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Partner Membership
Barbara Karasek
CMO & Co-owner
Paradise Advertising & Marketing Inc.
Contact information may be available to logged in members.
Professional Bio
Barbara Karasek, CMO
Values-Based Leader | CEO | Entrepreneur | Investor | Philanthropist
What Others Say: People Motivator. Mindful Marketer. Good Human. Dear Friend.
Barbara is the CMO and Co-Owner of Paradise Advertising & Marketing, an award-winning, certified woman-owned, full-service agency specializing in tourism and hospitality—and proudly, A Partner for GoodSM to the communities it serves. A recognized thought leader and speaker in destination marketing, she brings global expertise to every endeavor.
In 2024, Barbara and her husband Tony Karasek founded AiOpti Media LLC, a data, analytics, and digital media company leveraging AI for smarter consumer targeting, campaign optimization, and performance attribution.
Before acquiring Paradise in 2018, Barbara led global brand, licensing, e-commerce, and marketing divisions for companies such as SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, PGA TOUR, NASCAR, and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. She’s negotiated over $485M in partnership contracts and also led brand and retail strategy for a leading Black-owned apparel company, managing deals with hip-hop and music industry icons.
Known as a “Dot Connector,” Barbara thrives on solving business problems through marketing innovation. She’s lived in eight countries, visited over 20, and credits her international experience as the foundation of her leadership style.
A Tampa native and Furman University volleyball alumna, she holds a master’s in mass communication from the University of South Florida and completed Harvard’s Strategic Marketing Management program. She's Six Sigma certified and an award-winning alum.
Barbara serves on the Destinations International Foundation Board and Tourism Academy Advisory Panel, and supports Rethreaded’s mission to empower survivors of human trafficking. She and Tony invest in CERES, a socially inclusive, culinary-focused community in Georgia.
Together, they travel the world, hike, fish, ski, and chase the perfect sunrise.
Values-Based Leader | CEO | Entrepreneur | Investor | Philanthropist
What Others Say: People Motivator. Mindful Marketer. Good Human. Dear Friend.
Barbara is the CMO and Co-Owner of Paradise Advertising & Marketing, an award-winning, certified woman-owned, full-service agency specializing in tourism and hospitality—and proudly, A Partner for GoodSM to the communities it serves. A recognized thought leader and speaker in destination marketing, she brings global expertise to every endeavor.
In 2024, Barbara and her husband Tony Karasek founded AiOpti Media LLC, a data, analytics, and digital media company leveraging AI for smarter consumer targeting, campaign optimization, and performance attribution.
Before acquiring Paradise in 2018, Barbara led global brand, licensing, e-commerce, and marketing divisions for companies such as SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, PGA TOUR, NASCAR, and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. She’s negotiated over $485M in partnership contracts and also led brand and retail strategy for a leading Black-owned apparel company, managing deals with hip-hop and music industry icons.
Known as a “Dot Connector,” Barbara thrives on solving business problems through marketing innovation. She’s lived in eight countries, visited over 20, and credits her international experience as the foundation of her leadership style.
A Tampa native and Furman University volleyball alumna, she holds a master’s in mass communication from the University of South Florida and completed Harvard’s Strategic Marketing Management program. She's Six Sigma certified and an award-winning alum.
Barbara serves on the Destinations International Foundation Board and Tourism Academy Advisory Panel, and supports Rethreaded’s mission to empower survivors of human trafficking. She and Tony invest in CERES, a socially inclusive, culinary-focused community in Georgia.
Together, they travel the world, hike, fish, ski, and chase the perfect sunrise.
Organization
Paradise Advertising & Marketing Inc.
Partner Membership