Tom Burgess, CEO
Tom Burgess, a serial entrepreneur and avid adventurer, is founder and CEO. With deep-rooted experience across the advertising and digital media industries, this seasoned executive searches for industry pain points and creates powerful, forward-thinking solutions to revolutionize how business gets done. He’s a strong believer that obstacles present the greatest opportunities. In 2001, Tom founded Third Screen Media, the world’s first mobile advertising network. Acquired in 2007 by AOL, it set the standard for wireless advertising and proved Tom’s ability to deliver strong returns for investors. He previously served as president of Internet portal CollegeLink.com, and as founder and CEO of both 9th Square and Echomedia.
When not founding and building disruptive media companies, Tom is sailing the world. He is a frequent speaker at global industry events and has been included in Forbes, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe and CNBC. He currently resides in Rhode Island with his wife and two children, and is a proud Providence College Friar.
Mike DiFranza, President
Mike DiFranza, an inventor and new media entrepreneur, leads Linkable as president. A veteran operations and sales-driven executive, he is the founder and former president and CEO of Captivate Network – the first company to put digital media in elevators. Mike is a true pioneer who turns ideas into business realities. He was previously director of Eastern U.S., Canada and Latin America at Mentor Graphics and was the founding chairman of the Digital Place-based Advertising Association (DPAA). He was acknowledged as one of the 50 Most Influential Executives in Media for his work with Captivate and the DPAA by Media Week. Mike also serves as a strategic advisor to several early- and growth-stage companies.
A crusader against complacency and a self-proclaimed type-A personality, Mike is a leading authority whose Boston accent can be heard at many industry events. He’s been featured in publications such as CNN, FOX Business, CNBC and The New York Times, and is a graduate of Harvard Business School and Northeastern University. Mike enjoys spending time around the mountains and lakes of New Hampshire, participating in a variety of outdoor activities including skiing, snowmobiling and boating.
Chip Correra, CTO
Chip Correra, a patented inventor and experienced visionary, leads Linkable as CTO. With over thirty years’ experience directing all aspects of R&D, product engineering, project management and operations, Chip thinks passionately and strategically about all things web, mobile and enterprise, and is a cross-functional leader in the business and technology world. His resume consists of several senior leadership roles, previously serving as CTO of Pangea Media, Spring Partners and Third Screen Media, where he developed highly scalable solutions to support extensive growth. Chip also held management positions at Idiom Technology, Performaworks, Revenio Inc. and The Clarity Group.
A respected mentor with the Techstars organization, Chip uses his extensive network and experience to help others by offering strategic leadership to the best and brightest start-ups. He is as passionate about snowboarding and bicycling as he is technology operations. Married with three children and two Portuguese Water Dogs, Chip is a University of Massachusetts, Amherst Minutemen.
John Caron, CMO
John Caron is the CMO of Linkable, bringing his entrepreneurial and innovative instincts to the company from 20 years in the media and technology services spaces. Driven by a passion for transformation and execution, John develops and leads companies to positions of market dominance. John previously led Catalina’s marketing initiatives, joining the company through its acquisition of Modiv Media. He was the driver behind both company’s repositioning, and has been a powerful force behind the growth of many other companies as well. Prior to Modiv, John held marketing leadership positions at Gartner, ATG (now Oracle), FactPoint (now GeoTrust), NuMega (now Compuware) and Open Environment (now Borland).
Passionate about poverty alleviation and children, John has been instrumental in igniting change not only for companies but also for communities. An active member of the Lazarus House Ministries, he’s helped the organization raise millions of dollars through its annual golf fundraiser. He is a frequent speaker in technology and academia, entertaining at everything from SXSW and Money20/20 to Harvard and Boston College. An avid car enthusiast, husband and dad of six, John bleeds Syracuse orange.
L. Jeff Jensen, EVP, General Manager, Omnyverse
Jeff Jensen, an industry-leading developer of retail marketing, consumer promotion and digital advertising enterprises, is EVP and general manager of Omnyverse. A hard-driving executive, he was an early innovator in developing co-marketing for CPG and was a primary leader of the development of News America (NAM) In-Store where he served as SVP of sales and retail marketing. He played a pivotal role in launching NAM’s print-at-home coupon business. Following NAM, Jeff was president and COO of the Adspace Digital Mall Network where he managed build-out of the world’s largest point of sale display network. He was also president and COO of Zadspace and EVP of inMarket.
While Jeff thinks the music of The Band is the soundtrack of his life, his passion is for Jazz and he frequents festivals in his spare time. He shares music as a hobby with his wife and two daughters, and he also enjoys fishing, cars and cycling. He is a proud graduate of Moravian College, home of Amos the Greyhound.
Rick Wessels, SVP of Business Development
Rick Wessels holds twenty years’ experience leading sales, marketing and product development efforts and is SVP of business development. An exceptional communicator, motivator and coach, he leverages digital innovations to develop new business. In his previous role as EVP of sales and marketing at Self-Service Networks, Rick helped lead the company’s restructuring and rebranding, in addition to developing a self-service, open-loop gift card selling solution. Prior, he established sales and marketing programs for companies including John Ryan Performance, Alpha Video and Vert. Rick also launched and served as CEO of the first network of local television-driven Internet community sites called Access Point Interactive, acquired by Internet Broadcasting Systems.
When not focused on things like go-to-market strategies and strategic partnerships, Rick enjoys fishing, snorkeling and exploring the Caribbean Islands where he’s always hunting for the perfect photograph. He’s a proud alum of the University of Tennessee and James Madison University.
Ed Wogan, SVP of Sales Development
Ed Wogan, SVP of Sales Development, is a results-driven sales leader. With a diverse background in digital, print and media and deep relationships across verticals, Ed has a track record of developing strategic, relevant solutions to solve unique issues. He possesses exemplary partnership skills that deliver on goals and objectives, and has deep experience in retail and marketing services. Prior to Linkable Networks, Ed held senior leadership positions with companies including FreeMonee Networks, Valassis Communications, Vertis Communications, News America Marketing and SUPERVALU.
An outdoor enthusiast and accomplished marathoner, Ed also goes the distance in his dedication to industry organizations such as the Shopper Marketing Institute, Path to Purchase Institute, National Retail Federation and the Association of Coupon Professionals. A Crimson and Orange alum from Harvard University and Syracuse University respectively, Ed resides in the small coastal village of Magnolia, MA and enjoys spending his downtime on the water.
Cassandra Kral-Dillon, VP of Finance
Cassandra Kral-Dillon, a skilled financial leader and experienced problem solver, serves as VP of finance. Using her analytical savvy to maximize financial performance, Cassandra has reached tall heights of success in her twenty-plus year career. She previously held financial leadership roles for both venture-backed and public organizations, including global Internet Security leader Versign, global transaction processor Syniverse, e-commerce software company Art Technology Group and mobile gateway service m-Qube.
Entering the financial technology space following an undergraduate experience at Smith College and certification from Bentley College, Cassandra is an avid mountaineer whose recent summits include Mt. Rainier (WA) and The Breithorn (Alps). Combining her passion for climbing with good, she reached the top of The Grand Teton (WY) as part of the Cronin Climb Against Cancer.