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Get ready to kick off 2026 with a power-packed 3-hour virtual summit that covers the latest AI trends, cutting-edge marketing insights, and essential strategies to grow your business in the year ahead.

This event will feature industry leading keynote speakers (being announced soon!), actionable takeaways and expert led sessions. This is the must-attend event for anyone looking to elevate their marketing game and set their business up for success in 2026. Don’t miss out!

Meet the Speakers

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Ross Simmonds

Foundation Marketing
Founder

Ross Simmonds is an entrepreneur and marketing strategist who spent the last decade helping B2B & SaaS brands use content marketing, SEO, content distribution and technology to unlock new levels of organic growth.

Ross and the team at Foundation has helped SaaS and B2B brands build content marketing engines that generate millions of visits a year, build content cultures that thrive against competitors and capture over $100M in business.

Jay Schwedelson

GURU Media Hub
Founder

Jay Schwedelson has built and led businesses that have generated over $400 million in revenue—all by doing what most marketers are too afraid to try: breaking the so-called “best practices.”

Jay launched GURU Media Hub, home to the largest virtual marketing events in the world, attracting over 50,000 attendees each year. His podcast, “Do This, Not That: For Marketers,” ranks as the #1 marketing podcast in the U.S., out of more than 55,000, according to Apple Podcasts.

Nancy Harhut

HBT Marketing
Chief Creative Officer

Award-winning author & international keynote speaker — Nancy Harhut is a strategy-minded, results-oriented Creative Director internationally recognized for best in class creative. Energetic, optimistic leader with a proven ability to grow departments, win business, control expenses, manage through transitions, and engender client trust and employee loyalty.

Nancy has extensive knowledge of direct and digital marketing best practices, outstanding pitch skills, established track record delivering results with B2B and B2C clients, both global and local. Her and her team have won over 200 awards for digital and direct marketing effectiveness.

Caleb Bauers

Director of Product Marketing
Thryv

Caleb Bauers is a product marketing leader at Thryv, dedicated to helping partners and small business leaders scale smarter with intuitive, high-impact SaaS tools. With experience spanning SaaS startups through enterprise-scale product marketing (DocuSign, Expedia, Slalom Consulting) he brings a strong track record of delivering solutions that accelerate time to value.

Lisa Landsman

Head of Industry Engagement and SMB Success
Google Search Partnerships

With over 28 years of experience in the digital space and 20 years at Google, Lisa has led a variety of initiatives and teams -- from early stage efforts, to Ads and Partnerships, across restaurant, retail, and CPG verticals. She has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing these industries, and she is passionate about using technology and tools to solve real-world problems.

Lisa is the Head of Industry Engagement and SMB success within Google Search Partnerships. Her team is focused on empowering businesses with the knowledge and tools needed to maximize their presence across Google platforms and drive business growth.

Marilyn Gil

AI Marketing Strategist
Third Comma

Marilyn Gil is an AI Marketing Strategist showing businesses how to use AI in everyday ways. After 15+ years in digital and lifecycle marketing, working with both Fortune 50 brands and fast-moving startups, she went all-in on AI after getting a behind-the-scenes look at one of the largest AI companies in the world.

She shows teams how to use AI to market smarter and faster (without the AI fatigue!). Whether it's automating customer journey emails, creating social content in minutes, or building customer service agents, she's all about giving you back hours in your day. No sci-fi fluff here!

A multi-passionate marketer, global traveler and snowboarding addict, Marilyn brings a fresh, real-world approach to AI.

Check Out the Agenda!

11:00 AM

WELCOME REMARKS!

Welcome remarks with the President of Thryv, Grant Freeman.

11:11 AM

How SMBs Can Use AI to Win in the New Age

Ross Simmonds, Foundation Marketing

Learn how to build a repeatable, scalable content distribution engine that actually works in today’s landscape with Ross Simmonds, Founder of Foundation Marketing. This talk breaks down how to leverage both traditional and modern AI distribution tactics tools so your content consistently reaches the right people, in the right place, at the right time.

11:44 AM

Visibility is the New Currency

Lisa Landsman, Google Search Partnerships

In this session, Lisa will share her insights on how business owners can keep Google Business Profiles updated (with hours, photos, and reviews), how to combine local SEO and paid ads for a one-two punch in search visibility, and how to focus on conversions, not just clicks and make sure every visit has a purpose

Real World AI for SMBs: Marketing Shortcuts to Save You Time (and Your Sanity!)

Marilyn Gil, Third Comma

Is AI just a buzzword or can it actually drive revenue for your small business? In this session, we dive straight into the tactics. Designed specifically for time-strapped SMB owners and marketers, this is a crash course in real world AI...giving you exact prompts, tools, and the blueprint you need to automate your marketing. You’ll walk away with a toolkit to save time, save money, and save your sanity!

12:17 PM

Virtual Trivia & Prizes

Who said virtual events can't be fun??? Join us for a quick Kahoot and a chance to answer some fun trivia and compete for prizes!

12:35 PM

AI in Action: How Thryv Helps Your Business Market, Sell & Grow

Caleb Bauers, Thryv

In just 30 minutes, we’ll dive into Thryv's AI product experience for helping small businesses get found online, sell smarter, and grow through repeat business. This session connects the dots between the product and the outcomes—showing exactly how AI fuels each stage.

7 Easy, Quick Ways to Increase Opens and Clicks

Nancy Harhut, HBT Marketing

Discover how people really decide to open your emails (It’s not what you’ve been told!). Find out the 7 proven, brain-science-backed ways to write irresistible copy and Take your marketing game to the next level and crush your competition with easy, effective creative tips

1:08 PM

Do This, Not That!

Jay Schwedelson, GURU Media Hub

Jay highlights quick tips and tactics your SMB could apply to get ahead before the new year.

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