Eric Fischer is a Consultant at Mercurius Media Capital.
He is a media and marketing professional with 30+ years’ expertise in media strategy, planning and execution. His senior management experience within media agencies (Universal McCann), media sales groups (Disney, FOX, iHeart, MGM, NBA and Tribune) and client positions (LifeLock and GoDaddy), has provided a unique knowledge set allowing him to start his own media strategy practice, HJA Strategic Marketing in 2010.
Eric understands the needs of clients, from Fortune 100s to startups, and brings a deep understanding of attribution and media mix modeling allowing his clients to optimize on the fly and look at media spend holistically within a company’s overall acquisition framework.
In addition to being a featured guest speaker at prominent industry events, Eric has been an adjunct professor at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism teaching sports marketing and holds a journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.
Pat Ruta is a Consultant at Mercurius Media Capital.
Pat Ruta is a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience in the advertising and media industries. As a cofounder of Visible World, Pat played a pivotal role in the company’s growth and success, ultimately leading to its acquisition by Comcast in 2015. At Visible World, Pat was directly responsible for mergers and acquisitions, spearheaded business development, and led all enterprise deals, showcasing a robust ability to drive strategic initiatives and foster significant business growth. Following this, Pat served as a senior advisor to Shareablee, a leading social media analytics company, guiding its successful sale to Comscore. This role further solidified Pat’s reputation as a trusted advisor in high-stakes M&A scenarios.
Currently, Pat owns and operates a boutique M&A and consulting practice specializing in the media sector. This practice leverages Pat’s extensive industry knowledge and strategic acumen to deliver exceptional outcomes for clients.
Among Pat’s notable portfolio companies are AdGreetz and Teleos Media, where he serves as a senior advisor for M&A and enterprise sales. Additionally, Pat owns intellectual properties in the rapidly evolving eCommerce live stream shopping space and is one of the founders of NYCe, a pioneering cannabis-infused ice cream company. Pat’s career is marked by a deep understanding of the advertising landscape, a proven track record of successful business transactions, and a commitment to driving growth and innovation in the media industry.
Chris Guenther is Chief Operating Officer, ArcSpan Technologies, a next-gen audience monetization company. Throughout his career, Chris has focused on collaboratively driving positive change in the media ecosystem, ranging from global media companies to board roles at the IAB US and TechLab industry organizations. Previously, he was Senior Vice President, Global Head of Programmatic for News Corp and GM of NewsIQ, focused on driving programmatic and ad tech innovation across the company’s global properties. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Business Operations for Hearst Magazines International, working on sales operations and programmatic advertising across the global Hearst footprint. Mr. Guenther also served as VP, Digital Operations & Monetization at Conde Nast. Earlier roles were at Dow Jones as well as the Jordan Edmiston Group.
In addition to his professional experiences, Chris is a board member at the Partnership for After School Education (PASE), as well as a mentor to the nonprofit New York Fashion Tech Lab (supporting female entrepreneurs) and American Corporate Partners (helping veterans transition into the private sector).
As a seasoned media and advertising executive, Tom brings nearly four decades of expertise in media strategy & execution; media partnerships and client directed barter programs, to Mercurius Media Capital (MMC) as a Strategic Advisor. He has a proven track record of structuring innovative media solutions that deliver economic value for media companies, corporations and agency partners.
Tom currently serves as President and Director of Media & Fulfillment at ICON International, Inc., the largest independent principal-based media buyer and premier corporate barter company in the United States. Over nearly 30 years at ICON, he has led media operations at scale and has direct experience with media for equity investment strategy, having been a key executive partner on behalf of Icon in Triad Media Ventures. His deep understanding of media asset valuation and alternative transaction structures makes him a natural fit for MMC’s media-for-equity model.
Prior to ICON, Tom held media management roles at TN Media and FCB, where he built a strong foundation in advertising operations and client strategy.
Aishwarya Balaji is a 2x startup founder, operator, and investor with over a decade of experience at the intersection of innovation, consumer trends, and behavior. She has built her career around identifying emerging cultural and technological shifts early and helping startups, creators, and brands adapt strategically.
Aishwarya began her career in PwC’s consumer products practice, advising Fortune 500 companies including Coty, PepsiCo, and Coca-Cola. She joined Build Academy, an edtech startup, as their first employee before founding two ventures: a blockchain innovation lab and A Fresh Sip, a beverage-tech startup that turned smart vending machines into media assets.
Through her consultancy, Aishwarya has advised content creators and startups on monetization, market expansion, and product-market fit. She is an LP at NextGen Venture Partners, formerly an angel investor with 37 Angels, and has mentored for Techstars, MIT Launch, and Startup India. Aishwarya is a TEDx speaker who has presented at Harvard, Stanford, Duke, and international forums on entrepreneurship, emerging technology, and the convergence of culture and commerce. She holds a BSBA in Management Information Systems and Finance from Boston University.
Gregg Colvin is a senior media executive, entrepreneur, and board member recognized for revitalizing, transforming, and accelerating businesses. He has held leadership roles at Fox and Universal McCann and has led emerging brands that challenge existing ecosystems, operating at the intersection of media, sports, and technology.
Most recently, Gregg served as CEO of 1/ST Content and CMO of 1/ST, North America’s preeminent thoroughbred horseracing, gaming, and entertainment company. As CEO, he negotiated the largest media rights deal in racing history and landmark agreements with NBC, FOX, and FanDuel TV, expanding distribution to over 800 million viewers across 40 territories. He also executed a deal for an original docuseries from the makers of Formula 1: Drive to Survive for Netflix. As CMO, he drove attendance increases of over 30%, social media engagement growth exceeding 80%, and sponsorship revenue growth of more than 100%.
Previously, Gregg was CEO of 421 Media, which he transformed into an established firm with over 275 million followers before its acquisition by Create Media Group. He also served as COO of Universal McCann (North America), overseeing more than $10 billion in media spend for Fortune 100 clients including Sony, Johnson & Johnson, and BMW. Gregg is a graduate of UCLA Film School and UCLA School of Law.
Raj is Managing Partner at Day 0, an AI strategy consultancy helping enterprises navigate the evolving AI landscape through strategy development, technology evaluation, prototyping, and data science.
Raj brings over a decade of experience at Google, where he built and scaled some of the company’s most significant revenue engines. He developed DoubleClick’s channel program into a $1.3 billion business with 80% annual growth and led enterprise sales teams generating over $100 million in revenue with growth rates exceeding 100%. He also founded and ran Orion, one of the most successful startups to emerge from Google’s Area 120 incubator.
Beyond his operating experience, Raj serves as a board member, advisor, and investor to multiple companies, bringing strategic guidance shaped by years of scaling enterprise software businesses. He graduated with honors from Harvard University and studied at the London School of Economics. At MMC, he brings deep expertise in AI, enterprise go-to-market strategy, and scaling technology businesses to support portfolio companies navigating growth.
As a seasoned global communications and marketing leader, Heather excels at the intersection of brand strategy and social purpose, particularly within consumer technology. She has a history of crafting innovative campaigns that not only drive growth but also advance meaningful social missions.
As the recent Chief Communications Officer and Head of Social Impact at Chegg, the leading student-first digital learning platform, she was responsible for all internal and external communications and social responsibility initiatives. Previously, as Vice President of Marketing, Heather was instrumental in building the brand narrative as Chegg successfully transitioned from a physical textbook rental business to a digital subscription model, with a range of online products and services. Through creative narrative development, strategic influencer partnerships, and impactful cause-marketing efforts, she cultivated brand affinity and loyalty, accelerating the business and driving growth.
Heather’s commitment to social good is a cornerstone of her career. In 2013, she was instrumental in launching the Chegg Foundation and led it as President of the Board of Directors for six years. She continued to shape the company’s philanthropic direction as an Advisory Board member for the relaunched Chegg.org for four years.
With a diverse background that includes roles at Activision, Comergent, and in private equity, Heather brings a multifaceted perspective to her work. She continues to leverage her expertise as an investor and advisor for several early-stage companies and is an active participant in her community. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Teledramatic Arts and Technology from California State University, Monterey Bay.
