AMA Boston - Getting Your First Customers: The Startup Marketing Playbook

Every startup faces it: no brand recognition, no case studies, no marketing budget to speak of and a runway that demands customers now. So how do the companies that make it actually land those first crucial deals?

Join AMA Boston for a candid panel conversation on what really works in early-stage marketing, from founder-led selling and scrappy demand generation to knowing when (and how) to build a real marketing engine. Whether you're launching a startup, joining one, or advising founders, you'll leave with a practical playbook for going from zero to traction.

Topics will include:

• Finding and validating your first customers when nobody knows you
• Founder-led marketing vs. hiring your first marketer: timing and trade-offs
• Demand generation that works on a budget
• How to build a brand, work with influencers, and grow revenue

Our panelists have lived this from both sides of the growth curve:

Melanie LoBue is a marketing executive and founder of Voyager Communications with more than 20 years of experience building brands, marketing teams, and revenue engines for B2B technology and professional services companies. Throughout her career, Melanie has created marketing functions from the ground up, led global teams, and helped organizations strengthen and evolve their marketing to meet changing business needs. Her experience spans startups, high-growth companies, and established enterprise brands, giving her a practical understanding of how marketing’s role, priorities, and opportunities change across different organizations and stages of maturity.

Melanie has built her own career with an entrepreneurial mindset, moving between executive leadership and advisory roles and working alongside founders, CEOs, and marketing leaders across a wide range of organizations. That path has given her firsthand insight into how marketers can shape their careers, create opportunities for themselves, and define success beyond a traditional corporate trajectory. Beyond her client work, Melanie is active in mentorship and community service. She volunteers as a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and as a Marketing Program Mentor with WE CAN Corporation, and serves on the Board of Directors of Boston Cares. Outside of marketing and community work, Melanie is the lead singer of Cape Cod-based cover band Riptide, where she spends her weekends performing live throughout the region. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanielobue/ Website: www.voyagercomms.com

Menaka Thillaiampalam is Chief Marketing Officer of Hitachi Digital Services, where she drives strategic marketing including building a revenue-generating function and establishing the brand as a future-tech leader. She previously served as CMO of Lionbridge and Banking Circle Group, with marketing leadership roles at Amazon Web Services, LinkedIn, Accenture, and Dell Technologies. She is a member of the Forbes Communications Council, Co-President of the Boston Chapter of the CMO Collaborative, and recipient of the 2022 OnCon Icon Marketer of the Year Award. Menaka knows what it takes to build marketing functions from the ground up — and how early customer acquisition choices shape everything that follows.

Brian Alves is a Senior Marketing Leader and AI-driven marketing strategist who turns creative ideas into measurable results. As a co-founder of MarketingNerds.ai, he empowers small business owners with AI-powered marketing solutions. With nearly two decades of experience in digital marketing, video production, and media buying, he describes himself as a "Generative AI video architect" who breaks the rules that hold growth back. He is a "Shark Tank survivor" and has managed over $600 million in ad spend throughout his career

The conversation will be moderated by Christina Inge, EdD — founder, startup mentor, and marketing educator. She is the founder of Thoughtlight, a judge and mentor for MassChallenge, and leads the Spark Incubator at Brandeis University, where she guides new ventures from first idea to first customers. Christina also created and teaches the AI in Marketing microcertificate at Harvard Division of Continuing Education and is the author of two marketing analytics and AI books.

Platinum Sponsor:

We extend our sincere gratitude to our Platinum Sponsor, Brick Marketing, for their generous sponsorship. Your partnership is truly appreciated and instrumental to our success.

For more information, click here.

About the American Marketing Association (AMA) Boston:

The American Marketing Association (AMA) Boston is the networking and educational hub for New England marketers. Our mission is to build a community of marketers who can share experiences, learn about the latest marketing trends, and build a powerful professional network. AMA Boston empowers its members with the knowledge and

resources they need to be leaders in their careers and organizations. Learn more at https://www.amaboston.org.-----

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