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
The Lipstick Effect
Friday, March 6, 2026What is the Splurge Paradox?

$8 mocha, yes. $3 shipping, no. $200 concert tickets, yes. Grocery coupons, also yes. And if that logic sounds contradictory, you're not paying close enough attention to the consumer you're trying to reach.

woman looking away from camera at oncoming traffic
Friday, February 27, 20267 Shifts for CMOs in the New Era of Marketing

The job of the CMO is changing faster than our ability to adapt to it. Tools got more powerful. Organizations got more complex. Expectations from customers AND boards? Through the roof. Somewhere in all of that, the role of CMO started pulling apart at the seams.

Elaine Barsoom, former Global Head of AI/GenAI Tech Innovation, Partnerships, and Strategy at Nike
Thursday, November 20, 2025Consumer Experience with AI: Creativity Meets Code

AI isn’t just boosting productivity—it’s redefining how brands connect, blending creativity and tech to reshape the entire consumer relationship.

Core Team
Reyna Wright
Reyna WrightSocial Media
Chelsea Huber
Chelsea HuberProgram Manager
Joe Skopek
Joe SkopekCreative Technologist