BrightFORWARD

An Executive Conference

Once a year, BrightTower convenes a curated, invitation-only community of founders, CEOs, strategic investors, and private equity partners for an afternoon of authentic relationship building and knowledge exchange. The conference program includes content-rich keynote presentations and candid panel discussions focused on what's shaping – and disrupting – the marketing, software, tech-enabled services, and information markets. Conversations will continue over cocktails at one of New York City's exclusive private dining clubs with panoramic views of Central Park.

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Conference: 1:00-5:00PM ET
Cocktails: 5:00-7:00PM ET

Savoy Club + Coco’s at Colette
(GM Building- 767 Fifth Avenue, New York City)

RSVP

Limited Availability

Kindly note that due to the event's intimate nature and the venue's capacity constraints, attendance is strictly limited and non-transferable.

Agenda

1:00-1:30pm

Registration

1:30-1:40pm

Welcome Remarks

1:40-2:00pm

Visionary Keynote

Amir Akhavan, Managing Director, BrightTower (Moderator)
Penny Pritzker, Founder & Chairman, PSP Partners

2:00-2:30pm

Panel: Geopolitics & Strategic Communications: The New Advisory Frontier

Amir Akhavan, Managing Director, BrightTower (Moderator)
Andrew Benett, CEO, Sodali & Co.
Alexander Geiser, CEO, FGS Global
Molly Levinson, CEO, The Levinson Group
Nirav Patel, CEO, The Asia Group (TAG)
Bob Wood, Chairman & CEO, BGR Group and Advocus Partners

2:30-3:00pm

Panel: Signal in the Noise: Making Sense of Today’s Digital Media Landscape

Michael Hirsch, Managing Director, BrightTower (Moderator)
Jay Altschuler, SVP, Global Media & Agency Relations, Mastercard
Kamran Asghar, Global CEO & Co-Founder, Crossmedia
Andrea Bendzick, CEO, Wpromote x Giant Spoon
Todd Porch, CEO, Strategus
Andrey Vakhovskiy, Managing Director, H.I.G. Capital

3:00-3:20pm

Break

3:20-3:50pm

Keynote

Sam Barthelme, Managing Director, BrightTower (Moderator)
Almar Latour, CEO, Dow Jones & Publisher, The Wall Street Journal

3:50-4:20pm

Panel: Defending the Moat: Data, Durability & Deals in a Machine-Native World

Evan Schutz, Managing Director, BrightTower (Moderator)
Alon Chen, Co-Founder & CEO, Tastewise
Justin Helmig, CEO, IMPLAN Group
Amara Suebsaeng, Director, TA Associates

4:20-4:50pm

Panel: The Agentic Repricing: Who Captures Value When AI Runs Commerce

Juan Mejia, Managing Director, BrightTower (Moderator)
Melissa Burdick, Co-Founder & President, Pacvue
Scott Friend, Partner, Bain Capital
Tomer Tagrin, Co-Founder & CEO, Yotpo
Troy Treangen, Chief AI & Product Officer, Nielsen IQ

4:50-5:00pm

Closing Remarks

5:00-7:00pm

Cocktail Reception at Coco's

Featured Speakers

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Almar Latour

CEO, Dow Jones & Publisher, The Wall Street Journal

Almar Latour has a long history of driving innovation and digital transformation. Under his leadership, Dow Jones has achieved its strongest financial performance in 142 years while expanding its global news and business information portfolio.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Penny Pritzker

Founder & Chairman

PSP Partners

Penny Pritzker served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce (2013–2017), launched several businesses, and currently serves on numerous corporate boards and advisory councils, in addition to her roles at PSP Partners and its affiliates.