Meet the teamAdam Kleinberg

CEO. Thought Leader. Bonsai pruner.

Adam Kleinberg
CEO

Adam Kleinberg

Born and raised in New York, Adam bought a one way ticket to California after graduating from Cornell. From an early age, he was attracted to art and technology— programming video games on a PET computer in 6th grade — so the exploding digital scene in 1996 San Francisco felt like home.

In the entrepreneurial spirit, he bought a book on Photoshop and declared himself a web designer. After a few years at a handful of agencies, he had officially earned the title. In 1997, he was blogging before the word “blog” was coined. In 1998, he was the resident Flash guy at Think New Ideas, a hot integrated agency. In 2000, he was recruited to help start the SF office of Tribal DDB.

Adam and his partners founded Traction in 2001 (in the spare bedroom of his apartment) on the principle that doing great work is easier with talented people you like and admire. Twenty great years of collaboration with some of the world's greatest brands have borne out that philosophy.

In 2019, he led the transformation of Traction into a marketing accelerator to better serve the needs of brands in today's fast-paced, data-driven environment. He plays a hands-on strategic role with Traction's clients to help ensure that their business objectives are aligned with the needs, desires and behaviors of their customers.

A prolific writer, Adam has spoken at dozens of industry conferences around the world and published over one hundred articles in industry publications such as Adweek, Ad Age, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Mashable, and others. In 2013, he was a MediaPost All-Star, an award given to the three most influential digital creatives in the US each year. He is an amateur bonsai artist and can occasionally be found at Lake Merritt in Oakland practicing tai chi.

Recent articles
Answer Engine Optimization
Friday, March 28, 2025AI, SEO, and the Evolution of Search

AI is fundamentally changing how people search—and how brands need to show up. Traditional SEO is giving way to AI-powered platforms that deliver direct answers, not just links. This blog recaps insights from The Futureproof Project: The Future of AI Search virtual session, breaking down new strategies like Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Search Everywhere Optimization, and the rise of AI agents. If you're not adapting, you're disappearing.

The Futureproof Project
Thursday, March 6, 2025The AI-First CMO in 2025

In our latest Futureproof Project session, we broke down how AI is reshaping marketing, why IT and legal are blocking adoption, and why agencies must shift from selling hours to selling solutions. From AI-generated creativity to data privacy concerns and tool overload, we covered what’s working, what’s hype, and how to stay ahead. The future belongs to those who adapt and act.

Organization design on a fresh sheet of paper
Thursday, March 6, 2025Reimagining Marketing Organizations for the AI Era with a Blank Sheet of Paper

What is the blank sheet approach to marketing organization design? The blank sheet approach invites leaders to set aside legacy structures and imagine their ideal marketing organization from first principles—creating space for true innovation, AI integration, and customer-centricity rather than incremental improvements to outdated models.

Core Team
Garrett Lawrence
Garrett LawrenceHead of B2B
Reyna Wright
Reyna WrightSocial Media
Chelsea Huber
Chelsea HuberProgram Manager

Traction is a new breed of marketing agency and consultancy—a marketing accelerator for brands and their in-house teams.

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