Prior to working at Rio SEO, Joel notably spent 12 years at Google, where he led Consumer & Partner Operation teams for Geo products such as Google Maps, Google Earth, Local, and SketchUp, as well as integrations in Search and Knowledge Engine. He went on to serve for five years as the Director of Product of Local SEO and Practice Marketing at PatientPop, where he helped grow the company from $1MM to $77MM in annual recurring revenue (ARR). In 2020, Joel founded Leadferno, a SaaS company enabling businesses to create conversations that increase sales lead volume and close rate with omni-channel messaging.

Darren founded Whitespark in 2005 as a web design and development company, however, his passion and curiosity for all things local search led to a shift in focus in 2010, and ultimately to what the company is today. These days, Whitespark specializes in local search software and services and is one of the most respected and cited in the industry. Darren has been working on the web for over 19 years and loves everything about local SEO. He leads research initiatives such as the Local Search Ranking Factors survey and the Local Search Ecosystem. He is a regular contributor to search marketing publications and speaks at conferences around the globe.

Mike Blumenthal is the co-founder and analyst at Near Media where he researches and reports on reputation, reviews and local search. Today he also provides Local consulting to a range of businesses, big and small, across the SMB and SAAS marketplaces. Mike is assisting Air.cam, an online professional photographic marketplace, pivot to the local marketing space and helping them bring the power of photography to every business location in the US and Canada.

Rebecca is the Vice President of Retail Experience Solutions at Forsta, dedicated to transforming the retail landscape through innovative technology and customer-first strategies. With over 20 years of experience spanning store management, merchandise presentation, eCommerce, and digital operations, she has led high-performing teams at Kohl’s and Lands’ End while also consulting for Claire’s to enhance digital merchandising strategies and operations. Her deep retail expertise and strategic problem-solving make her a trusted partner in helping brands create seamless, engaging shopping journeys across digital and in-store touchpoints.