CEO at Kargo
Founding and scaling Kargo into a leading premium mobile and CTV ad platform recognized for high-impact creative formats and strong publisher partnerships that command above-average brand advertiser CPMs.
Last updated Mar 28, 2026 by AI Enrichment
Nick Pappas is the CEO of Kargo, a mobile-first advertising platform he founded that has become a recognized force in premium mobile and connected TV (CTV) advertising. Kargo is known for its distinctive, high-impact ad formats designed to deliver superior engagement on smartphone screens, partnering with top-tier publishers to offer advertisers access to quality inventory at scale. Under Pappas's leadership, Kargo has differentiated itself in a crowded programmatic landscape by emphasizing creative quality and brand safety over pure volume. Pappas founded Kargo with a vision centered on the idea that mobile advertising deserved the same creative ambition as traditional media. He has guided the company through significant growth, expanding from its mobile roots into CTV and cross-screen advertising solutions. His operator-driven approach has focused on building direct publisher relationships and proprietary ad technology rather than relying solely on open exchange inventory, a strategy that has resonated with premium brand advertisers. As a long-tenured founder-CEO in AdTech, Pappas has been a consistent voice advocating for higher creative standards in mobile advertising and the importance of context and environment in ad effectiveness. He has spoken at industry events and contributed to conversations around mobile monetization, the evolution of the open web, and the role of premium publishers in a post-cookie identity landscape.
Kargo (2003-present)