The B.I.G Summit - Business Innovation and Growth Summit » 2015 Speakers

Alan McGlade – Managing Director, Digital Entertainment Ventures

Divya Menon — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 22:02:30 +0000

Alan McGlade is Managing Director of Digital Entertainment Ventures, LLC (DEV), a venture fund that focuses on high growth, early stage companies that are building next generation digital services and applications. DEV recently established DEV Korea which invests in and brings top Korean tech companies to the U.S. for an intensive acceleration program. Mr. McGlade is also a Co-Founder of Miami-based Funding Wonder, an online lending marketplace that matches small businesses seeking loans with private investors. He currently serves on the Boards of Human Demand, a mobile advertising company, and Signal360 a location-based communications platform, and is an advisor to several technology companies. Mr. McGlade has over two decades of experience in taking companies from early conceptual stage to significant market player in digital media. Previously Mr. McGlade was the Chief Executive of MediaNet. The Company was formed with three of the major record companies combining as the majority owner, to respond to the sudden explosion in music downloading. MediaNet powered music and media delivery in five territories in the US and Europe for many of the best known names in the business including AOL, Yahoo, HMV, Virgin, Samsung, Tesco, MTV, Microsoft’s Zune and Google. Prior to running MediaNet, Mr. McGlade worked at MTV Networks after selling them the interactive music video channel, Video Jukebox Network (The Box), where he was the CEO for five years. He also served as president of StarNet, which provided targeted cable marketing using a national satellite delivery system tied to smart devices at cable systems and was the founder and president of Adlink, the largest cable advertising interconnect in the US. Mr. McGlade has published commentaries in major news publication and is a regular contributor to Forbes.

Donna Abood – Chairman Beacon Council

Divya Menon — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 22:00:21 +0000

Donna Abood serves as the Chairman of the Beacon Council, Miami’s economic development organization. The Beacon Council facilitates local, national and international business growth and expansion programs, helping companies of all sizes in diverse industries achieve their goals. With a reputation as one of the most trusted and recognized names in South Florida real estate, Ms. Abood was the founding partner and chairman of Colliers International South Florida, and recently became Principal/Managing Director of Avison Young.

Dr. Kini – President & CEO Miami Children’s Hospital

Divya Menon — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 21:57:25 +0000

Dr. M. Narendra Kini joined Miami Children’s Hospital as President and CEO in January 2008. Prior to joining the hospital, Dr. Kini served as EVP for Clinical and Physician Services at Trinity Health, the 4th largest Catholic health system in the U.S. Prior to his work at Trinity, Dr. Kini served at GE Medical Systems in various roles related to information technology. He was responsible for developing an integrated approach to enterprise clinical information systems. In 2013, Dr. Kini was the recipient of Modern Healthcare’s CEO IT Achievement Award.

Noah Graj – Managing Partner Graj + Gustaven Inc.

Divya Menon — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 21:51:24 +0000

Noah Graj is an avid bird photographer and 18 year veteran of Graj +Gustavsen Inc, participating in every aspect of the company from research to strategy. After studying Integrated Marketing Communications, and always having a passion for forecasting, Noah naturally landed in the area of Business Development and New Ventures for Graj + Gustavsen.

Noah’s most recent project is TheDreamTalks®©. TheDreamTalks®© started in the Bronx, as a curriculum for students to help identify and provide the tools to contextualize their lives within their dreams. Working with Graj+Gustavsen Inc. to create an answer and solution to the new market Paradigm based in Purpose, TheDreamTalks®© has become a digital platform that transforms how consumer data profiles are interpreted, contextualized, and used; creating “Automated Positive Actions (A.P.A.)”

Rick Barker

Divya Menon — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 19:37:10 +0000

With over 25 years experience in the music industry, Rick Barker is looked upon as one of the industry’s best marketers and artist developers, having spent three years managing the day-to-day operations of superstar Taylor Swift.

Barker’s impact on music extends to the industry’s record labels. He was the first record promoter hired by Big Machine’s Scott Borchetta, where he had a role in the label’s first Number One record with singer-songwriter Jack Ingram. Barker later went on to found his own marketing and consulting firm, at which his first client was Sony Music Nashville.

He is also the mastermind behind the Music Industry Blueprint, a development service now teaching artists from around the world everything they need to know about the complicated music business. His marketing strategies have since been featured in a number of publications, including Billboard Magazine, Success Magazine and Pollstar.

Rick also co-authored The $150,000 Music Degree and launched SocialMediaForMusic.com

Daniel Brusilovsky – Digital Initiatives, Golden State Warriors

BIG SUMMIT — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 12:45:22 +0000

Daniel Brusilovsky leads Digital Initiatives for the Golden State Warriors, working on emerging technology, innovation, analytics, special initiatives and more. Prior to joining the Warriors, Daniel was the Head of Business Development & Growth at Ribbon, a payments startup in San Francisco. He is also a Co-Founder of imoji, an app that lets you create stickers that you can text.

Daniel also founded Teens in Tech Labs, a community, conference and incubator for young entrepreneurs. He has spent time as a Summer Associate at Highland Capital Partners, a 25-year old $3B+ venture capital firm that focuses on investments in seed, early, and growth stage companies. Prior to joining Highland Capital Partners, Daniel was on the founding team of Qik (acquired by Skype) and also worked at TechCrunch.

Sherman Wright, Co-founder and Managing partner, commongroundMGS.

BIG SUMMIT — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 00:59:42 +0000

Sherman Wright, co-founder and managing partner of award-winning marketing agency, commongroundMGS. Since its inception, the agency has built an impressive client roster that includes Coca-Cola, Verizon Wireless, Illinois Lottery, MillerCoors, Bacardi USA, American Family Insurance, Nike, NBC Universal and BMO Harris Bank developing a stellar reputation for understanding a client’s brand and mining rich, actionable business and consumer insights.

In 2014 the agency received top honors from Black Enterprise being named Advertising Agency of the Year while also being recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business Fast Fifty as one of the fastest growing companies in Chicago. In 2013 the agency was a winner of the Inc. Hire Power Award recognizing private companies that are leading the way in creating American jobs and was also part of The Agency Posts’ Top 100, highlighting firms that demonstrated financial growth, fortitude, strong relationships, great work and strategic ideas. In 2012 commonground was honored by Advertising Age receiving the Small Agency of the Year Gold Award and named one of the most successful companies to watch by Black Enterprise.

Sherman is a member of YPO Chicago Chapter, an American Heart Association Consumer Health and Quality Coordinating Committee member and sits on several non-profit boards including The Chicago Urban League, A Better Chicago, Kohl Children’s Museum and Near North Montessori School. He was inducted into the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame and recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business 40 under 40. He is part of Texas A&M’s Aggie 100, which honors the 100 fastest growing Aggie-owned businesses.

Diane Sanchez – America’s Council for the Creative Economy

BIG SUMMIT — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 00:23:21 +0000

Long recognized for her leadership throughout the Americas region on behalf of leading global corporations, Diane Sanchez most recently at the helm of the Technology Foundation of the Americas, an organization that is recognized as the catalyst and engine in transforming Miami into a technology hub for the Americas has been the architect for eMerge Americas and the movement to establish a technology corridor in the Americas .

Sánchez has held key executive positions for some of the world market leaders in the ICT sector. She has played a key role in leading their entry into emerging markets and succeeding in implementing global converged solutions in Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America and the USA. She served as President and CEO for Telefonica’s operation in North America and Puerto Rico.

As President of Terremark and the NAP of the Americas, she led a consortium of public and private corporations in establishing Miami as the Fifth Communications and IP Hub in the World. She was also the President and CEO of Global Crossing Latin America, and served as Vice President of Sales at Alcatel-Lucent for South America, Caribbean, and Central America.

Dan Cui, Vuzix

BIG SUMMIT — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 00:22:26 +0000

Dan Cui is focused on introducing leading-edge technology and products into new markets on a global basis. Dan has held senior positions in the consumer electronics, e-commerce, semiconductor, system and electronic design automation (EDA) industries. Prior to joining Vuzix, he held the position of Sr. Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Myvu (formerly MicroOptical) Corporation, one of the early Head Mounted Display (HMD) market leaders and developer of the first Android® smart glasses.

He was instrumental in creating brand-name recognition and consumer demand for Myvu’s award winning, wearable video displays around the world. More recently in his position with Vuzix, Dan completed an exclusive deal with Lenovo that would introduce wearable smart glass technology throughout China in the industrial, enterprise and medical sectors.

Avi Muchnick, Founder Aviary, acquired by Adobe

BIG SUMMIT — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 23:37:32 +0000

Avi Muchnick is an artist and serial entrepreneur based in NYC with a background in business, law, design and programming. His personal mission is to empower others to create. He co-founded and sold Worth1000 and Aviary, acquired by Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE). His products have been used by more than 100 million people. In 2010, MIT’s Technology Review named him one of their “Top 35 innovators under 35.”