Advisory Board
Social Media Week NYC would not be possible without the guidance and ongoing support from our Advisory Board. Our board is a collection of game changers, connectors, community builders, business leaders, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and practitioners. Their collaborations help make Social Media Week a reality.
Advisory Board members:
Adam Devine is co-founder of Potential.ly, an early-stage social analytics endeavor. He previously held officer positions in strategy at several creative agencies, most recently Interpublic’s Sandbox, as well as StrawberryFrog, Naked Communications and Grey Global. Prior to his run in communications, he was nearly a beneficiary of the first web boom but instead became a casualty of its spectacular deflation. Adam gets excited by intuitive and predictive technology and by any experience that challenges gravity, particularly on water and snow.
Adam Mirabella is the Global Director of Digital Marketing for Nokia. In his role he manages Social Network Marketing, And Digital Marketing. He manages the key relationships with Facebook, Twitter, Google and Foursquare among other for the Digital Marketing team within Nokia. The key focus for the business he manages is to leverage the global scale of Nokia’s digital marketing resources in order to deliver a very relevant and “localized” marketing message for the communities that Nokia serves.
Before being named the Global Director of Digital Marketing, Adam served as the Global Director of Ovi Music Services for Nokia. He managed music retail sales and operations worldwide for the company whose music services included “Ovi Music Unlimited” (formerly Comes With Music) – the unlimited music download service available in over 30 markets – and Nokia’s A La Carte digital music stores which rolled out in about 40 markets around the world. Adam served as a member of Nokia’s global music management team.
One of the only new voices to come out of the creative side of the ad business, Alan Wolk has staked out a distinctive space for himself. In his role as Managing Director of KIT digital’s Social Strategy practice, Wolk combines his common-sense approach to strategy with the hands-on experience of over 15 years in the ad business. It’s a combination that has made him the go-to guy for digital thought leadership, speaking and consulting, most recently around the role of Social TV.
His blog, The Toad Stool, has been described as a “frank but fair” look at the confluence of advertising, marketing and the social web. Digiday Editor-in-Chief Brian Morrissey has called it “one of the ‘must read’ blogs for our industry.” The most popular series, “Your Brand Is Not My Friend,” which deals with the false assumptions marketers make in the social space (and how to remedy them), has gotten much play in the blogosphere and led to columns in Ad Age, Silicon Alley Insider, iMedia and Adweek as well as numerous speaking engagements. A new series on Digiday outlining 3 distinct phases of the Social TV experience is currently garnering much buzz.
A native New Yorker and Stuyvesant High graduate, Wolk currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and two kids where he doubles as a Little League and basketball coach.
Andrew Rasiej is a futurist, social entrepreneur, and Founder of the Personal Democracy Forum, an annual conference and website about the intersection of politics and technology. He is also the co-founder of techPresident.com , an award winning blog that covers how the Federal government and political world is using the web, and how technology is empowering new levels of citizen engagement. He has advised Senators, Congressmen, and political leaders on the use of Internet since 1999. In 2004 he served as Chairman of the Howard Dean Presidential campaign’s Technology Advisory Committee. He is also the founder of MOUSE.org, Co-Founder of Mideastwire.com, and serves as Senior Technology Advisor to the Sunlight Foundation. In January of 2010 he was elected Chairman of the NYTech MeetUp which represents over 14,000 members of New York City’s technology community.
Andy Morris is a founding partner and co-principal of The Morris + King Company, one of the leading independent public relations firms in the industry. An Internet pioneer who was among the first marketing executives to recognize how the Web would forever change the way companies communicate with its customers, Mr. Morris leads SeisMK, MKC’s flourishing digital and social media division.
Among Mr. Morris’ primary responsibilities is providing unparalleled expertise for premier brands seeking the fullest range of communication tools available, from social media campaigns, microsite development and widget creation and marketing to branded online content development and syndication. Working seamlessly across both traditional and new media arenas, Mr. Morris has developed successful campaigns and initiatives for many of the top companies in the digital space, including AOL, Wikipedia, Glam Media, Real Networks, Stardoll, Heavy, Beliefnet, IDG, eMusic, Fanscape and Register.com.
Mr. Morris’ extraordinary insights into how the Internet is changing the way people obtain information, what they listen to and who ultimately influences them has put him at the forefront of the digital phenomenon. He has amassed and cultivated an extensive network of taste-makers and thought leaders across key categories including media, technology, lifestyle, entertainment and public affairs. Mr. Morris has also helped shaped the agendas of numerous prestigious new media conferences, such as the Monaco Media Forum, Personal Democracy Forum and D: All Things Digital, which is sponsored by the Wall Street Journal.
Throughout his outstanding career, Mr. Morris has been on the leading edge of innovation in the digital world. He has created groundbreaking public relations campaigns and innovative branding programs for Pseudo.com, an early Internet website for live audio and video webcasting, as well as for Razorfish, Excite@Home and Musicmaker.com. Prior to founding MKC in 2001, Mr. Morris was senior vice president at LaForce & Stevens. Before that, he served as vice president at Dan Klores Communications, where he co-led the Internet and healthcare practices.
Mr. Morris is the recipient of several honors and accolades for outstanding public relations programs, including the Creativity in Public Relations Award (CIPRA), the Public Relations Society of America’s “Big Apple” award and Bulldog Reporter’s “Silver Bulldog” award.
Mr. Morris received a B.A. from Duke University.
Andy Morris lives in Rowayton, CT.
Anthony is the Reuters Social Media Editor, integrating the “ambient wire” that exists on social networks, where news now breaks before anywhere else, into Reuters platforms. As part of his mission, he helps Reuters journalists and editors use social media tools to monitor news, report news, and find leads. The New York Times declared him “The undisputed King of Tumblr” based on soupsoup.tumblr.com. Mashable named it one of the best tumblrs of 2008. On Feb 23, 2010, it cracked the Technorati Top 100. Soup was recently cited as a reliable source for news on ABC, NBC, CNN and by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show.
Ashley is the co-founder of dotbox, a digital agency helping clients identify opportunities at the intersection of ecommerce, social interaction and location-aware services. He’s one of the pioneers of the field, with over 15 years experience as a digital commerce entrepreneur. Media/retail companies he has founded include Musikube, which innovated the technology that lets people use their cellphones to identify the songs they hear (and buy them), and Entertainment Media Works, which brought us StarStyle and StyleLogue, among the first Social Commerce websites. These pioneering endeavors allowed people to buy the clothes they saw their favorite celebrities wearing on TV, straight from the show, video or film. He has a passion for enabling people to discover, remember, buy and share the products they see, hear and experience. His motto is “Making life buyable.”
An acknowledged leader in this arena, his achievements have been recognized by a number of prestigious awards, including Linkshare Retail Affiliate of the Year in 2007, AlwaysOn Top 100 in Hollywood Award 2008 and European Mobile Agency of the Year in 2000. He is a frequent speaker at media industry events, including iBreakfast, CTIA Wireless, Digital Media Summit, and The Digital Coast Roundtable.
Before moving to New York, Ashley was based in London as the lead digital consultant at the new media agency Impact Plus and an executive at Ford Motor Company. Yes, he is British. But now that he has been in NY for almost 10 years, he considers himself bi-lingual.
Ashley works as New Business Manager in the New York office of Clear, a strategic brand and innovation company that is part of the M&C Saatchi group. In this role, she works to grow Clear’s U.S. business through developing compelling, strategic projects and relationships with clients in sectors such as CPG, pharma, and financial services.
Prior to Clear, Ashley worked in Business Development at IDEO, a design and innovation consultancy. She acted as a liaison between clients and the IDEO design team, working to create project engagements that were both challenging and symbiotic. Ashley facilitated new business leads for New York, and worked with IDEO’s global Marketing team to enhance the company’s New York presence. She began her career at IDEO as an account manager at the Palo Alto headquarters, where she worked with clients such as ConAgra, Mattel, and Electronic Arts.
Ashley started out as an Analyst at Schweichler Price and Partners, a retained executive search firm. Working directly with the President, she built senior executive teams for venture-backed technology companies in industries such as semiconductors, enterprise software, and web services.
Ashley holds a BA in English Literature and Art History from Georgetown University. She is an active volunteer, working with organizations that support underserved communities and children. Ashley is an avid traveler and reader—often enjoying both simultaneously—who spent the greater part of her life performing on stages (and basketball courts) as a jazz and hip-hop dancer.
Benjamin Palmer is a co-founder of The Barbarian Group, and has served as its CEO since the company’s founding in 2001. Over the eight years since the company’s founding, Benjamin has come to be one of the most respected voices in the world of interactive and digital advertising. He has been named one of Creativity’s 50 top creatives and one of Esquire’s ‘Best & Brightest’. Benjamin also sits on the board of the Art Director’s Club, and has served as jury chair for the Asia Pacific Advertising Festival (APAF).
Benjamin leads the creative and cultural vision of The Barbarian Group, overseeing creative as well as the company’s overall direction. He is integral to the spirit and spunk of the company, providing leadership since its inception. Benjamin has been intimately involved with the bulk of the company’s work since its founding, and continues to operate as a hands-on CEO, maintaining the integrity of the company’s creative output.
Additionally, as a co-founder he acts as a new business and client services executive for several clients.
In his capacity as CEO, Benjamin has lead The Barbarian Group to its position in the industry today – that of unparalleled creative quality and an uncanny ability to cut through the noise with consistently great and effective interactive communication. He has also been instrumental in fostering the shop’s sense of purpose, rebellion, mischief, innovation, results and growth. The Barbarian Group has been named Creativity’s Interactive Agency of the Year (2006) and Digital Company of the Year (2008), and was recently recognized as one of the world’s 50 most innovative companies by Fast Company.
The Barbarian Group is an award-winning digital marketing services company. Founded in 2001, The Barbarian Group is run by its founding partners Benjamin Palmer, Rick Webb and Keith Butters and is a subsidiary of Cheil Worldwide. They partner with the best brands, technology companies and content creators to help navigate the treacherous waters where advertising, user experience, technology and marketing merge to create some of the most successful work on the web.
Caroline McCarthy became editor of trends and insights at Google in 2011. Prior to that she was a journalist and commentator for CNET.com, a division of CBS. She specializes in social media, digital culture, entrepreneurship, and new media.
Senior Vice President, Technology, Emerging Media and Digital Strategy; Executive Director of K:drive, Kaplow
@chaimhaas
With more than 13 years of public relations agency experience, Chaim is a results-focused strategic thinker with strong, active media relationships, a deep understanding of social media, and extensive experience planning and managing campaigns for consumer, business-to-business, technology, media and telecommunications clients, as well as coordinating multi-national PR efforts.
In addition to leading Kaplow’s Technology & Emerging Media Practice, Chaim is also the Executive Director of K:drive, Kaplow’s social media services division. In this role, he provides strategic leadership to Kaplow clients in developing and executing strategic social media programs that push PR beyond the edges of traditional media in order to build word of mouth about brands and fuel conversations where they occur.
Chaim graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in marketing from Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business.
Christian is vice president, marketing, at Mr. Youth in 2011. He has spent the last 15 years immersed in the world of communications and experiential marketing, during which time he’s carved out a niche developing Communications Strategies that connect and engage consumers both online and off.
Prior to joining Mr. Youth, Christian served as VP, Digital Communications/SM PR at Deep Focus since 2007 where he was at the forefront in developing social media, brand channel and digital brand reputation strategies from a 360 degree approach, working with multi-disciplinary teams (creative & technology, media planning & buying) on behalf of an impressive client roster that includes Microsoft (Bing, Window Phone 7), HBO, AMC, Diageo, and Hearst Publishing.
Prior to working at Deep Focus, Christian managed large CPG accounts at Weber Shandwick, Ogilvy PR, and Fleishman-Hillard working on brands such as Kraft (desserts & beverage), Evian, Schick Razors and digital youth marketing initiatives for Cingular
Wireless (AT&T).
Colin works at The Barbarian Group as executive director of earned and social media.
Prior to joining The Barbarian Group, he was a partner at Attention, a 60-person social media marketing agency based in New York. At Attention, Colin evolved into a leading expert in the evolution of digital media. He helped Tina Brown launch the The Daily Beast, and advised other publishers such as CNN, Newsweek, Mashable and the Guardian. He also represented luxury brands such as Ligne Roset and Herman Miller as well as respected hospitality brands Morgans Hotel Group, The Ritz-Carlton and Hilton Worldwide.
Previously, Colin worked in policy, crisis communications and public affairs roles for a range of commercial and public sector entities around the world, including The Brunswick Group, based in New York, and the East West Institute, based in Prague.
He has written for AdWeek, the innovation blog PSFK, as well as various arts and culture publications including Dazed, XLR8R and Flavorpill. Colin graduated from New York University with a degree in Politics and European studies.
David Berkowitz is Senior Director of Emerging Media & Innovation for 360i, the digital marketing agency, where he develops social media and mobile marketing programs for Fortune 500 businesses and leading brands. He writes the weekly Social Media Insider for MediaPost, with over 250 published to date, and contributes to 360i’s Digital Connections, along with his own MarketersStudio.com He has spoken at over 100 events including SXSW, Web 2.0 Expo, Blog World Expo, ThinkMobile, and iMedia. You can also find him mentioned regularly in the press, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, and Advertising Age.
Based in Edelman’s New York office, Elizabeth is a Senior Vice President within the Media Strategy practice. She launched Edelman’s first social networking program on MySpace for Unilever’s AXE in 2004. Elizabeth currently oversees social media programs for several Unilever brands. She is also responsible for leading the digital team in developing media strategies for a variety of new and current business efforts.
Elizabeth has spoken at several industry conferences, including: Global Conference for Accor (Budapest), WOMMA (Miami, Las Vegas), Digiday (New York), Society for New Communications Research (Boston) and Pace University’s Executive Summit (New York). Elizabeth is a board member of the Social Media Advertising Consortium (SMAC) and Soundctrl. Described as a “social media guru”, Elizabeth has been quoted in several publications, including the Associated Press and Entrepreneur magazine.
Apart from Edelman, Elizabeth is an admitted social media addict with 24K friends on MySpace www.myspace.com/elysabeth as well as an extensive video collection on www.facebook.com/libbypigg.
Elizabeth is a recovering gothic musician, classically trained violist and a member of the New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble . You may also recognize her as the voice of Red Lobster’s ad campaigns.
Emily Gannett is co-founder of IRL Productions a cross-platform event and promotion agency based in New York. Prior to IRL, Emily co-founded KlickableTV, an interactive online video platform where she held the position of chief business development officer. Emily began her career in the studio system working for the New York based film studios including: Miramax, Focus Features and Rogue Pictures, a division of Universal Pictures. In 2007 she left her full time position at Focus Features and began her own consultancy agency helping producers of feature-length films, television series and online media optimize their brand integration and product placement opportunities. In December, Emily was named to 2008 “30 Under 30″ by DMNews.
Emily graduated from New York University’s Tisch School for the Arts with a degree in Cinema Studies. She is the co-founder of Change The Ratio, which promotes visibility, access and opportunity for women in new media and tech. She sits on the Board of Advisors at Green Owl Records, an environmentally friendly independent music label under the Warner Music Group banner and is a founding member of SoundCtrl & the Advisory Board for Social Media Week New York. Emily is an avid skier and runner; currently training for her fifth New York City Marathon and is running to support at-risk kids in the Bronx through the charity CampInteractive.
Faris is Chief Innovation Officer at MDC/kbs+p where he is making everything more awesome, stealing from the engines of innovation, technology and culture, to create innovative solutions for clients and partner agencies.
Previously as EVP Chief Technology Strategist at McCann-Erickson New York, he developed consumer involved ideas for Nikon, Verizon and Kohl’s. As Digital Ninja at Naked Communications, in London, Sydney and New York, he worked with brands like Google, Sony, Telstra, Orange and Nokia.
Faris writes regularly for Fast Company, Contagious Magazine, and Forbes and was a featured speaker at MIT’s Future of Entertainment conference. He sat on IPA’s Mobile Marketing Committee in the UK and won their President’s Prize for his thesis on the future of brands. Campaign singled out his blog, Talent Imitates, Genius Steals, as one of the top ten advertising blogs in the UK and chose him as a “Face to Watch” in January 2008. Find out more at www.farisyakob.com.
Gregory Galant is the CEO of Sawhorse Media, a network of products that make it easy to find good people on the real time web including the Shorty Awards, Shoutworthy, Listorious, Venture Maven and Muck Rack. Sawhorse also powers sites in partnership with American Express, Conde Nast Style.com and Technorati.
To help fellow entrepreneurs Greg hosts Venture Voice, a podcast interview series with top founders.
Previously, Greg was an associate producer at CNN.com where he analyzed the latest trends in citizens’ media. Greg has worked at Newlight Associates, a $120M technology venture capital firm. In 1996, Greg founded Halenet, an award-winning Internet strategy firm while in high school.
Greg has been featured in The New York Times, Financial Times and Wall Street Journal. BusinessWeek named him one of the “Best Young Tech Entrepreneurs of 2010″ and the Suffolk Nassau Chamber of Commerce named him the 2003 “Entrepreneur of the Year”
Hashem is Director of Digital Strategy at Droga5. Hashem works with brands to develop digital as a central driver of their marketing programs and helps to keep the agency and its creative work ahead by tapping into the latest innovations in technology and media. Before joining Droga5 in 2009, Hashem was Digital Strategy Director at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners for five years. He was part of the core team that helped lead that agency’s rapid digital transition, from a 25-year old TV-centric company to an integrated agency model of success. Hashem began his career at the United Nations working in global communications and research and studied International Affairs at New School University in New York.
Ian Schafer, CEO and Founder of Deep Focus, is one of advertising’s most influential voices in interactive marketing and social media. Prior to founding Deep Focus in 2002, Ian was Vice President of the New Media division of Miramax Films.
Deep Focus is an award-winning engagement, social media and innovation agency boasting a client roster that includes brands such as AMC, Microsoft, Sony, Diageo, WellPoint, MoMA, and Nintendo. Deep Focus is a part of Engine USA.
Under Ian’s guidance, Deep Focus has been lauded for its expertise and excellence at using digital media, technology, creative, and communications strategies to create engaging, value-driven experiences that get people talking. The Emmy®-nominated firm has been responsible for many memorable, award-winning efforts over the years including 2009’s MadMenYourself.com, and has been the recipient of numerous distinctions, including several Webby Awards and a Cannes Gold Lion.
Named a ‘Media Maven’ by Advertising Age and one of Adweek’s “Young Ones”, Ian has been featured in Wired, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Adweek, Advertising Age, USA Today, New York Magazine, Variety, CNN, Fortune and The Hollywood Reporter. Ian also sits on the executive board of the Social Media Advertising Consortium.
An avid technologist, Ian blogs at http://www.ianschafer.com and can be followed on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ischafer.
Jared brings over 20 years of creative management experience in branding, advertising, digital media & technology forged from over a decade in the corporate world along with having founded and managed 2 new media startups.
At MWW, Jared directs digital, social and creative strategy across all practice areas. As digital continues to democratize media, MWW recognizes the need for it’s clients to leverage the power of digital and social strategy, content creation, distribution and measurement.
Prior to MWW, Jared worked with Katalyst Media. Founded in 2000 by Ashton Kutcher, Katalyst was named top 10 in advertising and marketing by Fast Company, Katalyst is a studio for social media that connects entertainment with technology and brands.
Prior to Katalyst, Jared was the Worldwide Executive Creative Director for Edelman Digital. Jared directed creative strategy with a focus on digital engagement. Expertise included everything from web site builds, Facebook programs, e-kits, online media relations, online promotions and partnerships, to email marketing and mobile campaigns.
Jared’s entrepreneurial spirit was grounded with 10 years of experience within the WPP family at Grey Advertising. Jared was the Executive Creative Director and co-founder of G2 at WPP from 1992 and grew the group from 2 people to over 100+ in NY, while spearheading the development of over a dozen international offices around the WPP network.
Jared is the author of a digital media blog, a prior board member of the Art Directors Club, a Blue Ribbon Judge for the Emmy Award’s broadband category and is an advisory board member of Social Media Week. Jared participates at industry events such as: Adtech, Digital Hollywood, Adage 2.0.
He is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA and resides as their East Coast Chapter Chair.
Jesse Kirshbaum is the CEO, founder and senior talent agent. He specializes in procuring talent for concerts, tours and endorsement deals for his various clients all over the world. He has been on the frontline of the music business for the past ten years. Besides his talent agency, Jesse is also the co-founder and visionary behind SoundCtrl, a music and technology convergence platform and community. He shares a dynamic enthusiasm and passion for shaping the new music business one deal at a time!
Joe Ciarallo is Vice President, Communications at Buddy Media, the social enterprise software of choice for eight of the world’s top ten global advertisers. He is also a founding editor of mediabistro.com‘s PRNewser, one of the fastest growing sources of public relations and marketing news. Throughout his career, he has worked with consumer, tech, non-profit and entertainment companies from the Fortune 500 to start-ups.
Prior to mediabistro.com, Ciarallo held several senior positions at the Horn Group, an independent digital communications agency. He has been cited in publications including New York magazine, Reuters and Mashable, and was named one of “25 PR Pros to Follow,” by The Wrap. Ciarallo is often called upon to speak at industry events such as the PRSA T3 Conference, Bulldog Reporter Media Relations Summit and The Business Development Institute’s Social Integration & The Enterprise. He is a graduate from the School of Media Arts & Design at James Madison University.
Joel Smernoff is the CEO of MarketSharing, a B2B marketplace of curated local and national services to help small businesses save money, save time and grow faster.
Joel is also the co-founder of Potential.ly, focusing on helping users find out which of their friends are experts in any topic to help with recommendations and sharing. Before that, he was the CEO and co-founder of 960 Media, an innovative online service geared to transitioning military veterans into better civilian lives.
Previously, Joel was the President and COO of Paltalk, the largest video chat service in the world. Overseeing Paltalk’s strategy, product design, business development, marketing, ad sales, finance and ops, he was able to triple revenue in just four years.
Prior to joining Paltalk, Joel was a key founding member of AOL’s first brand extension, AOL for Small Business, after holding an executive position on Netscape’s Netbusiness team. Before that, he led the strategy and operations for a variety of companies in several industries, from asset management to large Fortune 500 companies.
Joel graduated from the University of Michigan with both a BSE in Naval Architecture and an MBA in Finance.
He sits on the advisory boards of Social Media Week, AdventureUS.com, Plexus Entertainment, Nanotronics, Hand Swipe, Juxster, Balance Integration Corp, Dimestore Media (sold), and Ugen Media (sold). In his free time, Joel’s passions include kitesurfing, yoga, yacht racing, adventure travel, car racing and lifelong learning.
Maura Curtin is the Executive Director of the Social Media Advertising Consortium (SMAC), a non-profit trade council organized to create standards and measurement for social media. Curtin brings almost 15 years experience in the digital arena to her role spearheading the efforts of SMAC.
Prior to joining SMAC, Curtin was the head of Trade Marketing for Fox Interactive Media. There, she built the business-to-business value propositions for a number of digital properties, including MySpace, IGN, Photobucket, Fox.com, Americanidol.com and Foxsports.com. She also oversaw the event strategies for the company. Previously, Curtin worked at Fairchild Publications where she successfully launched the digital strategy for Women’s Wear Daily, building a paid subscription model for the online version of retailers’ 100-year-old daily newspaper and marketing it internationally. Prior to joining Fairchild, Curtin was on the launch team of the beauty e-tailer Ingredients.com. Curtin began her digital career on the launch team of iVillage, where she pioneered the network’s community strategy under the direction of Co-founder Nancy Evans.
Curtin has served as a member of News Corporation’s strategic corporate event council. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Bereavement Center of Westchester and is a member of the Step-up Women’s Network. She is a graduate of Fordham University.
Paul Kontonis is a digital content veteran and leading voice in the online video industry. In early 2011, Paul was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Academy of Web Television, a non-profit organization founded in 2008 to promote and recognize excellence in web video. Paul provides leadership and strategic vision to the industry through such pioneering efforts as the inaugural IAWTV Awards, representing producers, distributors, and advertisers at industry events.
As Vice President and Group Director for Brand Content at Digitas’ The Third Act, Paul leads the development of original and partnered digital brand content entertainment offerings. Working alongside creative, media and client relationship leaders, The Third Act is responsible for leading digital content strategy development, sourcing digital content creator partnerships, and crafting digital brand content offerings that drive business results. The Third Act is also responsible for organizing Digital Content NewFront, an annual event that brings together content creators, distributors, talent, and brands to harness creative media opportunities in original online video and online brand content.
Paul has executive produced over 25 original web series, has appeared in a number of publications and digital media books, and is a speaker at several industry conferences and annual seminars.
After 20+ years serving as the senior media strategist for several of the world’s most esteemed global PR firms, including Edelman, Burson-Marsteller, Hill & Knowlton and Cohn & Wolfe, Peter formed Flatiron Communications LLC in 2005 to help established and emerging companies capitalize on the latest tools, techniques and strategies available to the communications professional.
In addition to leading Flatiron, Peter is president of the Publicity Club of New York, pens an award-winning industry weblog called The Flack, and remains productively engaged in the social graph, i.e., Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and LinkedIn, among others. He is married to a wonderful wife with whom he has three fabulous sons. His Google Profile is here: http://www.google.com/profiles/peter.himler
Phil is an entrepreneur in New York City active in the startup/tech community since 2004. He Co-Founded WellcomeMat.com in 2005, a internet video publishing platform helping real estate brokerages, agents and filmmakers showcase physical places (property, communities, etc) through digital media. Phil recently Co-Founded Pegshot, a powerfully simple way to broadcast mobile media (videos & photos) of what’s happening where you are, straight from your phone. Additionally, Di Giulio is the Executive Director for the Future of Local Media, a monthly mixer focusing on people, technologies and services shaping the future of local (location-based) media ands serves as an advisor to the New York Television Festival, the festival for independent television.
Founder, Cube Ventures
Rachel Shechtman is a fourth generation entrepreneur who loves finding the next big thing almost as much as sharing it with her clients. In 2003 and with Bliss Spas as her first client, Rachel launched Cube Ventures, a retail and marketing consultancy that has worked with clients such as: Gilt Groupe, Lord & Taylor, Vosges Chocolate, Flight 001, Shop.org and others. In the Fall of 2006, Rachel was hired by Diane von Furstenberg on behalf of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to launch its first ever business membership initiative, The Business Services Network (BSN); the BSN creates strategic access for businesses while creating exclusive opportunities for designers. In January 2009, Rachel launched the marketing division of Cube Venture that creates brand to consumer relationships through meaningful partnerships and experiences and has worked with TOMS Shoes, Kraft Foods, JC Penney, GAP and AOL.
In addition to her consultancy, today Rachel is bringing her strategies to life for herself through STORY, a new physical retail marketing experience on 10th Avenue and 19th st., in the heart of Chelsea in New York City. The concept launched in beta on December 1st with the exhibition A STARTUP STORE, and debuts on February 2nd with the announcement of the permanent name, STORY and a launch exhibition called LOVE.
Rob is founder and CEO of Converseon, the award winning, international social media consultancy that helps brands “join the conversation” to meet business objectives.
Converseon helps many of the world’s leading organizations harness the value of social across the enterprise via its proprietary listening/engagement technologies, organizational consulting and social media engagement services. Converseon’s Conversation Mining™ technology is becoming rapidly recognized as a “next generation” listening solution and was recently cited as a category “Leader” in the recent Forrester Wave for Listening Platforms Q3 2010. Converseon was also awarded the inaugural SAMMY Award for Best Social Media Agency in 2009.
Prior to Converseon, Rob was head of the Innovations Group at division of Young & Rubicam and member of the WPP.com board. His belief that traditional communication approaches, technologies and agency models were largely ill-equipped to deal with the rise of social media led to the creation of Converseon in 2001, making Converseon arguably the world’s first pure play social media agency.
Converseon’s work has been featured in such publications at Mediapost, Financial Times, Fortune, CNN, among others. Agency awards include OMMA “Best Use of Virtual Worlds,” a WOMMIE for Best Word of Mouth Program, a Webby Award of Excellence, among others. He speaks frequently at a range of leading conferences including the Conference Board, OMMA Social, iMedia Summit, Affiliate Summit, Search Engine Strategies, PRSA among others.
Rob is also a Founding Fellow at the Society for New Communications Research and in 2010 received an Award of Research Distinction for the Development of Innovative Research Ideas by the Advertising Research Foundation.
He can be reached at rkey@converseon.com, as well as @converseon and @robkey on Twitter and/or via Converseon’s blog at blog.converseon.com.
After being overthrown as Secretary of the San Antonio chapter of the Transformers Club at a young age, Saneel Radia was forced to fall back on another passion. He now ensures brands make the most meaningful connection with people. He does so as U.S. head of BBH Labs and Director of Innovation at BBH New York.
An atypical hybrid talent, Saneel has been both a Creative Director and a Media Director. He’s serviced clients such as Google, Kellogg, General Motors, Hewlett-Packard, Procter & Gamble, Nintendo and Miller, helping them uncover actionable consumer insights and craft dynamic communication ideas, both born from a deep understanding of digital media and culture. More succinctly, one could say he’s the Mayor of the Interwebs.
Prior to his current role, Saneel founded the Alchemy practice at Denuo, an industry-first reinterpretation of a creative department built on a foundation of media sensibility and insights. Prior to that, he was the driving force behind Play, a division of Denuo that broke ground as the largest and most awarded consumer marketing services company focused on the videogame industry. He’s been recognized as an Internationalist “Agency Innovator” (2009), an Advertising Age “Twentysomething” (2005) and as MediaWeek’s “Media All-Star” in the Non-Traditional category (2006). He still awaits an award for his superlative Twitter wit as @saneel.
In 2009, he graduated with honors from the executive MBA program at the renowned Berlin School for Creative Leadership. However, he did not fall victim to social pressure and rejected numerous Facebook friend requests of his classmates. Yet another accomplishment for which he will receive no award.
Saneel currently blogs at bbh-labs.com.
Sara is founder and CEO of Luminary Labs, a strategy and innovation consultancy focused developing more resilient business models through new and agile approaches to people, process and technology. Sara speaks frequently on the subjects of new technology and innovation, and has been widely quoted in publications such as The Washington Post, WSJ.com, Fortune, Forbes, and Adweek. She also serves on the New York Board of Directors of the Step Up Women’s Network and curates “A Field Guide To,” a list of prominent women in business, for which she was the recipient of a 2011 Pepsi Women’s Inspiration Network award. Previously, she served as iCrossing’s Chief Strategy Officer, as well as the President of the Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization (SEMPO). Sara also brings an international perspective to her work, having lived and worked in Latin America and Europe, and is fluent in Spanish and French and conversant in Portuguese. She holds a B.A. from the University of Iowa and an M.B.A. from HEC in France.
As founder and Social Production Engineer at Colaboratorie Mutopo, Shaun works with organizations from Starbucks to the Blue Man Group to make much better products & services using social technologies. He is also an early stage investor and advisor in companies like ZocDoc, Trialpay, Sense Networks, Jovoto and Daylife. He researched new product development at the MIT CADLAb and more recently Mass Collaboration at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership. He has written for the Economist Intelligence Unit and taught classes at NYU and Wharton. He was born in Cape Town, South Africa and although accused of living in the future, he lives in New York with his wife Andrea and sons Max and Oli.
Shiv is a recognized digital marketer who focuses on how brands are being forced to transform with the evolution of digital communications and social media. In September 2009, he was recognized by Ad Age as a Media Maven and was featured on the publication’s cover. He is also author of the book, “Social Media Marketing for Dummies.” While he spends most of his time as the Head of Digital for PepsiCo Beverages (across paid, owned and earned media), he is also available for select speaking engagements.
Professional Role:
Shiv has been with PepsiCo since July 1st, 2010 where he is responsible for digital in its beverages business. Prior to that he worked at Razorfish for over eleven years (one of the largest interactive agencies in the world and part of Publicis Worldwide). Before that he ran a small web devleopment company based in Boston.
At Razorfish, he led digital strategy, user experience and social media teams in its Boston, New York, San Francisco and London offices. As the company’s VP & Global Social Media Lead, Shiv he helped the agency introduce its clients such as Carnival Cruise Lines, Microsoft, Citibank, Ford Motor Company, Mercedes Benz USA, Novartis and Victoria Secret to social influence marketing- or, how to incorporate social media and social technologies to support marketing and business objectives. He also had group wide responsiblities in the realm of social media. Most recently, he was instrumental in Razorfish’s role as incubation partner for Bundle, a financial social media start-up. At Razorfish, his role also included capability development, developing strategic partnerships, leading thought leadership efforts and encouraging experimentation with social media across the agency.
Speaking & Publishing:
Shiv has been published widely, and he has spoken or keynoted conferences such as Digital Book World, the Online Publishers Association Annual Summit, South by Southwest Interactive, Web 2.0 (New York), the Direct Marketing Association’s Leader’s Forum, OMMA Global, O’Reilly Graphing Social Patterns, the Advertising Research Foundation Annual Summit and The Big Money Untethered Conference.
He is the author of Social Media Marketing for Dummies, a guest columnist at Mashable and has also been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Associated Press, Ad Age, Adweek, USA Today and several other noted publications discussing digital strategy and social influence marketing.
Soraya Darabi has been witness to and at the heart of Silicon Alley’s rebirth over the last half of this decade. As Manager of Digital Partnerships and Social-Media Marketing at The New York Times, Soraya successfully led the drive to market nytimes.com across multiple social-media platforms including Facebook and Twitter. In 2009, her New York Times multimedia Inauguration Day campaign on Facebook won first prize at the INMA Awards for excellence in marketing. She was named one of AdAge Magazine’s “25 People in Media to Follow” on Twitter.com and was listed at #2 on “The Silicon Alley Insider 100″ at the end of 2009. In June 2010 she appeared on the cover of Fast Company magazine’s “100 Most Creative People in Business” issue.
Today, Soraya is co-founder and business lead at Foodspotting, a visual local guide that lets you find dishes instead of just restaurants. Powered by people who take pictures of their food (for badges and glory), Foodspotting makes finding good food easier by letting you see the foods around you.
For the past 4 years, Soraya has worked with some of New York’s most successful digitally-focused non-for-profits including Charity: Water, Robinhood NYC & Goods4Good on notable communications campaigns such as Twestival Global and iFed, which fed 120,000 people between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2009 using social-media, principally.
Soraya earned her B.A. in English Literature at Georgetown University and has forgiven the Hoyas for losing the first round this year even though they destroyed her bracket. Follow at twitter.com/sorayadarabi.
Stacy oversees public relations and marketing at Mashable, working with the business development, events, sales and advertising teams on improving outreach efforts, strategic marketing and internal and external communications.
She was most recently the manager of digital partnerships and social media marketing at The New York Times/NYTimes.com, where she worked to implement online engagement and social marketing strategies. She also managed marketing for The Times’s Open platform and APIs, and the TimesOpen series.
EVP, Global Director of Digital Strategy and Social Media, Porter Novelli
@stephagresta
Stephanie Agresta has been a force in the online marketing industry for nearly 15 years. An expert in social media, affiliate program management and Web2.0 strategies, she is a sought-after speaker at industry events. Her mission is to connect people, ideas, products and services using digital technology in new and inventive ways. In 2008 Stephanie co-founded The TechSet with Brian Solis of FutureWorks, Inc. With The TechSet, Stephanie and Brian are creating a leading event brand for and by digital influencers in the social media marketplace. The TechSet creates unique networking experiences around key industry events where leaders naturally coalesce, giving sponsors genuine, participatory access to the viral “in crowd.”
Steven Rosenbaum is an entrepreneur, author, and curator. He is the founder and CEO of the web’s largest Video Curation Platform, Magnify.net. His book Curation Nation, explores the changing worlds of publishing, consumer content, and brand-centric curation. It will be published by McGraw Hill in the spring of 2011.
Rosenbaum is known as the father of user-generated video, having created MTV’s groundbreaking UGC series MTV UNfiltered, a pre-web television project that handed cameras to young storytellers. Since that time he has built a career finding, organizing, and curating first-person storytelling.
Susan McPherson is a senior vice president at Fenton, the nation’s leading public interest communications firm, where she focuses on corporate responsibility programs for the firm’s clientele. She has more than 20 years experience in marketing, strategic business development, public relations and product development. Prior to joining Fenton, McPherson was vice president, CSR services at PR Newswire, a leading provider of electronic news distribution, media targeting, and measurement and multimedia services. In this role, she was responsible for creating a series of product offerings for companies to better communicate their CSR activities with stakeholders in addition to generating new business for the newswire from CSR professionals. She also managed business partnerships between PR Newswire and its sister UBM companies, such as TechWeb, CMP Medica, UBM International. Earlier roles with the company included assisting in development of the firm’s first bureaus in China (Beijing and Shanghai) and the launch of MediaSense, a media measurement tool. Prior to her career at PR Newswire, she worked in both the editorial and marketing departments of USA Today.
McPherson holds a B.A in history from the State University of New York at Albany and conducted graduate studies at Boston University’s College of Communications with a focus on broadcast journalism. She serves on the board of Bpeace, an organization dedicated to assisting women in regions of conflict and post-conflict start businesses. She also is a member of Echoing Green’s Social Investment Council, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the New York Leadership team for 85Broads. Additionally, she serves as an advisor to JANERA, Plant A Fish (a new nonprofit created by Fabien Cousteau) and The OpEd Project.
CMO, Zemoga
Sven Larsen is currently CMO for Zemoga, a digital innovation firm. He’s an award-winning Digital Media executive with over 20 years worth of experience building brands and creating content for a diverse array of companies including Marvel Entertainment, Time Warner, Penguin Pearson, the Financial Times, the Economist, Cracked.com and Teshkeel Media. He’s also a hockey loving, comic book reading, Apple worshipping communications and technology geek who is always getting excited about what comes next. He lives in Park Slope Brooklyn with his wife Monica and to date has composed over 100 songs about their dog Gia.
