Darkroom Names Former Rokt VP Peter Gao as SVP of Growth as the Agency Targets Industry-Shaping Brands

NEW YORK, Jan. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Darkroom, the first AI-native growth marketing agency, announced that Peter Gao has joined the company as Senior Vice President of Growth. He is one of 30 hires made in 2025, selected from an acceptance rate of just 1 percent. He brings extensive experience in enterprise sales and go-to-market leadership across the e-commerce technology, advertising technology, and AI advertising solutions. He joins Darkroom from Rokt, where he served as Vice President of Strategic Business Development.

"Peter's arrival comes as our business becomes increasingly infused with software and AI-native agents. As we expand our sales force to capitalize on that opportunity, he brings the leadership our maturing sales function needs," said Lucas DiPietrantonio, co-founder and CEO of Darkroom. "His expertise complements my own, and with Peter on board, we expect to unlock Darkroom's full capabilities for our clients while working with the best brands in the world."

Peter's background spans more than a decade of driving partnerships and sales in high-growth technology environments. At Rokt, he was instrumental in forming strategic partnerships and driving sales performance across Retail and Marketplaces. Before that, as Senior Business Development Manager at SuperData, a Nielsen company, he led global sales for Nielsen's gaming analytics division, securing major deals with companies including Microsoft and Sony. Gao founded a cross-border commerce venture before beginning his career as an Intelligence Analyst at Point72 Asset Management. This breadth of experience has equipped him with deep expertise in B2B sales, team leadership, and market analytics.

This key hire aligns with Darkroom's strategic focus on expanding its growth footprint and engaging larger mid-market and enterprise clients, building on its award-winning work with leading challenger brands across industries. It underscores the agency's commitment to investing in senior leadership built on a commerce technology layer, while developing a new kind of AI-powered Growth Marketing Agency. Darkroom describes itself as the first AI-native advertising agency, blending advanced AI agents with human creativity. Its model integrates a seasoned leadership team with a proprietary, AI-driven commerce technology layer to deliver commerce acceleration across Amazon, TikTok Shop, and DTC channels.

About the AI Marketing Agency

Darkroom is a technology-driven commerce acceleration agency for marketplaces, social shopping platforms, and direct-to-consumer brands. Founded in 2017 and based in New York, Darkroom's model is built on a universal, AI-driven commerce layer paired with a senior team of growth experts to drive measurable revenue outcomes for clients. What began as a boutique design studio has evolved into one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, Inc. 5000. Darkroom's founders, Lucas DePietrantonio and Jackson Corey, were also recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for innovation in marketing and advertising, underscoring the agency's role as a pioneer in AI-native advertising services.

About the agency leadership hire, Peter Gao

At Darkroom, Peter steps into a role the AI Marketing Agency has been building toward for some time. With the business operating at a new scale, Peter brings dedicated leadership to the sales function, allowing Darkroom to continue progressing without losing focus.

His role centers on two priorities. First, working alongside existing clients to help them fully understand and unlock everything Darkroom can deliver across their major sales channels. Second, leading efforts to bring in the brands that will define the agency's next phase of growth.

Peter's experience at Rokt and his reputation as a steady, disciplined operator make him a natural complement to Darkroom's leadership team. His hire reflects a broader shift for the company. After more than a year of sustainable, behind-the-scenes work building a best-in-class product, the performance marketing agency is now reinvesting in people to support what comes next.

SOURCE Darkroom