Blagica (blah-gee-tsa) Bottigliero is a ‘Digital OG’, proud to be among the women who helped build the web. A child of parents who immigrated to Detroit in the sixties, Blagica’s naturally inquisitive and passionate, two traits which served her well as she explored and became an expert in the digital space.

Blagica has been an innovator in the digital space for more than 20 years, working for Leo Burnett's web arm, Giant Step, and then joining Orbitz' first eMarketing team where she helped build the company’s digital practice from scratch. She also launched the first affiliate program for Orbitz. Post Orbitz, Blagica self-funded a few of her own startups, learning invaluable lessons in digital marketing with each new endeavor. During this same period, she was part of NBC Chicago’s Street Team, which led to her Emmy for her team’s work in New Media.

Throughout the years, Blagica’s held positions on the brand side( Motorola and Target) along with the agency side (Edelman Digital and The Escape Pod). She’s also provided strategic counsel to civic and private organizations such Chris Kennedy for Governor, Choose Chicago, and The Chicago French Pastry School.

Most recently, Blagica partnered with her sommelier husband, transforming the in-person wine business into a virtual event powerhouse. In less than a year, they conducted over 1,000 events and reached over $1 Million in sales. Leading Marketing and Partnerships, Blagica was pivotal in key partnerships with companies like Google, Twitter, Foursquare and Accenture.