ADVISORY BOARD

James Calacanis – CEO Mahalo

Jason Calacanis is an Internet entrepreneur and former blogger. He has founded many companies including Silicon Alley Reporter and Weblogs, Inc. He is the founder of Mahalo.com and has been its CEO since 2007.
Calacanis returned to podcasting on May 1, 2009 with his new program This Week In Startups.

Chris DeWolfe – Founder Myspace

One of the co-creators of MySpace, Chris DeWolfe was born in 1966 and graduated from the University of Southern California. There is some controversy about the origins of MySpace, which is publicly presented as a homegrown enterprise developed by co-creator Tom Anderson. In reality, DeWolfe was involved with it from the beginning.

During the dotcom bubble, DeWolfe was the Vice President of Sales for Xdrive Technologies, an ad-supported service that provided users with online storage space to meet the growing needs of internet users in the days when web-based email had strict storage limits and ISPs did not always provide significant online storage space. DeWolfe was laid off in 2001 when the bubble burst, and set up an email marketing firm, ResponseBase, bringing Tom Anderson -- an Xdrive copywriter -- with him as employee. ResponseBase, in turn, was bought out by eUniverse in 2002.

Shortly after the launch of pioneering social networking site Friendster, DeWolfe and other eUniverse employees discussed the possibilities of a similar site. MySpace, a heavily ad-supported service, offered free social networking and messaging, with more layout control than Friendster, and quickly attracted bands who were able to host samples of their music online -- indeed, these days many band websites simply mirror MySpace content.
DeWolfe currently serves as CEO of MySpace, which was purchased (along with all of eUniverse, then renamed Intermix Media) by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.

David Eun – President of AOL Media & Studios

Until 2006, Eun helped to oversee AOL as Vice President, Operations for the Media & Communications Group at Time Warner Inc. In that role, he helped provide operational oversight and develop new businesses, particularly in digital distribution and broadband content and services, for the company's AOL, Time Warner Cable and Time, Inc. divisions. Eun joins AOL from Google, where as Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, he was responsible for managing global content partnerships with Google and YouTube.

Before joining Time Warner, Eun was a partner at Arts Alliance, a venture capital firm focusing on digital media, information technology and business services. He started his career in media at NBC, where he led some of NBC's first cross-media initiatives involving television programming, the Internet, and retail consumer products. He is a former management consultant with Bain & Co., and attended Harvard Law School and Harvard College, where he graduated magna cum laude in government.

Paul Greenberg – President Time Inc. Digital Lifestyle Group

Paul Greenberg is the president of the Digital Lifestyle Group which runs 10 sites including RealSimple.com, MyRecipes.com and Health.com.
Greenberg leaves TV Guide Online as executive vice president and general manager, where he boosted traffic by more than 400% during his three-year tenure. He also worked at MTV Networks as vice president of business operations for MTV.com, where he brought in partnerships and helped double the site's traffic and revenue within a year.

Greenberg's impressive resume includes acting as executive vice president and general manager of TV Guide Online, serving as senior vice president, Global Business Development and Partner Relations at MediaNet, and working as vice president of business operations for MTV.com, all after launching his carer as a sports announcer at WTOP Radio in Washington, D.C. and later at 1010 WINS Radio in New York City.

Brian Hall – GM Microsoft Windows Live Worldwide

As general manager of the Windows Live Business Group at Microsoft Corp., Brian Hall is responsible for the worldwide revenue and profit of Windows Live™ applications and services. Within the Online Services Group, Hall and his team are chartered with the goal of leading Windows Live as the network with the world’s most loyal and engaged community of people using Internet services on PCs as well as mobile devices. They drive the business strategy, market the Windows Live value proposition worldwide, and are responsible for building lasting, value-added partnerships with network operators, software developers, publishers, universities and other groups.

Brian has worked at Microsoft since 1995 in a variety of marketing and technical positions. Most recently, he founded and helped build the Windows Live OneCare™ business, the industry’s first all-in-one PC care service. He led the creation of the OneCare business plan, ran the customer-focused program management team and served as a product unit manager. In addition, Hall led the worldwide launch of Windows® XP and worked as a product manager on Windows 95, Windows 98 and multiple versions of Internet Explorer®. For more than two years, he also served as speech assistant to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer; in that role he learned to always put the customer’s perspective first.

Brian has a bachelor’s degree with majors in mathematics, economics and philosophy from Yale University, where he also competed all four years as a diver on the varsity swim team. He is married, has a son and a daughter, and he loves the outdoors.

Ethan Beard – Director Facebook Developer Network

Ethan Beard serves as Director of the Facebook Developer Network, where he oversees worldwide developer relations and marketing for Facebook Platform and Facebook Connect. He previously served as Director of Business Development at Facebook and led the team responsible for creating and managing strategic partnerships. Ethan joined Facebook from Google, where he served as Director of Social Media and Director of New Business Development. Prior to Google, he spent several years as Director of Business Development for MTV Online. Earlier in his career, Ethan co-founded Big Internet Group, LLC and spent time structuring derivatives at Bank of America. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School of Business and an MBA from NYU Stern. Originally from New England, Ethan now resides in San Francisco with his wife and two children.

Albie Hecht – CEO World Wide Biggies, Founder Spike TV

Albie Hecht is the CEO of Worldwide Biggies, founder of Spike TV, and a former president of Nickelodeon Entertainment.

Hecht oversaw the development and production of SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues, and the live-action show All That at Nickelodeon. While at Nickelodeon, he built the Nick Digital Studio as well as the first new animation studio in Los Angeles in 35 years. He also co-created Nickelodeon GUTS and Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards (with Alan Goodman and Fred Seibert as the founding principal and executive producer with Chauncey Street Productions (originally a division of Goodman's and Seibert's Fred/Alan in New York).

Hecht produced some of Paramount’s biggest films of the last five years, most recently, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, which received four Academy Award nominations, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, and The Rugrats Movie, the first non-Disney animated movie to sell $100,000,000 worth of tickets at the United States box office. Hecht has twice been nominated for an Oscar, the first as the producer of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, and the second as the producer of the documentary feature War/Dance.

Hecht was the executive producer of 'The Rugrats Movie, the first non-Disney animated feature to cross the hundred million dollar mark. At Spike TV, his shows included The Joe Schmo Show, MXC and signing the Ultimate Fighting Championship franchise. Hecht is responsible for the development and is the executive producer of Worldwide Biggies’ series on Nickelodeon The Naked Brothers Band.

Hecht began his media career in college radio at Columbia University's WKCR in 1970. He was a manager of pop music acts (including Crack the Sky and Dean Friedman), and an executive at Terry Cashman's and Tommy West's Lifesong Records in the 1970s. In 1988 he joined Fred/Alan Inc. with Alan Goodman and Fred Seibert, running production for the advertising agency, and together they established Chauncey Street Productions (named for the Brooklyn street Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden lived on in The Honeymooners) for their independent television productions. Hecht bought Chauncey Street when Fred/Alan closed in May 1992.

Ira Rubenstein – EVP Global Digital Media Marvel

Mr. Rubenstein joins Marvel after more than 12 years with Sony, most recently as executive vice president of Sony Pictures Digital. His appointment reflects Marvel’s commitment to growth in the digital space. He will be responsible for developing and implementing the company’s efforts to maximize the Marvel Universe across all digital media. He will look to extend the reach of Marvel properties into the digital marketplace by maximizing the potential of Marvel’s current proprietary digital consumer destinations -- Marvel.com, MarvelKids.com, and Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited – as well as through digital video, animated content, mobile games, casual games and strategic partnerships.

As executive vice president of Sony Pictures Digital, Mr. Rubenstein was responsible for overseeing the division’s production efforts to extend Sony Pictures properties into the digital marketplace through SonyPictures.com, mobile games and personalization products, casual games, and innovative strategic partnerships. Mr. Rubenstein managed the digital growth of the studio’s most important brands including Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! – leading the expansion of these properties into broadband, interactive television, mobile, and the PSP and PS3 platforms. In addition, Rubenstein oversaw production for all Sony Pictures properties breaking into the growing mobile marketplace, developing an array of successful mobile entertainment offerings including the award-winning Spider-Man 2: The Hero Returns and Ratchet and Clank: Going Mobile, as well as the first Movies for Mobile Phones on Memory Cards.

Mr. Rubenstein has built a career on identifying and implementing new marketing and distribution tactics for entertainment properties through interactive, online and mobile initiatives. He was recently included on the highly regarded “Digital 50” list, a distinction given to fifty new media innovators by The Producers Guild of America’s New Media Council. Recognition for his work also includes Webby Awards, a Mobie awards, a Gold Clio and several Key Art Awards.

Doug Scott – President Ogilvy Entertainment

Douglas Scott is the President of OgilvyEntertainment, where he has, since June 2006, been developing and producing brand funded entertainment for clients, including IBM, Cisco, Unilever and BP. Prior to joining Ogilvy, Doug was co-founder of MATTER, where he developed and produced high visibility integrated marketing programs for Sean Combs, Ford Motor Company and Blender magazine. Prior to MATTER, Doug was Executive Vice President, Marketing and Branded Entertainment Creative Director at Hypnotic where he developed initiatives for Daimler Chrysler, Reebok, Nintendo and Toyota. In 1997, he was EVP, Sales & Marketing and General Manager of the Hollywood Stock Exchange (HSX), where he was responsible for launching the Music Stock Exchange; developing Virtual Producer; developing and producing the Company’s annual Academy Awards event; launching a weekly radio show on CBS Radio, and structuring and overseeing content syndication relationships with national media outlets. From 1995 thru 1997, Doug was President and COO of ArtView a global network of galleries, auction houses and museums where he was responsible for developing and executing strategies for e-commerce and inventory management with strategic investor, GE. Prior to ArtView, Doug worked at the Red Herring magazine where he served as Vice President of Sales & Marketing. Doug is a board member of NATPE and an advisor to Desi Hits, Treehugger, and Sogua. He holds a B.S. in Economics from University of Maryland, College Park.

Neil Vogel – CEO Webby Awards

Neil Vogel is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Recognition Media, LLC, a leading owner and producer of advertising and media industry awards shows and recognition programs.Recognition Media operates major international creative and marketing awards competitions, including the Telly Awards, the Webby Awards, the Davey Awards and the W3 Awards.Previously, from 1998 to 2003, Mr. Vogel was an officer of Alloy, Inc., a targeted direct marketing and media company for the teen and college market.He served as a key member of the Alloy management team that grew Alloy's business from a start-up in 1998 to over $300 million in revenues and over $30 million in EBIT in 2002, raised more than $275 million, and executed and integrated 21 acquisitions with an aggregate value of over $300 million.Mr. Vogel also was a vice president in the investment banking group at Ladenburg Thalmann and Co. focusing on the media, consumer and leisure industries.Mr. Vogel received a B.S. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Will Wright – Creator The Sims, CEO Stupid Fun Club

William R. Wright (born January 20, 1960) is computer game designer from the US, and is co-founder of the game development company Maxis. He was the original designer of the two groundbreaking computer games SimCity and The Sims. His most recent project is Spore, a simulation that allows the player to influence the development of a life form from a single-cellular stage, through multi-cellular life in the oceans and on land, to the development of sapience and tool-use, and eventually interplanetary and interstellar flight.

Maxis went public in 1995 with revenue of US$38 million. The stock reached $50 a share and then dropped as Maxis posted a loss. Electronic Arts bought Maxis in June 1997. Wright had been thinking about making a virtual doll house ever since the early 90s, similar to SimCity but focused on individual people. Originally conceived of as an architectural design game called Home Tactics, Wright's idea changed when someone suggested the player should be rated on the quality of life experience by the homeowners. It was a difficult idea to sell to EA, because already 40% of Maxis's employees had been laid off. EA published The Sims in February 2000 and it became Wright's biggest success yet. It eventually surpassed Myst as the best-selling computer game of all time and spawned numerous expansion packs and other games. He designed a massively multiplayer version of the game called The Sims Online, which was not as popular as the original.

On July 8th, 2009, Will Wright left EA to start his own think tank - the Stupid Fun Club, EA will be the equity investor in the Stupid Fun Club. The new company will include video games, movies, television, internet and toys.