Paradise is proud to announce that Co-Owner and Chief Marketing Officer Barbara Karasek has been named an inaugural ADWEEK Agent of Change. Karasek joined fellow honorees in New York City at a celebratory breakfast at ADWEEK House: Advertising HQ.
Presented by Empower in collaboration with Propeller Group and Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership (WACL), the new ADWEEK Agents of Change honor recognizes 40 leaders who pair commercial excellence with a commitment to building a more inclusive, responsible and forward-thinking industry. Honorees are selected based on tangible outcomes, demonstrated impact and meaningful contributions to their organizations and the broader industry.
Karasek is a seasoned executive whose career has spanned global brands and organizations including NASCAR, PGA TOUR, the U.S. Olympic Committee and United Parks & Resorts. Across each role, she has paired business growth with meaningful philanthropic and community impact, supporting organizations and initiatives including the NASCAR Foundation, SeaWorld Cares, the SeaWorld Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic initiatives and PGA TOUR Charities.
Since acquiring Paradise in 2018, Karasek has helped drive nine consecutive years of continued double-digit growth while maintaining 90% year-over-year retention among clients and team members. Under her leadership, Paradise has represented dozens of destination marketing organizations generating on average nearly $15 billion in economic impact annually, expanded nationwide and into the Caribbean, completed two acquisitions in the past two years and grown to nearly $20 million in annual billings with a full-time team of nearly 50.
“I’ve worked with a lot of agency leaders, but Barbara is different,” said Shannon Stilson, VP of Sports Marketing & Media at U.S. Polo Association. “Nine years of double-digit growth, 90% retention, and nearly $20 million in billings run by nearly 50 full time team members — that’s not luck, it’s lean, disciplined and a culture working together. When our Global Polo Entertainment data felt scattered with no clear line to revenue, Barbara and the Paradise team gave us clarity instead of another dashboard. But what’s stuck with me most is watching her bring in a new CEO at Paradise because she believed it was right for the agency’s future, and watching her champion ventures like CERES and organizations like Rethreaded, giving trafficking survivors a real path forward. That kind of leadership — commercially sharp and genuinely purpose-driven — is rare. Barbara isn’t just delivering results for clients; she’s raising the standard for this industry.”
Added Greg Hughes, Director, Strategic Sales & Marketing at Audacy, Inc; “Barbara has always impressed me with her tremendous marketing savvy, energy and intellect. She brings a rare combination of strategic thinking, creativity and an ability to turn ideas into meaningful business results.”
In 2024, Karasek co-founded AiOpti, an AI-powered data and measurement company focused on connecting marketing investment to revenue through first-party identity infrastructure. The company was recognized by MarTech Outlook as a Top AI-Powered Marketing Attribution Platform and serves industries such as tourism, restaurants, retail automotive, hospitality, healthcare, financial services and more.
For over three decades, Karasek’s career has included negotiating more than $485 million in global partnership contracts across SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, PGA TOUR, NASCAR and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee while living in more than 8 countries and traveling to dozens more. For Karasek, leadership also means building organizations that can thrive beyond any one individual. In 2025, she voluntarily transitioned the Paradise CEO role to Jaronski and moved into the CMO position, creating a deliberate succession path while continuing to drive growth and innovation.
Beyond her companies, Karasek contributes to industry and community initiatives through organizations including Destinations International Foundation, the National Grocers Association, the Web Marketing Association and the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Barbara was named to the Cynopsis Digital It List in 2018 and a ‘Top 25’ Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing, Revenue Optimization and Distribution by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) in 2023. She also mentors HBCU Scholars and Pathways to Success destination rising stars and advocates for Rethreaded, a Florida-based consumer goods company employing women who have survived human trafficking.
Karasek has built her career around challenging conventional thinking. At AiOpti, she anticipated the shift from third-party audiences toward first-party data ownership and developed technology to help brands connect marketing activity directly to business outcomes.
At Paradise, she has applied the same philosophy to growth, combining acquisitions and geographic expansion with the agency’s A Partner for Good℠ commitment, which embeds community impact into its business model.
Today, Karasek’s leadership spans agency growth, marketing technology, industry mentorship and community advocacy. Her work reflects a belief that commercial success and responsible leadership can — and should — advance together.
“Barbara has built something much bigger than a successful agency. She has built a culture and a business designed to keep evolving,” said Mark Jaronski, CEO of Paradise. “Her decision to transition the CEO role to me in 2025 was a powerful example of the kind of leadership this recognition celebrates. She put the long-term success of the organization ahead of any individual title, creating a thoughtful succession plan while continuing to push Paradise forward as CMO. Barbara challenges all of us to think bigger, lead with purpose and make sure our success creates value for our clients, our people and our communities.”
