meet the Founders

Nick Matzorkis

Co-Founder & Co-CEO

Serial entrepreneur and Internet pioneer Nick Matzorkis is best known as founder of the “People Search” industry by creating the […]

Nick Matzorkis

Co-Founder & Co-CEO

Serial entrepreneur and Internet pioneer Nick Matzorkis is best known as founder of the “People Search” industry by creating the first ever people search service on the Internet. His companies were the first to access, aggregate and disseminate public records directly to consumers whose information make up what were previously disparate offline databases. This fueled an information revolution by offering for the first time the opportunity for everyone to benefit from public records, not just government agencies and large corporations. Nick Matzorkis refers to it as, “the democratization of public record information.” This Serial entrepreneur, Internet pioneer and process also spawned the online “Background Check” and trailblazer in early web development and “Employment Screening” industries.

Josh Keller

Co-Founder & Co-CEO

Joshua serves as co-CEO of Global Agora, a venture capital firm that has launched eight of its own successful companies […]

Josh Keller

Co-Founder & Co-CEO

Joshua serves as co-CEO of Global Agora, a venture capital firm that has launched eight of its own successful companies to date and invests in seed-stage, high-growth startups. He is an accomplished entrepreneur with more than 16 years of experience in digital marketing. Joshua is the co-founder of Union Square Media Group, a leading full-service digital media agency whose clients include Fortune 500 companies and top brands such as Wall Street Journal, Nestlé, and Match.com. In 2017, Joshua founded Maximus Live, an innovative native advertising software company. With an expertise in providing strategic direction to companies, Joshua has spearheaded multiple mergers and acquisitions, including Need2Know, which was recently acquired by Cheddar. He is a member of the board of directors for Spark Networks, the leading global dating company, and SUP ATX, the world’s largest stand-up paddleboard manufacturer. Joshua holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Industry Studies from Ithaca College in New York. He resides in Miami Beach with his wife and daughter.

meet the Team

Andrea Carrano

Chief Operating Officer

Andrea Carrano joined Global Agora as COO a year and a half ago. He now has more than 17 years […]

Andrea Carrano

Chief Operating Officer

Andrea Carrano joined Global Agora as COO a year and a half ago. He now has more than 17 years of experience in the digital marketing field and is responsible for scaling the business at Quad2Media. Prior to his role at Global Agora, Andrea founded Sunshine Media Group, a boutique marketing firm. Andrea produced the award-winning documentary “Diamonds in the Rough,” in addition to founding businesses in the fashion and pet care industries. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from New York University. He is fluent in Italian and Spanish and conversational in French.

Shawn Estes

Director of Technology

Shawn Estes serves as the Director of Technology at Global Agora. A seasoned software developer with over 17 years of […]

Shawn Estes

Director of Technology

Shawn Estes serves as the Director of Technology at Global Agora. A seasoned software developer with over 17 years of experience, he leads the product development for multiple digital media platforms. His expertise spans from media buying, lead generation, and data analytics to building high-traffic and high-availability products. He is currently focused on expanding the capabilities of the revolutionary native advertising platform Maximus which offers autonomous, cross-platform campaign management. Shawn is a member of the Forbes Technology Council, an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives.

Mary Vecchitto

Vice President of Finance

Mary Vecchitto joined Global Agora, LLC in 2015 and serves as the Vice President of Finance. Mary has more than […]

Mary Vecchitto

Vice President of Finance

Mary Vecchitto joined Global Agora, LLC in 2015 and serves as the Vice President of Finance. Mary has more than 16 years of experience in financial planning and management across a range of industries. Prior to her role at Global Agora, Mary held senior finance positions in healthcare and financial securities trading companies as well as public accounting. Mary graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and began her career as a CPA with Arthur Anderson, a global CPA firm.

George Rivera

Senior Account Manager

George Rivera is a long-time resident of Southern Florida. He serves as a Senior Account Manager for Global Agora and […]

George Rivera

Senior Account Manager

George Rivera is a long-time resident of Southern Florida. He serves as a Senior Account Manager for Global Agora and prides himself on providing quality work. George has over ten years of extensive experience in accounting services and business administration. His expertise is compiling and analyzing account information and profit and loss, preparing the balance sheet, and other statements. He graduated from Miami Dade College with an Associate’s degree in Business Administration and Management. George is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Cynthia Gentry

Director of Culture

Cynthia Gentry serves as Global Agora’s Director of Culture, and works directly with the founders to create and implement company […]

Cynthia Gentry

Director of Culture

Cynthia Gentry serves as Global Agora’s Director of Culture, and works directly with the founders to create and implement company policies. She is also responsible for planning events across all offices, including team building activities and company retreats. Cynthia has been with the company for more than five years, and has overseen the launch of multiple companies. Before becoming the Director of Culture, Cynthia worked as a media buyer, held several management roles within the company, and was a contributor to the blog, Headlines & Heroes. Between 2013 and 2016, she was a contributing writer for Headlines & Heroes, a men’s gifting website. Cynthia graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science in Public Communication in 2013.

Ajla Afizi

Associate Director of Culture

Ajla serves as the Associate Director of Culture for Global Agora. She worked for Need2Know as a Brand Manager for […]

Ajla Afizi

Associate Director of Culture

Ajla serves as the Associate Director of Culture for Global Agora. She worked for Need2Know as a Brand Manager for two and a half years where she focused on sales and increasing advertising revenue. She is also experienced in building strategic partnerships and email and user acquisition. Ajla oversaw the due diligence process for Need2Know’s acquisition by Cheddar Inc. Ajla graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science in Public Communication in 2013. Ajla is fluent in Albanian.

Katie Dow

Associate Director of Talent Management

Katie Dow serves as Associate Director of Talent Management at Global Agora. She has more than six years of experience […]

Katie Dow

Associate Director of Talent Management

Katie Dow serves as Associate Director of Talent Management at Global Agora. She has more than six years of experience as an in-house recruiter at digital media companies. Before joining Global Agora, Katie oversaw the recruiting efforts for PMX Agency and Interbrand, which is part of Omnicom. There, she developed her skills in talent management and acquisition, including recruiting roles in finance, branding, strategy, design and digital marketing roles. Katie developed an interest in recruitment and talent management through her family’s business. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications.

Madison Butler

Content Writer

As Content Writer for Global Agora, Madison Butler creates original content for the company’s blog, Medium page, social media channels, […]

Madison Butler

Content Writer

As Content Writer for Global Agora, Madison Butler creates original content for the company’s blog, Medium page, social media channels, and websites. She works closely with the leadership team to produce engaging content for each brand, maintaining its voice across all platforms. Madison is responsible for researching trends and staying abreast of the technological advancements in digital marketing and native advertising. She also has experience in brand strategy, and writing across multiple industries, including academia, pop culture, and entertainment. Madison holds a Bachelor of Arts in Print Journalism from Pennsylvania State University and a Master’s of Professional Writing from Chatham University.

Maria Fernandez

Junior Accountant

Maria Fernandez serves as the Junior Accountant for Global Agora where she handles accounts payable and receivable and maintains financial […]

Maria Fernandez

Junior Accountant

Maria Fernandez serves as the Junior Accountant for Global Agora where she handles accounts payable and receivable and maintains financial records for the company. She works closely with the sales team on its invoicing and billing processes. Maria is also a certified notary. She has a Bachelor’s of Science In Accounting from Florida International University. Born in Argentina, Maria has been living in the U.S. for over sixteen years and is fluent in Spanish.