E-commerce technology has never been hotter. Marcus Startzel can joins me on the podcast to discuss the future of the direct-to-consumer market, data-driven marketing for brands, and more. Marcus is a trusted and experienced executive leader with a track record of driving growth for several technology-centric organizations for more than 20 years. As CEO of Whitebox, a Baltimore-based company dedicated to being an end-to-end e-commerce technology partner, Marcus helps brands and manufacturers maneuver the challenges and find success within the modern-day marketplace. Under Marcus' leadership, Whitebox raised a Seed Round of $2.6 Million in 2017, a Series A investment of $7 Million in 2019, and a Series B funding round of $18 million in 2020. Marcus is no stranger to driving growth for companies, having been a senior leader with several organizations leading up to and during their IPO or acquisition. Before joining Whitebox, Marcus served in various senior leadership roles within AppNexus, a cloud-based software platform that enabled and optimized programmatic online advertising, ultimately helping lead efforts in their 2018 $1.6B acquisition by AT&T. Marcus joined AppNexus through its acquisition of MediaGlu, a cross-device technology company where he served as chairman and CEO. Through 2020 when the global pandemic had forced millions of people indoors, online shopping grew 44%, representing 21% of total retail sales - the highest growth ever recorded. This explosive industry growth has helped Whitebox see impressive growth of their own: revenue in 2020 grew more than 300% year-over-year; the company also reports that direct-to-consumer shipments grew more than 300% over the first half of 2020 and had 141% growth year-over-year from 2018 to 2019. Additionally, as a partner in brands’ entire e-commerce journey - from factory floor to customers’ front door - Whitebox has invested in expanding its warehouse real estate; in 2020 the company moved its headquarters to a larger space in Baltimore, taking over a 365,000-square-foot space that previously served as an Under Armour distribution center. With this move and expansive growth in Las Vegas and Memphis, Whitebox now occupies nearly 900,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space. As a technology and fulfillment partner within the e-commerce marketplace, Whitebox works with large established brands such as McCormick & Company, Ricola, and French’s, as well as challenger and established digital-native brands such as Super Coffee, Roar Organics, Made Good, and ChicoBag. Whitebox’s growth has helped the company of 125 employees secure several industry awards, including being named “Best in Tech” 2020 by the Baltimore Business Journal and “Growth Company of the Year” by Technical.ly. Marcus was also recognized by E-Commerce Weekly as a 2020 Top 100 Influencer in E-Commerce.