Lee Kantz
Digital Pioneer

Lee Kantz is a digital media expert and transformer with strategic and hands-on experience in digital marketing, consumer eCommerce, education marketing, marketing technology, and detailed web analytics. Let Lee help you on your digital journey.

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CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Directed acquisition marketing and co-managed a 12-person marketing team for BloomTech, an online coding boot camp offering programs in Full Stack Web Development, Data Science, Backend Development, and Web3.

Built an educational directory and lead generation division of job board Monster.com from nothing to eight figures in two years, managed a strategic acquisition and integration of 140+ websites, and led traffic acquisition efforts in one of the most competitive search markets at the time.

Scaled the DTC eCommerce business of a popular brand in the new parenting space by 27x in 3 years through a combination of SEO, paid search and social, Shopify site overhaul, conversion rate optimization and more, contributing to the company’s 2021 purchase by private equity.

Served as Chief Marketing Officer for a startup online division of the University of Illinois serving all three campuses, and brought in more than 1,000 students for 9 degree and certificate programs in healthcare, business, education, and technology.

Led marketing and enrollment management for a chain of 15 Chicago-based foreign language immersion centers for kids 1-10, and oversaw marketing of the company’s first expansion into a second market in Washington, D.C.

Led website and digital communications strategy for Cardean University and its parent company UNext, which built one of the first online MBA programs for B2C and B2B in partnership with the University of Chicago, Stanford, Columbia, and other top business schools.

Worked in transformational roles in editorial and product development for the earliest digital reference products, both online and on CD-ROM, managed content transition from print to digital, and served as a cross-company liaison in the creation of all digital products and services.

Lee has also worked or consulted for the following organizations:

SKILLS

A unique mix of experience that combines executive management and P&L responsibility with hands-on creative, technical and analytical skills across the entire range of digital marketing channels, strategies and technologies.

Marketing Leadership

P&L responsibility and management of marketing teams at a wide range of startups, small businesses and entrepreneurial divisions of large organizations for B2C, B2B, and education. Oversight of million-dollar marketing budgets and strategic acquisitions.

Growth Marketing

Strategic & hands-on skills in the full range of performance marketing strategies and channels, including search engine optimization, search engine marketing, paid and organic social media, content development, video and display, and affiliate and influencer marketing.

Creative

Design experience honed from working with leading interaction designers and UX experts, and editorial experience gained from years at Encyclopædia Britannica and in academic environments. Strong copyediting and proofreading skills.

Technology

Leadership of the entire marketing tech stack, including complex website creation, eCommerce platforms, CRM and lifecycle marketing systems, detailed web analytics and attribution, HTML & CSS, and the use of AI in digital marketing.

Platforms

If you don’t see a technology platform below, talk to Lee. He has often been the point-person to evaluate, recommend, implement, and train people on new systems and technologies, and he learns new platforms very quickly.

Website & Store Experience

Shopify, Salesforce, WooCommerce, WordPress, Webflow, Optimizely, VWO.

Advertising Platforms

Google Ads, Meta Ads, Bing Ads, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Native Ad Networks, Affiliate Networks.

Web Analytics

Google Analytics (certified), Google Search Console, Google Tag Manager, Looker, Clarity, HotJar, Heap.

Email, SMS, CRM

Klaviyo, Salesforce, Hubspot, Attentive, Mailchimp, Zoho.

TESTIMONIALS

Austen Allred

CEO & Co-Founder,
Bloom Institute of Technology

“Lee is a savvy and from-first-principles thinker who is a true expert at user acquisition. Would love to work with Lee again at some point in the future.“

Laura Reisert

Former Vice President of Operations,
Bloom Institute of Technology

“Lee doesn’t hesitate to roll up his sleeves to diagnose problems, get data, and find solutions. As a marketing professional, he’s very clued in to the many ways and partnerships required to attract and convert users at scale….If you’re looking for a strong marketing collaborator with a “no job too small or too big” mentality, talk to Lee!“

Neil L. Holman, Ph.D.

Chief Academic Officer,
Lake Forest Graduate School of Management; Former VP of Product Development, Encyclopӕdia Britannica

“I have known Lee for more than twenty-five years. He is a bright, committed, and talented man who is devoted to strategy, marketing, and production. If you are looking for a combination of digital experience and thinking outside the box, Lee’s your man.”

Sylvia Caballero

US Consumer Marketing Lead,
Amazon Pay

“As a direct report to Lee, I was able to learn from the best! Not only did he teach me new skills in marketing and communications strategies, but also showed me the importance of approaching each project with integrity. He is a wonderful mentor to young professionals–I would love the opportunity to work for him again.”

Douglas Ryan

Strategic Advisor, Former VP of Marketing & Sales, UNext

“Lee has a unique skill set that bridges the IT and marketing disciplines.”

Leslie Lancry

Founder, Language Stars

“Lee is a driven marketing executive with amazing capability in the digital space! He created a brand new Language Stars website and video and tracked impressive SEM campaigns, e-blasts, website tests and retargeted banner advertising.”

Christine Wallace

Former Vice President, Global Campus, Kettering University; Former Program Manager, University of Illinois Global Campus

“Lee is a ‘can do’ kind of guy. Hard-working, dedicated and willing to do what it takes to get the job done! Add to this, he is just a ‘nice guy,’ and you have the recipe for the kind of person that will make a difference on any project or possibility you have in mind. I have personally worked with Lee and found him to be someone who is bright, witty and willing to dig into a problem to help solve it! I highly recommend him.”

Charles Evans

Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs (Retired) & Former Chief Academic Officer of University of Illinois Global Campus,
University of Illinois

“I am always impressed how Lee remained on the cutting edge of online marketing and social media. And how he was able to share and implement his knowledge, effectively, in a variety of forums.”

Bill Petruski

Former VP of Sales, UNext

“As a marketing professional, Lee earned the respect of our entire sales division through his customer focused approach and thoughtful attention to our entire value-chain. Lee met regularly with senior members of sales to ensure that marketing strategies were continuously in line with emerging business conditions. Additionally, he is a funny, intelligent, thoughtful person. He would be a wonderful addition to any corporate culture. I hope to work with Lee again.”

Deb Beckman

Marketing Consultant, Spirit West Marketing

“Lee has watched the marketing world change in a dramatic way…and he’s already forgotten more than I’ll ever know. And while he may be a strategic thinker, he also understands that crazy ideas only go so far if you don’t have the time or money to execute.”

Jade Sholty

Freelance Designer, Water Walk Media

“Lee Kantz is one of the brightest and dedicated online marketing professionals I have ever worked with. He is a pleasure to work with, full of creative ideas, and he has a practical sense that helps guide projects to successful completion (while staying in budget). He gets the job done and makes the work fun. A great team player and leader.”

MORE ABOUT LEE

Lee…

…grew up in the near north suburbs of Chicago and now lives in a near west suburb. In between he lived on the north side of Chicago, never more than a mile away from Wrigley Field. (Yes, he’s a Cub fan.)

…has been happily married to his wife Rebekah since 2002. Two years before, their first date was at the Orange Garden, a Chinese restaurant in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Several years later, Billy Corgan, lead singer of Smashing Pumpkins, purchased the sign of the Orange Garden, making himself cooler than he already was.

…and Rebekah have three kids: Jeremy, Eva, and Julia. He’d tell you their ages, but they have already grown older since the start of this sentence. Lee considers fatherhood his greatest accomplishment.

…is the son of a Chicago Public School teacher and a commercial artist (the old term for a graphic designer). Later in life, his father became an award-winning portrait painter. (Yeah, Lee built that website.)

…once tried out for Jeopardy and passed. There was a 50/50 chance that the show would have called, but they never did. It was the same year as Ken Jennings’ big streak, so Jennings reduced the odds, which is why when Lee hears that name, he says it like Jerry says “Newman!” in Seinfeld.

…watches way too much Star Trek. There are some shows he likes more than others, but there is no version of Star Trek that he doesn’t like. Live long and prosper. 🖖

…is always writing a book. It may not be the same book as last week, which is why Lee never finishes writing a book. (Someday, in retirement…)

…enjoys reading science fiction, science non-fiction, and history. He also leads a weekly Great Books group that has focused on great political works.

…doesn’t mind if you call him a geek. It’s a badge he wears with honor. Or maybe a propeller hat he wears with honor.

…and his family have a cat named Ferguson. They rescued Ferguson from a local shelter, and he came with the name. The family did not choose the name as a nod to Cubs hall-of-fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins, but Lee sometimes calls him Fergie for short.

…hates it when people refer to themselves in the third person. (Hmmm…)

Lee Kantz
Digital Pioneer

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Lee has also worked or consulted for the following organizations: