Craft Marketing & Growth Panel + Happy Hour in NYC
Come join members of the Craft Marketing & Growth Network for cocktails and conversation. This event brings together leaders and operators across marketing, sales, and growth functions—from the Craft portfolio and the NYC startup ecosystem.
Networking begins @ 5:30pm, panel programming @ 6:15pm, followed by more networking, cocktails & bites.
Note: Space is limited—please RSVP early & decline if you can’t make it. Ping Aaron@craftventures.com with any questions about registration or bringing guests.
Panel: Scaling in the Age of AI Search, Dual-Motion GTM, and Proof-Driven Growth
Growth in 2025 is no longer about running one playbook at scale. The best teams are combining PLG and SLG into cohesive systems, adapting to an AI-first search environment, and using customer proof as the new center of gravity in their GTM motion.
Moderator
Aaron Cort — Operating Partner, Marketing & Growth at Craft Ventures
Speakers
Adrian Alfieri — is Founder & CEO of Verbatim, a marketing agency that has partnered with hypergrowth companies including Perplexity, Slack, and 11x. He specializes in product marketing and customer marketing, with a focus on building proof-driven narratives that accelerate credibility and expansion. Adrian is a go-to partner for companies looking to turn customer stories into scalable growth assets.
Dan Cronyn — is VP of Growth & Acquisition at Apollo, where he drives one of the fastest-growing dual-motion GTM engines in SaaS. Previously, he built Dashlane’s growth function from the ground up, scaling a full-stack team across both B2C and B2B funnels. Dan’s career bridges consumer-grade PLG and enterprise acquisition, making him one of the sharpest operators in hybrid GTM strategy.
Kristen Habacht — is CEO of Elly, an AI-powered recruiting coordinator transforming how companies scale hiring. She previously served as CRO at Typeform, COO/CRO at Shogun, GTM Advisor at Zapier, and VP of Sales at Atlassian/Trello following its acquisition of Trello. Kristen has led marketing, sales, and growth organizations across every stage—from scrappy PLG startups to global enterprise scale.
Nick Lafferty — is Head of Growth Marketing at Profound, where he is at the forefront of AI-powered SEO, GEO, and LLM search. Previously, he scaled Loom and Mailgun as Head of Growth Marketing into breakout successes and advised high-growth startups including Glean, AngelList, and Air. Nick is known for his deep expertise in orchestrating PLG, PLS, and SLG motions.
Panel Topics
AI Search and the Future of GTM
How AI-driven search (SEO/GEO/LLM) is rewriting the rules of discovery, and what this means for PLG, PLS, and SLG growth strategies.
From Funnels to Proof: Orchestrating Dual-Motion GTM
How operators are blending PLG and SLG motions while making customer proof and storytelling the cornerstone of pipeline creation and expansion.
Takeaways
Frameworks for adapting GTM strategy to AI-native search and distribution.
Practical approaches to running PLG and SLG in parallel without losing efficiency.
How to use customer proof and narrative as your most durable growth lever.