Damien Mahoney is a digital media innovator and social content mastermind. He is currently Chief Strategy Officer at Nosto, following the acquisition of visual user-generated content platform Stackla, where he was founder and CEO. Mahoney has flipped brand marketing on its head, as his AI powered platform puts customer stories at the heart of content automation, using predictive intelligence to identify authentic, compelling content to strengthen consumer trust and deliver personalised experiences at scale. As a result of his market-leading approach, he has attracted some of the world’s largest software companies as partners including Oracle, IBM and Sitecor. Stackla was named the first Australian Twitter Technology Partner.
In 2018 Mr Mahoney launched Stackla’s non-profit initative ‘Stackla for Good’, helping social impact organisations reach and inspire supporters with leading AI-powered user-generated content. By making their platform more accessible to non-profits, like ACLU, No Kid Hungry, ONE and WWF, Mr.Mahoney and the team help important causes launch movements and promote action. Stackla For Good, has since been named the 8th Most Innovative Not-For-Profit Company by Fast Company. Stackla was recently sold to Finnish technology company, Nosto Solutions, marking a successful exit for the founders and investors. Stackla’s roster of customers includes – Apple, Sinclair Broadcasting, HelloFresh, Spotify, Chevron, International Olympic Committee, Brand USA and Kia. As a result of his contributions to nonprofits, Mr Mahoney was invited to visit the White House in November 2015. He met with Michelle Obama, and contributed technical expertise to her ‘Better Make Room’ campaign, part of the Reach Higher Initiative, which aimed to improve higher education in the USA. In his past life, Mr Mahoney was a sports broadcaster, calling AFL matches for Triple M and the ABC, and held senior digital positions and consulting roles with the National Rugby League, Australian Football League, ninemsn and Macquarie Radio Network.
“All people have an inherent desire to evolve and thrive. I became an entrepreneur because I have, for better or worse, always felt a drive and desire to keep changing, to keep creating. When we think about technology accessibility right now, the rate at which we can turn an idea into a business is incredibly fast. I want to be in that race; it satisfies a basic need in my character. I have already witnessed how a simple idea, executed via scalable technology, can change an entire industry. And that is exciting as the possibilities are almost infinite. But what’s next? What can we do better? What is the next problem to solve? That’s what keeps me motivated and energized. We live in a unique time, and thus we are presented with unique opportunities to better serve our customers, teams, families and broader society.”
