Lenny is the CEO and Founder of GoKart as well as Brown Boots, bringing over a decade of expertise in app monetization, affiliate marketing, and direct advertiser partnerships. He has built a reputation for helping app developers, digital platforms, and publishers unlock new revenue opportunities by bridging the gap between high-quality advertisers and engaged audiences.
GoKart is redefining how apps and platforms approach affiliate marketing, providing the infrastructure and tracking technology needed to run an effective ad offers program. Allowing app owners to display ads in their apps for their users to engage with, seamlessly integrating direct or third-party ad offers, tracking user engagement, managing advertiser partnerships, and optimizing revenue — all in one place.
Driven by a passion for innovation and helping businesses grow, Lenny continues to lead GoKart and Brown Boots in delivering cutting-edge solutions that unlock new revenue opportunities for clients.
In your own words, what’s your role in the app business right now?
I see my role as not just helping apps make more money but fundamentally changing how they approach monetization — eliminating technical barriers, increasing transparency, and giving them the flexibility to build sustainable, high-performing ad offer programs on their own terms.
How did you end up working in apps?
I got started in the space back in 2013 when I joined Prodege. At the time, I was focused on sales, and as I grew, I gained deep experience in the rewarded advertising and affiliate marketing industry, particularly how apps and platforms monetize through rewarded engagements, direct advertiser deals, and performance marketing.
Over the years, I worked closely with mobile app publishers, advertisers, and offer providers, which gave me a front-row seat to how the industry was evolving. That experience naturally led me to launch Brown Boots and later GoKart, helping apps take better control of their monetization strategies and direct ad relationships.
What are you most excited about in apps right now?
More apps, especially in fintech, gaming, and social platforms, are moving beyond traditional ad networks and exploring first-party data monetization and direct advertiser relationships. When apps manage their own advertiser relationships and leverage first-party data, they unlock more transparency, smarter optimizations, and a sustainable monetization model that isn’t at the mercy of ad networks. The industry is moving toward a publisher-first economy, where apps that own their monetization strategy are earning more versus paying out third-party ad networks.
GoKart, we’re seeing a major demand from apps that want to run their own rewarded offer programs rather than relying solely on networks. This is exciting because it allows them to own their monetization strategy, optimize ad placements, and drive higher engagement through value-driven incentives — whether it’s in gaming, cashback, or financial rewards.
Is there anyone you’d like to give a shout-out to who has influenced your journey in the app industry?
Someone who really steered my journey into actually building GoKart was Brandon Ricciardi from Klover. Working with him, we saw first-hand how integrating rewarded experiences into a fintech platform that wasn’t originally built for rewards could drive significant revenue while keeping users engaged.
That success sparked something bigger. It pushed us to test new ways a fintech app could monetize — not just through traditional ad networks but by building direct advertiser relationships. The more we explored, the clearer it became: apps needed a better way to own their monetization strategy.
That’s what led me to build GoKart — a platform designed to give any app, whether in fintech, gaming, or beyond, the ability to create and control their own rewarded offer programs. Now, instead of relying on ad networks, these platforms can tap into high-margin, engagement-driven revenue streams on their own terms.
And I owe a lot of that thinking to Brandon — his insight, his approach, and the way he challenged us to think bigger.
What do you like most about working in apps?
What I love most about working in apps is the constant evolution and innovation. The space moves fast, and there’s always an opportunity to build, optimize, and rethink how things are done. Helping apps unlock new revenue streams and take control of their monetization is what drives me — seeing them scale and succeed is the most rewarding part.
What one thing would you change about the app industry?
The biggest opportunity right now is for apps to own their monetization strategy — whether through rewarded offers, direct advertiser deals, or better first-party tracking.
If you weren’t working in apps, what would you be doing?
At the end of the day, I’m a salesman.
iOS or Android?
iOS.
What apps have been most useful to you over the last year?
Headspace.
What’s on your Spotify playlist?
EDM.
Any TV show recommendations?
MadMen.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I am addicted to road trips and have been to all 50 states.
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