The Female Led, Kansas City Company Transforming Tech
Words by: Maggie Laubscher
In a cheerful office loft in the Crossroads of Kansas City, a small software company is quietly transforming the tech world. The company generates tens of millions of dollars each year, has a client list filled with top brands covering TV networks, streaming giants, fitness retail brands and more, and finds competitors in Adobe and other software giants. It’s also based in Kansas City, has just 26 employees, and is led almost entirely by women. Meet AdPredictive, the proud outlier in tech.
“We're a 26-person company that is producing insights to drive critical decision-making for billion dollar corporations,” reflects Ali Burnham, AdPredictive COO.
Founded in 2002, AdPredictive is a customer intelligence platform. It uses its software to unify anonymous consumer data for brands, agencies and media companies. Clients use the platform and proprietary AdPredictive products like smart attributes, algorithmic audiences, data hydration and attribution - all enhanced by automation and machine learning- to impact business outcomes in ways that are faster and more affordable. The end result is smarter marketing, better audience targeting and higher revenue for its clients.
And the extra hook? The data AdPredictive and its clients work with is anonymous and transparent. What’s more, their data-driven approach is not only quantifiable, it’s also faster and more innovative than many of its competitors.
Ali explains, “Other companies may go to their clients and say, ‘Congrats, you gained 10,000 clicks,’ and that’s considered winning.” But AdPredictive reveals what those 10,000 clicks mean, whether it’s a revenue change, a surprising audience shift or an issue with the ad visuals. And because the team is led by the data, they can continually improve clients’ results.
We were curious about how AdPredictive achieves so much, so differently. So, we asked them. Read on for their insights on company culture, the power of no, and what women bring to the table.
ON COMPANY CULTURE
AdPredictive is a company that prides itself on working smart, lean and kind. Internally, the company emphasizes transparency, civil service, hard work and having a life outside the office. The result is zero cliques, low turnover, happy staff and major results.
“Being small and lean helps,” says Rachael Pegg, AdPredictive SVP of client success. “We include everyone. There's not a setup here where only a certain level gets to be part of decision making.”
That setup is common in traditional organizations, which typically reward those who push their way up to management. “And then if you aren't pushing for that, you're considered a poor employee,” notes Rachael. “But some people are rock stars in their jobs and also don't want to manage people. So none of that happens here.”
This idea of office transparency and open communication is easier said than done. So how does AdPredictive follow through so well? In chatting with different staff on the topic, the unanimous answer has been the hiring process. “We sit them down at the beginning and say, ‘Look, our culture is very important to us,’” says Ali. From there, the open communication follows more naturally.
“Everybody knows what's going on,” says Chelsea O'Donnell, SVP of business & client development. The team aims to have everyone in the know and therefore excited about the process. Ali agrees, saying, “When you know what's going on, you understand how many degrees removed you are from us landing a million dollar contract. You’re more tied to it.”
This is not a setting where one can coast; there is too much to be done. In contrast to larger companies where there's a lot of process and procedure to make things happen, AdPredictive is fast moving. “We make a decision at one o'clock and at two o'clock it's already implemented,” explains Ali.
With the fast pace, staff makes it a priority to check on one another’s workloads, and to do so regularly. “We’ve set the foundation that it’s okay to care about things outside work,” says Rachael. She uses Dan Carroll -- AdPredictive founder and CSO -- and his work with nonprofit Community Linc as an example. “It makes it okay for other people to care.”
So on the days where work might be the energy drain, people can fill their cup in other ways. In fact, pre-pandemic, the company had a calendar where staff could submit a nonprofit they care about and there would be optional monthly outings to help those organizations.
ON CLIENTS
A software company does not exist without clients. And working with clients -- in any industry -- is a continual dance. “Our job is to make the clients happy, and we strive to do that in ways that are beneficial to both our strategy as well as our clients' success," says Rachael.
This is a mindset that is easier said than achieved. When a client wants something, the first instinct at many companies is to spin into action without pausing. Instead, the AdPredictive team takes the time to ensure understanding of the underlying needs. Then, determine the right path forward -- a path that doesn’t always match the original ask.
“If you don’t have somebody who's asking those questions, your team will be run ragged because everything's always a fire drill. And clients will likely end up with solutions that won't benefit them in the long run,” Rachael reflects. “There is no positive growth in that; it's just a very, very stressful environment.”
And AdPredictive is aiming higher than that. Kristin Frank, AdPredictive CEO, speaks enthusiastically about the clients the company is working with and the heady opportunities ahead. “We are doing some really exciting work,” she points out, and then credits the women sitting around her for the work that’s being done. “We have a team like no one else.”
ON
WOMEN
IN
TECH
Women are still very much the minority in tech, making up less than 30-percent of its workforce (source: AnitaB.org Institute). It’s a fact of which AdPredictive is a proud outlier.
At a recent women’s summit hosted by The Kansas City Business Journal, a speaker mentioned the recent -- and rather depressing -- statistic that it will take women 257 years to close the employment gender gap across all industries (source: World Economic Forum).
Kristin turned to the table at that moment and whispered, “Not at AdPredictive.” It’s a statement she can back up, as indeed, the company has already closed that gap. In addition to a female CEO, the company is almost entirely run by women. And the women of AdPredictive know what they’re doing.
“Even in college, I knew I wanted to be in an industry that was growing and fast moving,” says Ali. But the decision did not come without roadblocks. “I remember someone telling me early on in my career, ‘This is a good old boys club. You're never going to get ahead because people will always see you as the admin.’”
That statement has proved outdated and untrue. What’s more, women in tech “brings diversity of thought to the table,” says Ali.
“When you have a decision to make as a company, you want stakeholders coming to the table with totally different perspectives,” she continues. “And having women as part of that is so critical. You can't just choose one area of society to make all the decisions. We need people with diverse education, background, location, families, all of it.”
~
Disclaimer: We love having these conversations. We hope you love them as well. As a peaceful reminder, all views, opinions, statements, feelings, and vibes posted on Nelle News are solely those of the beautiful individuals involved. They might not represent any other person, agency, organization, employer, or company’s views, opinions, statements, feelings, or vibes. Nelle profiles are meant to entertain and show a real-life conversation; nothing more or less.