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.

CRAFTSMAN+

CRAFTSMAN+ CANVAS redefines efficiency in ad creation. Unlike traditional design software, which focuses on crafting single designs, CANVAS streamlines the adaptation process across various marketing channels. This means you can:

- Automate resizing and formatting, saving valuable time while maintaining high creative standards.
- Focus more on creative innovation rather than repetitive design tasks.
- Efficiently scale your ad production, allowing for quicker responses to market changes and opportunities.

Frontend Software Engineer

RippleMatch

RippleMatch is the recruitment automation platform changing how Gen Z finds work.

Full Stack Software Engineer

sparks & honey

Frontend Engineer

Compass /

Software Engineer I

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Software Engineer

Associate Software Engineer

BorderBuddy

https://www.borderbuddy.us/
https://x.com/BorderBuddy_US

- Hack of The Month at NYC tech Meetup - March 2017
- Selected by Pivotal Labs for pro bono 3-week sprint.
- Finalist in Community Resilience category at NYC BigApps 2017

BorderBuddy helps travelers affected by the recent travel ban contact legal counsel if they lose means of communication.

After you register, we keep track of your flight's arrival information. If you make it through customs and immigration without any delays, send us a text and we'll know that you are OK.

If your flight has landed more than two hours ago and we still haven't heard from you, one of our partners will send legal aid to the airport and advocate on your behalf. It's that simple.

Co-Founder

Fullstack Academy of Code

• React & Javascript
• HTML5 & CSS3
• Node.js & Express
• SQL, Postgres, Redis
• Asynchronous and OO Programming

Immersive Software Engineer Student

BluePearl Veterinary Partners

Provided quality veterinary nursing and emergency care primarily within the Ophthalmology service.

- Performed Venipuncture | Catheter placement l blood transfusion | 
- Managed anesthesia/surgery for On-Call overnight emergency surgeries
- Performed physical and behavioral restraint on cats and dogs
- Experienced with proper sterile and quarantine protocols
- Follow-ups with owners and built trust and relationships.

Veterinary Ophthalmology Technologist

Provided quality veterinary nursing and emergency care primarily in Emergency department.

Skills:
- Venipuncture restraint ( Cephalic, jugular, saphenous )
- Intravenous catheter placement
- Close Chest CPR
- Anesthesia monitoring
- Canine and feline intubation
- Applying bandages / casts / wound cleans
- Handling in house diagnostics 
- Cystocentisis

Licensed Veterinary Technologist

Animal Specialty Group

Animal Techologist Assistant

Best Friends Animal Society

Veterinary Technician 4 week (Intern)

Software engineer experienced in building complex web applications and delivering maintainable, well documented, testable code.

You can find my resume at :  emilyyho.com

I work the best when I am passionate and on a collaborate team. 

I often find myself following new technologies and looking for ideas that will benefit people, solve their problems, and make the world a better place. 

Outside of work/tech I enjoy staying healthy, cooking, and music. Also spoiling my pup!

taplio

The Battle

Alex Merutka

Emily H.

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