, he was the finance lead on a number of professional sports team acquisitions including Madison Square Garden, the successful IPO of Cablevision and a tracking stock at Rainbow Media.Michael was involved in the creation and launch of Rainbow Advertising Sales which was one of the Cable Industry’s first Local Advertising Sales Divisions.

Tony Pascal

With over two decades of experience in the design, product, and technology space, Tony joined Digital Remedy as a graphic designer in 2007. His responsibilities quickly expanded, landing him in leadership roles across multiple disciplines including creative direction, analytics, monetization optimization, and management of platform development. He continued to grow with the organization over the last fourteen years, overseeing all design, development, and execution of Digital Remedy products and platforms. In his current role as SVP, Product & Technology, Tony leads product and technology development for the company and acts as the go-to liaison across teams, ensuring alignment on all aspects of internal and client-facing technology initiatives.

Prior to Digital Remedy, Tony built and ran his own direct response company from 2002-2007 after graduating from New York Institute of Technology, where he learned the fundamentals of digital advertising and optimization strategies that still remain relevant today.

In a previous life, Tony was a ski instructor and still remains an avid skier today. When he is not leading product development, he can be found working on old cars, rock climbing and hitting the slopes.

Gayle Meyers

Gayle Meyers is an entrepreneur, venture partner, investor, and operating resource in the digital media and marketing industry, with over two decades of executive leadership experience. After launching a management consulting firm, Growthing which is focused on optimizing growth strategies for executive leaders and their organizations, Meyers has frequently been tapped for high-profile consulting and advisory positions to help marketing technology companies enhance their in-market presence.

“Gayle is widely recognized as a leading strategist with years of expertise in the ad tech space,” said Mike Seiman, Chairman and CEO of Digital Remedy. “Her career in discovering and integrating game-changing technologies in the marketing industry will serve as an invaluable resource as we continue to enhance our product suite in the months ahead.”

With expertise spanning multiple disciplines, Meyers frequently serves as a keynote speaker at industry conferences for companies such as Google, Verizon, Omnicom, LiveRamp, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Oracle. A list of her notable past clients who have benefitted from her unique insights to increase shareholder value includes Tinuiti (acquired by New Mountain Capital), Adometry (acquired by Google), MediaForge (acquired by Rakuten), Integral Ad Science (acquired by Vista Equity Partners), and Tapad (acquired by Telenor).

Matt Sotebeer

With 14+ years of experience in ad tech and emerging technologies, Matt Sotebeer brings an uniquely innovative approach in his role as Chief Strategy Officer at Digital Remedy. As CSO, Matt focuses on the intersection between the product, product marketing, tech, data, and sales teams, while fostering productive cross-functional company-wide relationships to inform and influence sales, educate clients, and optimize company performance.

Matt has an extensive knowledge in the integration of data science, creative, and media solutions to drive sustainable growth for companies, with a focus on designing customized, scalable solutions leveraging machine learning alongside human intelligence. Throughout the tenure of his career, he has successfully managed global teams aligned to common goals, encouraged collaborative problem solving, and supported talent growth for entrepreneurial companies including MiQ, Rocket Fuel, and Audience Science.

Jeremy Haft

A proven strategic, revenue, and team leader with over 20 years of experience managing and scaling revenue in the competitive ad tech landscape, Jeremy serves as Chief Revenue Officer at Digital Remedy.

Before joining the team in October 2022, he served as CRO at Channel Factory, where he reorganized the revenue team for sustainable growth and increased the sales team by 3x to drive predictable and more accountable revenue. Prior to that, he served in a decade of leadership positions. Most notably, as SVP of Sales at Amobee and as VP of North America Sales at Viant/Adelphic. At both organizations, Jeremy successfully built and scaled platform and business solutions from their infancy to achieve the desired corporate goals.

Jeremy graduated from The University of Vermont and currently resides in New Jersey with his wife and two children. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling to tropical locations, dining out, cooking feasts with friends, and any new fitness trend he can get his hands on.

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