# Max Willens

> Max Willens is a Principal Analyst at EMARKETER covering social media and the creator economy, with a career spanning journalism, research, and media strategy. A CUNY journalism graduate and Punch Sulzberger Scholar, he spent six years at Digiday rising from platforms reporter to Senior Editor of Research and Features before crossing into industry analysis. His work sits at the intersection of media business, social platforms, advertising, and the evolving creator economy, and he co-hosts EMARKETER's 'Behind the Numbers' podcast. He also publishes 'The Idea,' a newsletter focused on the newsletter and publishing industry.

- **Role:** Principal Analyst at EMARKETER
- **Organizations:** EMARKETER, Insider Intelligence, Digiday, Ad Age, International Business Times, Abrams Research
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A., Oberlin College, Master of Arts in Journalism, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
- **Known for:** CUNY Chancellor Award winner, Punch Sulzberger Scholar at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, McGraw Business Fellow

## Career timeline

- **early career** — Editorial work at Magnet Media Films and The Daily Swarm
- **2009** — Joined Twitter/X (account created June 2009)
- **2013-2015** — Covered music/entertainment economics at International Business Times (IBT Media)
- **2015-2016** — Developed social media strategies at Abrams Research for clients with 5M+ combined followers
- **2016** — Joined Digiday as Platforms Reporter
- **2016** — Appeared as speaker at Advertising Week New York
- **2018** — Promoted to Senior Reporter at Digiday
- **2020** — Promoted to Senior Editor, Research and Features at Digiday
- **2021** — Quoted on newsletter arms race following Twitter's acquisition of Revue
- **February 2022** — Joined EMARKETER (Insider Intelligence) as Senior Analyst
- **2023** — Began co-hosting EMARKETER's 'Behind the Numbers' podcast
- **2025** — Moderated NRF 2025 panel with Costco, Best Buy, and Nordstrom executives on retail media
- **October 2025** — Promoted to Principal Analyst, Social Media and the Creator Economy at EMARKETER
- **January 2026** — Moderated NRF 2026 panel on retail media navigating economic crisis

## Achievements

- CUNY Chancellor Award winner
- Punch Sulzberger Scholar at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
- McGraw Business Fellow
- Promoted to Principal Analyst at EMARKETER (October 2025)
- Published 172+ research assets at EMARKETER
- Moderated NRF Big Show panels with top retail executives (2025, 2026)
- Quoted in The New York Times, BBC, Bloomberg, Reuters, and the Associated Press
- Speaker at Advertising Week New York, CES, Programmatic I/O
- Managed social media accounts with 5M+ combined followers at Abrams Research
- Bylines in WIRED, Newsweek, Ad Age, Billboard, Village Voice, Vice, and more

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Moderated NRF 2026 Big Show panel on retail media navigating its first economic crisis
- **2025-10** — Promoted to Principal Analyst, Social Media and the Creator Economy at EMARKETER
- **2025-08** — Conference speaker headshot updated for NRF events

## Links

- Website: https://about.me/maxwillens
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxwillens/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/maxwillens
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maxwellmeanswell/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/max-willens
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-25