Jeremy Fain

Jeremy Fain is best known as a serial entrepreneur who has consistently operated at the cutting edge of algorithmic advertising, from the earliest days of real-time bidding through to the current era of deep learning-powered media buying. As CEO and Co-Founder of Cognitiv, he leads one of the AdTech industry's most technically ambitious companies, building custom deep learning AI models that allow brands and agencies to move beyond off-the-shelf programmatic optimization toward bespoke neural networks trained on their specific business outcomes. This approach has positioned Cognitiv as a differentiated player in a crowded DSP and AI marketing landscape. Before Cognitiv, Fain co-founded Triggit, a pioneering real-time bidding platform that was among the first to operationalize RTB infrastructure for advertisers. Triggit's acquisition by Facebook in 2012 was a landmark moment in early programmatic history, with Fain's team and technology contributing to the buildout of Facebook's advertising systems. This trajectory — from RTB infrastructure to machine learning to deep learning — mirrors the broader evolution of the programmatic industry itself, and Fain has been a practitioner at each inflection point. Fain is widely regarded as a thought leader on the application of artificial intelligence to marketing, frequently speaking at industry conferences and contributing perspectives on how deep learning differs meaningfully from conventional ML approaches in advertising contexts. His work has helped shift industry conversation from rules-based and simple algorithmic optimization toward more sophisticated, custom AI-driven approaches, influencing how major holding companies and brand advertisers think about media investment and data strategy.

• Bachelor's Degree, University of Michigan

• Co-founded Triggit, one of the earliest RTB platforms, acquired by Facebook in 2012
• Founded Cognitiv, bringing custom deep learning neural networks to programmatic media buying at scale
• Recognized as an early industry voice advocating for deep learning over traditional ML in AdTech

• Contributor to AdExchanger on AI and programmatic advertising topics