William Leake

Most launches flop, not from bad products, but from ‘ta-da!’ rollouts with zero warm-up. Headed to a fall conference to break some big news? My latest MediaPost column provides a 6-week blueprint to turn the booth into a momentum machine. Details and article link in comments ↓ #gtm #marketing

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Mercator.ai, which provides commercial contractors with real-time insight into early-stage project activity has expanded its AI business development platform into Florida. This follows rapid adoption in Texas and growing demand from contractors for earlier visibility into private projects. via Mercator.ai & Mann Report https://lnkd.in/geJzsBuX

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The Colorado Technology Association is a powerful advocate for American tech leadership and the importance of local tech ecosystems. I’m excited to join them next week to discuss how we can accelerate American AI efforts in our race against China.

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If you're evaluating predictive analytics platforms for fundraising, start here. Too many teams jump from “we need AI” straight into vendor demos. A better starting point is simpler: What decisions are you trying to improve? A Strategic Guide to Predictive Donor Intelligence walks through the criteria I think matter most: • can nontechnical teams use it? • does it forecast, not just score? • can it explain its recommendations? • does it fit into your existing stack? • how quickly can it produce lift? That’s the conversation nonprofit leaders should be having right now. Download the guide: https://lnkd.in/eTy7VzZU Curious what others are prioritizing first: explainability, speed to value, or platform fit?

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Interesting insights about AI (you never learn enough) by Blair Garrou of Mercury Fund at the Plug and Play Tech Center Fall Expo 2025 here in Sugarland Texas Key Insights: 1) B2B over a 10 year span was more favorable towards middle market and SMBs. AI However, is now all in on enterprise 2) Revolutionizing/Modernizing older industries is where AI will be seamless (in construction, certain types of engineering and older processes in energy) 3) It's better to invest in AI that equips workers with another skillset than ones that result in layoffs #startups #venturecapital #ai #emergingtech

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New vibe coding project underway! Launchpad is powered by the Sovrn Data Collective and uses the Gemini API to perform dozens of marketing tasks. Below is an example of the insights Launchpad generates for our Commerce Audience segments. In this case, people in the market for Activewear. Gemini analyzes the audience data and provides a persona, demographics, geographic market intel, cross-purchase insights, messaging recommendations, and relevant deals. Much more Launchpad to come... [Built w/ Cursor + Anthropic's Opus 4.5 model]

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I’m calling it now. ACO is the new SEO for ecommerce. Agentic Commerce Optimization. Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol went live. Wayfair and Etsy are already closing transactions inside AI Mode. No website visit. No “add to cart” on your domain. This isn’t the future. This is February 2026. Here’s what most people are missing. UCP introduces six core capabilities: • Product discovery • Cart management • Identity linking • Checkout inside the AI interface • Order management • Vertical extensions That’s not a feature update. That’s infrastructure. For 25+ years, we optimized for the click. Now we’re optimizing for selection and transaction. Your schema markup is no longer about rich snippets. It’s the protocol agents use to decide: Who to show. Who to trust. Who to buy from. Product schema. Offer data. Shipping details. Return policies. This is no longer “SEO hygiene.” It’s your checkout flow. Here’s the shift. Search engine optimization was about ranking pages. Agentic Commerce Optimization is about being executable by machines. If an AI agent cannot: • Parse your inventory • Understand your pricing logic • Validate your fulfillment terms • Authenticate identity via OAuth You are not in the game. The SEOs who treat structured data as commerce infrastructure will dominate the next five years. Everyone else will keep optimizing title tags for a click that never happens. Three moves to make now: 1. Audit your Merchant Center feed like it’s your homepage. 2. Populate every relevant schema.org commerce property. Not the basics. All of it. 3. Start thinking in capabilities, not keywords. We are moving from search optimization to selection optimization. Agents are choosing who gets the order. Be choosable. Execution still beats hype. Every. Single. Time.

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🚨 Google's new AI-driven search isn’t just a headline: it’s changing the rules of SEO *right now*. Traditional keyword rankings? Old news. Today, Google’s AI generates answers and cites sources instead of showing the typical top 10 links, and that means your content strategy needs a MAJOR upgrade. Why does this matter for your business? 👉 The AI summarizes answers from across the web: if your site isn’t cited, you’re invisible. 👉 Click-through rates from #1 positions dropped by 30-60% virtually overnight. 👉 Authority, expertise & in-depth content are MORE IMPORTANT than ever. It’s time to future-proof your site. Want to stay ahead? Get a FREE consult with our SEO experts to boost your visibility in the new AI search era! Let’s grow your online presence together! 🚀 #SEO #GoogleAI #DigitalMarketing #GrowthHacking #BusinessGrowth #MarketingTips #SEOStrategy #SmallBusiness #DigitalTrafficFactory

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Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/giBTMSAJ In a bold and strategic move aimed at reclaiming America’s position at the forefront of global technological advancement, Brian K. Long, founder of DigitalViking.tech, has unveiled a groundbreaking concept—the Technology Resort. This forward-thinking initiative is more than just a facility; it’s an “Innovation Incubator” designed to revolutionize how the United States approaches education, training, and innovation in the semiconductor and technology industries. These resorts are not just academic in nature—they are hands-on, real-world environments where talent can be nurtured at scale, startups can be incubated, and future industry leaders can be trained in cutting-edge disciplines including chip fabrication, AI, robotics, quantum computing, and software engineering. What Is a Technology Resort? Unlike traditional institutions, Long’s Technology Resorts merge the energy of a startup accelerator with the infrastructure of a high-tech campus. These specialized resorts are designed to include: Rapid Training Centers: Focused bootcamps and technical labs that provide fast-paced learning and hands-on experience. On-site Innovation Labs: Fully equipped with advanced tools and software for prototyping, development, and testing. Startup Incubators: Spaces where entrepreneurs can develop ideas, connect with mentors, and gain funding support. Living Quarters & Amenities: Accommodations that allow for immersive, distraction-free focus, creating a lifestyle centered on innovation. This holistic environment ensures participants don’t just learn—they create, build, and launch. Fueling the Semiconductor Industry Semiconductors are the backbone of every modern technology—from smartphones to satellites. The U.S. has long relied on foreign supply chains for chip production, a dependence that has proven risky. The Technology Resort model aims to localize talent development and manufacturing capability, creating a new generation of engineers and innovators who can power domestic chip production and design. With training facilities tailored specifically for semiconductor processes—such as photolithography, etching, and wafer testing—the resorts will directly support the national CHIPS Act goals, aligning with federal strategies to boost domestic chip manufacturing. Brian K. Long’s Technology Resort isn’t just a response to the current tech crisis—it’s a proactive, strategic leap toward a future where the United States leads not by outsourcing, but by out-innovating. It offers a compelling vision for national renewal powered by human potential, cutting-edge training, and collaborative ingenuity.  

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