Leading by example: Meet the Madhive Values Award winners

Innovation in local media starts with people who are willing to take bold swings, champion their partners, and care about how results get delivered. That’s what our three core values, Make Maverick Moves, Hero Your Partners, and Deliver the Good, are all about, and it’s exactly what our latest Madhive Values Award winners bring to the table every day.

Peers from across the company submitted their nominations, and after careful review, six teammates rose to the top, two for each value. Here’s a closer look at the people setting the standard at Madhive. 

🚀Mave Maverick Moves 

Adriana Sandoval, Manager, Technical Account Management

Adriana saw an opportunity to take our campaign performance to the next level, and she ran with it. She independently built a dashboard that empowers teams to be more proactive and strategic, and she continues evolving it by partnering with Operations, Client Success, and Creative to drive adoption and spark what comes next. Just as important is how she shows up for people: Adriana is a tireless advocate for her colleagues and the broader Madhive community, leading with care, resilience, and a real commitment to seeing everyone succeed.

Naveen Batta, Manager, Engineering

Naveen has a gift for making complex, high-impact work look effortless. He’s been a driving force behind major technical projects and AI adoption across teams, pairing strong planning with a people-first approach. Naveen keeps projects moving, brings teams together, and builds an environment where people feel supported and set up to win. His mix of strategic thinking, ownership, and commitment to developing others has lifted both team performance and culture. 

🤝Hero Your Partners

Daniel Gonzalez, Senior Manager, Revenue Strategy & Enablement

Ask around Madhive who’s always ready to lend a hand, and Daniel’s name comes up fast. His versatility, expertise, and constant willingness to help have made him a trusted resource across the organization. Daniel takes ownership, keeps work moving forward, and acts as a bridge between teams, always focused on helping colleagues and clients succeed. His responsiveness and team-first mindset are exactly what this value is all about.

Sagar Deshmukh, Manager, Delivery Operations

Sagar has driven key initiatives that elevated how we deliver, collaborate, and align as a company. With a focus on continuous improvement and data-driven decisions, he’s refined how our teams work and helped partners reach their goals. As a leader and dedicated mentor who puts his team first, Sagar champions ownership and creates the kind of clarity that enables teams to do their best work. 

✨Deliver the Good

Julie Jeon, Manager, Product Marketing

Julie brings creativity and execution together in a way that elevates both our brand and the teams she works with. She has a talent for turning complex ad tech concepts into engaging, audience-focused content, all while owning key initiatives, communicating clearly, and making sure partners have what they need. Her positive attitude and innovative mindset have expanded our creative playbook and strengthened connections across the Madhive community.

Laxman Waghmare, QA Lead

With 20 nominations, the most of any employee this round, Laxman’s impact speaks for itself. He’s a trusted leader and true force multiplier, elevating product quality and championing automation and AI adoption while leading with confidence through major releases and fast-paced moments. Through mentorship, collaboration, and a solutions-first mindset, Laxman raises the bar for productivity and for the people around him. 

Congratulations to Adriana, Naveen, Daniel, Sagar, Julie, and Laxman! Their work is a reminder that our values show up in everything we do, from the tools we build to the way we support our partners who rely on Madhive every day. We’re proud to have them on our team and look forward to celebrating more of the people driving the future of local media forward.