S2E8: Mike Kelly

Mike Kelly was helping build the business of digital media before online advertising had a proven model. In this episode of The Net OGs, Mike takes us from the early days of Entertainment Weekly online to building one of the industry’s first large-scale digital advertising businesses at AOL. He shares the stories behind AOL’s shift to an advertising-driven model, the acquisition of Advertising.com, and a high-stakes battle between Google and Microsoft that helped shape AOL’s future. From digital advertising and major acquisitions to taking The Weather Channel into the mobile era, Mike shares a firsthand look at the deals, decisions, and risks behind the rise of digital media and the lessons that still apply as the industry enters its next era.