AGS Rome 2026 Welcome Kit for Agencies · 6 of 7
Who's on stage, and why it matters to you
AGS Rome 2026 Welcome Kit · the confirmed speakers, what they do, and why each might matter to you
A speaker on a programme tells you two things: the person is coming, and what they do for a living. It doesn't tell you what they'll say, and it doesn't put them at your table. Treat this page as a who's-who for the floor and the coffee queue, not as a timetable.
| Speaker | Role | What they're known for | Worth your attention if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Shackelford | Partner, Brez | Built and scaled DTC brands on paid social; co-founded a performance agency before moving to the brand side. Talks numbers, not slogans. | You run traffic for consumer brands, own one, or want to hear how a brand-side operator thinks about acquisition cost. |
| Marisha Lakhiani | Chief Growth Officer, Mindvalley | Runs growth for one of the largest online education brands, which acquires customers at scale through paid, affiliates and partnerships. | You manage a partner program, run a brand's growth number, or want to understand how a big in-house team uses affiliates. |
| Dayu Yang | CEO, EcommOps | Operations and fulfilment for DTC brands, with a background in economics, consulting and a Shark Tank brand. The supply-chain side of ecommerce. | Landed cost, fulfilment, a second market, or the operational questions behind a product business. |
| George Phu | Vertical Director, Ecommerce and Emerging Industries, TikTok | The person at TikTok whose remit is ecommerce and new verticals. | You buy on TikTok, want to, or have a platform question the rep dodges. |
| Niv Shaked | Sales Director, TikTok | Commercial side of TikTok's advertising business. | Same as above, from the sales side. |
| Van Oakes | Founder & CEO, Goat Media | Giveaway-led customer acquisition and direct-response funnels for DTC brands; has scaled brands on that model. | You're a brand or agency looking at acquisition models beyond the auction. |
| Iveta Makedonska | Founder & CEO, MakeItClick | Runs a performance agency across paid channels and verticals; data-led media buying. | You're an agency owner or an in-house buyer comparing how other shops run and price. |
| Sergei Glaukus | CEO, 88Projects | Direct-response operator on both sides: affiliate and offer owner. Known for YouTube ads, VSL offers, email and conversion work. | You're an affiliate who wants to hear the offer-owner side, or a buyer curious about YouTube as a traffic source. |
How to use this page
- Pick one. The person whose job most resembles the conversation you'd want. Note what you'd ask them if you were standing next to them at the reception.
- Sit near the front. Talk to the people around you before the session starts, not after; afterwards everyone leaves.
- Don't request the stage. Speakers may or may not be on the Match App. Request the companies on your shortlist; treat a speaker conversation as a bonus, not a plan.
The full speaker list and, when published, the agenda: https://affiliategrandslam.com/ (Speakers).
We update this kit from time to time as confirmations, prices and event details change. This page is current as of 12 September 2026.