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July 31 @ 9:30 am - 11:00 am PDT
FreeBuilding a Marketplace Giant: Flywheel’s Journey to $835 Million
In 2014, Patrick Miller co-founded Flywheel Digital, a cloud-based platform that revolutionized how brands sell across online marketplaces. Fueled by a strategic vision, Patrick and his team bootstrapped Flywheel from a scrappy startup into a leading platform with solutions for more than 400 digital marketplaces.
Through a series of smart acquisitions, they integrated multiple companies to create a powerful, one-stop platform. Last year, this journey culminated in Flywheel’s impressive $835 million acquisition by Omnichannel.
On July 31, Patrick will join Founders Network Founder and CEO Kevin Holmes for a fireside chat. He’ll delve into the Flywheel story, sharing the highs and lows, and how prioritizing and investing his team helped fueled their meteoric rise. From the early days of running major ad campaigns on personal credit cards to scaling to a global team of 2,000+, Patrick will offer invaluable insights for entrepreneurs at all stages.
Opening Remarks @ 9:30am PT
Join us for opening remarks with Dina Fattom, Member Success Manager at Founders Network, to get the latest updates from the Network and opportunities for getting involved.
Keynote Speaker @ 9:40am PT
Patrick Miller co-founded and is a Director of Flywheel Digital, a pioneering digital advertising, eCommerce, and technology firm that optimizes sales and media for the world’s largest brands. Patrick led client engagements, product, technology and data science for Flywheel. By verticalizing technology and managed services, Flywheel became the largest advertiser across Amazon, Walmart, Instacart and other leading marketplaces. Under Miller’s leadership, Flywheel grew to more than 2,000 colleagues with global operations in the Americas, Europe, APAC, and China while acquiring, creating, and integrating twelve industry-leading businesses.
Flywheel was acquired by Omnicom Media Group, North America’s largest purchaser of media, in January 2024 in what was Omnicom’s largest ever acquisition. This is the second time Flywheel was acquired, previously by Ascential, PLC in 2018. Miller continues to serve on the Board of Directors at Flywheel as well as on the boards of eCommerce company Workflow Labs and legal AI company, ThoughtRiver. Miller also serves on the Board of Directors for Sheppard Pratt Hospital, the nation’s largest private, nonprofit provider of mental health.
A frequent speaker at industry events, Miller has presented at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, CES, Cleveland Research eCommerce Summit, Amazon Unboxed, as well as numerous direct brand engagements.
Prior to founding Flywheel, Miller was Director of Community Building and Web Services at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation where he was responsible for social, web, and online fundraising optimization. Miller continues to be engaged in the environmental non profit space, serving on the Maryland League of Conservation Voters Board as well as leading their PAC efforts. Prior to serving on the LCV Board, Miller held board positions on the Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park, International Mountain Bicycling Regional Leadership Council, MD Bicycling and Pedestrian Advisory Council, MD Recreation Trail Program, and MORE Mountain Bicycling Trails Advocacy.
Miller spent his early career in politics, overseeing web, email, GOTV direct mail, and outdoor advertising for the winning 2002 MD Gubernatorial candidate. Miller went on to serve in the administration where he was the youngest member of the senior staff.
Patrick is married to Dr. Amy Plotkin, an Anatomic Pathologist and Director of the Biorepository Program at the University of Maryland Medical Center. They have two toddlers, two cats, one dog, and plenty of chaos. Patrick is also a competitive mountain biker, mediocre cook, and avid reader. Miller is a graduate of James Madison University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English.
Stage-Based Roundtables @ 10:30am PT
Complimentary Ticket:
Are you a full-time tech founder? Be our guest! We’re making our events available to tech founders everywhere. Enjoy a complimentary ticket to come learn from fellow tech founders, partners and investors. Already used your complimentary guest pass? Request an invite to see if you qualify for membership.
About Founders Network:
Founded in 2011, Founders Network offers lifelong peer mentorship to over 600 tech startup founders globally. Our platform, programs and high-touch service facilitate authentic experience sharing, warm introductions and long-term professional relationships. Additional benefits include over $500k in startup discounts and promotion to 2,000 newsletter readers. Members are located in San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, London and other tech hubs. Each month our Membership Committee admits a new cohort of full-time tech founders who are nominated by an existing member. Learn more about us here
Confidentiality Policy
All information shared within Founders Network is strictly confidential. We are built on a foundation of trust, and the community takes confidentiality seriously. Investors, members, and staff all share experiences and opinions off the record. In this roundtable forum, we continue to model our fnValues of Reciprocity, Humility, Authenticity and Inclusivity. Read more about our Privacy Policy here.
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