Dan Cruz

As a Paid Media Assistant at Uptick, Danilo de Paula da Silva Cruz (or Dan) helps businesses grow their customer base through strategic digital advertising campaigns, including Google Ads, Demand Gen, and PMAX Display.
Dan grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where soccer and the beach were big parts of his childhood. Like so many others his age, Dan wanted to be a pro soccer player when he grew up (he actually played professionally for three years). He never lost his love for soccer (futebol in Portuguese) and continues to play with friends at the beach in his free time.
Dan moved to the States for his secondary education, attending MCC-Blue River in Kansas City, Missouri, before continuing his studies at Williams Baptist University in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, where he earned his bachelor's in Business Management. Business school is also where Dan first took an interest in digital marketing; he says the way it connects market theory with measurable data perfectly matches his analytical mindset. After graduating and returning to Brazil, he delved further into the digital advertising side of the industry.
Dan recalls that his first hands-on marketing experience outside of school (which motivated him to pursue a career in the industry) was successfully orchestrating the launch of an online course for his sister’s post-grad program in philosophy, achieving strong returns on a small budget.
After that, he worked for a Brazilian digital marketing agency with local businesses across niches like medical universities, car dealerships, and clothing stores, followed by a stint at a U.S.-based agency, where he managed campaigns across Meta, Google Ads, TikTok, and LinkedIn. He also built automations with tools like Make, GoHighLevel, and Asana. He then joined the internal team of one of Brazil's top digital influencers, where he managed high-ticket launches with large budgets. Dan is now a Paid Media Assistant for Uptick, and we’re thrilled to have him helping our clients achieve positive ROI and other business goals with their ad campaigns.
Dan’s the quiet type, but when he gets to know you, he’s quick to open up. He’s often known as the resident “joke guy” and has a quip ready for almost anything.
When he’s not at work, Dan spends time with friends and family. He is a proud father to his young daughter, Cacau, and is always down to chill with friends. You’ll often catch him at the beach, playing soccer, or eating delicious traditional Brazilian dishes.