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Send to friend"With the economy struggling, we believe now is the perfect time to introduce efficient advertising solutions. Small to medium businesses are looking for ways to save money. ... Radiant Markets will help them focus their advertising on solutions that drive demonstrable results."
Wes Jackson, CEO
Wesley A. Jackson, 37, is the chief executive officer of Radiant Markets, LLC. In this role, he is responsible for the company’s strategic vision, investor relations and interactive sales and marketing operations. The origin of Radiant Markets lies in Jackson’s experience with interactive media at traditional media companies. During his time at these companies, it was very difficult to reach small to medium businesses in ways that produce effective results for the advertisers and meaningful margins for the media company. Jackson began to formulate a vision that mixes proprietary technology with innovative sales strategies to solve the problem, and Radiant was born. 
Kentucky Wildcat: Wes played offensive line for the University of Kentucky Wildcats 1989-93 but has had far more success helping advertisers than he had against the Volunteers. "I still hear 'Rocky Top' in my nightmares," Wes said as he posed in front of the University of Tennessee's Neyland Stadium during a boat ride on the Tennessee River in Knoxville. Wes reluctantly admits he knows "Rocky Top," word for word."All businesses are seeking cost-effective ways to acquire new customers," Jackson says. "Traditional media companies struggle to produce marketing solutions that move the needle for small to medium sized businesses, which need the most help. Our mission is to use a broad suite of interactive media tools to generate highly targeted and measurable campaigns for SMBs. The combination of our technology and our partners will allow us to be a growth catalyst for this important segment of the nation’s business community." Before taking the reins at Radiant, Jackson was a partner in Maroon Ventures, LLC, which helped launch the new company. He boasts a wide range of media experience that helped him serve the startups and traditional media companies that Maroon Ventures works with. Jackson served as a corporate senior vice president for Belo Corp. and president/general manager of Belo Interactive Media. In that role he held P&L responsibilities including: strategy, operations, technology, national sales and product development for more than 30 Web sites. He also oversaw interactive alliances, select investments and partnerships as well as a broad range of Internet-based products and services. Upon joining Belo in 2000, Jackson was vice president of sales for Belo Interactive, which was formed as a subsidiary of Belo Corp. During his term at Belo (2000-07), Jackson was instrumental in bringing the firm into Classified Ventures, which has developed industry-leading online classified products (including Cars.com, Apartments.com and Homescape.com). He also championed new products, such as a 3 million subscriber permission e-mail program, and took Belo's interactive revenue from under $3 million in 1999 to over $80 million in 2007. In the first quarter of 2007, Belo's network of news and information Web sites averaged more than 7 million unique visitors and more than 145 million page views each month. In addition, Jackson represented Belo and played a lead role in the development of a consortium of 21 newspaper companies representing 400 newspapers to form a strategic partnership with Yahoo! Jackson holds a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Kentucky. Before joining Belo, he worked in a variety of media and interactive positions, including: sales roles at the Lexington Herald Leader (Knight Ridder); account executive with Village Companies' radio station WXZZ-FM; founder and partner of Lexweb.com, a Lexington, Ky., based online directory, movie and apartment guide; Internet marketing consultant with Knight Ridder newspapers; General Manager Interactive Media at the Rocky Mountain News in Denver; and corporate director of vertical markets for Scripps. Jackson has served as a board member of Classified Ventures, Online Publishers Association and Colorado Real Estate Online. He was on the development committee of the Denver Better Business Bureau and has been involved in a number of civic organizations, including Big Brothers of America and youth football coach. In 1999 he was Editor & Publisher finalist for “Best Use of Interactivity,” and in 1998 he won a Digital Edge Award for Kyautoconnect.com. Jackson now lives in Louisville, Ky., his hometown. Wes Jackson can be reached via email or 502.749.9570.
Kentucky Wildcat: Wes played offensive line for the University of Kentucky Wildcats 1989-93 but has had far more success helping advertisers than he had against the Volunteers. "I still hear 'Rocky Top' in my nightmares," Wes said as he posed in front of the University of Tennessee's Neyland Stadium during a boat ride on the Tennessee River in Knoxville. Wes reluctantly admits he knows "Rocky Top," word for word."All businesses are seeking cost-effective ways to acquire new customers," Jackson says. "Traditional media companies struggle to produce marketing solutions that move the needle for small to medium sized businesses, which need the most help. Our mission is to use a broad suite of interactive media tools to generate highly targeted and measurable campaigns for SMBs. The combination of our technology and our partners will allow us to be a growth catalyst for this important segment of the nation’s business community." Before taking the reins at Radiant, Jackson was a partner in Maroon Ventures, LLC, which helped launch the new company. He boasts a wide range of media experience that helped him serve the startups and traditional media companies that Maroon Ventures works with. Jackson served as a corporate senior vice president for Belo Corp. and president/general manager of Belo Interactive Media. In that role he held P&L responsibilities including: strategy, operations, technology, national sales and product development for more than 30 Web sites. He also oversaw interactive alliances, select investments and partnerships as well as a broad range of Internet-based products and services. Upon joining Belo in 2000, Jackson was vice president of sales for Belo Interactive, which was formed as a subsidiary of Belo Corp. During his term at Belo (2000-07), Jackson was instrumental in bringing the firm into Classified Ventures, which has developed industry-leading online classified products (including Cars.com, Apartments.com and Homescape.com). He also championed new products, such as a 3 million subscriber permission e-mail program, and took Belo's interactive revenue from under $3 million in 1999 to over $80 million in 2007. In the first quarter of 2007, Belo's network of news and information Web sites averaged more than 7 million unique visitors and more than 145 million page views each month. In addition, Jackson represented Belo and played a lead role in the development of a consortium of 21 newspaper companies representing 400 newspapers to form a strategic partnership with Yahoo! Jackson holds a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Kentucky. Before joining Belo, he worked in a variety of media and interactive positions, including: sales roles at the Lexington Herald Leader (Knight Ridder); account executive with Village Companies' radio station WXZZ-FM; founder and partner of Lexweb.com, a Lexington, Ky., based online directory, movie and apartment guide; Internet marketing consultant with Knight Ridder newspapers; General Manager Interactive Media at the Rocky Mountain News in Denver; and corporate director of vertical markets for Scripps. Jackson has served as a board member of Classified Ventures, Online Publishers Association and Colorado Real Estate Online. He was on the development committee of the Denver Better Business Bureau and has been involved in a number of civic organizations, including Big Brothers of America and youth football coach. In 1999 he was Editor & Publisher finalist for “Best Use of Interactivity,” and in 1998 he won a Digital Edge Award for Kyautoconnect.com. Jackson now lives in Louisville, Ky., his hometown. Wes Jackson can be reached via email or 502.749.9570.