Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan, a visionary in ad tech, has founded two startups aimed at democratizing data access while prioritizing consumer privacy. She discusses her unique career path from planetary science to advertising technology. The conversation dives into the challenges of promoting secure data collaboration amidst evolving regulations like GDPR. Kamakshi also introduces an innovative natural language interface for data engagement in platforms like Slack, empowering all employees to make data-driven decisions across various industries, including healthcare and finance.
Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan's entrepreneurial journey emphasizes the critical need for democratizing consumer data while prioritizing privacy in the ad tech landscape.
Her advocacy for resilience among women in tech highlights the importance of embracing challenges and maintaining confidence to foster a supportive community.
Deep dives
Kamakshi Shivarama Krishnan's Background and Journey
Kamakshi Shivarama Krishnan's unique background includes a PhD from Stanford in information theory, where she designed a communications chip for NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. This technical foundation laid the groundwork for her successful transitions into the ad tech space, highlighting her knack for algorithm design and efficiency. Her entrepreneurial journey began with founding Drawbridge, a cross-device advertising company that empowered marketers to understand consumer identity across platforms. This move was driven by a personal mission to democratize access to consumer data while ensuring privacy and enhancing marketing effectiveness.
The Evolution and Acquisition of Drawbridge
Drawbridge was founded to tackle the fragmentation in consumer identity recognition, offering solutions to make data-driven marketing more efficient. The company became a leader in cross-device advertising, enabling brands to deliver personalized experiences across multiple platforms before being acquired by LinkedIn in 2019. The evolution of Drawbridge reflected significant industry changes, including GDPR regulations and a growing emphasis on consumer rights and privacy. This acquisition underscored the importance of establishing a cohesive understanding of consumer behavior in an increasingly complex advertising landscape.
Samuha and Data Clean Rooms
Kamakshi co-founded Samuha in 2022, focusing on creating secure and user-friendly data collaboration tools through clean room technology. This innovation aimed to simplify data sharing among enterprises while addressing privacy and security concerns, making it easier for marketers to utilize sensitive data without needing extensive technical expertise. The conversational data collaboration feature, which allows users to interact with their data via natural language queries, exemplifies the drive to democratize access to analytics across different sectors. This evolution parallels the broader shift in the advertising industry toward cloud-based solutions that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of marketing efforts.
Advice for Women in Technology
Kamakshi emphasizes the importance of resilience and navigating discomfort for women pursuing careers in technology and entrepreneurship. She advocates for embracing challenges and maintaining self-confidence, especially during moments of failure, to build a compelling narrative of success. Drawing from her experiences, she highlights the collective responsibility within the tech industry to advocate for consumer rights and privacy, urging aspiring women to actively participate in this dialogue. Her approach reflects the need for continuous learning and adaptation in a rapidly evolving field, asserting that overcoming barriers requires both personal and systemic commitment.
Serial ad tech entrepreneur Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan founded two startups roughly a decade apart, both for a similar reason: making data available across the enterprise in a way that’s also respectful of the consumer.
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