Find Your Focus
& Learn By Doing
Relentless innovator. Product architect.
Builder of markets, platforms & moments that didn't exist before.
10+ Years
turning unconventional ideas into thriving products.
Innovation Strategy
Product Architecture
Market Design
Commerce Media
Build Boldly
Lead with Clarity
Innovation Strategy
Product Architecture
Market Design
Commerce Media
Build Boldly
Lead with Clarity
Innovation Strategy
Product Architecture
Market Design
Commerce Media
Build Boldly
Lead with Clarity
About Ari
I've never been wired for the conventional path.
At 18, while most people were still figuring out a major, I was already in Smith Barney's elite retail mentorship program—learning how markets move, how people make decisions, and how industries are shaped from the inside out.
At 19, I was offered a spot on the trading desk.
Instead, I walked away.
Because the moment I understood the economics of cosmetics margins and the acquisition math behind magazine subscriptions, I saw something nobody else saw:
You could use rewards to move industries.
Consulting
The First Build: Free Makeup, Paid Magazines
I launched my first digital rewards business by giving away free makeup to grow Cosmopolitan's subscriber base.
It was scrappy, unorthodox, and wildly effective—$5M in revenue in year one and an acquisition shortly thereafter.
I was 20-something and already building my next platform.
Learn more
The Second Act: Platforming Rewards
To scale the model, I built a rewards engine designed to attract entirely new demographics and expand the universe of customers we could reach.
That company was acquired by XL Marketing, which later became Zeta Global.
But I wasn't done. Not even close.
Solving the Hardest Problem: Unlimited Demand
Every rewards ecosystem eventually hits the same wall: you run out of advertisers.
So I invented a new model—Embedded Search—injecting search monetization directly into rewards flows.
Unlimited advertisers. Unlimited budgets. A permanent demand engine.
That innovation became OpenMail, which became System1, and ultimately drove multiple liquidity events exceeding $1B.
Sometimes Innovation Is Physical: The Sauce Caddy
Then I took a left turn.
I created the Sauce Caddy, a simple, brilliant product now used by nearly every major QSR in America, enabling dipping on the go.
It was a reminder that the best ideas aren't always digital—some just make life better.
The New Category: Earned Incentives
My latest chapter is my biggest.
I created Earned Incentives, a model that increases consumer spending power by tapping into third-party advertising budgets—reinventing the partnership model every brand relies on. It's the opposite of discounts. It's incremental money.
It's a new category of commerce media, and it's reshaping how brands think about promotions, loyalty, and acquisition.
Learn more
Testimonials
Innovation has always been my compass — from digital rewards to physical products, I build what moves industries forward.
Alicia Monroe
VP at Meridian Retail Group
"His Earned Incentives model changed the way we approach promotions and customer acquisition. It created value for our shoppers while protecting our margins. He has an extraordinary ability to rethink systems from the ground up."
David Rios
Founder of Sparkline Ventures
"I believed in him early, but even I underestimated how far his vision would go. His insight that rewards could reshape entire industries was years ahead of everyone else. His execution turned that idea into platforms that reached millions."
Tara Kim
CEO at Nova Beauty Collective
"His platforms helped us attract new audiences and unlock revenue we were not reaching before. His thinking around commerce media is far ahead of what most brands are doing today. He sees patterns that others miss."
Jordan Ellis
SR Director of Product at LumaOne
"He is one of the most transformative leaders I have ever worked with. He sets a high bar but gives his team the clarity to meet it. The products he built touched tens of millions of consumers and created real impact."
Ravi Desai
VP of Engineering at ScaleShift Technologies
"Working with him was a masterclass in systems thinking. From Embedded Search to modern rewards engines, he designs models that generate demand at a level I have never seen before. He is both visionary and deeply technical."
Lena Watkins
Operations Director at QuickBite Brands
"The Sauce Caddy became a staple in our stores because it solved a simple but important customer need. He understands how to build products people immediately adopt. His talent for blending innovation with practicality is exceptional."
Christopher Hale
CEO of Stridepoint Labs
"He has a unique ability to take apart outdated models and rebuild them into something completely new. Every conversation with him pushes me to think bigger. His impact spans far beyond a single category or industry."
Rebecca Sloan
Executive Coach and Leadership Advisor
"He has built companies that reshaped multiple industries, yet he remains grounded in his identity as a father, husband, and leader. His clarity, purpose, and integrity elevate everyone around him. He builds boldly and leads with heart."
Michael Grant
Managing Partner at Horizon Peak Capital
"His ability to build entirely new categories is unmatched. He has taken ideas that most investors would consider too bold and turned them into billion-dollar outcomes. Backing him has been one of the best decisions of my career."
Get In Touch
But none of it compares to my most important roles:
Father. Husband. Leader.
My compass is simple:
Build boldly, lead with clarity, and make the people you love the center of your mission.
Ari Kassman
I create companies that challenge assumptions, collapse old models, and open new categories.
Not because it's easy — but because it's what I'm built for.
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