How the Next Audience Is Rewriting the Media Business Model

Heather Holst-Knudsen is a distinguished figure and expert in the events, media, marketing and technology sectors. Using her extensive experience, she guides clients in adapting to structural economic and market changes, seizing the chance to innovate and evolve. She specializes in digital and data disruption and opportunity, exploring how these overarching factors can impact revenue growth,customer-centricity, operational efficiency, profit margins, and the overall valuation of companies in both public and private markets. Her journey began at her family business, Thomas Publishing Company, where she honed her skills. She further expanded her expertise by holding positions at early industry giants Miller Freeman, Reed Elsevier, and IDG. Returning to Thomas Publishing, Heather founded and spearheaded Manufacturing Enterprise Communications, an integrated media portfolio connecting buyers and sellers in the manufacturing and technology sectors. Starting in 2015 and spanning the next seven years, she leveraged her expertise as a revenue and business leader in various SaaS businesses, including Feathr, Gleanin, Brella and Edflex. Heather is deeply passionate about digital innovation, data monetization, and AI and how these strategies fuel revenue growth, profitability, and company valuation. To serve and create value for clients in these areas, she launched H2K Labs, dedicated to generating and leveraging value through data for media, business information, events, and adjacent technology and service markets.

Billy Carney is the Co-Founder of RocaNews and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, recognized for reshaping how the next generation consumes news. At Roca, he leads product and strategy for one of the world’s fastest-growing digital media companies—a Gen-Z-focused platform dedicated to making the news engaging, balanced, and accessible. Since its launch in August 2020, RocaNews has amassed more than 3 million followers and subscribers across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, its mobile app, and daily newsletters. The company has raised over $6 million in venture funding, generated millions of annual engagements, and recently introduced a gamified news app that is approaching 40,000 monthly active users. Under Billy’s leadership, Roca has become a trusted source for digestible, entertaining, and nonpartisan news for young audiences.