CEO. Thought Leader. Bonsai pruner.
![Adam Kleinberg](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fk6j3wor3%2Fproduction%2F79896054d50f315c8efbd45ebbe773cd301b41c1-3814x4768.jpg%3Frect%3D0%2C0%2C3814%2C3631%26fit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
Born and raised in New York, Adam bought a one way ticket to California after graduating from Cornell. From an early age, he was attracted to art and technology— programming video games on a PET computer in 6th grade — so the exploding digital scene in 1996 San Francisco felt like home.
In the entrepreneurial spirit, he bought a book on Photoshop and declared himself a web designer. After a few years at a handful of agencies, he had officially earned the title. In 1997, he was blogging before the word “blog” was coined. In 1998, he was the resident Flash guy at Think New Ideas, a hot integrated agency. In 2000, he was recruited to help start the SF office of Tribal DDB.
Adam and his partners founded Traction in 2001 (in the spare bedroom of his apartment) on the principle that doing great work is easier with talented people you like and admire. Twenty great years of collaboration with some of the world's greatest brands have borne out that philosophy.
In 2019, he led the transformation of Traction into a marketing accelerator to better serve the needs of brands in today's fast-paced, data-driven environment. He plays a hands-on strategic role with Traction's clients to help ensure that their business objectives are aligned with the needs, desires and behaviors of their customers.
A prolific writer, Adam has spoken at dozens of industry conferences around the world and published over one hundred articles in industry publications such as Adweek, Ad Age, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Mashable, and others. In 2013, he was a MediaPost All-Star, an award given to the three most influential digital creatives in the US each year. He is an amateur bonsai artist and can occasionally be found at Lake Merritt in Oakland practicing tai chi.
![a boat crossing the ocean to the future](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fk6j3wor3%2Fproduction%2F6678ef52c7d205b1512bc8a1661838eb1ccf17c4-400x400.jpg%3Ffit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
At our latest Futureproof Project event we sat down with Grant McDougall, founder of BlueOcean, with 25 years of experience in marketing and digital product development, he shared valuable insights on the evolving landscape of brand measurement and the role of AI in media attribution.
![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fk6j3wor3%2Fproduction%2F3682764f3981e8aafdefe8d29a3fc12b1e427637-3584x2048.png%3Frect%3D326%2C12%2C2285%2C2036%26fit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
In the rapidly evolving world of business, AI has become a transformative force. Many companies have individuals experimenting with AI tools, but few have a cohesive strategy or framework for seamless adoption across their organization. This morning, Traction presented our "Futureproof Framework" for AI Adoption to the ANA AI Forum committee, offering invaluable insights on how businesses can effectively integrate AI into their operations.
![The rising tension between CMOs and other C-suite roles as they grapple with rapid marketing demands and slower technology implementation timelines.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fk6j3wor3%2Fproduction%2F2ba516f3478a9089eb929f36e9a4bb8305e125cb-1792x1024.jpg%3Ffit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
In an article for the ANA Industry Insights report, our CEO, Adam Kleinberg, examines the perceived declining relevance of the CMO role amid high-profile departures and evolving mar-tech demands. He discusses how the need for rapid marketing results clashes with slow tech implementations, suggesting a rebrand of the marketing leadership role to better align with modern business needs.
![Garrett Lawrence](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fk6j3wor3%2Fproduction%2Fd5684f293024b9cd9f419ab550b8270e4947c65f-3024x3387.png%3Ffit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
![Kristen Bergman](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fk6j3wor3%2Fproduction%2F3038202ffa1cc272a159bda970967a943067851e-3801x5321.jpg%3Frect%3D517%2C478%2C3090%2C2750%26fit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
![Reyna Wright](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fk6j3wor3%2Fproduction%2F62cc48758684980d6b9e27cb87f37f2f0639d4f4-3000x3000.png%3Ffit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)
![Chelsea Huber](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fk6j3wor3%2Fproduction%2Fc7353e948b5ea368279e848bf20058281e2a1046-3024x4032.png%3Frect%3D0%2C225%2C3014%2C2789%26fit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75)