Smartify founders Joe Kunigonis, Oleg Vyadro and Lenny Zappa were interviewed in Times Square in front of their digital billboard in honor of the The ADVERTISING Club of New York Award for Startup of the Year.
They were joined by the other recipients of the upcoming “People of the Year” Awards on June 4th at the Tribeca Rooftop.
Pictured: Joe Kunigonis, CEO, Smartify, Oleg A. Vyadro, President, Smartify, Lenny Zappa, COO, Smartify; Elicia Greenberg, VP, Membership & Programs, The AdClub New York; Alex Cuevas, VP, Talent, BBDO Worldwide; David Sable, Vice Chairman, Stagwell. Not pictured: Matt Scheckner, Chairman, Advertising Week; and Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, CMO, DoorDash.
Smartify Media (“Smartify”) has been named the 2025 Startup of the Year by The Advertising Club of New York in recognition of its national leadership in the emerging programmatic digital-out-home sector. The esteemed award established in 1959, celebrates trailblazers and changemakers across the marketing, media, and advertising industries.
The honor will be formally presented at the annual Advertising People of the Year Awards on June 4, 2025, at the Tribeca Rooftop in New York City.
“We are incredibly honored to receive this recognition,” said Joe Kunigonis, CEO of Smartify Media. “This award is a testament to Smartify’s relentless focus on innovation and operational excellence, and, equally, to the increasing significance and success of both the programmatic digital out-of-home channel within the advertising ecosystem and the massive growth of retail media networks.”
The 2025 honorees are:
– Matt Scheckner, Chairman of Advertising Week, Founder of Windsor Park Entertainment (“New Yorker of the Year”)
– David Sable, Vice Chair at Stagwell ( “Industry Legend”)
– Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, CMO of DoorDash (“Marketer of the Year”)
– Alex Cuevas, SVP, Director of Talent at BBDO (“Young Pro”)
– Smartify Media, Co-Founders Joe Kunigonis, Oleg Vyadro and Lenny Zappa, (“Start Up of the Year.”)
Launched in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, Smartify’s initial offering – Small Business+ – assisted local retailers with critical storefront communications and provided a new ancillary revenue source. Smartify is currently present in 40+ U.S. markets in partnership with retailers and leading consumer marketplaces.
Over 3,000 advertisers have activated digital campaigns through Smartify, reflecting a diverse range of global, national and local brands such as Louis Vuitton, Emirates, BMW, Apple, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, ESPN, Disney, P&G, Bank of America, Dunkin Donuts, Harvard University and The Yankees.
Similarly, Smartify’s Community+ Program is powering out-of-home visibility for philanthropic campaigns by The Jimmy Fund/Dana Farber, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, American Cancer Society, Pan-Mass Challenge and other non-profits.
For more information contact: Debbie Williams, SVP, Marketing: debbie@smartifymedia.com.