Vrity's CEO and Co-Founder Jesse Wolfersberger decodes that optimizing AI means understanding when and how to use it

Media 7 | October 20, 2021

Jesse Wolfersberger, CEO and Co-Founder of Vrity, talks to us about how he combined his years of experience in quantifying data into building Vrity that helps brands attribute their purchase propensity shifts from their marketing and branding efforts, accurately. They are on a mission to help brands understand their true ROI from their values. Read on to find out more about the power of combining data science and written communication abilities, and how business leaders today can prepare to take on an AI-centric world, head on.

Marketing is all about attribution – if you can’t measure it, it doesn’t exist.

MEDIA 7: Could you please tell us something about your wonderful career journey so far, and what inspired you to bring Vrity into existence?
JESSE WOLFERSBERGER:
My career has been defined by using data to quantify the abstract. First I did it in baseball, then in media, then in loyalty marketing. All of a sudden, I saw the biggest use case for this skill set I’ve ever seen, so I had to jump at it. In the past two years, there has been a huge movement for brands to stand for more than just their own profit. It goes by many names – Stakeholder Capitalism, ESG, CSR. I like the term, ‘The Values Economy’. I read articles after articles about this trend, but I noticed there was never any data. Here was the biggest trend in marketing since digital, with no data to quantify the financial impact on brands.


M7: Vrity's mission is to show brands the financial impact of their values, so they have the evidence to take more and bigger values-based actions. Could you please elaborate on this?
JW:
Marketing is all about attribution – if you can’t measure it, it doesn’t exist. So, when a brand makes a big effort to support racial justice, or climate change, or trans rights, they could gain huge numbers of new customers, but until we came along, there was no good attribution mechanism. Without attribution, those incremental sales are credited elsewhere and the brand never understands what truly drives their revenue. We use AI to enable brands to actually see purchase propensity gains due to their values, so a brand can learn, for example, that 18% of their sales can be attributed to their climate change efforts. When they see that values have a positive ROI, the brand will put more money and effort into making the world a better place. This is a win for the environment, a win for consumers, and a win for the brand. Let me also say that we measure negative propensity shifts too. Sometimes a stance on a more controversial issue could lose customers. However, in our data, the gained customers outnumber the lost customers across every major topic.


When they see that values have a positive ROI, the brand will put more money and effort into making the world a better place.



M7: What’s top of the list for what Vrity wants to achieve this year and as you start moving into the next year?
JW:
Our biggest goal is to continue to grow, so we can get our tools into the hands of as many brands as possible. The more brands that understand the ROI of their values, the more brands will lean into their values. This trend is a huge opportunity for brands looking for ways to get out of the pay-per-click race to the bottom. When you are a values-driven brand, consumers seek you out.


M7: From sportswriting, baseball, to being a data scientist, AI thought Leader, and ultimately getting into digital media analytics. Quite a jump! Could you please share this experience?
JW:
My varied background is truly my strength. When I transitioned from sports writing to data science, I had a serious case of impostor syndrome. I quickly learned that combining data skills with the ability to write and communicate was an enormous strength. For any data scientists out there, I highly recommend taking a class on communications or news writing. It will make a bigger difference than learning about that new modeling technique.


When you are a values-driven brand, consumers seek you out.



M7: How do you prepare for an AI-centric world as a Business Leader?
JW:
Everything new seems scary at first. Then, you learn about it and the fear subsides and it becomes a tool in your toolbelt. In the case of AI, you don’t need to understand how the algorithms work any more than you know how the microchips in your phone work. The key is understanding when to use it, how to use it, and what to be careful about. For example, you don’t need to know how neural networks work to understand that if you train an algorithm on a dataset without black and brown faces, then the algorithm won’t be good at recognizing black and brown faces. That’s not data science, it’s common sense.

ABOUT VRITY

Vrity is a data company specializing in measuring the ROI of values for brands. They use AI, surveys, and social listening to give brands an unparalleled look at how consumers see their values and how much revenue they can attribute to their brand’s values.

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Business Wire | June 01, 2023

Cyber Power Systems (USA), Inc., a leader in power protection and power management products, announced today that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Lauren Gottsacker, channel account manager at CyberPower, to the Women of the Channel list for 2023. Every year, CRN recognizes women from vendor, distributor, and solution provider organizations whose expertise and vision are leaving a noticeable and commendable mark on the technology industry. The CRN 2023 Women of the Channel honorees bring their creativity, strategic thinking and leadership to bear in a variety of roles and responsibilities, but all are turning their unique talents toward driving success for their partners and customers. With this recognition, CRN honors these women for their unwavering dedication and commitment to furthering channel excellence. Gottsacker joined CyberPower in 2019 following channel account and business development roles at Carbonite, a data backup solutions provider. At CyberPower, she has focused her efforts on developing best-in-channel partnerships, partner enablement and creating new sales pipelines at her accounts which include CDW, among other major direct market reseller partners. “Lauren brings a talent for both strategy and execution. She is a true connector and has developed a number of channel outreach programs that not only enrich the customer’s product knowledge but brings people together such as monthly ‘women of the territory’ and sector-specific events,” said Scott Koller, vice president of channel sales at CyberPower. “Her contributions to CDW include creating a sales incentive program for their inside sales agents and developing a custom a dashboard for their representatives to view product inventory in real time which has accelerated the sales-to-delivery process.” Gottsacker said: “I’m honored to be recognized by CRN as channel leader. Whether it’s learning about an organization or new product offerings, or seeking a better understanding of an audience, I have a never-ending desire to be curious and learn. I look forward to continuing to create meaningful connections in the channel.” “We are ecstatic to announce this year’s honorees and shine a light on these women for their significant achievements, knowing that what they’ve accomplished has paved the way for continued success within the IT channel,” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “The channel is stronger because of them, and we look forward to seeing what they do next.” The 2023 Women of the Channel list will be featured in the June 2023 issue of CRN Magazine, with online coverage at www.CRN.com/WOTC. About Cyber Power Systems (USA), Inc. CyberPower designs and manufactures uninterruptible power supply systems, power distribution units, surge protectors, remote management hardware, power management software, mobile chargers and connectivity products. The company serves customers in enterprise, corporate, government, education, healthcare and small office/home office environments. CyberPower products are available through authorized distributors and sold by value-added resellers, system integrators, managed service providers, select retailers, and online resellers. For more information, visit https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end-users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com

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Business Wire | June 09, 2023

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PR Newswire | June 01, 2023

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Business Wire | June 01, 2023

Cyber Power Systems (USA), Inc., a leader in power protection and power management products, announced today that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Lauren Gottsacker, channel account manager at CyberPower, to the Women of the Channel list for 2023. Every year, CRN recognizes women from vendor, distributor, and solution provider organizations whose expertise and vision are leaving a noticeable and commendable mark on the technology industry. The CRN 2023 Women of the Channel honorees bring their creativity, strategic thinking and leadership to bear in a variety of roles and responsibilities, but all are turning their unique talents toward driving success for their partners and customers. With this recognition, CRN honors these women for their unwavering dedication and commitment to furthering channel excellence. Gottsacker joined CyberPower in 2019 following channel account and business development roles at Carbonite, a data backup solutions provider. At CyberPower, she has focused her efforts on developing best-in-channel partnerships, partner enablement and creating new sales pipelines at her accounts which include CDW, among other major direct market reseller partners. “Lauren brings a talent for both strategy and execution. She is a true connector and has developed a number of channel outreach programs that not only enrich the customer’s product knowledge but brings people together such as monthly ‘women of the territory’ and sector-specific events,” said Scott Koller, vice president of channel sales at CyberPower. “Her contributions to CDW include creating a sales incentive program for their inside sales agents and developing a custom a dashboard for their representatives to view product inventory in real time which has accelerated the sales-to-delivery process.” Gottsacker said: “I’m honored to be recognized by CRN as channel leader. Whether it’s learning about an organization or new product offerings, or seeking a better understanding of an audience, I have a never-ending desire to be curious and learn. I look forward to continuing to create meaningful connections in the channel.” “We are ecstatic to announce this year’s honorees and shine a light on these women for their significant achievements, knowing that what they’ve accomplished has paved the way for continued success within the IT channel,” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “The channel is stronger because of them, and we look forward to seeing what they do next.” The 2023 Women of the Channel list will be featured in the June 2023 issue of CRN Magazine, with online coverage at www.CRN.com/WOTC. About Cyber Power Systems (USA), Inc. CyberPower designs and manufactures uninterruptible power supply systems, power distribution units, surge protectors, remote management hardware, power management software, mobile chargers and connectivity products. The company serves customers in enterprise, corporate, government, education, healthcare and small office/home office environments. CyberPower products are available through authorized distributors and sold by value-added resellers, system integrators, managed service providers, select retailers, and online resellers. For more information, visit https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end-users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com

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Tufin Announces Winners of Annual Partner Awards

Business Wire | June 09, 2023

Tufin®, the leader in network and cloud security policy automation, today announced the 2022 winners of its annual partner awards, recognizing companies across the Americas, EMEA and APAC for their commitment to helping customers drive continued value from their Tufin implementations. These awards were handed out at the recently completed partner summits in each region. “The partners recognized here are on the cutting edge, delivering the technology and solutions customers need to efficiently and effectively defend their organizations in on premise, hybrid, or multicloud situations,” said Jeff Wilmot, CRO at Tufin. “We’re honored to work with such great teams.” Tufin’s channel partner program was recently spotlighted in the 2023 CRN® Partner Program Guide, highlighting the program’s ability to help partners establish new revenue and growth opportunities. There is a growing need among enterprises to bridge the gaps between network and cloud security by increasing visibility and control across all aspects of their environment. By working with Tufin, partners have access to the innovative technology they need to help their customers fully optimize their security operations. “As we accelerate growth in the coming year, our partners are THE strategic pillar of Tufin’s go-to-market strategy and one of our greatest force multipliers,” added Jeff. “We are fully committed to continue building on our global momentum and driving joint success.” This year’s award winners are: Americas East Region Partner of the Year: Atlantic Data Security, LLC West Region Partner of the Year: World Wide Technology, LLC Canada Partner of the Year: GoSecure Inc. Breakout Partner of the Year: Nexum, Inc. Distributor of the Year: Carahsoft Technology Corp. APAC Partner of the Year: NTT Com DD Corporation Distributor of the Year: M.Tech Products Pte Ltd. Best Regional Distributor: SVA Distribution Limited EMEA Western EMEA Top Resellers: Nomios Southern EMEA Top Reseller: Kirey SRL Central EMEA Top Resellers: APIUS TECHNOLOGIES S.A. Northern EMEA Top Resellers: Computacenter AG & Co. oHG, Telia Cygate AB, Computacenter (UK) Ltd. Western EMEA Top Distributor: 2SB Security Solutions 4 Business Southern EMEA Top Distributor: Exclusive Networks Bilisim A.Ş. Central EMEA Top Distributor: Arrow ECS GmbH Southern EMEA Best New Partner: VEM Sistemi SpA Southern EMEA Best Support Partner: MATICMIND SPA Southern EMEA Best New Logo Win: DGS S.p.A. Central EMEA Best SDP +: AERAsec Network Services and Security GmbH For more information about Tufin’s channel partner program, including details on how you can become a member, please visit: https://www.tufin.com/partners/channel-partners. Tufin will be holding half-day Tufinnovate World Tour events from June to September 2023 in cities across the United States, Europe, and Asia. These are open to IT and security executives, managers, network security practitioners and partners interested in enterprise cybersecurity for multi-vendor hybrid cloud networks. To learn more and sign up to attend, click here. About Tufin Tufin is the leader in network security policy management and continuous compliance automation. The platform centralizes, automates and orchestrates network and cloud access for many of the largest organizations in the world. Over 2,900 enterprises have trusted Tufin to implement accurate network changes in minutes instead of days, accelerate secure application deployments, and virtually eliminate manual tasks. A vendor-agnostic solution designed to integrate network and cloud security processes, Tufin is the answer to balancing security and business agility. Find out more at www.tufin.com.

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Appian Selected for 2023 CRN® Partner Program Guide

PR Newswire | June 01, 2023

Appian (Nasdaq: APPN) has been recognized by CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, in its 2023 Partner Program Guide. This annual guide offers essential information to members of the IT channel ecosystem as they explore technology manufacturers' partner programs to find the vendors that will best support their business needs. Appian's inclusion is based on the recently-announced Appian Partner Program, a new partnership framework designed to enable partner success and accelerate customer value. The new program, launching in July, supports Appian's partner-driven growth strategy by fostering collaborative partnerships that strengthen Appian's position as a vendor of choice for end-to-end process automation. For solution providers such as managed service providers (MSPs), value-added resellers (VARs), systems integrators, and strategic service providers, a critical factor when assessing which IT manufacturers, service providers, and distributors to team with in building world-class technology solutions is the breadth and depth of the partner programs those companies offer. Strong elements such as financial incentives, sales and marketing assistance, training and certification, technical support and more can set a vendor apart and play a key role in boosting partners' long-term growth. In the 2023 CRN Partner Program Guide, vendors were evaluated based on program requirements and offerings such as partner training and education, pre- and post-sales support, marketing programs and resources, technical support, and communication. "We are committed to the success of our partners and are constantly looking for ways to better enable them," said Mark Dillon, SVP of Global Partnerships at Appian. "Our new program is designed to give our partners the resources and tools they need to develop effective joint go-to-market strategies with us. We are honored that our efforts are recognized by CRN." "In today's world, the need for innovation is greater than ever," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "Solution providers seek vendors that can keep pace with their developing business and evolving client needs. CRN's 2023 Partner Program Guide delivers deep insight into the strengths of each program, spotlighting the vendors dedicated to supporting their partner community and pushing positive change throughout the IT channel." The 2023 CRN Partner Program Guide is available online at www.CRN.com/PPG. Learn more about the Appian Partner Program at https://ap.pn/3pBNdZZ. Learn more about the Appian Platform for process automation at https://ap.pn/3LZLzc6. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by nearly 40 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com About Appian Appian is a software company that automates business processes. The Appian Platform includes everything you need to design, automate, and optimize even the most complex processes, from start to finish. The world's most innovative organizations trust Appian to improve their workflows, unify data, and optimize operations—resulting in better growth and superior customer experiences. For more information, visit appian.com.

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Vrity

Vrity

Vrity is a data company specializing in measuring the ROI of values for brands. We use AI, surveys and social listening to give brands an unparalleled look at how consumers see your values and how much revenue you can attribute to your brand’s values....

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