We know digital media.
We know Hispanic culture.
You should get to know us.
The team behind Pulpo Media combines a proven record of building successful online media companies. But we also have a great deal of real-life experience with Hispanic culture, which makes us uniquely qualified to serve the growing iHispanic market.
This is why Pulpo Media is backed by investors who have worked with companies like AOL, Apple, Doubleclick, Facebook, Google, IAC/Ask, Lowermybills, Shopzilla, Turn, and Yahoo.
Based in Berkeley, CA, Pulpo Media is privately held.
Justin Kuykendall – CEO & Founder
Prior to founding Pulpo Media, Justin served as Vice President of Tribal Fusion’s Publisher Network, where he led the company to become the second largest advertising network. He has over a decade of marketing, business development and campaign management experience, having managed online campaigns for hundreds of companies including Monster, Verizon Wireless, Google, and Microsoft. Before joining Tribal Fusion and Exponential, Justin managed marketing and advertising programs at Ask.com (IAC) and Wind River (Intel).
He has also consulted for top online publishers, including properties acquired by AOL and eBay, to help them grow traffic and revenue through his SEO, SEM and display advertising expertise. Mr. Kuykendall sits on the advisory boards of leading online advertising and media companies including Pubmatic, Turn, Komli, and Technorati.
He has a double B.A. in International Relations and Latin American Studies, and completed his Masters and PhD coursework at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain.
Mercedes Gomez - Director of Account Management
Mercedes Gomez leads Pulpo Media's account management team and was one of Pulpo's first hires in Berkeley, California. Her background includes a great mix of companies including IBM South America and HSM. Mercedes has extensive expertise is in marketing, international business and technology management. She has a degree from UC Berkeley (USA), a Masters in Strategic and Technological Management from ITBA (Argentina) / EOI (Spain) Joint Program, and a BS in Business Administration from UBA, Argentina.
Mercedes established Pulpo Media’s South American operations in Santiago, Chile and in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Hernan Haro – General Manager
Pulpo Media's General Manager, Hernan has extensive experience in the Internet and Teleco industries, where he has taken roles in Strategy, Product Development, Product Marketing and IT fields. He began his career at TNX, an Argentinean based startup which he helped grow from a small local office to a 60+ employee company with operations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico. After that experience he worked for Deloitte’s Strategy & Operations group, leading consulting projects in Argentina, Costa Rica and Colombia. Later on, he got his MBA and worked at Virtus Partners - a boutique Management Consulting firm (a McKinsey spin-off) in Santiago, Chile. Eventually he realized how much he really missed the startup world and decided to join a very promising and fast paced startup…Pulpo Media!
Hernán earned his MBA from UC Berkeley (Haas, 2010) where he got certificates in Management of Technologies (MOT) and Entrepreneurship. He also holds a MS in Industrial Engineering from Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA, 2002).
Board Of Directors & Investor Group
The Pulpo Media Board of Directors and Investor Group is made up of leading entrepreneurs, executives, and investors with deep experience in a broad spectrum of successful companies in communications, digital media, consumer and enterprise technology, and Internet infrastructure.
Angel Investor
Robert Simon, Board Member
Mr. Simon has over two decades of experience as an entrepreneur, operating executive, and venture capitalist. He co-founded five companies that include desktop publishing, communications, the Internet and online payments. He has served as an operating executive in private and public companies, and has nine years of venture capital experience; as a general partner at Alta Partners, and as an EIR/VP at Sierra Ventures.
At Alta Partners, Mr. Simon led investments in enterprise software, network security and telecommunications systems. At Sierra Ventures, he sourced, negotiated and served as a board observer on investments in storage, enterprise software, and Internet retailing. Mr. Simon’s has established venture relationships with leading firms including Kleiner Perkins and Sequoia Capital.
Institutional Board Investors
Mark Sugarman, MHS Capital
(San Francisco, CA)
MHS Capital is a venture capital fund backed by an extraordinary group of technology executives and entrepreneurs, including senior executives from every major Internet portal, and a deep roster of serial entrepreneurs building some of the leading software and Internet companies. Mark Sugarman, who represents MHS Capital on our Board of Directors.
Rick Smith, Crosscut Ventures
(Los Angeles, CA)
Crosscut has an unsurpassed network and reputation within the Southern California venture community, built upon many years of successful investing and mentoring.
Rick Smith has also invested with leading Internet companies including MySpace, Overture, Jamdat, PriceGrabber, LowerMyBills, Shopzilla, Doubeclick, eHarmony and Rent.com.
