Jon Steinberg
- Former COO and President of Buzzfeed
- Former CEO of Daily Mail North America
- CEO of Cheddar
- Tackles issues facing modern business by leveraging trends and disruption to maintain a competitive advantage
Travels From
New York
5 MIN TALK: Unique Insights with Jon Steinberg, Founder & CEO, Cheddar Inc.
Jon Steinberg Speaker Biography
Jon Steinberg is the former COO and President of Buzzfeed, the former CEO of Daily Mail North America, and currently the founder and CEO of Cheddar, a video-based media company launched in 2016 that caters to millennials. Fast Company named Cheddar one of “The World’s Most Innovative Companies” in spring 2017, around the same time the booming video brand received a valuation of $85 million. Having led or worked with many of the major brands shaping millennial content consumption, Steinberg is the content and trends expert to turn to when it comes to understanding the next generation of consumers. Steinberg discusses the challenges facing modern businesses, what it takes to retain a competitive edge, how to spot trends before they happen, and how to grow exponentially by accessing the millennial consumer. Now in the early stages of developing Cheddar, Steinberg is able to relate to audiences that are both established in and new to the digital space.
Known for his sharp business sense and ability to predict consumer and technological trends first, Steinberg joined Buzzfeed as COO and President in 2010 when the company only had 15 employees. Under his stewardship, Buzzfeed grew from $0 to $60 million in annual revenue and to a staff of roughly 500 at the time of his departure. Steinberg was responsible for Buzzfeed’s business management, company operations, finance, and social advertising, and helped the company to become a global social advertising business working with over half of the world’s top 100 brands. Named to AdAge’s 2015 “40 Under 40” list as well as their 2012 “Media Mavens” list, Steinberg also sits on the board of Bustle and is an advisor to TheSkimm and Taboola. Always evolving and unrelenting in his pursuit of the next big thing, Steinberg is a fantastic choice for companies looking to push the boundaries of what is possible when it comes to marketing, content creation, native advertising, partnerships, and corporate culture.
In addition to his storied career at Buzzfeed, Steinberg served as CEO of Daily Mail North America, where he grew U.S. revenue by 45% and doubled direct advertising revenue. Steinberg played a leading role in building the company’s digital media assets in the U.S., including Daily Mail’s acquisition of Elite Daily and the launch of TrufflePig, a joint venture with Snapchat and WPP. Steinberg also previously served as a strategic partner development manager on Google’s small medium business partnerships team, an executive in residence at Polaris Venture Partners, and founded iBuilding, a commercial real estate software company. As a high schooler, he was an intern in Walt Disney Imagineering’s research and development group.
Jon Steinberg is a graduate of Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and holds an MBA from Columbia University. He is a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and the Paley Center Media Council.
To book entrepreneur and innovation speaker Jon Steinberg, contact Executive Speakers Bureau at 901.754.9404.
Generating Buzz: How to Fuel Growth and an Innovative Mindset
Jon Steinberg knows what it takes to get a movement off the ground. After assuming the role of President and CEO of Buzzfeed in 2010, when it was just a team of 15 employees, Steinberg’s vision helped grow the company to the media powerhouse it is today, pushing Buzzfeed from the edge of the internet to its epicenter. Steinberg’s leadership helped generate $60 million in revenue, hiring over 500 new recruits in the process.
With this high-energy and refreshingly irreverent speech, he addresses the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital revolution and the disruptions to the advertising, media, and marketing worlds that have unfolded over the last decade. Touching upon the issues facing modern businesses, what it takes to retain a competitive edge, how to spot trends before they happen, and how to grow exponentially by accessing the millennial consumer, Steinberg is a great fit for small and large companies alike looking to shake up corporate culture, partnerships, marketing, content creation, and product placement with fresh ideas.
The Next ‘Big Thing’: How to Stay Ahead of Change in Your Industry
Jon Steinberg offers a highly-customizable look at the major disruptions plaguing your industry plus how to tap into the next ‘big thing’ to get ahead and stay there. Jon looks at how and why businesses in New York often hold on to old models and hope new models fail, while Silicon Valley executives buy new models out before they become threats. He shares insights on the early days of Buzzfeed and how his team grew it, how Cheddar is dialing into an “appointment only” mindset to speed past incumbent groups, and why the next big thing “always looks like a toy at first.” Mixing hard data around changing consumer trends and industries with witty anecdotes to bring his points to life, Steinberg provides a rare look at how an innovator’s mind works as they seek out holes in the market and make big business bets on them.
