Two Decades of AI Evolution
Joseph Kubon has been working with AI before most people were aware of AI. Fifteen years ago, he was at iHeartRadio, working with Apple on the iPod nano and developing music recommendation technology based on listening habits. It was an early form of predictive AI, designed to quietly improve the user experience.
Today, that technology has evolved from predicting what people might want to helping them take action. Joseph is now using Salesforce to build agentic solutions that help people spend more time on meaningful work.
Seeing the Agentic Shift Early
Before "MCP" became a household term in Salesforce, Joseph brought the concept of an Agent Network to the TDX25 Agentforce Hackathon and won the grand prize. That forward-thinking architectural instinct led him to design most of Astound Digital’s customer agents, including Eva for Engine.
It's not necessarily about, if you're going to do agent work, it's when you're gonna do agentic work. It's a matter of time that it's just now part of the way we function. The sooner you incorporate it into your corporate DNA and your services, the better off you're going to be.
Joseph KubonManager, Salesforce Delivery, Clear Channel Outdoor
Leading in the Agentic Era
Today, as Manager of Front Office Solution Delivery (Salesforce) at Clear Channel Outdoor - bringing his career full circle back to the parent company of iHeartRadio, Joseph is putting that thinking into practice. Previously as Global VP of Salesforce Platform Architecture at Astound Digital, Joseph put those principles into action through their Innovation Lab, where he helped build almost 30 Agentforce agents and counting for companies like Engine, Virgin Voyages, and Jacuzzi. For Engine, Joseph helped design Eva, the Engine Virtual Assistant, an Agentforce-powered customer service agent built to help travelers get answers faster and at scale.
Joseph brings a grounded perspective to Agentforce, balancing belief in its potential with setting realistic expectations for non-deterministic AI. For him, being a Trailblazer means experimenting to see what works, then helping other organizations do the same.
Coaching the Next Generation of Trailblazers
As Joseph builds for the agentic era, he’s also focused on helping the next generation build with it. During his time at Astound Digital, he brought his son Alex into the Innovation Lab, where Alex developed hands-on experience building AI solutions and presenting his work to business leaders.
"Guiding that growth is incredibly rewarding," Joseph reflects. For him, leadership means investing in the people who will drive the future of AI forward.
Paying It Forward
That commitment to others extends beyond technology. In 2022, Joseph founded what is now Trailblazer AID, mobilizing Trailblazers across the country to volunteer with food banks, shelters, and other community organizations. What started in Texas has grown into a national effort, with community leaders organizing events across 25 states.
For Joseph, Salesforce’s greatest impact is ultimately the lives it touches.