ASI’s Counselor Magazine Celebrates 2019 Hot List

The up-and-coming stars and creative standouts putting the sizzle in branded merch

TREVOSE, PA – June 4, 2019 – Counselor^® magazine today announced the game changers on its 2019 Hot List, an annual celebration of the gutsiest trail blazers heating up the promotional products industry.

Counselor’s 12th annual Hot List showcases a diverse mix of 10 women and 10 men, including 12 distributors and eight suppliers. They range from company founders and tech wizards to savvy strategists and marketing masters. In addition to starting, growing or transforming promo businesses, these A-listers have founded charities, excelled at jiu-jitsu, played in a band, competed on Shark Tank, enjoyed million-dollar sales and cashed in on the cannabis “green rush.”

“The promo stars who made this year’s list are never-give-up inventors, do-everything parents and all-night-long networkers,” said Counselor Editor-in-Chief Dave Vagnoni (@VagnoniASI). “They possess the energy, grit and confidence to shape the future of the industry through bold ideas, new ways of doing business and an unqualified passion for success.”

Counselor magazine, which provides news, trends and business strategies to top distributor decision-makers, is published by the Advertising Specialty Institute^® (ASI).

The 2019 Counselor Hot List, in alphabetical order by last names:

• Tiffany Anderson, corporate channel manager, Dri Duck Traders (asi/50835)
• Katie Bauer, VP of sales, Blank2Branded (asi/141113)
• Sam Brown, director of corporate marketing,BrandVia Alliance (asi/145037)
• Jen Carver, field sales manager, PCNA (asi/ 78897)
• Matt Del Valle, owner and president, Stan Miller & Associates powered by Proforma (asi/300094)
• Mike Ferriter, director of sales, Sobe Promos (asi/245603)
• Carlos Franco, account executive, PromoShop (asi/300446)
• Mitch Freed, VP of strategic initiatives, Genumark (asi/204588)
• Kimberly A. Fulford, senior VP of owner success, AIA Corporation (asi/109480)
• Rener Gracie, founder, Quikflip Apparel (asi/89364)
• Lucas Guariglia, president/sales director, Rowboat Creative (asi/313715/83710)
• Melissa Guthrie, account manager, Swag Promo (asi/340491)
• RJ Hagel, marketing manager, Goldstar (asi/73295)
• Maggie Mason, sales and marketing director, City Paper Company (asi/162267)
• Steve Peters, co-founder and VP of operations, Emperor Promos (asi/52371)
• Ali Rizvi, co-founder, Promotional Drives (asi/54536)
• Ankur Sinha, head of India operations, BAMKO (asi/131431)
• Millie Tadewaldt, founder, Brilliant Gifts (asi/146116)
• Chelsea van der Meer, creative director, Batch (asi/38781)
• Nicole Verspyck, VP of sales, Gemline (asi/56070)