ABOUT

About Media Creek

Media Creek was formed in 2017 through the combination of EmpireStreaming, Live365, Abovecast, and significant industry experience. As veterans in the streaming industry, Media Creek has been directly providing streaming and CDN services for more than 8 years. With experience that expands two decades, we have seen the streaming audio and podcasting space evolve into what it is today. Media Creek and it's subsidiaries have adapted with rapid developments in new technology and user adoption to meet demands of audio publishers.

At a Glance

• 300+ physical servers
• 5000+ publishers (radio stations and podcasts)
• 30+ team members
• 500M+ global audio inventory

Who We Help

• Terrestrial Broadcasters
• Micro and Small Webcasters
• Podcast Publishers
• Pure-Play Music Services

Meet the Team

Jon Stephenson
​Chief Executive Officer

Jon's love of radio started out as a hobby in 2005 which eventually led to the founding of EmpireStreaming in 2010, a full service SaaS platform for radio and podcast. He later acquired the Live365 brand in mid-2016, a company that paved the way for internet radio, bringing the formerly defunct streaming platform back to life. Jon holds a bachelor's degree in business with a focus on marketing and business information systems from the University of Pittsburgh. In his free time Jon enjoys cooking, traveling, and reading about technology.

Rockie Thomas
​Chief Revenue Officer

Rockie simulcast her first FM radio station online in 1998, discovering her love for digital audio technology.  Ever since, she has worked to make digital audio a viable medium and business.

​She has worked with digital audio companies Spacial Audio, Bid4Spots, and AdsWizz, as well as traditional broadcast companies AMFM, Emmis, and Tribune. 

Sean Lozensky
​​Chief Technology Officer

When the first streaming media platforms emerged in the late 90’s, Sean quickly became the go-to SHOUTcast and Icecast expert, engineering hosting solutions for hundreds of audio publishers.

​Sean helped develop one of the first audio ad insertion solutions while at Sonicbox/iM Networks in 1999, continuing his work at Spacial Audio, Pioneer Zypr system via Media Tuners, and most recently at AdsWizz.

Mike Reznick
Chief Operations Officer

Mike has spent his career in radio, starting in local station sales during college, then moving to a music streaming 1.0 startup (the same year Live365 launched) before becoming Head of Ad Revenue with Metro Traffic (acquired by iHeartMedia). In 2012, Mike moved to Triton Digital where he helped launch the first programmatic audio ad exchange and lead the growth of streaming and podcast ad revenue. Mike’s passion for ad tech was his motivation to launch AudioCatapult, which helps audio companies of all sizes drive revenue and increase value.

Justin Ruoff
Vice President of Operations

Justin brings over 10 years of operational experience to the team and a love of digital marketing as Media Creek’s VP of Operations.

Before attending the University of Pittsburgh, Justin built an ecommerce business that sold high-end computers and electronics, thus prompting his love for technology. After finishing his degree at Pitt for Computer Science, he opened his first technology business which sold restaurant management software paired with a mobile app.

In his free time he enjoys watching sports, attending EDM concerts, and building relatively useless iOS apps.

Jason Stoddard
​​General Manager, Live365

With more than 16 years of B2B and B2C digital audio platform and advertising experience, Jason started in internet radio at the original Live365. Internet radio brought together his two favorite things -- music and technology. By the end of his stint at the original Live365 he was responsible for P&L across both the Broadcasting and Advertising divisions. After a stretch at eBay selling advertising and sponsorships to the worlds largest brands, Jason came back into the Live365 fold with a renewed energy and optimism for digital audio. 

Matt Kellogg
Vice President of Sales

A true lover of radio, Matt Kellogg cracked his first mic in 1997 at KOZZ's Amateur Hour and never looked back. After transitioning from radio programming to radio advertising sales with positions at Cumulus Media and Salem Communications, he eventually landed a radio streaming role with Live365 in 2014. Following Live365's shutdown in 2016, Kellogg continued working successfully in the streaming industry working with some of radio's well known stations. Kellogg is a 2008 graduate of San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s degree in Radio and TV.

Johnie Floater
​Chief of Staff

Johnie's experience encompasses programming to syndication, sales to management, for local AM/FM stations to global digital radio services.  After filling in as the weekend DJ at his local Top 40 station as a teen, he picked up his MBA at UCLA to focus on revenue and operations. Johnie launched the first subscription drives as Business Manager for KCRW, LA's public NPR station; expanded international distribution for U.S. radio programs, production libraries and software for ABC Radio, FirstCom, TM Century and many others; introduced audio advertising into the Live365.com internet radio network, and launched a number of branded radio channels for Oprah Winfrey's HARPO Radio, Hertz, Target, and Progressive Insurance among others. With responsibility for broadcast and digital content licensing, he's arranged for multinational rights and served as an expert witness for the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board's Rate Setting proceedings. 

Philip Kyler
Solutions Team Leader

Growing up, Philip taught himself to program on his family's C64 and was always surrounded by different types of music and instruments. He has worked in a variety of fields, from specialty coffee to retail management, and enjoys solving customers' problems. Empowering individuals through an understanding of technology is one of his passions. Philip enjoys an array of interests including technology projects at home and outdoor activities. He is just as likely to spend free time re-wiring his home lab, working on his photography, or bicycling in the middle of nowhere for a few days. 

Dragos Pana
Product Owner, AudioReach

With a passion for music, specifically composition, and an interest in ad technology, Dragos jumped into audio ad technology as an Advertising Operations Manager at AdsWizz.

Now as Media Creek’s Head of Demand, Dragos works closely with existing demand partners, onboarding and setting up new partners, and optimizing revenue for Media Creek’s publisher partners. Dragos is interested in technology that improves our world, is a big fan of electric cars, and free energy.  When he's not on the computer he is likely in the wild with his bike.

Cameron Black
​Deployment Specialist

Cam has been involved with internet radio and digital media since 2005. Since then, he has hosted and/or produced several syndicated radio shows and has also operated a few of his own stations. One of which has been streaming non-stop since 2007! These days, Cam is focused on sharing his passion for radio with others by helping them get started with building their own stations. 

Isaac Morse ​
​Infrastructure Squad Lead

Isaac first began broadcasting online in 2008 and has since expanded his station group to 6 stations. His intrigue with the medium led him to co-found Abovecast in 2014. In his free time, Isaac enjoys watching basketball and keeping up with the radio industry. 

Michelle Ruoff
Marketing Manager

Michelle has always had a passion for music, entertainment, and pop culture. She realized her place within the entertainment industry when she enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh. With a communication and business dual degree from Pitt as well as a variety of experience within the music industry, Michelle brings her entertainment interest as well as her marketing knowledge to Live365. In her spare time, she is likely working out, discovering new music, bingeing YouTube or TV shows, or enjoying sports or other outdoor activities.

Bogdan Alexiu ​
​Subject Matter Expert

Bogdan got acquainted with online radio broadcasting in his early teens, as a way of having fun with his neighbors through their local area network. Never did it cross his mind that this would become the field he would be working in, but he has been going strong for over a decade now.

​In his spare time, he likes to play basketball, poker, and generally enjoys activities where some competition and/or adrenaline is involved. However, relaxing and just spending some quality time with family and friends are also things he enjoys and cherishes.

Andrei Epure
​Frontend & UI Squad Lead 

Andrei is a software developer located in the beautiful city of Brasov, Romania, very close to the mountains he loves so much. After researching new technologies, implementing features, and fixing bugs, he usually hits the slopes or the swimming pool nearby.

Vlad Munteanu
Analytics & Reporting Squad Lead 

Vlad is a Python developer from Romania with a passion for system and software architecture. While not day-dreaming about his own framework that he hopes to start soon, he enjoys visiting the local pool for a swim, spending time with his pets, or going for a drive. Swimming has been a passion of Vlad's since age 8 when he joined a water polo team, where they eventually won the country championship.

Adrian Arsene
​Incident Manager

Adrian had his first interaction with a streaming service during his college days in 2001 while setting up his first radio streaming server on the local network to share it on the entire campus. Since then, he has been working on different streaming projects, both audio and video, and is passionate about system architecture, infrastructure, and virtualization. In his spare time, he likes to do a variety of things, including reading or watching tutorials as well as building different system setups to improve his skills and learn about new technology. He also enjoys spending some relaxing time in nature with his family.

Mikala Testa
​​Accountant

Mikala is an accountant and mom to her wonderful daughter. Now as Media Creek's Accountant, she takes care of a wide variety of accounting activities, including categorizing transactions, paying bills, providing financial statements, and dabbling in HR.

​In her free time, she likes spending time with family and playing with her German shepherd Kimber. She also enjoys eating sushi, exercising, and reading, which is one of her favorite hobbies. 

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