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Team : Advisors
Ignite Venture Partners is supported by well-known and respected authorities in various industries and functions. Our advisors provide us access to world-class information on a real-time basis. Below is a partial list of our advisors in the fields of Investment, Legal, Human Resources, Design and Creative, Medical and Wellness, Marketing and PR, Technology, Retail, Internet and Media, and General Business. |
InvestmentBob Bozeman was a General Partner in Angel Investors, LP, Funds I and II, for six years. While at Angel, his successes included Ask Jeeves, AvantGo!, BrightMail, Google, OpsWare, PayPal, and RedEnvelope. Prior to that, Bozeman was an operating executive in high technology companies, including stints as CEO at Altos Computer Systems, Bricsnet, SCI/Fortune, and Vetronix Sales Corporation. Steve Coan is an advisor to several companies in the metropolitan NYC area. He began his career at Bear Stearns, where he was the youngest General Partner in the history of Bear Stearns at the age of 32. Gary Gladstein is an independent investor and consultant. He was the COO of Soros Fund Management from 1985 until his retirement in 2000. Michael G. Lyons is a Director of ePlanet II, a global venture capital firm. He also serves as Senior Advisory Director of Investcorp, a large NY-based late stage venture capital firm. Lyons was a co-founder and General Partner of Zilkha Venture Partners. Lyons has founded a half-dozen companies. John Mascarenas is a Director and Senior Investment Manager at Intel Capital, Intel's strategic investment group, with a career that covers a broad expanse of the high tech industry. John Matthesen is a Venture Partner at WI Harper in San Francisco, and a member of the Keiretsu Angel Forum, where he chairs the consumer products committee. Matthesen has over 25 years of global operations and sales experience in Europe and Asia. Matthesen served as CEO at ByteBlaze, an anti-piracy software company and was a member of the startup teams at Sybase and Commerce One. Bill Paseman is a 25 year Silicon Valley veteran. Presently, Paseman is a member of Paseman and Associates, a private venture investment and advisory firm. Prior to Paseman & Associates, Paseman was Chairman of Calico, which he guided to its successful 1999 IPO. Gilad Shavit served as the Deputy CEO of The Israel Corporation Ltd. (ILCO) until May 2006. He also served as a member of the board of directors of several of the affiliates of The Israel Corporation. He recently started his own investment firm, KCS Israel Private Equity Partners. Dr. Andrea Tobias is a life sciences partner/consultant at CMEA Ventures and a principal at Aquila Consulting Group, consulting on projects in biotech, bioinformatics, health, and online companies. Qui Vuong is founder and CIO of MAI Capital Management Partners, LLC, and has 21 years of experience in the areas of portfolio management, investment strategy, manager evaluation, and performance monitoring. Vuong earned practical experience while working at Procter & Gamble, Thomson McKinnon Securities, and Legg Mason. |
LegalRichard Bardenstein is an attorney and strategic consultant with 20 years of experience in business, government, and the media. Joseph W. Bartlett is of Counsel in the New York City office of Fish & Richardson P.C. For the past 43 years Bartlett's focus is on alternative investments, including venture capital, particularly for high-technology companies. He is the founder and chairman of VC Experts.com and Editor-in-Chief of The Encyclopedia of Venture Capital. Bartlett has a BA from Harvard and his LLB from Stanford. Francois de Billy is an attorney with twenty-five years of experience. His areas of specialty include general business, telecommunications, and media. Paul Cohen is an AV-rated business lawyer with over 20 years experience as a corporate counsel. Cohen has headed the legal and compliance functions and served on the Executive Management teams for NEC Technologies, Dragon Systems, BroadVision, and Emptoris. He is listed in Who's Who in American Law. Cohen has a BA and MBA from Clark University and a JD from Suffolk University. Kevin Hein is a partner with the Denver office of Snell & Wilmer LLP, where he serves as head of the firm’s franchise and distribution practice. He received his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1994. Hein has been quoted as an expert in franchise law in the Wall Street Journal (online edition), New York Times, Franchise Times and Nations Restaurant News. Adam Philipp has been involved in the prosecution of patent applications in the computer science, electrical devices, and related fields since 1998 and with Internet and technology related law since 1995. |
Human ResourcesArnold F. Kanarick has served as the Human Resource Officer for four New York Stock Exchange companies. Dr. Kanarick's most recent assignment was as the Chief Human Resources Officer for Bear Stearns & Co., Inc. Prior to joining Bear Stearns in 2000, Dr. Kanarick served as Chief Human Resources Officer for Limited Brands, one of the world's largest specialty retailers with over 300,000 employees. Michael E. Pilnick, the Founder and Partner of the Global Development Group, LLC, has broad experience in both domestic and international environments across a variety of industries. Pilnick's career encompasses senior level positions with leading corporations and consulting firms including Columbia House, the Organizational and Human Performance Group of Accenture Consulting. William Simon is Senior Client Partner of Korn/Ferry International's Global Entertainment/Media practice. Simon is recognized in Nancy Garrison-Jenn's survey of the top 200 global executive recruiters and is ranked among the top 35 in CableFax Magazine's most influential in cable. He previously served as the Deputy Staff Secretary to President Jimmy Carter. |
Design and CreativeAshley Arhart has over 16 years of experience providing creative leadership in both corporate and consultative capacities, including the role of co-Creative Director of The Retail Group and as Director of Creative Design and Visual Merchandising at Eddie Bauer, Inc. David Bates has been in the design business for 20 years. Bates has serviced an impressive list of companies, Adidas, Nike, MTV Networks, Starbucks, Target and many more. Gregory Beck, AIA, is an architect specializing in venues that combine narrative content and media technology. Beck is the former director of architecture for Sony New Technologies, where he created interactive environments for Metreon, the urban entertainment center in San Francisco. Beck has developed retail and brand attractions for clients including Swatch, the People Magazine Group, and Lockheed Martin. Kurt Bigenho is an independent Creative Director with over ten years of experience helping organizations align brand strategy and user experience. His work has received notice in Wired, NPR, Miami Herald, Artnet, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Weekly and Communication Arts. Walter Herbst is chairman and founding partner of Herbst LaZar Bell Inc., the largest independently owned design firm in the country. Herbst holds over 85 patents in hardware, housewares and medical products and is listed in 'Who's Who of American Inventors.' Herbst is on the faculty of Northwestern University, where he serves as the Director of the Master of Product Development program. Tin-Man Lau is originally from Hong Kong and is a recognized global resource for industrial design projects. Lau worked for the Taiwan Kolin Co., Ltd. (a division of Mitsubishi) as an assistant engineer before his graduate study. In 1986, he joined the faculty at Auburn University, where he is a full professor, teaching both undergraduate and graduate design courses. Erin Liman is a user experience strategist with 16 years of strategic design and product development experience in enterprise and consumer software, e-commerce, hardware, hospitality, retail and new media industries. Liman has directed user experience projects for numerous companies including SAP, PeopleSoft, PointCast, Omni Hotels, and Lotus Development. Carl Mazer has over 20 years of experience in branding, design, lettering and illustration. Formerly a design director at Landor Associates, Mazer has been working independently since 1999. Using his strategy, design, illustration and lettering skills, he has created branding solutions for such clients as Pizza Hut, PepsiCo, Taco Bell, Publix, Sapias, Gifts.com, Wacom Technologies, Healthline and Apple Computer. Jeneanne Rae is a nationally-renowned thought leader on innovation management and design strategy. In acknowledgement of her tremendous talent and knowledge, Rae has been formally recognized as one of the 'Magnificent Seven Innovation Gurus' in 2005 by BusinessWeek. Rae also teaches at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, where she is an adjunct professor of Marketing in the MBA Program. Ken Raymond is a seasoned entrepreneur and designer practicing in the architectural community. He was founder and managing partner of the boutique architectural design firm RBG in San Francisco. Most recently, Raymond has been the managing director of a $100 million capital development division of an international non-profit organization and managing partner of a regional development company. Sunita Richardson is Director of Strategy for Hornall Anderson, where she provides strategic analysis and direction for projects spanning naming, brand strategy, brand voice, brand architecture, brand positioning, and messaging. Her recent work has included projects for Intel, T-Mobile, PayPal, Microsoft, Vulcan Capital, Schnitzer West, Frito Lay, Nintendo, Hasbro, Kagome and Talking Rain. |
Medical and WellnessDr. Tina Alster is a world-renowned lecturer and author on cosmetic dermatology and laser surgery. She is the founding director of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery and Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Dr. Holly Atkinson extensive experience as a medical correspondent includes assignments with NBC's Today show, the CBS Morning News, Lifetime Medical Television, and the PBS health show Bodywatch. Dr. Atkinson is currently Assistant Professor of Public Health (courtesy) in the Department of Public Health at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Dr. Laura L. Carstensen is Professor and Chair of the Psychology Department at Stanford University. She also directs the Stanford Center on Longevity and the Life-Span Development Laboratory. Dr. Joycelyn Elders was the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service appointed by President Clinton. Upon her resignation, she returned to the University of Arkansas Medical Center where she serves as professor of pediatrics. Dr. Tom Eng, VMD, MPH, is a national expert in eHealth strategy and product development, and the application of emerging technologies to healthcare and public health. Dr. Eng is an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University. Dr. Jay Friedman is considered one of the top internists in the US, according to Best Doctors in America and has consistently been awarded one of the 'Top Docs' in Phoenix Magazine every year since 1995. Dr. Frank Greenway is the Medical Director at the Pennington Center outpatient research clinic. Dr. Greenway graduated from Stanford University and UCLA Medical School. Dr. William Haskell has been a member of the faculty at the Stanford University School of Medicine for the past 35 years with primary interests in applied and clinical research in chronic disease prevention and successful aging. Dr. John M. Jakicic is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Health and Physical Activity at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Jakicic is also the Director of the Physical Activity and Weight Management Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh. Meg Jordan, PhD, RN, is a medical anthropologist, international health journalist, CEO of Global Medicine Enterprises, Global Health Media, and editor and founder of American Fitness Magazine. She serves on numerous advisory boards, including the National Wellness Institute, and has served as trustee of Governor's Council of Physical Fitness and Sports California, the Health Medicine Institute. Dr. Randy Kidd is a veterinarian who has experience in many different types of conventional practice as well as animal pathology, and is now focused on alternative medicine. Dr. Kidd has written two books: Dr. Kidd's Guide to Herbal Dog Care and Dr. Kidd's Guide to Herbal Cat Care. Dr. Richard Lam is a prostate oncology specialist who has published several well-regarded case studies in medical journals and lectures frequently. Dr. Pepper Schwartz is Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington. Dr. Schwartz is the relationship expert at Perfectmatch.com, and creator of their well regarded compatibility system, Duet. She is the author of over 15 books and over 40 academic articles. Dr. Schwartz received her MA and BA from Washington University in St. Louis and her PhD from Yale University. Dr. Charles D. Spielberger, Ph.D., ABPP, is Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Research in Behavioral Medicine and Health Psychology at the University of South Florida, where he has been a faculty member since 1972. Dr. Spielberger is author, co-author, or editor of more than 400 professional publications. Dr. Spielberger served as the 100th President of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Thomas Peter Stein is Professor of Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Osteopathic Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Wayne Westcott is an internationally recognized fitness professional of 35 years, who develops innovative exercise programs, conducts exercise research studies, writes for several fitness publications and has authored 20 books on physical fitness and strength training. |
Marketing and PRHarold Burson was named the 20th Century's 'most influential' person in public relations by the industry publication PRWeek. He was co-founder of Burson-Marsteller, which became the world's largest public relations firm in 1983. Burson was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by Boston University and honored by The School of Communication at BU with the only endowed chair for a public relations consultant. Bill Cleary is founder and chairman of Cleary and Partners, one of the lead integrative media agencies focusing on building brands in the digital age. Previously, Cleary was co-founder of CKS Group, which became the first publicly traded integrative media advertising agency. He has led branding campaigns that launched or grew to become major digital companies, including Yahoo, Excite, Silicon Graphics, Amazon, and eBay. Mary Enderle has in-depth expertise in brand driven design, brand management tools, creative direction, and agency management from experience with companies such as Intel, Dolby Laboratories, Gateway Computers, and Advanced Micro Devices. Jay Faberman has more than 25 years of experience in consumer market research working with major packaged goods companies, including Philip Morris, General Foods and Procter & Gamble. His final assignment at P&G included global responsibility for new brand development. Faberman is a past chairman of the Advertising Research Foundation Qualitative Research Council. Bill Firing is Senior Partner, Client Services Directory at OlgivyOne, where he oversees the OgilvyOne team in Los Angeles. His career includes over seven years at OgilvyOne and 20 years of experience developing and managing multi-channel demand generation and relationship marketing programs for Fortune 100 companies. Stan Latacha has over 30 years of retail experience and has led the marketing departments of companies such as, Ashley Furniture HomeStores, Petco, OfficeMax, and Goody's Family Clothing. Dr. Sidney Levy is Coca-Cola Distinguished Professor of Marketing and Special Assistant to the marketing department head, Eller College of Management, University of Arizona. Dr. Levy joined the Northwestern University faculty in 1961 and taught for 36 years, chairing the Kellogg School Mmarketing Ddepartment from 1980 to 1992. In 1997, HEC-University of Montreal named him a Living Legend of Marketing. Kenneth Lewis has held senior level executive and marketing positions with Timex Corp., Marvel Entertainment Group, Walt Disney Attractions, Six Flags Over Georgia, Cohn & Wolfe, and Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey over the past 30 years. Melissa McDonell is a fifteen year veteran of the fast food wars with YUM! Brands, Inc., and has experience in practically every aspect of the marketing mix. George Silverman is the author of The Secrets of Word of Mouth Marketing; How to Trigger Exponential Sales Through Runaway Word of Mouth. His primary interest is in word-of-mouth marketing, decision-making, and persuasion. He has been a marketing consultant for over 30 years. Silverman is the world's foremost word-of-mouth marketing speaker, conducting speeches and workshops all over the world. Scott Wilson has worked in a marketing, sales and general management capacity for over 25 years and is currently Group VP of Handleman Company. Wilson started and led Valassis Communications' customer relationship marketing initiative. He also had various brand management responsibilities at Kraft/General Foods. |
TechnologyDavid Allen is an independent consultant and advisor to technology startups, VCs, private equity, and financial services corporations. He has extensive experience as a technology leader, most recently as CTO at Visa. Allen was Visa's first Chief Technology Officer and was responsible for the technology strategy, enterprise architecture and technology planning. Dr. Julian Bleecker is a Research Fellow at the Annenberg Center for Communication and Assistant Professor in the Interactive Media Division at the University of Southern California. He heads the Mobile and Pervasive Lab, a near-future think tank and research and development lab focused on application development, device prototyping, and scenario design for mobile and pervasive media. Ray Everett-Church is a recognized pioneer in privacy and security risk management. Called the 'dean of corporate privacy officers' by Inter@ctive Week Magazine, he has a significant reputation for innovative privacy leadership, and helping companies transform privacy risks into business opportunities. Everett-Church was a co-author of Internet Privacy for Dummies (2002) and Fighting Spam for Dummies (2004). David Farber is the Distinguished Career Professor of Computer Science and Public Policy in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Farber was named in the 1997 edition of the UPSIDE's Elite 100, the 1999 Network World as one of the 25 most powerful people in Networking, and in 2002 he was named by Business Week as one of the top 25 leaders in eCommerce. Cliff Figallo is founder of the SociAlchemy consultancy practice, which specializes in implementing social applications on the Internet. Since 1986, when Figallo became Director of the influential online community, The WELL, he has been at the forefront of the online social movement. He has served as online community designer/manager for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), AOL, Salon Media and Cisco Systems. Joseph Fink has over 20 years of experience and is presently CEO of Fink Retail Consultants LLC. During his career, he has held senior executive positions for national and international retail and manufacturing companies including Nautica, Guess, General Nutrition Centers (GNC), as well as technology companies that serve the retail industry. Alex Lange brings 20 years of experience and was previously VP of IT and Chief Architect at Art.com, Chief Architect of e-Business at IKON Technology Services, and held senior technical positions at Federal Home Loan Bank and Wells Fargo. Thede Loder is co-founder and CEO of Octoble, Inc., an Internet venture focused on electronic marketplaces and efficient marketer-consumer communication. In 1995, he helped design, build, and launch the popular Match.com consumer dating service. He also co-founded Leverage Information Systems in 1996, which was acquired by Diamond Technology Partners (NADAQ: DTPI) in 1999. Betty Ray is a ten-year veteran of online communities and got her start as an online producer at Minnesota Public Radio, managing community discussions with radio personalities. For the past 7 seven years, she's she has been integrating content and community as the Senior Editor and Director of Community at Live365 - the world's largest user-generated internet radio network. Dr. Roni Rosenfeld is a Professor of Language Technologies, Machine Learning, and Computer Science at the School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University. His current research interests are in computational molecular biology, molecular evolution, human-machine speech communication, and the use of speech and language technologies to aid international development. Chris Shipley is a leading technology and product analyst and the executive producer of the DEMO Conferences for IDG Executive Forums. Shipley has helped technology companies bring more than 1,000 new products to market since 1996. Fortune Small Business Magazine placed Shipley on its 'Top 10 Minds in Small Business,' the San Jose Business Journal named her a 'Woman of Distinction.' Dr. Dan Siewiorek holds appointments in the Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering Departments at Carnegie Mellon University, where he is Director of the Human Computer Interaction Institute. He has authored eight textbooks and over 400 peer reviewed publications. Dr. Scott Stevens is a senior systems scientist in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute as well as faculty in the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Stevens has been involved with pioneering multimedia research and development for thirty years. Dr. Stevens was the founder of the IEEE Computer Society International Conference on Multimedia Computing and Systems. Scott Thompson is vice president of product development, technology and operations at PayPal. Prior to PayPal, Thompson was executive vice president of technology for Inovant, a subsidiary of Visa. Dr. Dalibor Vrsalovic joined Intel Corporation as VP and CTO at the New Business Group. His last position at Intel was VP and GM of Advanced Technical Sales. Prior to joining Intel, Dr. Vrsalovic was the SVP of Internet technology at AT&T. Before joining AT&T, he was Chief Scientist and Distinguished Engineer at Sun Microsystems/SunSoft. Professor Barry Wellman studies networks: community, communication, computer, and social. Based at the University of Toronto, he directs NetLab and teaches at the Department of Sociology. He also does research at the Centre for Urban and Community Studies, the Knowledge Media Design Institute, and the Bell University Laboratories' Collaborative Effectiveness Lab. Kevin Werbach is a leading expert on the business, policy and social implications of emerging technologies. Werbach is an Assistant Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He is also the founder of the Supernova Group, a technology analysis and consulting firm, and the organizer of Supernova. Werbach was formerly the Editor of Release 1.0, published by Esther Dyson. |
RetailKaryn Barsa has extensive experience in premium brand strategies and operations as the former CEO of Smith & Hawken, and former COO and CFO of Patagonia, and experience in leveraged buyout analysis, structure and funding at Midland Capital Corporation in New York, and workout banking at Wells Fargo Bank. Lisa Berman is the former President and CEO of the Picture People, and Vice President for fashion retailer, Limited; home furnishings brand, Pottery Barn; and elite fashion leader, Guess?. John Buckingham is Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Solana MedSpas, the nation's foremost medical spa licensing/consulting company. Buckingham has served as president and chief executive officer for seven private and public healthcare companies including West Chemical and Intoximeters. Andrew R. Finkelstein served as president of Jean Louis David salons USA as well as Executive Vice President of Glemby International, an international chain of over 1,500 salons. Since earning Economics and Advanced Business degrees from The Wharton School of Business and Harvard Business School, he has spent over 25 years working in every aspect of the beauty industry. Lucy Flannery is a 20 year veteran of retail operations and sales. Her past experience includes National Director of Stores at Lucy active-wear, and Regional Director at Guess. Howard Flax is Chief Executive Officer of Flax Art & Design. Keith Harband's most recent position was Senior Vice President of Marketing for Discovery Communication’s Consumer Products Division, a subsidiary of the Discovery Channel. Prior to Discovery, Harband was the Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer of the Gymboree Corporation. Before joining Gymboree, Harband was the Director of Brand Management of Scholastic, Inc. John Hart has over 40 years experience and is founder and Chairman of Hart Realty Advisers, LLC, a domestic equity real estate advisor to endowments, corporate and governmental pension funds. Hart has held leadership positions and has been a frequent speaker for the International Council of Shopping Centers, American Hotel and Motel Association, Urban Land Institute, and Mortgage Bankers Association. William Lechtner's most recent position was Vice President/General Merchandise Manager with PETCO, the $2 billion pet store chain, where he led the procurement, sales, brand building, and promotional marketing of all merchandise for 850 stores and their website. Previous experience includes Senior Vice President/General Merchandise Manager for Pet Food Warehouse, Half Price Stores, and Pic & Save Stores. Karsten Martens has served in international senior strategic marketing and sales roles for over 15 years. Prior to this Martens headed up Bet 3000 AG as CEO, one of the leading horse betting providers in Germany. Martens joined Bet 3000 coming from Porsche Design of America Inc. where he served as President & CEO. Before that he guided Montblanc International in the reorganization of the brands' global travel retail business as Global Strategic Director. Martin McClanan, a noted leader in the direct marketing and specialty retail industries, is the former CEO of RedEnvelope, where he grew the company from $6 million in revenue in 2000 to $60 million in revenue in 2002. McClanan raised more than $50 million in two private equity financings. He started his career in sales for the E&J Gallo Winery, and later, he was the direct marketing manager for Nestle USA. Subsequently, McClanan founded and managed the Preview Catalog, focused on specialty foods and then served as the Practice Director for the digital commerce practice at Prophet Brand Strategy. Alan McCollough is the former President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board of Circuit City from 2002 until 2006. McCollough also spent 12 years with Milliken and Company in a wide range of positions including cost accountant, business manager, director of quality, manufacturing plant manager, and director of marketing. Mark Miller has held leadership positions for businesses and divisions with up to $450 million in revenue, from Fortune 50 companies to entrepreneurial ventures. Most recently Miller was Group Executive Vice President for the Americas at Right Management Consultants. Previously, Miller was Chairman & CEO of Signature Care Networks. Miller held a number of executive positions, including President, at Nutri/System, a $650 million LBO. Shailendra Shelley Nandkeolyar has over 25 years experience in general management and P & L responsibilities with strong expertise in retailing, eCommerce, direct to customer, and marketing. Most recently, Nandkeolyar was President of Home Depot Direct Brands. Alison Norton Nelson has held executive positions with leading retailers, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Williams-Sonoma Inc, Eddie Bauer, Tommy Bahama, GiftCertificates.com, and Caldor Corporation. Robert Salerno is a seasoned retail executive with over 35 years of experience in the retail industry. His past experience includes serving as Senior Vice President of Bergdorf Goodman, and a partner with Coopers & Lybrand in their National Retail Consulting Practice. John Tate is currently a Partner at Human Strategy Partners. Tate’s previous experience includes EVP, COO, and Director at Restoration Hardware. Prior to Restoration Hardware, Tate served as COO at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts; CFO and President at Krispy Kreme Manufacturing and Distribution; and the Senior Vice President and CFO at Williams-Sonoma. Mike Tattersfield recently served as the Chief Operating Officer of lululemon athletica, a yoga inspired retail company, and has held several senior executive operational roles with Limited Brands and YUM Brands International. Rick Upton is the COO for The Entrepreneur Authority, the leading franchise development and franchise brokerage firm in the country, and runs the Oregon/Pacific Northwest practice for The Entrepreneur Authority. Andrea M. Weiss has had a twenty-five year career in senior leadership with America's foremost retailers. In October of 2002, Weiss founded a boutique consulting firm, Retail Consulting Inc. (RCI). Prior to founding RCI, Weiss held senior level positions with dELiA*s, The Limited, Inc., Intimate Brands, Inc., GUESS, Inc., ANN TAYLOR Stores, Inc., and The Walt Disney Company. |
Internet and MediaJeff Cain was Group Director of M&A at Cadence Design Systems and prior to that, Vice President of Business Development at Red Herring Communications. Michele Chaboudy is the SVP Business Development for Copernic, Inc., and the former CMO & GM for Digital Publications of NewsStand, Inc. Chaboudy has 20 years experience in strategic marketing and product positions in the electronics industry, as well as traditional and new media companies. Kathryn Creech has been CEO of Miavita since its inception, joining the company in April 2000. She is the former President and CEO of VitaminShoppe.com, which she successfully took public in late 1999. Prior to joining VitaminShoppe.com, she was a senior executive with the Hearst Corporation, Dun & Bradstreet Corporations and held management positions in a number of early stage businesses. Dawn DeBruyn has more than 20 years as a proven entrepreneur in the technology sector, having founded and successfully exited a B2B software company and a B2C solution company. Heidi Diamond is Executive Vice President, Sony/liberty media. Diamond is an accomplished television executive with significant achievements in marketing, strategic planning, and development at several leading cable companies including Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, AMC Networks, Rainbow Media, Food Network, Channel One, and Nickelodeon. Scott Fedewa was Executive Vice President & Executive Producer for Live Nation/House of Blues, Fedewa founded and ran the Digital Products group for the world’s largest concert promoter/venue operator. Previously, Fedewa was the founding COO & Executive Producer of BillOReilly.com. He has also served as CFO & General Counsel of Sony Music’s Immortal Entertainment Group. Heather Frank is a content strategist who specializes in creating innovative online experiences for enthusiast consumers. Her experience includes leading the content programming and operations teams for RevolutionHealth.com, a free, comprehensive health and medical information site, designed with women in mind. Frank also led the content and user experience teams for Meredith Corporation’s women’s lifestyle and parenthood Web sites: LHJ.com, More.com, FitnessMagazine.com, AmericanBaby.com, Child.com, FamilyCircle.com, and Parents.com. Larry Gerbrandt has been a leading media and entertainment executive, research analyst, and consultant for more than 25 years. Dennis Ing has over 25 years of experience in high technology companies in various senior management positions. He has been CFO of two public companies, Trimble Navigation and HCL Technologies, which he took public. Ing managed the start-up of an enterprise-based auction management system through a joint venture with eBay and Accenture. Dominic Johnson is the Co-Founder of Consort Partners Limited. His prior experience includes senior marketing positions with companies such as: Autonomy Corporation, News Corporation, C4 Learning, Granada Television, PLC, and Migent One. Patricia Karpas is President of Media Ventures Inc., a strategic consulting firm. She is the former General Manager of Television Ventures with AOL, and Vice President and GM, AOL Television. Karpas also spent 11 years with NBC working with CNBC, NBC, and NBC Interactive. Scott Kauffman has an extensive background in executive management, including CompuServe and Time Warner, where he was a member of the founding team of Entertainment Weekly magazine and VP of business development for Time Warner Interactive. Kauffman has held several President & CEO positions with venture-backed start-ups, including AdKnowledge, eCoverage, Coremetrics, MusicNow, and Zinio. Peter Keramidas is a seasoned executive who has spent nearly two decades in the entertainment industry. Prior to forming his own consulting firm, Keramidas was EVP, Programming, responsible for all programming on Showtime, The Movie Channel, and all multiplexed versions of the services. Scott Mataya is the former VP Corporate and Business Development at QRS, a public software and services company. Before joining QRS, Mataya co-founded several e-commerce focused start-ups. His most recent start-up, Petopia.com, raised over $100MM in funding. T. A. McCann is the founder and CEO of HelpShare, a company that provides tools that engage online communities. His past experience includes Polaris Venture Partners, where he was an entrepreneur-in-residence, and Microsoft, where he held senior positions leading future strategy for the Exchange Server Group (corporate email and communications platform) and developing the burgeoning Service Delivery Platforms Group focused on mobile communications and collaboration. Brigitte McCray is the former Senior Vice President of Programming and Scheduling for Oxygen Media. Prior to joining Oxygen, McCray was the Director of Creative Services at WABC-TV in New York. Chase Norlin is the CEO of Pixsy Corporation, and has spent the last 13 years in the emerging technologies and online media space. Prior to Pixsy, Norlin served in Senior Business Development positions at ValueClick and InfoSpace, and served with Sony and Boeing Ventures. Anne Raimondi Anne Raimondi helped launch eBay Stores and most recently served in executive positions with two Silicon Valley start-ups, Zazzle and Insider Pages. Jordan Serlin is President of Cenuco, Inc., a division of Ascendia Brands (AMEX: ASB). He formerly served as the Chief Marketing Officer for FortuneCity.com. Janis Nakano Spivack is the VP, Experience Design for Reactrix. Spivack has 20-plus years of leadership and award-winning creative experience. Most recently she was vice president, creative, of There.com, a 3D virtual world. Before that, Spivack was the founding chief creative officer of Organic. Prior to Organic, Spivack founded goFISH!, an online advertising resource. John Spottiswood has over ten years of technology and online experience. Currently Vice President of Products and Services for QuinStreet, a leader in online direct marketing, John previously managed professional and analytical services for DemandTec, a provider of hosted software solutions to large retailers. Prior to DemandTec, he was President of Match.com and COO of BigStep.com. John Zdanowski is the Chief Financial Officer of Linden Lab, the creators of Second Life. Prior to joining Linden Lab, Zdanowski was CFO at HouseValues, where he oversaw the growth from 100 people and $20 million in revenue to over 500 employees and $100 million, including its $94 million IPO in 2004. Prior to joining HouseValues, Zdanowski co-founded Affinity Internet, Inc. a highly profitable, top five, Web hosting company. |
General BusinessDick Ambrosius is the author of The Art of the Positive, Choices & Changesáa positive aging guide to life planning, The Art of the Possible and co-author of Aging is a Series of Many Beginnings. In 1980, he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as the youngest member of the National Advisory Committee to the 1981 White House Conference on Aging. Scott Barnum is the CEO of Pyramid Breweries. Prior to this, Barnum was President of Cocoa Pete's Chocolate Adventures, a premium chocolate company. Previous experience includes launching the International Division for eBay, Pete's Brewing Company, Miller Brewing, and PepsiCo. David Crampton is CEO of FitLinxx, which he joined in March 2003. Prior to that, he served as CEO of National School Reporting Services. Crampton also led PC Flowers & Gifts, the first online flower and gift company, through rapid expansion and a planned public offering. Thomas Mateer has diverse experience gained in almost 30 years in the cable, local, and long distance telephone, mobile (paging, cellular and PCS), and satellite industries. Before joining Sprint, Mateer held various management positions with the Ernst & Young Telecommunications Consulting Group and McCaw Communications Companies, Inc. Shannon McClenaghan is the President of Jimmyjane, Inc., a privately held consumer products company that develops and manufactures premium accessories and consumables that integrate design and sexuality. McClenaghan has over 15 years of experience and wields expertise in fundraising, finance, market strategy, business development, and rolling out retail stores. Judy Miszner is an award winning publisher and media expert with over 20 years of experience. Miszner held positions as General Manager, hedgeworld.com, a division of Reuters; Publisher of the Pulitzer-prize winning Village Voce and EPPY-award winning villagevoice.com; and senior marketing and sales management roles at Harmon Publishing and Block Drug Company. Chuck Nyren is an award-winning advertising video producer, creative strategist, consultant, and copywriter, focusing on the Baby Boomer Market. Nyren has been a consultant for advertising and marketing agencies and companies with products for the 40+ Market, including Mary Furlong & Associates, AARP, Harris Interactive, and The Omnicom Group. Ray O'Brien has been involved in the telecommunications industry for over 25 years. He is currently the acting COO of Defywire, Inc., a leading mobile and wireless software provider and a member of the advisory board to Secure Telecom Holdings, Inc. O'Brien spent 12 years with Sprint Corp. in a variety of assignments including President of two of their business units. Gary Patterson has over 30 years senior management experience with high growth technology, manufacturing and service companies. He has worked with over 92 companies - from start-ups to Inc 500 to Fortune 500 - providing high-level strategic guidance and expertise. Patterson is a CPA and holds an MBA in Finance and Operations from Stanford. Ellen Pearlman has launched four award-winning publications, three online sites and is the co-author of Fast Forward, a book about the impact of the Internet, published in 2000. Over the last twenty-five years, Pearlman's publications have won numerous awards and received the distinguished Einstein Award for achievements in the high-tech industry. Most recently Pearlman was Vice President and Editor- in- Chief of CIO Insight. Steven Shapiro is currently Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Operations at Passkey International, the world's leading provider of software for group reservations. He has over 25 years of experience and is a six-time Chief Financial Officer at public, pre-IPO, start-ups and VC-backed companies. Joshua A. Shaw is co-founder and chief operating officer of GoSMILE™, the smile-beauty company. Shaw was also one of 18 people selected out of one million applicants to participate in the hit reality television show "The Apprentice" with Donald Trump. Robert Vetere is President of APPMA. Prior to the APPMA, Vetere was senior vice president, administration, general counsel and secretary at Oil-Dri Corporation of America. Wayne Willis has spent the last ten years helping dozens of entrepreneurs and investors develop a broad variety of technology-amplified services companies, healthcare information services (HealthScribe, Cyracom, Axonwave), a multimedia internet search service (ditto.com), enhanced telecommunications (FaxNet), unified communications (BeNotified) and educational services (HotMath, iDiploma, NetSchools). |
