Alex Merutka

Craftsman+

We built CRAFTSMAN+ to solve a very real, very overlooked problem: creative at scale.

Performance marketing doesn’t fail from bad media buying, it fails from stale creative. CRAFTSMAN+ is a creative tech company engineered to close that gap. We developed a proprietary content engine that automates high-impact, data-backed playable and interactive ads. Built for speed, scale, and measurable performance.

Our platform helps top mobile brands (and their growth teams) scale creative output across channels like Meta, Google, TikTok, and programmatic, without sacrificing quality or insights.

Partners include category leaders in gaming, fintech, and commerce. Deloitte Fast 500 (#330), Inc. 5000, and trusted by the best because we don’t just make ads—we make performance scale.

CEO | Founder

Node Ventures

Node Ventures backs early-stage companies where we can be a growth weapon, not just a check.

We specialize in companies where digital marketing is the unlock. With deep operating experience across user acquisition, creative automation, and adtech infrastructure, we help founders move faster, scale smarter, and build the systems that drive real traction.

Node isn’t a traditional VC, we're a strategic partner with execution DNA. If we invest, we’re in the trenches with you.

Founder

Node Media

Odin Stem Cells

Odin delivers regenerative stem cell treatments. Clinically backed, nationally scaled, and optimized for long-term health outcomes.

We’re building the future of regenerative medicine by making advanced stem cell therapy accessible across the U.S. Odin operates at the intersection of science, performance, and wellness. Helping patients repair, recover, and optimize from the inside out.

→ Nationwide delivery. Clinical precision. Life-changing results.

Chairman & Co-Founder

Member

Forbes

Forbes 30 under 30 

AppLovin

Strategic Consultant

Helped scale AppLovin from early-stage startup to $29B IPO—leading $2B+ in performance media across mobile, programmatic, and creative.

Joined as one of the first employees. Built and led the user acquisition and programmatic teams during a period of hypergrowth—managing global campaigns for top mobile titles and partners. Owned media strategy and creative performance at scale.

Played a critical role in AppLovin’s growth trajectory from Seed stage through its final private round (led by KKR), culminating in a $29B IPO.

→ Specialized in building systems that connect performance data with growth strategy—at billion-dollar scale.

Head of Programmatic

Director of Sales

Conversant (formerly Greystripe)

Acquired by Alliance Data Systems (ADS) for $2.3 billion in 2014. 

Provided digital media solutions ranging from desktop, mobile, cross-device, video, lead generation, and retargeting.

Account Executive

BrightEdge

Enterprise Business Representative

I build companies that move markets. Right now, that’s CRAFTSMAN+—a creative technology platform powering high-performance ads for the world’s biggest mobile brands.

We’re not just shipping more creatives—we’re rewriting how performance teams scale. Backed by partnerships with Meta, Google, and TikTok, we’ve engineered a platform that turns friction-heavy creative workflows into data-backed, scalable growth engines. It’s the reason we landed on Forbes 30 Under 30, Deloitte Fast 500 (#330), and Inc. 5000—and why top brands trust us to accelerate what actually moves the needle.

Before CRAFTSMAN+, I led user acquisition and programmatic at AppLovin—managing $2B+ in ad spend and helping scale the company from Seed to $29B IPO. I also founded Node Ventures, a startup studio backing breakout ideas with speed and unfair distribution.

Contributor to Bloomberg, Business Insider, and FoxNews. Member of YPO. Always building, always optimizing.

Austin Sabella

Professional Mover

Uptown Creation

Chief Operating Officer

Co-Founder

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Financial Officer

Deloitte

Berkshire Hathaway, Principal, Mutual of Omaha, Roquette, Prairie Meadows Casino and many SMB's.

Financial Auditor

University of Iowa - Tippie College of Business

Teaching Assistant for the undergraduate Auditing course.

Teaching Assistant

Education Innovator's, Inc.

•Composed articles of incorporation for an education-based nonprofit corporation
•Taught entrepreneurship to over 100 students over the course of a semester by allowing them to operate a small business venue and explore revenue generation methods
•Successfully filed for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and assisted in raising more than $50,000 in funding

US Cellular

•Worked on a wide range of projects which allowed exposure and insight into each accounting team of the corporation
•Learned how to prepare and post various types of journal entries
•Gained extensive experience working with SAP
•Completed several tax research projects using CCH and TTR research databases

Accounting Intern

University of Iowa Surplus

•	Managed and operated the University of Iowa’s eBay store
•	Listed, sold, and shipped surplus merchandise from the academic and athletic departments
•	Ran diagnostics on used computers and made refurbishments to prepare them for resale

eBay/Computer Technician

M&M movers

•Completed two summers of full-time employment which involved manually loading and unloading furniture, following strict instructions, and communicating with customers
•Became disciplined in working long hours of manual labor

Goodwill Industries International

•Assisted doners by unloading donations from their vehicles
•Used professional judgement to price products for resale

Donations assistant

A former Big 4 CPA building Uptown Creation and Uptown Networking.

taplio

The Battle

Alex Merutka

Austin Sabella

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