#199. Melody Yazdanyar on Gaming, Data & Building What's Next

In this episode, Kimberly sits down with longtime friend and media-tech powerhouse Melody Yazdanyar for a conversation that spans decades—from childhood soccer teammates to navigating the evolving worlds of advertising, gaming, and sports media. Melody shares her journey from early days in digital advertising to working across major acquisitions (AppNexus, Comcast, TransUnion), and now helping build PHȲND—a next-gen gaming platform designed for accessibility and scale. The two also reflect on their Super Bowl experience, the convergence of sports, media, and tech, and why the future of audience engagement is being rewritten in real time. It's equal parts nostalgia, insight, and forward-looking innovation.  Chapters: 2:00 – Super Bowl invite & media-side experience  4:00 – NYC story: Chanel internship & early career days 7:30 – Inside early digital advertising (AppNexus era) 9:30 – Evolution of media, mobile, and audience targeting 11:30 – Career journey through acquisitions & startups 15:00 – Transition into data & connected TV 16:30 – Gaming industry trends & current challenges  18:30 – Explaining gaming from a consumer perspective 19:30 – Introducing PHȲND: gaming via smart TVs 22:00 – Game types, accessibility & platform vision 24:30 – Marshawn Lynch partnership + brand storytelling 27:30 – Super Bowl celebrity moments (Bella Twins, etc.) 31:30 – Melody's story as a trailblazer (female football kicker) 36:00 – PHȲND launch details + how to join beta   Follow Kimberly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlylovi/ Subscribe on YouTube Here: https://www.youtube.com/@UCmujZrnOwlh5_rcFdxZZT3w