Advisors

Allen Morgan

Allen Morgan is an active, early-stage private investor and startup company advisor. His principal focus is on start-ups in the areas of internet-enabled businesses, consumer internet services (both consumer-facing and infrastructure), interactive entertainment, online advertising and digital media. In addition, he is also Managing Director, New Ventures Group, as well as a Board member, at Idealab. From 1999 – 2010, he was a Managing Director at Mayfield Fund, where he is currently a Venture Partner. Prior to joining Mayfield, he was a partner with two Silicon Valley law firms, Latham & Watkins and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. He earned an undergraduate degree (summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa) from Dartmouth College, a second bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Oxford University (Christ Church) and a J.D. from the University of Virginia.

Bruce Clay

Bruce Clay is a professional search engine optimization international consultant, speaker and instructor. He was interviewed by Wired magazine in its 2004 feature “The Complete Guide to Googlemania!” and cited by USA Today in its article “Gunning for search engines” from August 20, 2003. He was selected as the search engine optimization expert by NHK World TV in their 1-hour award winning special “Google’s Deep Impact”, translated and distributed internationally. His website is referenced to by NARA – ALIC – User’s Guide to the Internet at The National Archives as resource for “Web Site Promotion Tactics and Tools”. Clay is the CEO of the search engine marketing firm Bruce Clay, Inc. which he founded in 1996. He is active with industry organizations such as: SEMPO as a 2009 seated Board of Directors member, the Search Engine Strategies conference, the Search Marketing Expo conference, the ad:tech conference, the PubCon conference, IMC USA, Web Analytics Association, American Marketing Association, IIMA – International Internet Marketing Association and the California Chamber of Commerce.

Channing L. Dawson

Channing L. Dawson is senior advisor to Scripps Networks Interactive, owners of HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel, DIY, Cooking Channel and GAC, and serves as an advisor to innovative media companies outside of Scripps. Part of the founding executive team of Home & Garden Television (HGTV), Dawson has lead company efforts in web development, broadband production, video on demand, IP video distribution, and interactive television. In 2005, he shared a technology Emmy for Living.com, a weekly broadband video magazine. He is currently working on TV Everywhere, ITV projects and other interactive network initiatives inside the company and as a strategic media consultant outside Scripps. Prior to Scripps, Dawson spent 14 years in the magazine publishing industry.

Elizabeth Osder

A pioneer in online publishing, Elizabeth Osder is principal of the Osder Group, specializing in internet business strategy, audience, product and content development and social media for companies navigating the changing landscape of interactive media. Since the early 1990s, Osder’s experience has been both strategic and hands-on as an executive, editor, producer, educator and consultant leading media, marketers and publishing brands in the interactive space. A pioneer in news and information online, her depth of experience includes projects as diverse as launching The New York Times on the Web; helping make Yahoo News the number one online news destination; deploying the publishing system for The Financial Times; teaching and developing curriculum for interactive journalism and online community; tackling emerging trends in social media that deliver real user engagement, and pioneering the application of semantic technologies to both relational content display and monetization.

Jason L. Rapp

Jason L. Rapp is the president and member of the board of directors of Mahalo, Inc., a leading publisher of Internet-based content based in Santa Monica, California. Prior to joining Mahalo, Jason ran an advisory business helping start-up companies with fundraising, M&A, strategy and business development. From 2006-2009, Rapp was a senior executive in Barry Diller’s IAC (Nasdaq: IACI). He served as CEO of Gifts.com, the leading gift recommendation engine and gift card solution on the Web. Prior to that, he led the firm’s mergers and acquisitions group. Prior to joining IAC, he spent seven years at The New York Times Company, most recently as Associate General Manager and head of operations for NYTimes.com, the leading newspaper web site. He also held management positions in operations, strategy, M&A and corporate development. He serves on the advisory board of New York City Outward Bound and currently resides in Santa Monica, California, with his wife and two children.

Kim Garretson

Kim Garretson is a founder of Ovative/Group, an innovation advisory services firm that connects emerging media innovation with mass retailers, major media companies and agencies. Recently he was Best Buy’s Director of Emerging Media and liaison to the venture capital industry. Earlier he co-founded NOVO in 1993, which was a top ten digital agency at its sale to the current Publicis Worldwide. NOVO was Ad Age’s first honoree in digital in 1995 for its Toyota.com site. Garretson also was a partner in an IPG agency and led campaigns for Prodigy, Sega, Roadrunner, and other digital clients. He founded a software company in 1982, and began his career as the technology columnist for Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

Nova Spivack

Nova Spivack is a technology futurist, serial Internet entrepreneur, and one of the leading voices on the next-generation of search, social media, and the Web. He works as a producer of emerging technology ventures including Twine.com, Live Matrix, Klout, Bottlenose, The Daily Dot, StreamGlider, and a stealth-mode new energy company.

Peter C. Horan

Peter C. Horan is an experienced entrepreneur with a history of building successful media and internet businesses. As a CEO and independent director he has had four profitable exits in the last seven years totaling more almost $700 million in value, including the sale of About.com to the New York Times for $410 million. He is an industry leader in developing new content and advertising models. He played a role in five major revolutions in media and technology including: home video games; personal computers; cell phones; Windows computing; and the internet. He is currently on the board of directors of the Interactive Advertising Bureau and was formerly on the board of directors of the Online Publishers Association.

Tim Bradbury

Tim has more than 27 years of operating and digital strategy experience in the publishing industry. Tim was most recently the President of New Media for American City Business Journals (ACBJ), the $500 million publisher of weekly business journals in 40 markets in the US. Over 7 years, Tim helped build a monthly audience of 8 million unique users in the B2B/SMB market. Tim built and led ACBJ’s digital strategy, operations and corporate development activities. He was responsible for successfully discovering, investing in ($12 million over 2 years) and being on the Board of Directors of Generate, Inc. He also led investments in Netprospex, Inflection Point Media (where he sits on the Board) and The Port (where he sits on the Board). Tim left his position with ACBJ recently, joining forces to launch CityBizData, where he is the President and CEO. CityBizData is a B2B data management and solutions platform. Tim has held various leadership roles with previous employers Thomson Corporation and the Oklahoma Publishing Company (DataTimes).