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
10 AI things every creative should know.
Monday, February 24, 2025An introduction to Futureproof: Create

AI isn’t replacing creativity—it’s redefining it. Futureproof: Create explores how creatives can harness AI to work smarter and stay ahead.

San Francisco Chronicle story about Traction
Thursday, February 20, 2025Purpose Marketing in Polarized Times: Finding Common Ground Beyond Politics

In times of intense political division, purpose marketing feels like navigating treacherous waters. And let's be honest, with all the brands trying to "take a stand" these days, there are a lot of marketers getting seasick. With Elon Musk and our president engaged in what appears to be a systematic dismantling of government institutions, the temptation for brands to jump into the fray has never been stronger. It's like watching a bar fight break out and wondering if you should grab a chair. (Spoiler alert: you probably shouldn't.)

Organized Marketing Team
Thursday, February 13, 2025How Marketing Organization Design drives business growth and efficiency.

In an era where CMO credibility is under fire and marketing technology investments are increasingly scrutinized, marketing organization design helps companies accelerate growth and resource efficiency through AI-powered automation, workflow optimization, and smarter team structures.

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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