Leader Generation

EP134: Beyond Prompts: Better AI Outputs With Context Engineering

Tessa Burg and Aaron Grando break down one of the most talked-about topics in AI right now: context engineering. If you've been using AI tools and wondering why your outputs sometimes sound generic or miss the mark, this episode is for you. 
 
Aaron explains how context engineering helps AI better understand what you want by feeding it the right information—from your brand voice to real-time data—before you even type your prompt. Aaron and Tessa also explore how context engineering plays a key role in reducing hallucinations, maintaining brand integrity, and building automated agents that can actually take meaningful action. 
Listeners will take away clear, practical tips on how to make generative AI more accurate, creative, and tailored to specific goals so you can get more value out of your tools—without needing to be a tech expert
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Aaron Grando:
Aaron Grando, VP, Creative Innovation on Mod Op’s Innovation team, is a seasoned technologist with over 15 years of experience at creative agencies. With a background in strategy, design, engineering, and marketing, Aaron has worked extensively in industries like media, entertainment, gaming, food & beverage, fashion, and technology. At Mod Op, Aaron leads efforts to integrate AI into creative processes, creating tools that connect creatives and clients with insights, spark ideas, and enable new brand experiences. Projects include collaborations with companies like NBCUniversal, Bethesda Softworks, Under Armour, Planet Fitness, Dietz & Watson, and more, focusing on infusing creative strategies with innovative technology to create cutting-edge brand experiences. Aaron can be reached on LinkedIn or at Aaron.Grando@modop.com. 
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.
 

EP133: Designing With AI - A Real-World Creative Success Story

In this episode of Leader Generation, Creative Director Leu Solomon shares a real-world example of how AI helped her and the Mod Op team deliver a complex creative project under tight budget constraints—without sacrificing quality. 
Leu walks us through the challenge: Creating a single hero image featuring up to nine custom building illustrations for a commercial real estate client. Traditional design would’ve required more time and money, but by incorporating Adobe Firefly into the process, the team created something visually stunning, on budget, and faster than ever before.
This isn’t just a story about using AI to speed things up—it’s about how curiosity, critical thinking and good design thinking elevate the work. Leu explains how she pitched AI as one of three creative directions, handled client hesitations with transparency and used her design skills to enhance, not replace, creative vision. 
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. 
Guest:
Leu Solomon, Creative Director at Mod Op
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.

EP132: Big G Growth: Crunchbase’s AI-Driven Outbound Strategy

Kate Long, VP of Marketing at Crunchbase, shares how her team is leading a bold transformation—from a product-led growth model to a sales-led, AI-powered strategy. 
In this conversation, Kate breaks down how Crunchbase is leveraging predictive signals to deliver meaningful value earlier in the buyer journey, before prospects even know they’re in-market.
Kate also opens up about leading teams through change, upskilling marketers to become “horizontal AI orchestrators,” and why aligning with sales isn’t just smart—it’s essential. 
You'll take away practical insights on how to adapt, stay human in a tech-heavy world and build sustainable "Big G Growth" in a rapidly evolving marketing landscape.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. 
About Kate Long:
Kate Long is the Vice President of Marketing at Crunchbase. She is passionate about driving sustainable, long-term growth by deeply understanding the customer and optimizing the full marketing ecosystem. Her expertise spans performance marketing, partner expansion, brand transformation and product-led growth, all aimed at creating lasting impact. As a marketing innovator, strategist and operator, Kate has built brands, defined new categories and sparked product enthusiasm across high-growth B2B and B2C SaaS companies, as well as within the Fortune 500. She believes true success is rooted in people and is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of marketing talent.
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council, and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.

EP131: Retail Media At A Crossroads: Insights From Cannes Lions With Drew Cashmore

Retail media is evolving fast, but not always in the right direction. In this episode of Leader Generation, Drew Cashmore, Chief Strategy Officer at Vantage, joins Tessa Burg fresh from the Cannes Lions Festival to break down the biggest conversations shaping the future of retail and commerce media. Drew shares what he's seeing across the industry—the opportunities, the challenges and where marketers should focus their energy.
If you're working with retail media in any capacity, you'll benefit from Drew's candid insights into what's working, what's not and how to create real value through presence, simplicity and strategic alignment. From the power of in-store media to the fragmentation of first-party data systems, this episode brings clarity to a complex landscape.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. 
About Drew Cashmore:
Drew Cashmore is the Chief Strategy Officer at Vantage and a seasoned retail and retail media strategist. He has a background in building, commercializing and scaling intrapreneurial ventures within some of the world’s largest retailers. Drew was an original architect and former executive at Walmart Connect in both the U.S. and Canada, where he played a key role in scaling the business to over $2 billion. His contributions included insourcing the business, establishing brand and sales enablement practices, leading internal change management, and developing the in-store advertising strategy. He was also a founding member of Walmart’s eCommerce and digital marketing platforms, and previously served as the CMO of Firework, and is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Adaptive Retail Group.
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.

EP130: Crafting Emotional Connections Using Creativity, Data & AI

In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg chats with Matt Bretz and Gary Goodman, two seasoned veterans in the games and entertainment space. 
With decades of experience, Matt and Gary share their journeys from working in Hollywood and gaming to leading creative teams at Mod Op. They discuss the evolution of the industry, the importance of data and AI, and how both play a role in crafting emotionally resonant marketing strategies. 
If you're interested in understanding the power of combining creativity with technology to connect with audiences, this conversation offers valuable insights into how AI and data are reshaping marketing in gaming and entertainment. 
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. 
Contributors:
Matt Bretz, EVP of Creative Innovation at Mod Op
Gary Goodman, EVP of Creative Innovation at Mod Op
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.
 

EP129: Building Your Army Of AI Agents: What Marketers Need To Know

If you’ve ever wondered how to go beyond ChatGPT and actually connect AI to real-world systems and workflows, this conversation is for you. 
Tessa Burg gathers with three Mod Op experts—Fabio Fiss, Aaron Grando and Javier López—to break down key technologies like MCP (Model Context Protocol) and A2A (Agent-to-Agent). The team explains how they work, and shares examples of how they’re already being used in creative and powerful ways.
More than just a technical discussion, this episode tackles the bigger picture—how AI will (and won’t) replace human jobs, how it can serve as a teammate and how it’s enabling people at all levels to do more, faster. 
Whether you’re building websites, leading creative teams or optimizing business operations, you’ll walk away with practical insights, relatable analogies and renewed clarity on where to start integrating AI meaningfully into your workflow.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. 
 
Contributors:
Fabio Fiss, VP of Technology at Mod Op
Aaron Grando, VP of Creative Innovation at Mod Op
Javier López, Senior Software Engineer at Mod Op
 
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.
 

EP128: Is GEO The New SEO? Optimizing For AI Search.

The way people search for information is changing fast. In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg is joined by Maurice White and Chris Harihar for a discussion about Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). 
They explore how search behavior is evolving with the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity, and what that means for brands aiming to show up in these new discovery environments. Maurice and Chris break down the parallels between GEO and traditional SEO, why marketers need to rethink their content strategy, and how PR now plays a crucial role in driving visibility in results powered by large language models (LLMs). 
This episode offers real-world tips, fresh thinking and a bit of reassurance for those feeling overwhelmed by the shift. Whether you're in SEO, content, PR or digital strategy, you'll walk away with clear insights and actionable ideas to stay ahead.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. 
Mod Op Contributors:
Chris Harihar, EVP of PR at Mod Op
Maurice White, Senior SEO Strategist at Mod Op
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.
 

EP127: Vibe Coding: The Future Of AI-Assisted Development Teams

Aaron Grando guest hosts on this episode of the Leader Generation Podcast, where we explore the fast-growing world of "vibe coding" with Joe DiGiovanna, VP of Technology, and Fabio Fiss, head of the DX team at Mod Op. 
If you’ve heard the term “vibe coding” floating around but aren’t quite sure what it means—or how it applies to real-world development work—this is the conversation you need to hear. Aaron, Joe, and Fabio break down how AI-powered coding tools are transforming developer workflows, empowering non-coders to create, and reshaping how teams build prototypes and scale projects. 
From Cursor to Claude and beyond, they share hands-on experience and stories from inside Mod Op. Whether you’re a seasoned dev, a tech leader or just curious about how AI is changing the game, this episode is a great primer on what vibe coding is—and where it's headed.
Leader Generation is brought to you by Mod Op. 
Contributors:
Joe DiGiovanna, VP of Engineering at Mod Op
Fabio Fiss, VP of Technology at Mod Op
About Guest Host Aaron Grando:
Aaron Grando, VP, Creative Innovation on Mod Op's Innovation team, is a seasoned technologist with over 15 years of experience at creative agencies. With a background in strategy, design, engineering, and marketing, Aaron has worked extensively in industries like media, entertainment, gaming, food & beverage, fashion, and technology. At Mod Op, Aaron leads efforts to integrate AI into creative processes, creating tools that connect creatives and clients with insights, spark ideas, and enable new brand experiences. Projects include collaborations with companies like NBCUniversal, Bethesda Softworks, Under Armour, Planet Fitness, Dietz & Watson, and more, focusing on infusing creative strategies with innovative technology to create cutting-edge brand experiences. 

EP126: How Scibids AI Is Redefining Media Buying At DoubleVerify

What if you could stretch your media budget without spending more? In this episode of Leader Generation, host Tessa Burg talks with Wandrille Leroy, the brains behind the Scibids AI at DoubleVerify, about how marketers can get more value from their ad spend using smarter, customizable automation. 
Wandrille explains how Scibids helps marketers take control of their media-buying strategy, align spending with their specific goals and achieve better outcomes across platforms like DV360, The Trade Desk, Meta and more. You’ll hear how Scibids fits into a landscape filled with walled gardens, bot fraud and limited visibility—and how it offers a way forward by boosting transparency and performance. 
Whether you're a seasoned media buyer or just trying to make your budget work harder, Wandrille shares insights that can help you measure what matters and make sure every impression counts.
 
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. 
 
About Wandrille Leroy:
Wandrille Leroy leads revenue for DoubleVerify’s Scibids AI, where he plays a central role in advancing the adoption of AI-powered optimization solutions across the digital advertising ecosystem. As a trained engineer, he brings nearly a decade of experience in programmatic media, with a strong focus on delivering greater customization and control to marketers. His career has centered on bridging technical innovation with strategic outcomes, helping brands and agencies navigate an increasingly complex and automated landscape. Since joining Scibids in its very early stages, Wandrille has been instrumental in shaping the company’s vision and driving its global growth through impactful, scalable technology partnerships. 
 
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.

EP125: Design Disrupted: An Old-School Creative Goes All-In On AI

What happens when an old-school creative jumps headfirst into AI? In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with Sergio Cardona for an eye-opening look at how technology is changing the creative process. 
Sergio shares his journey from traditional design roots to becoming a leader in AI-driven creativity, showing how curiosity and adaptability can open new doors for any creative professional. You’ll hear how tools like Midjourney and ChatGPT help Sergio move faster, break through creative blocks, and tell richer, more engaging stories. 
But this conversation goes beyond tools—it’s about mindset. Whether you’re a designer, marketer, or just AI-curious, you’ll walk away with fresh insights on how to partner with technology without losing the human spark that makes great work stand out. Give it a listen—you’ll be inspired to rethink what’s possible.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. 
 
About Sergio Cardona:
Lead AI Designer at Mod Op, Sergio Cardona is a multidisciplinary designer with a focus on packaging design, 3D packaging CGI, modeling and creative technology. He moved to the U.S. at 17 and studied Packaging Design at FIT. Since starting his career in 2007, he’s grown his skills by blending traditional design with new tools and technologies. He’s now expanding into AI design, bringing intelligent systems into his workflow while staying true to strong design fundamentals. By combining classic design, motion and 3D packaging CGI with the power of AI, Sergio creates work that’s both creative and scalable. He’s known for balancing sharp visual instincts with a systems-driven mindset—treating design as both a craft and a collaboration between human creativity and technology.
 
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.