Boston Roadshow
Speakers

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Baratunde Thurston

Director of Digital, The Onion

Baratunde Thurston is a politically-active, technology-loving comedian from the future. He co-founded the black political blog, Jack and Jill Politics and serves as Director of Digital for The Onion. He has written for Vanity Fair and the UK Independent, hosted Popular Science’s Future Of on Discovery Science and appears on cable news regularly to say smart things in funny ways. Then-candidate Barack Obama called him "someone I need to know." Baratunde travels the world speaking and advising and performs standup regularly in NYC. He resides in Brooklyn, lives on Twitter and has over 30 years experience being black. His first book, How To Be Black, will be published in February 2012 by Harper Collins.

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Vivian Rosenthal

Founder & CEO, GoldRun

Vivian Rosenthal is the founder and CEO of GoldRun, an augmented reality app that enables users to locate, interact with and take photos of GPS-linked virtual objects positioned in the real world. Previously, Vivian co-founded Tronic Studio, a digital media and experiential design company. She has been named one of Creativity Magazine's top 50 global creatives of 2010 and has spoken at numerous conferences on the intersection of advertising and technology, including the recent CaT conference by Ad Age. She has been selected as a jury member for the Andy Awards, One Show Interactive Awards and the Art Directors Club.

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Cristen Conger

Writer, HowStuffWorks.com

As a writer and blogger for the award-winning website HowStuffWorks.com and a contributing writer for Discovery News, Cristen specializes in technology and the science of everyday living. Her articles have been featured on Huffington Post, ABC Science and MSNBC.com. She also co-hosts the popular Stuff Mom Never Told You podcast, which explores gender issues, such as relationships, careers and women's history. A graduate of University of Georgia, where she majored in journalism, Cristen reads, writes, runs and dabbles in improv comedy.

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Jonathan Strickland

Writer, HowStuffWorks.com

As a senior writer and blogger for the award-winning website HowStuffWorks.com, Jonathan specializes in technology and the social impact it has on everydaylife. Jonathan is also the co-host of the popular TechStuff podcast, which deconstructs the latest technology trends for technophiles everywhere. A technology enthusiast since his first computer, an Apple IIe,Jonathan is fascinated by all of the technical aspects of computers and electronics. Whether he's defending human rights in the digital landscape or examining the mating habits of professional gamers, Jonathan is sure to have a strong opinion—and he’s not afraid to share it.

Tina Arnoldi

Director of Information Management, Coastal Community Foundation

Tina Arnoldi somehow went from graduate education in psychology and criminal justice to the technology field. Since 2006, she’s worked for Coastal Community Foundation and co-founded Palmetto Technology Hub. She manages analytics accounts for both organizations and does freelance work. Tina reads three books a week on most topics (no cheesy romance novels) and makes jewelry from polymer clay. She’s a regular at the library, where everyone knows her name.

Josh Barrett

Senior Art Director, BFG Communications

Josh Barrett attended several band camps growing up in Rumson, NJ. After graduating from the Savannah College of Art & Design, he raced his bicycle across the country, started an electronic music label and other weird stuff. He’s has had work featured in HOW Magazine, BPM Magazine and Mixer Magazine. Josh juggles three wild children, a freelance design studio and can still fit into his Boy Scout uniform.

Christina Blaisdell

Marketing Manager, CNN

Christina Blaisdell is a marketing manager for the CNN Digital Marketing Group. She is responsible for CNN Digital brand and product marketing. In this role, she also manages the team that runs the CNN Facebook fan page and collaborates on network-wide social media strategy spanning multiple Facebook and Twitter accounts, and check-in services. Most recently, Blaisdell led the creative strategy for the campaign promoting the relaunch of the CNN.com Tech and Entertainment sections, and the premier of CNN.com’s food blog, Eatocracy. She also managed the execution and creative development of the digital promotions supporting the 2010 mid-termelections, in addition to spearheading the evolution of the CNN Facebook fan page from 1,000 fans to nearly three million fans.

Glenn K. Bolton aka “Daddy-O”

Hip-Hop historian, music technologist and founder of the original socially conscious band “Stetsasonic," Daddy-O is a living Hip-Hop legend and one of the most influential voices in trending digital media. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Daddy-O has conquered the music industry not only as an artist, but also as a mogul that helped launch industry heavyweights Mary J. Blige, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Keith Richards, Sonic Youth and They Might Be Giants. Other notable projects include “And 1 Mix Tapes,” “MTV’s Rip the Runway.” As a speaker and author, Daddy-O is the host of the groundbreaking Internet series “Get Your Digital On.” He blogs for Fast Company and tours the country with his Hip-Hop meets Digital platform. His specialties are Artist Development, Social Media Strategy and Digital Media Production.

Chris Craft

Founder, Nao Media & Consulting

Chris Craft is an entrepreneur and founder of Nao Media & Consulting. Nao specializes in comprehensive media marketing in various fields including sports, music, TV/film, events and food. Nao’s services include marketing, brand consulting, public relations, website management, web/graphic design, music licensing and social solutions. With extensive experience in the marketing and music fields, Chris provides a clear game plan for ideas and ventures. Chris received a degree in General Science from Morehouse College and a degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech. He currently lives in Columbus, GA, with his wife, Wanda, and daughter, Naomi.

Brian Criscuolo

Principal Developer, Warmwinds Software

Brian Criscuolo wears many professional hats: Mark/Space, Inc.'s Lead Software Engineer specializing in Mac and iOS development; Principal Developer at Warmwinds Software, his software consultancy; and with his wife as a partner in Charleston's earthArt Pottery & Art Studio. Working remotely for Los Gatos, CA-based Mark/Space, Brian has been living in the distributed team environment for over six years and building successful software products with team members across the world. Brian lives in Charleston with his wife and two daughters.

Dustin DiTommaso

Experience Design Director, Mad*Pow

Dustin DiTommaso has spent nearly a decade chasing the perfect blend of form and function while designing mobile and social applications, multi-channel experiences, games, game layers and customer engagement models. He currently tackles wicked problems as an Experience Design Director at Mad*Pow. Dustin’s work has been recognized by Yahoo!, Macworld, MITX, New York Festivals and the Boston Phoenix. He has also taught advanced typography and publication design at the Chamberlayne School of Design and is an active member and lecturer in a number of industry communities.

Clay Duda

Digital Media Specialist, Center for Sustainable Journalism

Clay Duda is a Digital Media Specialist with the Center for Sustainable Journalism at Kennesaw State University. Splitting his time between online community management and feature writing, Clay contributes to the development of several of the Center’s publications. He is known for his witty Twitter headlines and fun video editing style.

Noah Echols

Digital Media Manager, Center for Sustainable Journalism

Noah Echols is the Digital Media Manager for the Center for Sustainable Journalism at Kennesaw State University. He is responsible for creating, promoting, and maintaining innovative social media campaigns that further the Center’s mission. He also oversees the development of all video, audio, photo, and web elements for the Center’s projects. Noah is a digital culture addict and his sin of choice is tech lust.

Chad Elkins

Senior Director, Social Media, Engauge

Chad is recognized as a thought leader in the rapidly growing space of location-based services and additional screen technologies. His passions lie in digital entertainment environments related to Social TV and console gaming. He is the Senior Director of Social Media at Engauge, where he leads a team of strategists that craft solutions to help companies bridge the gap between the offline world and the online social sharing community using a multitude of platforms. Leading up to his role at Engauge, he spent his career working at Morgan Stanley, E*Trade, Earthlink and NASA. At Engauge, he has focused on driving digital engagement strategies for clients such as Cisco Systems, CDC, AARP, Coca-Cola, MARS and Georgia Tourism.

Meghan Gargan

Interactive Project Manager, Conover Tuttle Pace

Meghan Gargan is first and foremost a geek. She’s also been described as a social media addict, a transmedia storytelling connoisseur and an infographic nerd. Working as an Interactive Project Manager for Boston-based agency Conover Tuttle Pace, Meghan spends her days helping brands find their place in the digital space and communicating their stories using the latest technology and platforms. She’s a 2011 graduate from Elon University’s Interactive Media Master’s program and has a background in PR, editorial, and marketing.

Lamar Gilliam

CEO, Nao Media & Consulting

An entrepreneur, Lamar Gilliam is CEO of Nao Media & Consulting and founder of Shaman Work Recordings. Through these entities, he has experience in providing marketing, brand consulting, and innovative ideation in several industries including music, sports, technology, and TV/film. Lamar has also contributed his software development acumen to space exploration as an employee of NASA. He earned his degree in Mathematics from Morehouse College and currently resides with his family in Villa Rica, GA.

Jim Goodlett

President/Partner, Morris Technology

Jim Goodlett is the President and Partner of Morris Technology, a technology company servicing the media and healthcare space with hosted cloud-based SaaS products as well as Engineering Service and Support verticals, along with technology acquisition/management primarily in the eCommerce space. Prior to the formation of Morris Technology, Jim held positions as the Director of Emerging Technologies at VeriSign, the Chief Information Architect for H.O. Systems, and the VP of Online Learning at Savannah College of Art and Design, amongst a host of others. Jim’s business experience extends to numerous community organizations and for-profit company Boards, including positions of Vice Chair for GSU's College of IT Board of Advisors, Vice Chair of Savannah Science Seminar's Board of Directors, past co-President of Coastal BETA and founding President of INFRAgard Coastal Empire chapter, as well as is a past Series A investor and Board of Advisors member in Vendormate, current Board of Directors member for IngeniousMed, Board of Advisors for BESTmedical, and advises the Technology Committee for Savannah Country Day School’s project centric online learning strategy within their Long Range Planning effort. Jim’s expertise also extends to Angel Investing in primarily technology and healthcare verticals, and he is a also a member of ASAP – Ariel Savannah Angel Partnership – where he leads due diligence on technology opportunities.

Cyril Guichard

Creative Strategist, BFG Communications

Cyril Guichard has worked for more than 12 years as an Art Director for agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi, Euro RSCG, Leo Burnett Worldwide, Velocity Works and BFG Communications. His clients include L’Oreal, Lancaster, Davidoff, Mars Corporation, Camel and Coca-Cola. Cyril’s work has received multiple awards, including several ADDYs and WEBBYs, and two mentions in the Art Directors Club yearly publication. Cyril was the Studio Supervisor and art lead for Ubisoft’s virtual world Imagine Town. Under his alter ego "Luxregina," Cyril operates as an indie developer and artist on games, such as The Curse of Sylvaniah, which totaled over 15 million players; Two Kingdoms, one of the first Flash Role Playing Games; Knight's Quest, a hardcore-dedicated Social RPG; and Ragged Edge, a 3D space racing game.

Kathlene Hestir

Social Media Manager, Case-Mate

Kathlene is responsible for leading Case-Mate’s global social media strategy, policies and practices. Case-Mate is an Atlanta-based company that designs fashion-forward accessories for mobile technology and tablets. Prior to Case-Mate, Kathlene worked in the Digital Innovation Group at Engauge, where she researched, tested and experimented with innovative and emerging technologies with the goal of understanding total engagement between brands and consumers in new media.

Pete Hottelet

Founder, Omni Consumer Products

Pete Hottelet is the founder of Omni Consumer Products, a licensing and product development company with a focus on defictionalization of brands from television and movies. Current projects include Tru Blood, Stay Puft Marshmallows, and Sex Panther Cologne.

Vijay Iyer

Vice President of Public Affairs and Corporate Communications, OnStar

Vijay Iyer joined the OnStar Public Affairs and Communications team in November 2010. He is responsible for communicating the strategic direction of the brand to all internal and external audiences. He also serves as a member of the OnStar Senior Leadership Board. Prior to joining OnStar, Vijay was manager of Opel/Vauxhall Social Media, Broadcast and Visualization in Russelsheim, Germany, where he was responsible for all European cross-functional social media activities, broadcast media relations and all communication visualization activities. Iyer has served in different roles in marketing and communications at General Motors in Europe since joining the company in 2000 and received a Business Administration Diploma in marketing and business from the University of Applied Science in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Frédéric Jahard

CEO, LTU Technologies

Frédéric Jahard is the CEO of LTU Technologies, a pioneer of image recognition technology. Prior to his role as CEO, he wasBusiness Development Engineer, VP of Engineering and CTO at LTU Technologies. His deep technological background originates from a degree in image processing from ENST (Telecom Paris, one of the leading French engineering schools). He worked for Peugeot Citroen/Jaguar on an advanced night vision system and was a Product Development Manager atMATRAnet, a software company specializing in providing security solutions. During his free time when he is not in front of the computer, you can find him playing squash with a glass of wine in his hand.

Josh Jones

Senior Interactive Director, BFG Communications

As current Patriarch/Senior Interactive Director of BFG Communications, Josh Jones is rarely found without the glow of a screen near him. One of the architects and builders of the Interactive arm at BFG, Josh’s 13-years of web expertise allow him to lead with a one-on-one mentoring style through all phases of interactive projects. Heading the fastest growing department in the BFG family, Josh has developed national web, mobile, and social campaigns for the likes of Harry Potter, Coca-Cola, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Cartoon Network. Directing both the creative and development teams over the past five years has given Josh the opportunity to lead creatives with a wide range of backgrounds. As the gatekeeper of BFGi, Josh knows the ins and outs of an interactive portfolio and what you need to find the all coveted job.

Bill Kenney

Co-Owner, Focus Lab, LLC

Bill has a love for design that is unyielding. Bill is a co-owner of Focus Lab, LLC, where his passion is for both branding and web design. In his spare time, you can find him writing in-depth blogs on design-related topics and sharing work/thoughts with the design community. While his design skills have brought him to where he is today, becoming a business owner has enriched him with a better understanding of the keys to success.

Michael King

SEO Engineer, Publicis Modem

Michael King is an SEO Engineer currently engrossed in developing an enterprise SEO offering as capability lead for Publicis Modem. He coordinates the efforts of the Creative, Strategy, Technical and Search Marketing Teams to achieve synergistic solutions in harmony with long-term client campaign goals. Michael also supports the Account Team in developing and delivering pitches for business development. Recently, he became responsible for the SEO campaigns of LG, Citi, Sanofi Pasteur, Cartier, and General Mills. Michael also recently began to contribute his brand of wit and empathetic narrative to leading industry blogs SEOmoz, Unbounce and Distilled.

Michel Kripalani

Founder & President, Oceanhouse Media, Inc.

Michel Kripalani is founder and president of Oceanhouse Media, Inc., a leading publisher of apps for Apple and Android devices. The company has released more than 180 apps and secured licensing agreements with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Hay House Publishers, Zondervan/HarperCollins and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, among others. A veteran of the video gaming industry, Kripalani gained notoriety as founder and CEO of Presto Studios, creators of The Journeyman Project series and Myst III: Exile games. He was also a former Director of Business Development for Autodesk. Oceanhouse Media is Kripalani’s third startup venture.

Clarkson Logan

CEO & Founder, Maestro

Clarkson Logan is the Founder & CEO of Maestro.fm, a socially connected cloud music platform that enables you to access, manage, backup, and control your entire music library from anywhere on demand. Imagine an entertainment focused Dropbox that incorporates a social layer for discovery and recommendation. He is also Managing Partner at Magnolia Crescent Enterprises, a technology and media investment and advisory firm. Previously, he worked at Talus Capital, a startup private equity fund in New York, and also spent several years in private wealth management for Sagemark Consulting and Lincoln Financial Group. He graduated from the University of Richmond and received his MBA from the University of Georgia. Clarkson grew up in Savannah, and now lives in NYC.

Christien Louviere

Director of Business Development, Vitrue

Christien Louviere is a Director of Business Development at Vitrue, a social media SaaS company. In this role, he consults on social media technology solutions for many of the Fortune 1000 brands. Christien is also a partner and advisor at ViscidTech, which is responsible for launching the popular RageGage. He has also been a featured writer for the American Express OPEN Forum and Brazen Careerist.

Stephen Murray

President, Kazoobie Kazoos

Stephen Murray is the President of Beaufort, SC-based Kazoobie Kazoos. He has lead Kazoobie from a small closet in the back of a recording studio to a full-time manufacturing company that ships kazoos all over the world. When not humming the praises of the kazoo, he can be found working for the greater good in Beaufort. Stephen is a member of Rotary Club of the Lowcountry, President of the Leadership Beaufort Alumni Association, Board Member of the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the United Way Business Cabinet. He would like to thank his wife, Melissa, for her amazing support.

Linus Olsson

Co-Founder, Flattr.com

Linus joined Flattr in 2009, in time to get the Flattr beta up. He is a 30-something, Swedish Internet guy. Designer of Web, print, clothes. Creator of ideas. Photographer. Coder of web. Webshop merchant. Gamer. Was a DJ. Demoscener. Educated as media producer. Lives to better himself. Listens to electronic music. Dislikes copyright. Talks - a lot.

Matt Pardee

JavaScript Developer and Evangelist, Cloud9 IDE

Matt Pardee leads a double life: during the day he connects with the developer community, envisioning new ways to bring awesome services to Cloud9 IDE; at night, he hacks away on making Cloud9 the most progressive, useful IDE for developers. He has unbridled enthusiasm for building great tools and engaging with developers from a range of backgrounds.

Erik Reagan

Co-Owner, Focus Lab, LLC

Erik has a passion for helping people both on and off the web. He is a husband, a father and a self-proclaimed nerd. Erik is a co-owner of Focus Lab, LLC, where he creates engaging websites that help businesses grow and achieve more online. When he's not swimming in PHP, ExpressionEngine, HTML and CSS, you can find him writing articles and teaching others about various web development topics.

Adam Rice

Co-Founder, Looxii

Adam is a co-founder of Looxii (look-see), a small social media analytics startup based in Atlanta. His daily routine is never really the same, but it almost always includes handling business development, providing customer support, designing/tweaking user interfaces, and dreaming about crazy social media reports and lunch. He has one foot firmly planted in the humanities (BA in English, University of Maryland) and the other in technology (MS in Digital Media, Georgia Tech). You can usually spot him zipping around the ATL by bike to meet with clients and colleagues.

Michael Romaner

Executive Vice President for Digital, Morris Communications

Michael Romaner founded Morris Communications’ Division of Online Services in 1995 as the Internet publishing support arm for Morris businessunits. Today, Michael is Executive Vice President for Digital for Morris Communications with responsibilities for digital publishing for the company’s newspapers, broadcast operations, book publishing and visitor publications divisions across the country. Michael is a board director of the Newspaper Association of America. He served as president of the NAA’s New Media Federation, and as chairman of the Yahoo Newspaper Consortium and is currently on its executive committee. He has also served on the advisory boards for the American Press Institute’s Media Center and Editor & Publisher Interactive.

Simeon Spearman

Trendspotter, Moxie

Simeon is a Trendspotter at Moxie, an advertising agency in Atlanta. He helps brands recognize and take advantage of emerging cultural and technological trends to get ahead of the curve and deliver relevant campaigns. Simeon’s clients include Coca-Cola, 20th Century Fox, and Cartoon Network. Before joining Moxie, he was an analyst and futurist with Social Technologies, a D.C. foresight and innovation consultancy, working with global brands such as McDonald’s and RIM. He did his undergraduate study in International Affairs and Japanese Language at Georgia Tech, and received a Master’s at the University of Houston in Futures Studies.

Adam Steinberg

Co-Founder, PlacePunch

Adam Steinberg is co-founder of PlacePunch, where he is responsible for product development and marketing.

Kevin Stohlmeyer

Adobe Freelance Professional & Certified Instructor, and Higher Education Coordinator, C2Graphics Productivity Solutions

Kevin is a designer specializing in digital illustration with over 15 years experience in the field. He has been teaching professionally since 2000 both in higher education and at Adobe Authorized Training Centers. A self-proclaimed geek, his experience with publications, workflows and illustration enhances his credibility as an Adobe Certified Instructor in the Creative Suite. He serves as the Higher Education Coordinator for C2, Wisconsin’s only AATC and sits on the advisory board for several colleges, developing curriculums and software training using the Adobe products. Kevin is an Adobe Freelance Professional and Community Professional, speaking at conferences on CS5 nationwide.

Jussi Timonen

Creative Designer, Decoupled Initiatives and Production Theme Development, GM

Jussi Timonen a native of Oulu, Finland, had an early obsession with Legos and heavy doodling of spaceships, which eventually led to him receiving a B. A. in industrial design at the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, Finland. Following his undergrad, Timonen pursued graduate work in vehicle design at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London, England. Upon graduation, Jussi was hired by GM and spent a year in GM’s UK studio in Coventry and later relocated to GM’s advanced design studio in North Hollywood, California, where he has been working ever since. Some of his notable achievements include: Lead designer for GM En-V introduced in Shanghai World Expo 2010; California Design Challenge winners - 2010 Cadillac Aera and 2006 Hummer O2; 2008 TED Conference video production; 2008 Puma project; and 2006 SEMA Jay Leno’s Eco Jet (original interior).

Nelson Wells

Founder, Team Clermont

In the late '90s Nelson founded the boutique music industry Public Relations Firm, Team Clermont. Since then Wells has sold a percentage of shares yet still operates the company to this day. Team Clermont works to publicize their clients to 2500+ media outlets and radio stations worldwide. Previous to founding Team Clermont, Nelson honed his entrepreneurial and PR skills, and took his first music PR company from an initial investment of $800 from a band whose name includes "Blowfish" to a half million in revenues by year 3. He later purchased that firm and turned it into Team Clermont. Since selling shares of Team Clermont, Nelson has invested in a Technology Startup business incubator called Four Athens which launched in mid 2011 to tremendous notoriety in the Southeast culling together top tech talent from the South as well as the region's venture capital. Four Athens houses up to 10 software based technology startups in the companies' early stages and assists them in launch, business model, structure, scalability, and funding through mentoring, legal advisors, and assistance by peers and mentors.

Josh Weston

Senior Interactive Art Director, BFG Communications

Josh has worked places and done things. Although he pursues a career in the digital world, he always keeps it real by applying his love for crafting art by hand. From building skateboards and armor to just scanning shit in for his designs, every project he works on has to originate from something you can physically touch. It may be 2011, but time and technology can’t replace a hand-made look and feel. Touching is fun. Josh also has a doppelganger working in the adult film industry (so don’t Google his name, unless you need some afternoon fun).

Benjamin Young

User Experience Engineer, Couchbase

Benjamin Young has been working his way through technologies for the last decade, gradually moving from ASP to Apache Cocoon to PHP and Apache CouchDB. His search for a “tangible” data store with a user friendly API has landed him at Couchbase where he works on user experience design. Prior to joining Couchbase, he was Principal at BigBlueHat where he developed BlueInk, a PHP/MySQL CMS, which he is now porting to CouchDB.

Andrew Zuercher

Founder, e2e

An entrepreneurial technologist, Andrew Zuercher has had more than 15 years of experience architecting and developing enterprise software solutions. He is the founder of e2e, the developers of the successful Scoutmob mobile app. Andrew holds a BS in Information Systems and a MS in Information Systems from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a hands-on technical lead that still loves to code, puts the client first, attacks projects with relentless hard work, and is a night owl.