2026 MATRIX HONOREE

Ashley Miles

Founder and CEO, Franklyn West

Ashley Miles is an award-winning business Innovation and growth enablement expert, host of The Impossible Podcast, helps C-Suite unlock the value of liquid talent and technology to drive billion dollar business performance. C-suite calls her the “Operator’s Operator” – the one you bring in when tough problems need to get solved swiftly.  She is a multi-industry game changer. Mobilizer. Builder and scaler of innovative companies. Dynamic business leader paired with a creative spirit. Connector. 

She leads with a play-to-win mentality.  Her inner cowgirl spirit in life and business stems from her childhood days as a competitive equestrian horseback rider.

As CEO of Franklyn West, a new era business growth advisory and execution firm, Ashley is shaping the future of work in the growing on-demand economy by inserting unrivaled liquid SWAT teams of fractional talent and technology into blue-chip companies to drive growth. In fact, the firm recently helped a Fortune 50 retailer identify and build a billion dollar new revenue stream from inception to scale. The firm was recently awarded by Inc Magazine and Globee Awards for its impact on private and Fortune500 companies as well as featured in Forbes & Business Insider for its forward thinking model.

Previously, she served as the Global Chief Business Officer at Thrive Global, reporting directly to CEO Arianna Huffington. Led worldwide sales, marketing and operations focused on commercial monetization. Prior to Thrive Global she spent 6 years building and scaling Refinery29, the leading digital media and entertainment company for women and exponentially helped scale R29.  She drove and diversified revenue growth from inception to a nine-figure business including the launch and expansion of 29Rooms, the company’s most profitable offline activation.  Ashley served as Regional Vice President at Brand.net, an ad tech company and saw through its acquisition by Valassis and served as Executive Sales Director, at Time Inc, where she piloted growth in the Beauty/CPG category.

As a mother of two young girls, Ashley is proud to empower women in business as Past President of New York Women in Communications. In her role as President, formally launched the #WomenHeard initiative to address the dramatic departure of women from the workforce post Covid-19. Ashley is a recipient of the WICI Trailblazer Award and served on the Board of Governors of Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) for six years. She is a Louisiana native, Ole Miss Journalism and New Media alum and served on the board of Preschool Partners, providing school readiness and life skills for under-resourced communities.

Presenting the Matrix Award to Ashley Miles

Marisa Thalberg

EVP, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, Catalyst Brands, Co-Host, The Brand New Podcast

A globally recognized business strategist and brand-building innovator, Marisa Thalberg is known for inspiring teams to take brands to new heights of consumer resonance, cultural relevance, and business performance. From the Estée Lauder Companies to Taco Bell to Lowe’s Home Improvement and more, Marisa has moved with uncommon ease between industries. Her leadership enabled her to become 1 of only 18 inducted into the inaugural Forbes CMO Hall of Fame.

Today Marisa serves as the first Executive Vice President, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer of recently formed Catalyst Brands, a portfolio comprised of iconic American retail brands including JCPenney, Brooks Brothers, Aeropostale, Lucky Brand and Nautica. Within even the first few months the impact of Marisa’s vision and strategy has been clear, with positive turnaround on customer traffic and broader brand consideration on JCPenney, along with majr new platforms for each of the other specialty brands.

A five-time honoree on Forbes’ “World’s Most Influential CMOs” list, Marisa also has been named a Brand Genius by Adweek and one of the most innovative CMOs in the world by Business Insider. Among other recognitions, she was chosen as the 2025 Marketing Industry Titan by the UJA Federation, a 2021 Matrix Award Honorees for Women in Communications, and a National Retail Federation “Power Player.” In 2020 Marisa was named by Industry Dive as the Marketing Executive of the Year and in 2017 she was honored as the She Runs It Woman of the Year.

In addition to her work as an executive, Marisa has sought to give back in numerous ways. In 2002, she founded Executive Moms (www.executivemoms.com), an organization created to connect and support accomplished women who are both professionals and moms. She is a frequent guest lecturer and speaker, and is the co-host of the marketing-media-tech podcast “Brand New,” produced in partnership with the iHeartMedia Podcast network. Marisa has served as a board member and advisor to numerous organizations, including the AdCouncil, TheaterWorksUSA and the International Women’s Media Foundation. She currently serves as a board member of Anyspace Technologies, Blumenthal Arts, and industry organization MMA. Marisa graduated Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Civilization