Vero's Beach Lifestyle Photo Contest 2017 Winners

Stacy Cook is the founder of VeroVine.com and Vero Beach Foodie on Facebook, and a nationally recognized digital strategist and business development leader with over 20 years of experience driving innovation in web development, digital marketing, and online business growth. With a unique blend of entrepreneurial grit, technical fluency, marketing mastery, and community-first thinking, Stacy has launched and scaled successful ventures across a spectrum of industries—from SaaS and e-commerce to media, dating, and hyperlocal publishing.

Born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, Stacy began programming in high school and never looked back. While earning his B.S. in Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky, he simultaneously worked as a Computer Lab Administrator for the MLK Microlabs and ran his own web development company. He then served as a New Media Developer at Mikrotek ISP, managed internet marketing for Host Communications/Total Sports and the NCAA, and was named Vice President of Development at iHigh.com, a VC-backed startup revolutionizing real-time sports stats for media and fans.

Stacy’s post-college venture, Edit-X, launched in Denver and quickly became one of the most advanced CMS/e-commerce hybrid platforms available. The software was a decade ahead of its time, and its success led to partnerships across Fortune 500 clients and some of the largest privately owned dating platforms in the world. Stacy’s ability to drive traffic, increase engagement, and build custom tech positioned him as a trusted consultant for large-scale digital enterprises.

After successful chapters in Kentucky, Denver, and Miami, Stacy chose Vero Beach as home in 2011, drawn to its creative energy, natural beauty, and family-friendly lifestyle. Since then, he has become a cornerstone of the local digital scene, founding Vero Vine, the largest community-driven event platform in Indian River County, and Vero Beach Foodie, a 46,000-member strong food and lifestyle community hailed as the largest of its kind on the East Coast.

He also serves as the co-author of the Optimizer Handbook, founder of Starling Support, and a veteran Google Ads strategist who has audited over $5 million in digital ad waste and overseen ad accounts spending over $1M/month and managing over $400M in ad spend life-time. His work has empowered hundreds of businesses, agencies, and startups to scale with clarity, confidence, and precision.

A father of three (Ava, Aden, and Myla), Stacy splits his time between digital strategy, community advocacy, and building new tools for local businesses to thrive online. Whether he’s optimizing ad performance, launching grassroots campaigns, or spotlighting hidden gems across the Treasure Coast, Stacy brings passion, integrity, and creative energy to everything he does.