Aaron Shapiro

Shapiro was born in New York City, New York and grew up on Long Island. He is the son of Stephen Shapiro, a former professor of electrical engineering at Stony Brook University and Terry Shapiro, a Long Island dentist and English literature PhD. Shapiro learned to code on his father’s IBM personal computer XT.{{Cite news|url=http://adage.com/article/agencies/dad-s-screen-rule-beginning-a-firm/309432/|title=What Dad's No-Video Games Rule Taught This CEO About the Ad Business|last=Graham|first=Megan|date=June 16, 2017|work=Advertising Age}}{{Cite news|url=https://psmag.com/social-justice/why-are-you-so-smart-aaron-shapiro-58262|title=Why Are You So Smart, Aaron Shapiro?|last=Davis|first=Noah|date=May 22, 2013|work=Pacific Standard}}

Shapiro attended Ward Melville High School in East Setauket and Harvard College, where he received a BA in Economics in 1994.{{Cite news|url=http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/orleans/vitals/marriages/paper/tp-s.txt|title=Marriage Announcements|work=Times Picayune}} While at Harvard, Shapiro founded S. H. Eliot Publishing Group and served as co-founder and publisher of the men’s interest magazine Inside Edge with Jonathan Hsu. Inside Edge received $2 million in investment and had a part-time staff of 30. It was distributed Time Warner’s Warner Publisher Services with an international circulation of around 200,000 copies every 2 months.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/23/style/the-sexes-a-niche-for-the-90-s.html?src=pm|title=THE SEXES; A Niche For the 90's|last=Kaye|first=Elizabeeth|date=May 23, 1993|work=The New York Times}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1993/0427/27131.html|title=Insiders Develop 'Inside Edge'|last=Walters|first=David|date=April 27, 1993|work=Christian Science Monitor}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1993/06/02/inside-edge-the-last-word-for-young-males/|title='Inside Edge': The last word for young males?|work=McClatchy News Service}}

Upon graduating Harvard, Shapiro was admitted to Columbia University where he received a Master of Business Administration. After graduating Columbia, Shapiro worked as a management consultant for Booz-Allen & Hamilton, specializing in Internet Strategy.{{Cite news|url=https://www.twst.com/interview/aaron-shapiro-avienda-technologies|title=CEO Interviews: Aaron Shapiro – Avienda Technologies|date=November 13, 2000|work=The Wall Street Transcript}}

In 1996, Shapiro founded Activegrams, a popular greeting cards website that let users send greetings and animations via email.{{Cite news|url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/17396|title=Pushing The Envelope: Entrepreneurs get their messages across with specialty greeting cards.|last=Rohland|first=Pamela|date=March 1, 1999|work=Entrepreneur's Startups}} In 1999, Activegrams became part of Atlanta-based Avienda Technologies, co-founded by Shapiro and David Bloom who raised over $36 million in funding from Draper Fisher Jurvetson for the company between 1999 and 2000. Avienda specialized in email marketing and employed more than 80 people. In 2001 Avienda Technologies was renamed Silverpop Systems, Inc and named Bill Nussey as CEO.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2001/02/05/daily49.html|title=Avienda changes name to Silverpop Systems|date=February 9, 2001|work=Atlanta Business Chronicle}} After this time, Shapiro and Bloom stepped back from the day-to-day operation of the company but remained key shareholders. In May, 2014, Silverpop Systems was acquired by IBM and is now a part of IBM Watson Marketing. At the time of the deal, Silverpop employed around 500 people. The terms of the deal were not publicized, but were estimated to be around $270M.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/blog/atlantech/2014/04/ibm-confirms-it-will-acquire-atlantas-silverpop.html|title=IBM confirms it will acquire Atlanta's Silverpop, two weeks after deal report|last=Karkaria|first=Urvaksh|date=April 10, 2014|work=Atlanta Business Chronicle}}

In 2005, Shapiro joined Huge as a co-founder and partner. Initially Shapiro led strategy, client services, and Huge’s business development efforts, securing and playing an important role launching work for JetBlue, Warner Music Group, CNN, Reuters, iVillage, and Four Seasons.

In 2008, Shapiro played a key role in brokering IPG’s acquisition of a stake in Huge for nearly $40 million, which was announced by Interpublic Chairman and CEO Michael Roth. At the time, Huge had 130 employees and offices in Brooklyn, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and London.{{Cite news|url=http://www.adweek.com/digital/ipg-buys-digital-shop-huge-96520/|title=IPG Buys Digital Shop Huge|last=Morrissey|first=Brian|date=July 30, 2008|work=Adweek}}{{Cite news|url=http://adage.com/article/agency-news/interpublic-buys-huge/130004/|title=Interpublic Buys Into Huge|last=Parekh|first=Rupal|date=July 30, 2008|work=Advertising Age}} Shapiro was formally named CEO in October, 2010, at which time Huge had 300 employees and $60 million in revenue.{{Cite news|url=http://adage.com/article/agency-news/founders-digital-shop-huge-depart/146431/|title=Two Founders of Digital Shop Huge to Depart|last=Patel|first=Kunur|date=October 13, 2010|work=Advertising Age}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.adweek.com/agencyspy/huge-announces-new-leadership-departures/9508?red=as|title=Huge Announces New Leadership, Departures|last=Aditham|first=Kiran|date=October 13, 2010|work=Adweek}} Huge was recognized as one of the 10 Agencies of the Year in 2012 by Advertising Age,{{Cite news|url=http://adage.com/article/special-report-agency-alist/huge-9-ad-age-agency-a-list/232241/|title=Huge is No. 9 on the Ad Age Agency A-List|last=Patel|first=Kunur|date=January 23, 2012|work=Advertising Age}} Most Innovative Agency by Digiday in 2016,{{Cite news|url=https://digiday.com/awards/huge-casper-and-refinery29-most-innovative-2016-digiday-awards/|title=Casper is this year's Most Innovative Brand at the 2016 Digiday Awards|date=November 17, 2016|work=Digiday}} and Agency of the Year in 2017 by Mediapost.{{Cite news|url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/292882/|title=OMMA Agency of the Year: Huge|last=Mandese|first=Joe|date=January 13, 2017|work=Mediapost Magazine}} As of 2017, Huge had grown to 1500 employees{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/can-you-keep-your-meeting-to-five-minutes-1510069931?tesla=y|title=Can You Keep Your Meeting to Five Minutes?|last=Shellenbarger|first=Sue|date=November 7, 2017|work=The Wall Street Journal}}

In March 2018, it was announced that after leading the agency for 13 years Shapiro would leave Huge in May to launch a new venture.{{Cite news|url=http://adage.com/article/agency-news/huge-global-ceo-founder-aaron-shapiro/312916/|title=Huge Global CEO and co-founder Aaron Shapiro out after 13 years|last=Stein|first=Lindsay|date=March 29, 2018|work=Ad Age}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/huge-ceo-aaron-shapiro-to-leave-the-ipg-digital-agency-1522327801|title=Huge CEO Aaron Shapiro to Leave the IPG Digital Agency|last=Bruell|first=Alex|date=March 29, 2018|work=The Wall Street Journal}}

In 2022, Shapiro launched an agency called Product which uses machine learning to help companies create sustainable business plans.{{cite news |last1=O'Brien |first1=Kyle |title=Huge Co-Founder Aaron Shapiro Launches New Agency Called Product |url=https://www.adweek.com/agencyspy/huge-co-founder-aaron-shapiro-launches-new-agency-called-product/ |date=Dec 6, 2022}}

In 2011, Shapiro was named one of Crain's New York's 40 Under 40 and authored Users Not Customers, a book about digital business strategy published by Portfolio/Penguin. Shapiro’s campaign to promote the book included hiring laid off Borders employees and outdoor advertising that implied Amazon was putting Borders out of business.{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/12/05/keen-on-aaron-shapiro-innovating-customers-into-users-tctv/|title=Keen On… Aaron Shapiro: Innovating Customers Into Users|last=Keen|first=Andrew|date=December 5, 2011|work=TechCrunch}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.adweek.com/creativity/agency-ceo-hires-laid-borders-workers-sell-his-book-136311/|title=Agency CEO Hires Laid-Off Borders Workers to Sell His Book|last=Griner|first=David|date=November 2, 2011|work=Adweek}}

In 2014, Shapiro was named one of The Observer’s Brooklyn Influentials{{Cite news|url=http://observer.com/2014/05/brooklyn-influencers/#axzz31XYUPACJ|title=The Brooklyn Influentials: 128 People Who Matter Right Now|author=|date=May 14, 2014|work=The New York Observer}} and received a Made in NY award from the City of New York on behalf of Huge.{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/neil-patrick-harris-louis-ck-746659|title=Neil Patrick Harris, Louis C.K., Steve Buscemi to Receive 'Made in NY' Award|last=Siegel|first=Tatiana|date=November 5, 2014|work=The Hollywood Reporter}}

In 2014 and 2015, Shapiro served as an NYCEDC Venture Fellows mentor as part of the NYC Venture Fellowship program.{{Cite web|url=http://nycventurefellows.org/2014-mentors/|title=NYC Venture Fellows: 2014 Mentors|website=NYC Venture Fellows}}{{Cite web|url=http://nycventurefellows.org/current-mentors-2015/|title=NYC Venture Fellows: 2015 Mentors|website=NYC Venture Fellows}}

In 2015, Shapiro coined the term Anticipatory Design for the practice of eliminating decision making in interaction design in an op-ed published by Fast Company.{{Cite news|url=https://qz.com/429929/the-next-design-trend-is-one-that-eliminates-all-choices/|title=The next design trend is one that eliminates all choices|last=Quito|first=Anne|date=June 18, 2015|work=Quartz}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2017/06/19/designing-products-that-choose-for-you/#6d7d83c11383|title=Designing Products that Choose for You|last=Wilde|first=Heather|date=June 19, 2017|work=Forbes}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.fastcodesign.com/3045039/the-next-big-thing-in-design-fewer-choices|title=The Next Big Thing In Design? Less Choice|last=Shapiro|first=Aaron|date=April 15, 2014|work=Fast Company}}

In 2017, Shapiro was named a Creative All Star by Mediapost,{{Cite news|url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/292428/creative-all-star-aaron-shapiro.html|title=Creative All Star: Aaron Shapiro|last=Mandese|first=Joe|date=January 8, 2017|work=Mediapost}} ranked 42 on PR Week’s Power List{{Cite news|url=https://www.prweek.com/article/1436949/aaron-shapiro-ceo-huge-power-list-2017|title=Aaron Shapiro, CEO, Huge: Power List 2017|date=July 5, 2017|work=PR Week}} and was named one of the 100 People Who Make Advertising Great by the American Association of Advertising Agencies.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aaaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/4As_PART3-2.pdf|title=100 People Who Make Advertising Great|date=August 21, 2017|website=Adweek/4As}}

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