Speaker Bios
Gil Beyda is Managing Partner at Genacast Ventures /Comcast Interactive Capital. He is a seasoned entrepreneur turned venture capitalist. Gil launched his first company Mind Games in 1982 to develop games for the original Apple II. Gil then started a software consulting firm with Fortune 100 clients in the U.S., Asia and Europe. In 1995, Gil helped pioneer Internet advertising by founding Real Media, the first online ad network and ad server company. After Real Media was acquired in 2001, Gil pioneered the next wave of online advertising as CTO of TACODA, the first behavioral targeting, ad network. Following AOL’s acquisition of TACODA in 2007, Gil founded Genacast Ventures.
Kim Garretson is a Founding Partner of Ovative/Group. He is an online pioneer who saw the value of consumer digital technology, the internet and social media starting in the 80’s. He was the creator of the first digital magazines in conjunction with the launch of Prodigy’s online service, the first all-video broadband network for Time Warner Roadrunner, and the first connected digital media services for consumer electronics devices. Prior to Ovative/Group, Kim provided strategic advisory services and introductions for select early-stage companies to major retailers and media organizations and currently maintains multiple board and advisory board positions. This is a natural extension of his previous experience as the Director of Emerging Media and liaison to the venture capital community for Best Buy. There, he reviewed emerging companies in consumer technology from VC firms and angel investors. Previously, he was the Co Founder of Novo Media Group, which was a top five digital agency at its sale to Leo Burnett Advertising. Prior he was a partner at Shandwick and the founding technology columnist for Meredith Corp’s Better Homes and Gardens. Kim is a graduate of the University of Missouri, where he is a Strategy Communications Advisor to the School of Journalism and he is an Adjunct Professor of Digital Media at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design.
Amy Gibby is vice president of marketing for redbox and was recently dubbed one of Ad Age's "Hottest Brands." She directs brand development, client marketing, consumer insights and customer engagement for the award-winning redbox brand. Under her leadership, redbox continues to expand its reach through strategic partnerships, strategic consumer engagement online and off, and both national and hyper-local activation. Prior to joining redbox, Amy was a member of the executive digital management team for Hearst Digital Media, championing the company’s cross-network growth, teen and loyalty strategies. Amy joined Hearst following the company’s acquisition of eCrush, a pioneer in the online social engagement space. Amy also served as vice president of new business development at Leo Burnett. During her eight-year tenure with the agency, Amy participated in global business development, new account acquisition and stewarded the branding and promotion of a number of blue-chip consumer packaged goods brands.
Tim Hanlon is CEO/Managing Director of Velociter, the innovation-centric partnership and strategic investment arm of Mediabrands – the corporate media agency division of New York-based marketing services agency giant Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). He is chiefly responsible for driving paradigm-changing advances in marketing, media and consumer communications for Mediabrands’ main operating entities – Universal McCann, Initiative. Magna, and Mediabrands Ventures – through proprietary partnership with today’s most forward-leaning entrepreneurs, incubators and investors. Hanlon was previously the Executive Vice President/Managing Director of Publicis Groupe’s VivaKi Ventures – the strategic partnership and investment arm of VivaKi (comprising Starcom MediaVest Group, Zenith Optimedia Group, Digitas, Razorfish, and Denuo), which he founded in 2008, after launching predecessor Ventures practices for Denuo (2006) and Publicis Groupe Media/PGM (2005). In those roles, Hanlon served in formal advisory and directorial positions with over three dozen media-related startups, while managing successful exits with more than a half-dozen firms, including Sling Media (acquired by Echostar/Dish Network, 2007); Navic Networks (Microsoft, 2008); Rapt (Microsoft, 2008); SnapTell (Amazon/A9, 2009).; and Dapper (Yahoo, 2010). Prior to founding the Denuo Ventures and PGM Ventures practices, Hanlon was Senior Vice President/Director, Emerging Contacts for Starcom MediaVest Group. He was chiefly responsible for all US client activity and agency initiatives in the field of emerging media technologies, including the firm’s ground-breaking TV 2.0 Practice, centered around evolutionary television platforms such as interactive/enhanced television, on-demand video, digital video recording, interactive program guide navigation, addressable advertising, and digital broadcasting/datacasting. Hanlon has over 20 years of traditional and interactive agency media experience including roles as Vice President/Director, Strategy & Business Development for the Digital Marketing Group of Chicago-based marketing services agency Frankel, and Director of Interactive Media at Creative Alliance in Louisville, KY. He also served as the Advertising Media Manager for the in-house agency of credit card issuer MBNA America in Wilmington, DE, USA. Hanlon also has wide-ranging journalism experience, including production and writing stints at CBS News, Sports Illustrated and the Voice of America. Among numerous pioneering marketing and media industry activities, Hanlon has been Chairman and founding board member of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) Advanced Television Committee (2005-07); founding board member of the AAAA Interactive Television Committee (2003-05); board member of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA)-AAAA Joint Policy Committee for Talent Union Negotiation (2005-07); member of the Board of Governors of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) Advanced Media Committee (2004-07); founding board member of the DiMA Group AdLab/Innovation in Digital Advertising (IDiA) Consortium (2001-06); and a founding member of the "Beyond :30" Television Advertising Consortium (2003-06). In 2004, Hanlon was an inaugural recipient of Interactive Television Today’s Leadership in Interactive Television Award, and has been twice named to MEDIA Magazine's "Media 100" list. His insights into the future of media and advertising are regularly seen in major electronic, print and trade press outlets. Hanlon holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth Graduate School of Business, and a BA from Georgetown University. 
Dan Hickey is Sr. Vice President, Digital Engagement at Meredith Corporation. Dan oversees the editorial and creative operations for Meredith's Women’s Network, which serves more than 19 million women on a monthly basis through award-winning sites such as BHG.com, Parents.com and Fitnessmagazine.com. At Meredith, Dan spearheaded the development groundbreaking social networking sites such as MixingBowl.com and Momster.com. Dan was recognized as one of MINs 21 Social Media Superstars. His editorial teams have won numerous awards over years. About Meredith Corporation 
Bob Kupbens joined Delta in March 2010 as the Vice President of eCommerce and leads a team of professionals to develop industry-leading solutions for Delta's global online customers in eleven languages. He also leads the company's efforts in check-in kiosks and mobile applications. He is based in Delta's world headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Bob is responsible for Delta's website strategy as a critical component of building intuitive, customer friendly tools to lead the industry in anticipating passenger needs throughout the travel experience. Before joining the Delta team, Bob held several positions at Target Corporation including Distribution Strategy and Technology Services before becoming Vice President of target.com in 2008. Prior to that, he worked at Ford Motor Company and A.T. Kearney management consultants. He is a graduate of MIT with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and has a MBA from the University of Michigan. 
Dale Nitschke is the Managing Partner at the Ovative/Group. Prior to Ovative/Group, Dale spent over 20 years at Target Corporation including 8 years as President of Target.com where he built their organization and business from a start-up stage to over a $1 billion business. He was also responsible for building the Target Guest Database, an initiative that delivered direct marketing and guest insight capabilities to the Target enterprise and readied the organization for the digital connected world. Prior, Dale served as Senior Vice President of Merchandising for the Department Store Division of Target. He received his undergraduate from the School of Business at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and his MBA from the Carlson School of Business at the University of Minnesota. 
Ian Sigalow is a partner at GreyCroft Partners. His investment focus includes advertising technology, Internet software, and mobile services. He currently serves or observes on the boards of Greycroft's investments in Buddy Media, Buzzd, Collective, CrowdFusion, Extreme Reach, MarketBright, OggiFinogi, Panvidea, Tynt, and Vizu. Ian previously invested in and advised several companies, including Airpath Wireless (acquired by Aptilo) and SensorLogic. Prior to joining Greycroft, Ian founded StrongData Corporation, a pioneer in digital encryption, and spent several years as a venture capitalist with Boston Millennia Partners, where he focused on early stage companies in the software and Internet sectors. Ian's past experience also includes investment banking in the technology group at Donaldson, Lufkin, and Jenrette and strategy consulting with the Arnold Business Strategy Group. Ian holds a BS in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Columbia University Graduate School of Business. 
Janet Viane is VP Marketing Operations for Sears Holdings Corporation; a $45 billion retail holdings group lead by Sears, Kmart, Lands End, The Great Indoors and MyGopher. In her capacity, Ms Viane directs the execution, technical systems and innovative platforms that support over a billion dollars in marketing assets in both digital and print formats. She has 28 years of management experience in a variety of functional areas, including organizational development, strategic planning, sales, marketing and operations. Prior to joining Sears Holdings, Janet Viane was SVP Operations at InnerWorkings, a print management firm in rapid growth mode with a disruptive technology and business model within the print industry. She was also SVP Service Delivery at Experian, a multi-billion dollar information services provider with a focus in marketing services. At Experian, she led the integration of eight strategic acquisitions and built a differentiated operations platform prior to IPO. Janet Viane was also President of TechForce, Inc., a consulting firm dedicated to enabling organizations through strategic transformation including start up, rapid growth, turnaround and acquisition. Before founding TechForce, Inc. Ms. Viane held various senior leadership roles within the marketing services industry addressing the needs of retail, catalog, financial services, insurance, and publishing clients through corporations such as RR Donnelley, Metromail Corporation and the John Swift Company. She is a certified consultant / instructor in several organizational development programs including team building, customer service, management development and quality. Ms. Viane's Board assignments include Lextech Labs, the American Heart Association, Illinois Coalition Board and the Northern Illinois University Board of Executive Advisors (College of Business). She was Chair of the Chicago Association for Direct Marketing Educational Foundation and has served as an adjunct faculty member of Northern Illinois University in addition to frequent speaking engagements across industry associations, university settings and radio talk shows. She holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Management from Northern Illinois University where she received the Outstanding Young Alum Award in 1994 and Distinguished Management Alum Award in 2010. Ms Viane also has a minor in International Economics from the University of Copenhagen. | ||||
