Adam Kleinberg
California
Overview
In 1996, I bought a one-way ticket from New York to San Francisco, bought a book on Photoshop, and declared myself a designer. I was blogging before the word "blog" existed and became the resident Flash guy at a time when that actually meant something. A few years and a handful of agencies later, I'd officially earned the title. In 2001, I founded Traction in the spare bedroom of my apartment on a simple principle: great work is easier with talented people you like and admire. I've spent 24 years building Traction into something different. Clients need outcomes, accountability, and access t
About
In 1996, I bought a one-way ticket from New York to San Francisco, bought a book on Photoshop, and declared myself a designer. I was blogging before the word "blog" existed and became the resident Flash guy at a time when that actually meant something. A few years and a handful of agencies later, I'd officially earned the title. In 2001, I founded Traction in the spare bedroom of my apartment on a simple principle: great work is easier with talented people you like and admire. I've spent 24 years building Traction into something different. Clients need outcomes, accountability, and access to top-tier talent. They want to work with people who actually give a damn. We redesigned the agency model to deliver both—a marketing accelerator built on a fractional, zero-waste model with 350+ specialists we scale based on what the work requires. We sell innovation. That's our specialty—helping brands turn innovative products and services into business outcomes. AI-driven ultrasounds for GE Healthcare. A natural cat litter that penetrated 10,000 retail locations in a year. The lowest CAC ever for HelloFresh. An 84% performance lift for Meta Pay. A 300% engagement lift for Lenovo. Apple has trusted us for 20 years. The work spans brand experience, organizational design, and AI implementation. Sometimes the problem is the campaign. Sometimes it's the organization itself—we recently identified $10M+ in efficiencies for a $20B retailer by redesigning their marketing operations. I also run The Futureproof Project—a community of 300+ CMOs moving past AI hype into real implementation. For the past year, I have been fractional CMO of Patiofyre (they make gorgeous wood pellet heaters) helping them achieve 6X ROAS. I've written over 100 articles for Adweek, Ad Age, Forbes, and others. Recent recognition: Campaign US Agency of the Year for Talent Management (Gold 2024, Bronze 2025), Campaign's "40 Over 40," and three 2025 ANA B2 Awards for Best Branding Program, Best Integrated Campaign, and Best Use of AI. When I'm not working, I'm practicing bonsai, doing tai chi at Lake Merritt, or walking with my doberman, Moose, and golden retriever, Dipper, in the Oakland Hills. www.tractionco.com www.thefutureproofproject.com