EVO Speakers: A - M
Scott Adler
Scott Adler focuses on content strategy and development as BabyCenter’s director of editorial. He is also responsible for BabyCenter’s blog, Momformation. He’s been writing and editing for print and electronic media since 2000 after abandoning careers as an electrical engineer, telecom project manager, and jazz DJ. As “The Dadler,” he blogs about life with Stella, the 6-year-old teenager, and Theo, the 4-year-old superhero pirate.
Twitter: twitter.com/ledadler
Craig Benzine
Over the past four years Craig Benzine has managed to go from Waiter to Fulltime Youtube Entertainer. With over 320,000 subscribers and more than 500 videos on his channel, http://youtube.com/wheezywaiter at the time of the writing of this bio (hopefully not less subscribers by the time you read this bio because that means he has hit hard times), Craig makes his living posting 3 to 5 silly, sometimes absurd, sometimes inspiring, sometimes exploding videos a week right from his Chicago apartment. It is because of this consistant content that Craig has a pile of books on his floor. He has no time to buy a new bookcase, but he’s working it.
Twitter: twitter.com/wheezywaiter
Blog: youtube.com/wheezywaiter
Facebook: facebook.com/wheezywaiter
Ricky Ray Butler
Ricky Ray Butler is a 28 year old Utah County Native. He graduated from BYU in 2008 with a degree in Advertising & Communications. During his college years, Ricky got involved with Social Media for businesses when he joined the startup BYU.com, one of the early niche social media websites. Afterward, he moved to FamilyLink.com, a social network for families. As the Director of Brand Integration, Ricky worked with some of the largest companies in the world developing social media strategies to connect with the over 80 million FamilyLink users.
While working with these major brands, Ricky saw a great demand for an agency that knew what they were doing with YouTube and Facebook. In 2009 Ricky co-founded Plaid Social Labs, an agency with an emphasis on creating and executing social media strategies for businesses, with particular expertise in YouTube and Facebook. Over the past year and a half, Plaid Social Labs has worked with companies such as Orabrush, Travalo and Ubisoft in the creation of engaging campaigns utilizing the power of YouTube celebrities and Facebook, and built interactive experiences for growing fan bases on Facebook and YouTube to drive sales with social media.
Blog: plaidsocial.com
Facebook: facebook.com/plaidvideo
Ana Roca Castro
Ana Roca Castro started her career at Columbia University where she managed technical projects for the School of Public Health. She then led the implementation of Oracle systems for the United Nations. In 2007, Ana started Premier Social Media to help businesses and organizations achieve their objectives via state-of-the-art social media development. Ana and her team have developed a series of internal Social Networks, Facebook apps, social games, iPhone/Android apps, and Twitter Applications. Ana has a particular passion for education and engagement through transmedia. The team has embarked in the development of social games for the Department of Education. Her clients also include Toshiba, Walmart, FedEx, the World Bank and Nickelodeon. Ana is a social entrepreneur and the founder of Latinos in Social Media #Latism, the largest organization of Latino professionals engaged in social media. She is also a serial entrepreneur, currently cooking Gigcoin, KidsFunPlaza, and iGiftThanks with amazing women who moved from partners to sisters. Ana’s most important role is to be a mom to the Fantasticos4, three energetic and creative boys and a 1-year-old geek princess. Her priority is to raise happy kids who see the beauty in diversity and feel the need to change the world – one cause per time.
Twitter: twitter.com/anarc
Blog: blog.premiersocialmedia.com
Facebook: facebook.com/anarc
Jennifer Cisney
Jennifer Cisney has been with Eastman Kodak for twelve years, resulting a broad knowledge of the various businesses and in depth experience with corporate website, kodak.com. Her contributions to Kodak’s online experience have been inspirational photography, design expertise and creative content. She helped create and now manages the corporate blogs. After launching Kodak’s social media initiatives, she oversees Kodak’s presence on social media sites Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Flickr. Jennifer has been a speaker at such social media conferences as BlogWorld, BlogHer, Marketing to Women, 140 Characters Conference and The Inbound Marketing Summit. Jennifer was also recognized as one of Advertising Age’s 2009 Women to Watch.
Twitter: twitter.com/kodakcb
Blog: 1000words.kodak.com
Facebook: facebook.com/kodak
Diane Cu
My name is Diane Cu. I studied to be a Doctor, Scientist and join the Peace Corps when I grew up. Then in 1995 I returned to my birthplace of Viet-Nam and shortly after, worked on a 6 month research project to save endangered species in a wet rain forest. To document the most important year of my life, I borrowed my Father’s film camera. That camera changed my life, my career.
I found continuing comfort, compassion, empathy & inspiration through the lens. My camera is my voice and it allows me to live life twice, through stories that I see and feel through the lens and the memories that I capture with my camera.
I’m lucky to have a career in what I love most: as a professional food, portrait & special events photographer. My advertising, cookbook & editorial clients include Williams Sonoma, Whole Foods, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Weekly, Dole Foods, Thermador Appliances, The French Culinary Institute, Wiley, Sterling Publications, Lark Crafts and Houghton Mifflin Hartcourt.
Through my love of food, travel and people, I write a food and photography blog with my love, Todd Porter on WhiteOnRiceCouple.com since 2008.
My sincerest hope is to continue to encourage women to embrace the camera as their visual voice and to experience the same personal and spiritual growth that I have.
Twitter: twitter.com/WhiteOnRice
Blog: whiteonricecouple.com
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/White-On-Rice-Couple/78892690210
Alecia Dantico
Alecia Dantico serves as Vice President, Strategy at Edelman Digital, where she works to develop social media strategy and build integrated digital, marketing, and community management programs for a variety of clients. She has over 15 years of experience with cross-platform interactive strategy, digital marketing/communications, and technical Web development. Her experience includes both B2B/B2C and C2C in start-up, agency, and in-house environments, with a special emphasis on digital media and word-of-mouth marketing. She has advanced knowledge of online consumer behavior, social networking, and interactive communities and has been actively engaged in social media marketing since late 2007. She recently published a social media case study about the Garrett Popcorn Shops’ social media program that she developed in 2009 in The Big Book of Social Media: Case Studies, Stories, Perspectives. Her full bio can be found at www.linkedin.com/aleciadantico.
Twitter: twitter.com/danticoa
Blog: danticoa.com
Facebook: facebook.com/aleciadantico
Torrie Dorrell
Torrie Dorrell is the Vice President of Applications, Content and Games at T-Mobile, USA. Her team is focused on delivering the most compelling content, games and applications to a wide range of mobile customers. This includes an innovative portfolio designed to enhance families’ communication experiences through richer communications, smart family management, easily shared content and the power of play. T-Mobile is committed to making it easier and more affordable than ever for families to stay in touch by offering a super-fast 4G network combined with a wide range of smartphones, mobile broadband products and flexible service plans.
Blog: t-mobile.com
Sheila Bernus Dowd
Sheila Bernus Dowd is also is the founder Lookiloos.com a nationally syndicated home and garden site about Silicon Valley homes and style. Sheilas style articles are featured in the San Jose Mercury News’ Home section. She blogs all things kids and Silicon Valley at www.xiaolinmama.com, where you’ll find her musings on youth soccer, live music festivals and martinis.
Sheila is principal and co-founder of Clever Girls Collective. She is an experienced communications expert and events virtuoso, specializing in producing events that combine the best of real-life and online gatherings.
Twitter: xiaolinmama
Blog: lookiloos.com
Facebook: facebook.com/sheilabernusdowd
Hélène Dujardin
Hélène Dujardin came from France to the US in the late 90s to research material for her Masters in History. Her possessions were simply an old film camera and a suitcase full of family recipes. Soon after, she decided to follow her first passion, food, and so began honing her skills in various dining establishments. She became the pastry chef at a French restaurant and she stayed there for five years. Yet photography was never very far from her heart. Hélène launched the award-winning blog Tartelette in 2006, where she dedicates herself to the art of food and photography. Hélène started professionally working with local and national magazines. She also began photographing and styling numerous cookbooks. Hélène’s food photography and styling work has been praised online and in print by publications such as Elle magazine, Forbes magazine, The Times Online, Martha Stewart and more. She has photographed three cookbooks to date. She is the author of “Plate To Pixel. Digital Food Photography and Styling” which just got released! Her photographs reveal her passion for natural light, seasonal and fresh ingredients, a love of travel and genuine interest in people. Hélène currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina.
Twitter: twitter.com/SweetTartelette
Blog: tarteletteblog.com
Facebook: facebook.com/helenedujardinphotography
Brian Patrick Flynn
Brian Patrick Flynn is TV producer turned self-taught interior designer. After years behind the scenes working on home improvement and design shows for Discovery, HGTV and TBS, Brian ventured out on his own to make his mark in the field of residential interior design. Years later, things came full circle as Brian himself became on-air design talent for several different programs as well as the Design Producer for the HGTV reality-competition series, Design Star. With careers in TV and design going strong, Brian decided to try his hand at the world of shelter-based online content. He created Decor Demon, a blog-style site for which he produces, writes, directs and styles 100% of its original content, both photographic and high-end video. When asked to best describe his online creation, Flynn refers to it as “Lifestyle editorial…with an edge. A place where beige and safe are considered four-letter words.”
Twitter: twitter.com/decordemon
Blog: decordemon.com
Dina Freeman
Dina has more than 12 years of experience in Public Relations and Marketing Communications for some of the world’s most well-known brands including The Walt Disney Company and Yahoo!. At BabyCenter, she manages the company’s social media marketing efforts and advertising and marketing trade communications. She is also is a regular contributor to BabyCenter’s Momformation blog. Dina received a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two toddler sons.
Twitter: twitter.com/babycenter
Blog: momformation.com
Facebook: facebook.com/babycenter
Aimee Giese
Aimee Giese is a graphic designer, web developer, social media strategist and photographer. She recently left Klein Buendel, the firm she co-founded in 2002, to start her own gig: Giese Media. She also writes Greeblemonkey, a parenting and lifestyle blog. Aimee lives in Denver with her two boys, husband Bryan and 8 year old son, Declan.
Twitter: twitter.com/greeblemonkey
Blog: greeblemonkey.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/greeblemonkey
Dennis Goedegebuure
Dennis is Director SEO for eBay. Apart from working with the product development teams to incorporate SEO best practices, Dennis also has set up and manages a full training program on SEO for eBay Inc worldwide. Next to having direct responsibility over the eBay organic search traffic, the in-house team of eBay has been consulting on SEO for Paypal, Skype, eBay’s Classifieds sites, Shopping.com and StumbleUpon.
Previously, Dennis has been working in The Netherlands, managing various partnerships and roles in the Internet Marketing team of eBay in The Netherlands.
Dennis holds a master degree in Economics of the University of Amsterdam.
Twitter: twitter.com/thenextcorner
Blog: thenextcorner.net
Teri Goudie
Teri Goudie, of Goudie Media Services, is an international communication consultant and a former ABC News Journalist. She works with the country’s top CEO’s, doctors, lawyers, registered dietitians, athletes, and bloggers. Goudie teaches a five step method that is designed to turn words into action in two minutes or less. Her method can be used in media interviews, presentations, meetings, email, Twitter, Facebook and blogging. Goudie focuses on the use of storytelling structure, the power of verbal pictures and the need to be relevant in a Twitter world.
Twitter: twitter.com/terigoudie
Blog: GoudieMedia.com
Amy Graff
Amy Graff has 15 years of experience in writing and editing and jumped into the world of blogging four years ago. She contributes to BabyCenter’s recently relaunched Momformation blog and helps manage the site’s team of 30 bloggers. She’s also on staff at the San Francisco Chronicle, where she writes a daily parenting blog called The Mommy Files. And for the past three years, Amy has helped motivate families to travel as Best Western Hotel’s family travel spokesperson. She appears on television talk shows across the country, sharing tips on how to travel with kids and stay sane. Amy received a bachelor’s degree in English literature from UC Berkeley. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and two kids.
Twitter: twitter.com/bayareamoms
Blog: momformation.com
Ranvir Gujral
Ranvir is a serial entrepreneur and currently Co-Founder of Chute, a mobile startup that syncs your camera roll to the cloud and finally lets you manage all of your photos directly from your handset. Previously, Ranvir co-founded LifeGrams Corporation, which offered an online baby journaling application called Lil’Grams and where he remains Chairman.
Before LifeGrams, Ranvir co-founded Blue Whale Labs, a mobile and web product design/development firm that launched dozens of new products for both startups and the Fortune 500. Ranvir started his career as a private equity investor at Silver Lake Partners, a leading technology focused private equity firm, and Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, a diversified, large cap buyout firm.
Ranvir also helped found The Detroit Foundation, an organization dedicated to the economic revitalization of the Detroit Metro Area, where he sits on the board. Ranvir graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.B.A.
Twitter: twitter.com/rgujral
Blog: getchute.tumblr.com
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Chute/195837940434113
Justin Hackworth
Justin Hackworth is a nationally recognized photographer based in Utah, working throughout the United States for a variety of wedding, portrait, corporate and editorial clients.
His photographs have shown in the Finch Lane Gallery, Art Access Gallery, the Central Utah Art Center, the Kimball Art Center, the Springville Art Museum, Brigham Young University, the Millennium Art Center, Photo District News, Photographer’s Forum, Irreantum, and American Photo. Selected pieces have been acquired by the Utah Arts Council and the Millennium Art Center for their permanent collections.
Justin has over half of the state capitols memorized and can often be seen eating at Diego’s Taco Shop just down the street from his office. He is happy.
Twitter: twitter.com/justinhackworth
Blog: justinhackworth.com/blog
Facebook: facebook.com/justinhackworth
Abish Hapairai
Abish Hapairai is the Director of Operations and Project Manager at Digital Trike, a local web and mobile application development company. Her primary role is to facilitate communication between clients and developers in executing the development of strategic websites, mobile apps, social media and software. Strategy is key at Digital Trike in providing the highest possible outcome as organizations seek to increase sales, generate leads and grow their digital presence. Abish’s role in strengthening strategy is to focus on the details and precision of each project and make it feasible while amplifying its outcome.
Twitter: twitter.com/digitaltrike
Blog: digitaltrike.com
Facebook: facebook.com/digitaltrike
Robyn Hessinger
As Editor-in-Chief, Robyn leads Care2′s content strategy and execution, including editorial focus, content acquisition and syndication. Since joining Care2 in April 2008, Robyn has grown Care2′s Healthy & Green Living unique visitors by 200%, added major syndication partners including Yahoo! and Discovery networks and has been instrumental in Care2′s growth. In January 2011, Robyn was one of 25 online media executives invited to participate in the first-ever Women’s Media Summit at The White House.
Twitter: twitter.com/robynhessinger
Blog: care2.com/greenliving/
Facebook: facebook.com/Care2
Mariah Humphries
Mariah is a graphic and web designer. After doing design for 12 years, she decided to start her own print and web design business, Jula Studio. When she is not designing, she pursues her passion for photography and finding the perfect book. She also writes about life on her blog, Humphries Nation, and is a contributing writer on several websites for moms. Mariah lives in Waco Texas with her husband, three children, and a chocolate lab named Samson.
Twitter: twitter.com/MariahHumphries
Blog: humphriesnation.com
Facebook: facebook.com/mariah.s.humphries
Jeannette Kaplun
An award-winning journalist and parenting author, Jeannette Kaplun has over 17 years of experience on TV, radio, the internet and social media. Born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in Chile, Jeannette is truly bilingual and bicultural. As Chief Content Officer and cofounder of Todobebé, Inc, Jeannette oversees all Todobebé parenting content and websites, including www.vivalafamilia.com and www.blogsdemamas.com. She also co-hosts the Spanish-language network TV show “¡Viva la Familia! de Todobebé”, which airs Saturdays on Univision.
In 1999 Jeannette co-founded Todobebe.com, as the first pan regional baby and parenting Web site in Spanish and Portuguese. She also began blogging about her pregnancy and motherhood in the early 2000’s, which makes her a true pioneer in the Latino blogging world. In 2010, Todobebe.com received Portada´s Hispanic Digital and Print Media award as Top Content Provider to Hispanic Audiences. In 2006, the company received the Canyon Ranch Institute Prevention Pioneer Award.
She is the author of “Todobebé: Todo lo que necesitas saber para el primer año de tu bebé” (Rayo, 2006), co-host of the also Emmy-nominated Todobebé TV show, and host of the Todobebé radio shows and vignettes that were syndicated to 75 stations in Latin America. Previously she reviewed new technology products on the Discovery Channel Latin America’s show “Vida@linea”, and worked as a TV reporter for Channel 13 in Chile.
Jeannette lives with her husband and 2 young children in Miami, Florida.
Twitter: twitter.com/JeannetteKaplun
Blog: blogsdemamas.com
Carley Knobloch
Carley Knobloch is a life coach, personal tech expert, web show host, and Chief Twirler at Digitwirl.com. Digitwirl is the go-to source for busy women who are too busy to read manuals and want technology to “just work”. Digitwirl brings together Knobloch’s obsession with all things tech, her passion for problem-solving, and her knack for curating the best resources for her audience. Prior to Digitwirl, Carley held various creative positions in digital Hollywood, building some of the first-ever film and television websites for clients like Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., and Fox. Carley is a regular contributor for Lifetime’s The Balancing Act and her “Sync or Swim” column can be read monthly in Los Angeles Family magazine. She’s offered her tech tips on ABC News and Fox News, as well as in Babytalk and Women’s World magazines. When she’s not scouring the virtual globe for next revolutionary gadget or life-changing website or app, she can be found wailing on her RockBand drum kit. Her husband and two children are often allowed to play too.
Twitter: twitter.com/digitwirl
Blog: digitwirl.com
Facebook: facebook.com/digitwirl
Melissa Dawn Lierman
In the past 10 years, Melissa Lierman has spoken at more than 300 events to audiences across North America on Social Media, Branding & Marketing, Website Development & Search Engine Optimization.
Melissa specializes in conducting workshops (1 hour, 3 hour, half day, full day) in Twitter, FaceBook, Blogging, and Social Media at conferences and at corporations delivering customized curriculum for specific niches, markets, and clients.
Melissa applies her experience in her day-to-day professional life as the Director of Social Media for Mom It Forward, Premier Fitness Camp, ZarBee’s Natural Health Products, and The Madow Dental Group.
When she’s not speaking, her next greatest love is one-on-one consultations and strategy development with Brands, PR Agencies, Large & Small Businesses, and Bloggers.
Melissa has three children, is a mom blogger at TimeOutMom.com, gives herself the gift of fresh flowers every week, a beginning runner, a fan of all things Wonder Woman, a voracious reader of non-fiction, an avid tweeter @TimeOutMom, and loves to connect with people all over the world via Social Media.
Twitter: twitter.com/timeoutmom
Blog: timeoutmom.com
Facebook: facebook.com/timeoutmom
Dana Martin
As a founding member of the national McDonald’s Social Media team, Dana is responsible for developing and executing social media programming in support of new product launches and promotions as well as evolving the blogger engagement strategy. She also maintains relationships with key contacts in McDonald’s 22 U.S. regions, which manage their own local Social Media activity. Dana is a graduate of the University of Arizona and prior to McDonald’s helped manage her family’s jewelry business. She lives in Chicago with her husband, 1 year old daughter Siena and two dogs.
Twitter: twitter.com/Dana_McD
Blog: McDonalds.com
Christi McNeill
Christi McNeill serves as an online spokesperson for Southwest Airlines. Christi specializes in Emerging and Social Media strategy.
In addition to her online media relations duties, Christi works as the “voice” behind the Southwest Airlines Twitter account (@Southwestair) and Facebook account (www.facebook.com/southwest). Christi also serves as a moderator and blogger on Nuts About Southwest (www.blogsouthwest.com). In 2009, Christi was honored with a PR People Award for “Tweeter of the Year.”
A Fort Worth native, Christi graduated from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism.
Twitter: twitter.com/christimcneill
Blog: blogsouthwest.com
Facebook: facebook.com/christi5321
Noah Merritt
I am 28 years old and have worked on startups since 2004. My first venture was a content management system and local search engine that cataloged the inventories of local businesses and made every detail searchable. The business model had a couple flaws, so I phased out of it and started Clicky Web Analytics in 2006 after seeing the need for real-time traffic analysis on a per-visitor basis. Later on in 2008, I co-founded a content monetization service based on micropayments. Initially, it garnered much attention but failed to gain traction and the decision was made to consequently shut it down. I have several other solid ideas that I’d like to launch in the near future. I’d also like to do some angel investments. Outside of web tech, I’ll likely be working out or playing jazz trumpet around Portland.
Twitter: twitter.com/roxr
Blog: getclicky.com
Evan Miller
As Director, Global Communications at Aveda Corporation, Evan is responsible for the strategy, development, oversight and execution of all communications activities for the global, environmentally-focused beauty brand. In his role, Evan works with a cross-functional team within Aveda and among other Estee Lauder Companies brands to foster on-going relationships with media, external partners and key stakeholders, and keep Aveda as a leader in the professional hair and skin care industries. As part of his strategic oversight role Evan also supports communications teams in more than 30 Aveda markets globally. Evan is passionate about connecting consumers to Aveda by linking beauty, the environment and well-being.
Prior to joining Aveda, Evan worked in Chicago, IL, at two multi-disciplined international public relations agencies, GolinHarris and MSLGroup serving various Fortune 500 clients, including: Procter & Gamble, General Mills, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sprint and Reynolds Kitchens. While there, Evan’s work focused on consumer packaged goods, corporate branding, crisis management, digital and social communications, and environmental and corporate social responsibility.
Evan received his B.A. from the University of Iowa in Communications Studies and Journalism. In his free time Evan enjoys snow and water sports, wrestling with his 12 lb. maltese-yorkie and watching sports with his wife.
Twitter: twitter.com/evmiller
Blog: Aveda.com
Facebook: facebook.com/evanjmiller
Presented by:
