Crain’s Cleveland Honors Tiger Pistol CEO as a Notable in Technology

Paul Elliott, CEO of Tiger Pistol, is recognized by Crain’s for his outstanding leadership and contributions to the Cleveland community.

Paul Elliott, CEO of Tiger Pistol, the only Collaborative Advertising Platform™ that delivers local activation at global scale, recently was honored as a Crain’s Cleveland Notable in Technology. Crain’s Notables in Technology award program recognizes best-in-class technology executives making a difference in the Cleveland community. 

“I have worked with Paul as a client and as a team member, and he is one of the best leaders I have had the pleasure to work with in my career,” said Sarah Cucchiara, VP, Business Development at Tiger Pistol. “Paul brings a unique combination of deep industry knowledge, sharp business skills, and compassion for his team. His passion to win keeps Tiger Pistol at the forefront of innovation, inspires us to work harder, and builds loyalty and trust across the organization.”

For more than two decades, Paul has focused on helping brands support their local partners through digital advertising. In many cases, local business owners launched their first digital ads through technology built by one of Paul’s companies.

“Paul has an uncanny ability to see around the corner for what is coming next in digital marketing,” said Len Pagon, Chairman and CEO of Next Sparc Growth Partners, a Cleveland-based, professional family office that acquired Tiger Pistol in 2019. “Paul cares deeply about his team and talent. In the two decades I’ve worked with him, Paul’s consistently one of the most passionate executives I know. His energy level is off the charts.”

Since his appointment as CEO, Tiger Pistol has earned more than 35 industry awards and recognitions, including the prestigious Digiday Technology Award for “Best Social Marketing Platform” three times. Tiger Pistol has been twice named by the Inc. 5000 List as one of the fastest growing private companies, ranking among the top 300 companies in the advertising and marketing space, and most recently as an inaugural member of the Inc. Power Partner list of the best B2B companies in the world. In addition to this year’s Crain’s Notables in Technology acknowledgement, Elliott has been personally recognized by the Smart 50 Awards, Ad to Action Awards, and Local Visionary Awards. 

Elliott generously extends his professional leadership skills for real change in the Cleveland community. He’s a steward of the Cleveland-based Footpath Foundation, which connects underserved children with educational opportunities in nature. As a past board member of Minds Matter Cleveland, Elliott addressed the need for stronger educational resources to prepare low-income students for college, promoting substantial improvements in their writing, critical thinking, math, and SAT scores. Additionally, he founded and was President of the Cleveland Web Association, which served as a professional organization for the Northeast Ohio Internet community, offering an open forum, education, mutual support, and networking opportunities to stimulate business growth.

Elliott promotes the importance of philanthropy to his team members at Tiger Pistol, offering not only paid personal volunteer days, but also company-wide charitable outings. So far, these outings have supported the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Central Texas Food Bank, Fostering Hope (Cleveland), and the Footpath Foundation (Cleveland). Tiger Pistol also participates in the Cleveland Clinic’s VeloSano “Bike to Cure” as part of the Next Sparc United team, which raises upwards of $100,000 annually for cancer research. Elliott leads by example and encourages his team members to serve their communities across the country and take philanthropic leadership positions. Members of his current staff support more than 40 non-profit and community betterment organizations, with some filling local and statewide board positions. 

“Paul makes Tiger Pistol an incredible place to work,” said Christina Morello, Marketing Director at Tiger Pistol. “He leads with a magical combination of intelligence, empathy, and ambition that emboldens our team to not only do our best work, but also be the best kind of people.”