Technology, AI and media executive to lead growth across NewsBreak and its new AI
businesses, Nearby and NDot in newly created role

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — NewsBreak today announced the appointment of Nicolas Zylberstein as Chief Business Officer, responsible for the strategic growth of NewsBreak and its new AI ventures Nearby AI and NDot AI.

The appointment comes as the company scales NewsBreak, its flagship local life and news platform, and builds two new AI-native businesses: Nearby AI is an agentic local intent marketplace that connects high-intent consumers with relevant local businesses and services–helping users discover what they need and complete real-world tasks while creating new ways for businesses to reach customers at the right moment. NDot AI is a B2B Media Tech Platform dedicated to publisher growth. It offers integrated technologies and services spanning audience and traffic growth, recommendation and personalization, engagement and retention, advertising technology and monetization.

Both new platforms draw on a decade of NewsBreak’s own experience operating media products and delivering personalization at scale for more than 40 million monthly active users. Both also reflect NewsBreak’s conviction that deep, domain-specific AI infrastructure can deliver considerable value, today and in the future. The decision to bring in NewsBreak’s first Chief Business Officer at this time signals how central this belief is to the company’s next chapter.

“As search, social, and other distribution channels become less predictable, publishers need a real growth partner to build, grow, and monetize their direct audiences — that’s the opportunity behind NDot AI. At the same time, local businesses are looking for new ways to reach customers at the right moment, which is what Nearby AI is built to do. Together, they represent a significant B2B opportunity for NewsBreak to build the technology and infrastructure that both media and local business ecosystems need in the AI era. Nicolas’ experience scaling partnerships and commercial strategy at some of the world’s largest technology companies makes him the leader to help us build both businesses at scale,” said Dr. Jeff Zheng, Founder and CEO of NewsBreak, Nearby AI and NDot AI.

Nicolas Zylberstein joins NewsBreak after six years at ByteDance, where he drove AI partnerships, strategy and corporate development, and worked on the early launch of TikTok Shop.

Earlier in his career, Nicolas Zylberstein held senior operating, strategy and corporate development roles at Pinterest, YouTube, and The Walt Disney Company. He played a key role in Pinterest’s IPO, contributed to the launch and growth of YouTube Premium and YouTube TV, and supported Disney’s transition to streaming, laying the foundations for Disney+.

“NewsBreak has already proven what deep, local personalization can do at scale for tens of millions of daily users across the U.S.,” Nicolas Zylberstein said. “The core business connects people directly to local content right down to their zip code, and Nearby AI and NDot AI extend those capabilities into how people discover and engage with nearby businesses and how creators and publishers grow their audiences. I look forward to helping turn those capabilities into scaled businesses and build what’s next for modern media and local life as part of the NewsBreak team.”

Nicolas Zylberstein began his career in investment banking at JPMorgan in London and in strategy consulting at McKinsey & Company in New York. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School, a Master of Finance from Sciences Po Paris, and a Master of Laws from Sorbonne University. He also serves on the Board of Art Explora, a European nonprofit dedicated to democratizing access to the arts and culture, and lives in the Bay Area with his wife and two children.

The company is hiring founding members across disciplines who are passionate about category-defining opportunities at the intersection of technology, local ecosystems, and the content industry. For more information on open positions or to get in touch, visit https://careers.newsbreak.com or email hr@newsbreak.com.

About NewsBreak

NewsBreak is a local life and news platform that helps people navigate their everyday world — from neighborhood safety alerts and gas prices to nearby jobs and community events, all matched to their needs and interests. Founded in 2015, the company uses AI and machine learning to deliver that personalization at scale, connecting more than 40 million monthly active users across the U.S. with trusted publishers, community organizations, local businesses, and their neighbors. Building on this foundation, NewsBreak is now expanding into two new AI-native businesses: Nearby AI, an agentic local intent marketplace helping consumers move from discovery to real-world action through local businesses and services, and NDot AI, a B2B Media Tech Platform helping publishers and creators grow, engage, and monetize their audiences.

For more information: press@newsbreak.com

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SOURCE NewsBreak