2009 Speakers
| Parry Aftab, Founder, WiredTrust.com | ||||||||
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Parry Aftab is a well known security, privacy and cyberspace lawyer, an author and child advocate. She is one of the most sought-after experts on cybersafety and cybercrime and appears regularly in the media. Author of a leading books on cybersafety, Parry speak globally on these issues, most recently in Egypt at the invitation of its First Lady.
As Executive Director of WiredSafety.org, the largest online safety and educational program in cyberspace, Ms. Aftab helps prevent and investigate cybercrime. As the founder of WiredTrust.com she is creating a set of best practices for the online community. Aftab also provides parent Internet education and online safety content for such diverse sites as Children’s Television Workshop, McAfee, Disney, Microsoft, Oracle, Verizon, AT&T and MSNBC. She published "The Parent’s Guide to Protecting Your Children in Cyberspace." |
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| Larry Andreini, ZEO, RIDEMAKERZ | ||||||||
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Throughout his career, Larry has specialized in bringing together strategic partners to move business ideas from concept to reality. At the age of 25, Larry founded START, a first-of-its-kind customer loyalty program where he partnered with Met Life and NationsBank (now Bank of America), both of which were strategic investors. He went on to be part of Simplexity, a telecommunications exchange where he implemented more than 20 partner programs, including investments and strategic partnerships with technology and retail giants Microsoft and Best Buy. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Larry was a member of the Fighting Irish football team and a two-time heavyweight Bengal Bout boxing champion. | |||||||
| Chris Bergstresser, CEO, Webcarzz™ | ||||||||
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Chris Bergstresser is an industry veteran with more than 20 years experience driving the international growth of numerous top-selling and highly acclaimed video games. Most recently he was SVP of publishing and online entertainment at Atari, Inc. where he established, managed and executed comprehensive publishing, product and online strategies for the publisher and created Atari’s casual games group. Prior to this, Bergstresser was the CEO of Gamer.TV, the leading producer of video game television shows and online games. Chris has also held key positions at some of the world’s top video game publishers including Konami, Climax (UK Games Development Studio) and Sega of America/Sega Channel. He attended Warnborough College in Oxford, England and is a graduate of San Francisco State University. | |||||||
| Cliff Boro, Founder of KidZui | ||||||||
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Cliff Boro founded KidZui , The Internet for Kids, with his longtime business partners, Vidar Vignisson and Tom Broadhead. The trio sold their last company, Infogate, to AOL Time Warner in March 2003. Cliff is also the Chairman of mSnap, a leading mobile interactivity partner for traditional media companies, and an Advisor to (and former founding Chairman of) Videoegg, the leading video ad network for online communities. | |||||||
| Warren Buckleitner, Editor, Children's Technology Review | ||||||||
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Warren is an expert on the relationship between children and technology. A former preschool and elementary teacher, he now teaches at NYU, Rutgers and Michigan State University, and writes for a several publications, including The New York Times, Scholastic Parent & Child, Parents and Children's Technology Review. He has two daughters. | |||||||
| Alice Cahn, Vice President, Cartoon Network | ||||||||
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Alice is Vice President of Social Responsibility for Cartoon Network US. She previously headed the Interactive Media for Children Program at the Markle Foundation and was the President of the Television, Film and Video group at Sesame Workshop. Alice also served as Director of Children's Programming at PBS. She and her partner live in Maplewood, NJ and have three children. | |||||||
| Robbie Cape, Cofounder and CEO, Cozi Group | ||||||||
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Robbie Cape has over 15 years of experience designing software, building high quality teams, and managing software businesses. He spent 12 years at Microsoft where his experience included the role of program manager, product unit manager, and eventually general manager of the Microsoft Money business. Robbie ushered the Money business to profitability with revenues of more than $65 million, and put Microsoft Money on the map as a formidable competitor to Intuit’s Quicken. Robbie has a deep love for building businesses, products, and teams that produce high quality, simple software consistently and on time. Robbie also has a passion for creating technology tuned to the family. And, in 2005 he pursued that passion and founded Cozi, along with his partner Jan Miksovsky, previously one of Microsoft’s most esteemed product designers. Robbie holds a B.A. in Science and Engineering from Princeton University. He lives in the suburbs of Seattle with his wife Bonnie and their three children Benjamin, Noah, and Dalia. | |||||||
| Tori Case, VP Product Management, Cyberpatrol | ||||||||
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Tori has more than 15 years of information security experience. Tori led worldwide product management for Central Point Software's anti-virus products. Tori held product management positions in Symantec's Encryption and Data Security, Customer Response Team, and International Product Management groups. She later joined PestPatrol where she worked as vice president of product management and led the design and launch of consumer and corporate versions of PestPatrol, as well as the PestPatrol SDK. Most recently Tori served as Director, Product Management at Computer Associates. Tori holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Scripps College. | |||||||
| Joseph Cerquone, Director of Public Relations, American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) | ||||||||
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Joseph Cerquone has been Director of Public Relations for the 130,000 member American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) since 2005. In that role, he has led ASHA’s public education campaign, "America: Tuned In Today ... But Tuned Out Tomorrow?", that warns consumers about the potential risk of hearing loss from misuse of personal audio technology, plus a companion effort, ASHA’s “Listen To Your Buds” campaign, which is directed at the very young. Sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association, CEA member Unwired Technology, and the rock group O.A.R. among others, the activities of these campaigns have included research, conferences, and convening leading hearing experts and national legislators to discuss the potential risk of hearing loss from the misuse of personal audio technology. In collaboration with Parents’ Choice Foundation, ASHA recently held the first “Listen To Your Buds Concert” and it is building a national coalition of Listen To Your Buds musicians to help spread its safe usage message. For such efforts, ASHA has received Awards of Excellence from the American Society of Association Executives for the past two years. | |||||||
| Jorian Clarke, CEO, Circle 1 Network (KidsCom.com) | ||||||||
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Jori Clarke is CEO of Circle 1 Network. In partnership with Animal Planet’s Faithful Friends, KidsCom.com is about to launch a virtual world where kids and interact with both the TV and online components. The company launched the first Web site for kids in 1995. Since that time the Web site has evolved from a cyberzine community to a virtual world. Jori is responsible for the company's vision of creating and maintaining safe online communities for kids, young adults and parents. Jori is a frequent conference speaker, including AdTech, KidPower, KidScreen Summit, Toy Fair, Advertising Research Foundation, IIR and DCI events. | |||||||
| Kyle Cox, President, Firefly Mobile | ||||||||
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As President of Firefly Mobile, Mr. Cox oversees day-to-day operations and business development efforts for the leading provider of mobile phones for mobile kids. He has 15 years of experience in the technology industry in marketing, business development, and operations. Prior to joining Firefly, Mr. Cox was marketing manager responsible for St. Jude Medical’s largest product group with a portfolio of more than 20 products and annual revenues in excess of $600 million. He has also managed sales and operations for several early-stage technology companies, including WebMD and QuickCompliance (now part of Discovery Communications). Mr. Cox received his MBA from Goizueta Business School at Emory University and his B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a certificate in Economics from the Georgia Institute of Technology. | |||||||
| Linda Criddle, President, LookBothWays, Inc. | ||||||||
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Internet safety and technology expert Linda Criddle is the president of LookBothWays, Inc. an Internet safety company focusing on technical, educational and policy-based solutions designed to improve the online experience for consumers of all ages. She is author of the award-winning book, "Look Both Ways: Help Protect Your Family on the Internet", has written the online credited course Internet Safety for Educators, consults, trains, and presents extensively for governments, law enforcement, universities and companies, and designs Internet safety products. LookBothWays, Inc. also provides the Web site, Look-both-ways.com. Criddle, who has investigated predatory behavior for nearly 30 years, spent 13 years at Microsoft where she was a pioneer in online safety, co-authored over 30 patents in Internet safety and emerging technologies, and advised the company on internet policies. Linda is currently working on a book for seniors to complement her Internet Safety for Seniors course; is developing a fully integrated K-12 Internet Safety Curriculum that will be available to schools and the public free of charge; and developing software to help consumers online. | |||||||
| John Davison, President, What They Like, Inc. | ||||||||
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As president and co-founder of What They Like, Inc., John jointly manages the company’s daily operations and directs all brand content generation. He brings over 17 years of experience in the interactive entertainment media industry to this job. Prior to What They Like, John was Sr. VP, editorial director of the Ziff Davis Game Group. There, he shaped and directed all 1UP Network editorial products, including 1UP.com, MyCheats.com, GameVideos.com, FileFront.com, GameTab.com, a suite of podcasts, the 1UP Show video podcast, EGM, Games for Windows: The Official Magazine, and special issues. Before moving from his native England and joining Ziff Davis, John was the publisher of Dennis Publishing’s market-leading UK PC gaming magazine PC Zone. | |||||||
| Rachel Dretzin, Producer/Director, Ark-Media, LLC | ||||||||
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An award-winning journalist, Rachel Dretzin has been producing and directing documentaries for FRONTLINE since the mid-1990s. In 2008 she produced Growing Up Online, a series of vignettes highlighting the pervasiveness of digital technology in the lives of teens. She first came to FRONTLINE in 1990 to work with renowned producer Ofra Bikel on the epic series Innocence Lost. Dretzin and her husband, filmmaker Barak Goodman, are joint partners in Ark Media, a documentary production company based in Brooklyn, NY. | |||||||
| Don Eyer, VP of Operations - Safety Division, MyYearbook.com | ||||||||
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Don comes to MyYearbook.com with an extensive background in law enforcement, computer crime investigation, and Internet safety. His educational background includes a BA from Colorado State University in Criminal Justice and Education and a paralegal certification from the University of Northern Colorado. Don started his career in law enforcement in Northern Colorado. During these 23 years he was a detective with the Greeley, Colorado Police Department, an Investigator for the 19th Judicial District and a Grand Jury Investigator for the State of Colorado. Don has a background in computer crime investigations and was a member of the Colorado Association of Computer Crime Investigators. (C.A.C.C.I.). Don left law enforcement and joined eBay in their early years. He built the Trust and Safety . Fraud Division up from its infancy. When eBay purchased Half.com, Don transferred to build up and run their Trust and Safety Division. | |||||||
| Robert Franek, Vice President, The Princeton Review | ||||||||
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As Vice President, Publishing for The Princeton Review, Robert oversees more than 200 titles, including test-prep guides to college and graduate school, and career and reference books. The company's chief expert on higher education issues, he directs the yearly surveys of college, business school, and law school students upon which the rankings are based. As lead author of the annual "Best 366 Colleges" guide, he visits more than 50 colleges a year and is a frequent speaker on the college admissions process. Prior to joining The Princeton Review, Robert was Associate Director of Admissions at Wagner College, in Staten Island, NY. | |||||||
| Dona J. Fraser, Director, Privacy Online, ESRB | ||||||||
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Dona is the director of Privacy Online Program for the Entertainment Software Rating Board in New York. The ESRB is the non-profit, self-regulatory body that independently assigns ratings to video games. In her position, she assists video game companies in developing the privacy policies that their collection of data from online users requires. Always a lover of live music and other visual art forms such as TV and film, Dona previous work included stints at RCA, Arista Records, then BMG, Zomba, and Wind-Up Records. | |||||||
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| Cheryl Petty Garnette, Director, Technology in Education Programs, US Department of Education | ||||||||
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Cheryl Petty Garnette is Director of the Technology in Education Programs Division in the Office of Innovation and Improvement at the US Department of Education where she manages discretionary grant programs focusing on television, telecommunications and emerging technologies. Ms. Garnette has been involved in educational technology for more than 25 years, beginning in the mid-1970's at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf, where she was instrumental in establishing computer assisted instruction for hearing impaired adolescents. She later studied the impact of television viewership on learning and the use of television in higher education institutions through two separate federally funded grants. She served as the Communications Director at the Association for Educational Communications and Technology where she introduced electronic networking and videoconferencing to state education agencies across the country. Ms. Garnette received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and a Master of Arts degree in Measurement and Statistics, both from the University of Maryland, College Park. | |||||||
| Anastasia Goodstein, Founder and Editor-In-Chief, Ypulse | ||||||||
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Anastasia is an award-winning blogger and often-quoted expert on American tweens, teens and early twenty-somethings. She has worked in media for the past 15 years and has helped launch youth oriented web and television properties for brands like Oxygen, AOL and Current TV. She will never forget her roots having begun her career in the non-profit youth media space at Teen Voices. Anastasia was one of the first graduates of the Medill School of Journalism's new media program at Northwestern University, where she earned an MSJ in 1999. Her first book about teens and technology, "Totally Wired: What Teens & Tweens Are Really Doing Online", was published by St. Martin's Press in 2007. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and 4-year-old Boxer. | |||||||
| Benjamin Grimley, Senior Director, PBS Interactive Businesses | ||||||||
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Ben founded and leads PBS’ new Interactive Businesses group, including licensing, product development, and online distribution. In March 2008, his team launched PBS KIDS PLAY!, an online educational gaming service for ages 3 to 6, and works in collaboration with HIT Entertainment, National Geographic, The Jim Henson Company, Universal Studios, and other PBS KIDS producers. In 2007, he launched the first PBS KIDS games on DIRECTV’s Game Lounge. Previously, as Vice President of Business Development for Exent Technologies, Ben built Internet distribution channels for interactive publishers such as Atari, Microsoft Game Studios, Riverdeep, Scholastic, Take-Two and Ubisoft. He has also served as Executive Director for Science Management Corporation, providing web application development services to the National Institutes of Health Office of Education and to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Ben holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins University. | |||||||
| Larry Hitchcock, CEO, Kidthing | ||||||||
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Larry created kidthing with one goal: to make a safe digital media platform that would engage his young daughter. After 2 years of development, kidthing was born. Happily, his daughter uses it every day. Larry has spent over 20 years as an executive in the Internet and television industries. As President and Executive Producer of Skyrocket Pictures, he oversaw strategic branding for leading broadcast networks such as MSNBC, ABC Family/Disney Channel, CBS Sports, NBC Nightly News, and The WB Network. His work has been awarded 5 Emmys and 25 Promax, BDA Awards. As VP, Business Development for Pearson’s Headland Digital Media, he led digital business development across Pearson and Created Headland’s Digital Event business including online events for CBS Sports’ NCAA Final Four Trivia Madness, Sports Illustrated Gridiron Challenge, Penguin Books’ Dark Tower by Stephen King and Putnam Books’ Politika by Tom Clancy. With his brother Jeff, Larry helped launch Children with Diabetes (www.childrenwithdiabetes.com ) in 1995. | |||||||
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| Aaron Kenny, Chief Technology Officer, InternetSafety.com | ||||||||
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Aaron is the Chief Technology Officer for InternetSafety.com . As a 10 year veteran of the Internet safety industry he has been responsible for many new technologies used to protect children online. In his role as the principal product architect he leads the development of the award winning Safe Eyes parental control software. Understanding that software tools are only part of the solution, he also participates in InternetSafety.com’s educational efforts and is a regular contributor to the media on the topic of Internet safety. His blog can be found at www.insideinternetfiltering.com. | |||||||
| Molly Keogh, Ph.D, Founder, Whoosh Learning | ||||||||
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Dr. Molly Keogh began her career as an elementary school teacher in districts throughout Florida, New York, and South Carolina, teaching children with a variety of needs. She began to notice a pattern among them: regardless of individual ability, many lacked basic skills knowledge. Dr. Keogh found that without these basic skills, students struggled. After becoming a mother, Dr. Keogh sought a program to help her own children master the fundamental skills needed to succeed in school. She quickly became frustrated with available tutorial programs and joined forces with Improvement Interactive, creator of the first fluency based e-learning/corporate training product called Infrature. Using the Infrature model, Dr. Keogh created Whoosh Learning, the first online, interactive learning program designed to help children improve and sustain basic skills knowledge in math and reading. Dr. Keogh earned her Ph.D in Teaching and Curriculum from Syracuse University and holds a M.Ed in Educational Leadership and a B.S. in Elementary Education. She has taught at both the undergraduate and graduate level and her research has been presented at a variety of national conferences. | |||||||
| Gary E. Knell, President and CEO, Sesame Workshop | ||||||||
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Gary Knell is President and Chief Executive Officer of Sesame Workshop. Mr. Knell leads the nonprofit educational organization in its mission to create innovative, engaging content that maximizes the educational power of all media to help children reach their highest potential. He has been instrumental in focusing the organization on Sesame Street's global mission, including groundbreaking co-productions in South Africa, India, Northern Ireland, and Egypt. He also helped found PBS Kids Sprout, a 24-hour domestic cable channel in the U.S. Mr. Knell was named 2008 New York Social Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young. Mr. Knell holds a BA in Political Science and Journalism from the University of California at Los Angeles and a JD from Loyola University School of Law. | |||||||
| Liz Kronenberger, VP of Marketing and Cofounder, Good Egg Studios/Elf Island | ||||||||
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Liz’s thriving career in consumer brand identity and national product launches have catapulted brands into some of the most recognized consumer names by using effective media strategies for online, print and broadcast. Kronenberger cofounded Spunky Productions, a consumer kids and family entertainment digital media company, where she played an integral role in establishing the Christmas and Halloween brands that rose to #1 online properties for kids and parents. Liz’s market successes include the Starlight Children’s Foundation, Mattel’s Barbie, AOL, General Motors and Universal Studio’s “The Grinch,” starring Jim Carrey. Prior to Good Egg Studios, Kronenberger owned her own consulting firm and was an interim VP at Porter Novelli. She’s has earned numerous awards and distinctions, most notably, a NAPS Award, eHealthcare Gold Award and an Aetna U.S. Healthcare’s Annual Creativity Award. | |||||||
| Ellen LaPointe, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at HopeLab | ||||||||
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HopeLab is a nonprofit that combines rigorous research with innovative solutions to improve the health and quality of life of young people with chronic illness. Ellen LaPointe is responsible for developing strategic private and public sector partnerships to increase HopeLab's institutional resources, leverage the impact of HopeLab's innovative solutions, and raise awareness of HopeLab's work among thought leaders, policymakers, and key stakeholders. In her role, she has cultivated mutually beneficial relationships between HopeLab and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Starlight Children's Foundation, the Children's Oncology Camping Association, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the Entertainment Software Association Foundation, CIGNA HealthCare, Kaiser Permanente, and Vivendi, among others. | |||||||
| David Lord, President and CEO of Knowledge Adventure | ||||||||
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David Lord is president and CEO of Knowledge Adventure , the leader in adventure-based 3D virtual worlds for 3 to 10 year olds. As head of the company, Lord’s extensive background and 10+ years in the toy industry makes him uniquely qualified to lead Knowledge Adventure in solidifying its position as a multifaceted kid’s entertainment company with both retail and online virtual world components. Prior to his role at Knowledge Adventure, Lord served for four years as president and CEO of RazorGator Interactive Group (RIG), a leading full-service event experience company for premiere sports and entertainment events worldwide. Lord was awarded the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2006 Award in the Emerging Growth category in the Greater Los Angeles area. David was raised in Boston, MA and holds a BSA in Accounting from Northeastern University. | |||||||
| Adam Masur, Vice President - Marketing, Tutor.com | ||||||||
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Adam Masur heads up Tutor.com's marketing efforts, overseeing product management and corporate communications. Mr. Masur spent nearly a decade at Texas Instruments in various roles that included spearheading global Internet marketing strategy for the educational calculator business unit. He previously worked in product development and marketing at Casio and Sharp Electronics. Mr. Masur has extensive experience with new product development, product management, market research, subscription services and Internet marketing. He possesses an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin and a BS in Electrical Engineering from The University of Rhode Island. | |||||||
| Alan McCullough, Founder, Child Safety Research and Innovation Center | ||||||||
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The Child Safety Research and Innovation Center created the first game to measure the vulnerability of younger children to the ten categories of sexual predator ploys. The children have no idea that the game has anything to do with sexual predator ploys or that their reactions to different in game situations are measured and tabulated for parental reports. They think the entire object is to get out of a magical kingdom by finding the gemstones that unlock the transport archway. The people they encounter offer them opportunities that mirror the ploys used by sexual predators and when the child in the role-playing game approach the “troubleseeker” their tools are stolen. The children can then use their observation skills (also measured) and identify the “troubleseeker” in a cartoon line-up, which teaches them to be more observant about people and situations they encounter. Parents are given the tools, information and coaching to help their children’s street-proofing skills improve and the child’s skills are measured and compared gameplay to gameplay. Ages 5-10. | |||||||
| Mike Nakamura, Founder and CEO of Senario | ||||||||
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Mike Nakamura’s life dream was to play short stop in the major leagues. Invited to try out for the Cincinnati Reds in 1979, he came close, but shifted his sights to going pro in business. After gaining extensive experience in retail management, sourcing, buying and merchandising, Nakamura set out to create his own import company. This venture developed into one of the most innovative and successful consumer goods and youth entertainment companies in America: Senario . Senario created new products as well as licensing existing products with the goal of helping kids develop healthy, beneficial play patterns. The company’s latest innovation, HURU HUMI™, is designed to encourage self-discovery and the development of social skills in today’s digital age by using technology to spur real, personal interaction rather than through a digital medium. Prior to founding Senario, Nakamura served as the director of general merchandising at Arbor Drugs and held positions in retail management for Kmart and Children’s Palace. | |||||||
| Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Internet & American Life Project | ||||||||
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Lee Rainie is the Director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Since December 1999, the Washington D.C. research center has examined how people’s Internet use affects their families, communities, health care, education, civic and political life, and work places. The Project has issued more than 120 reports based on its surveys that monitor people’s online activities and the Internet’s role in their lives. All of its reports and datasets are available online for free at www.pewinternet.org | |||||||
| Chuck Scothon, GM & SVP - Digital Media, Mattel | ||||||||
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With 14 years of experience with Mattel, Inc., Chuck Scothon has successfully launched some of the biggest names in the toy industry. As the General Manager and senior vice president of Digital Media/Girls businesses, Chuck oversees the newly centralized digital media business unit, bringing together the many digital play and online initiatives within Mattel Brands. And, he also oversees the Girls business unit comprised of a portfolio of industry-leading brands including Polly Pocket, Little Mommy, “High School Musical,” Disney Princesses, and several other popular girls brands. The Digital Media unit is responsible for developing and distributing multi-branded intellectual property having an on-line component, such as multi-media on-line gaming, mobile gaming, emerging platforms and partnerships. In 2006, under his leadership the Barbie brand experienced its first full year of growth in six years, remaining the No. 1 fashion-themed doll in the U.S. and worldwide. In 2007, Barbie continued to lead, launching the headline-making, record-breaking Barbie Girls platform. Referred to as the “fastest growing virtual world ever,” today BarbieGirls.com boasts more than 14 million registered girls and continues to chart new territory. Scothon began his career at Fisher-Price in 1994, as Director of Marketing for the Power Wheels line. Prior to working at Fisher-Price, Scothon worked for Prince Sports Group as a Marketing Manager and at Kenner Products, where he worked in marketing on both boys and girls toys. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Scothon graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. He and his wife, Annette, have a six-year-old daughter, Gabriella. | |||||||
| Michelle Slatalla, Columnist, New York Times | ||||||||
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Michelle, who has written extensively about big questions people ask in small towns, writes a column for The New York Times. A former reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist at Newsday, she has also written for Time, Rosie and Lifetime magazines. She co-authored with her husband, Josh Quittner, three mysteries and two nonfiction books. Her latest book, The Town on Beaver Creek (Random House: 2006) is about her family's hometown in Kentucky. She now lives in Mill Valley, California, with her husband and three daughters. | |||||||
| Andrea Smith, News and Technology Producer, ABC News Radio | ||||||||
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Andrea is an award-winning news and technology producer for ABC News Radio. Her daily network broadcast, Cybershake, has been heard on radio stations across the country for over 10 years. She has appeared repeatedly as a guest expert in technology segments on WABC-TV and Good Morning America Now. Andrea has been writing about kids and technology since 1995, when she began writing a monthly column focusing on children's software for various parenting magazines, and for Family PC magazine. She lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey with her husband, teen-aged son and an office full of tech toys. | |||||||
| Scott Traylor, Chief KID, 360KID | ||||||||
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Scott graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with degrees in Graphic Design, Industrial Design and Photographic Illustration. As president of 360KID, Scott is known for his ability to bring extraordinary design and engineering talent to each project the company undertakes, and for his deep knowledge of the education and entertainment industries. He speaks at national conferences and is an instructor at the Harvard University Extension School. | |||||||
| Anton van Deth, Director of Marketing, Norton Online Family Service, Symantec Corporation | ||||||||
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As a father of four beautiful children, Anton van Deth is passionately driving marketing for Symantec's upcoming Norton online family service launching in January, 2009. Built for parents who want an easy-to-use and effective tool to protect their kids online, the service lets them be a part of their kids' online lives - anytime, anywhere.
Anton has spent more than 21 enjoyable years bringing fun, new ideas, and technologies to consumers in Australia, Japan, and the US. Most recently, Anton led Symantec's Japan marketing team in introducing an inventive and entertaining way to help consumers understand the need for more advanced security - something a lot of consumers felt was unnecessary. The idea took the form of a fictional character - Norton Fighter - who in traditional Tokusatsu style fought off powerful enemies. It resonated so well that Symantec's market share jumped 12 percent. Norton Fighter garnered a cult following in Japan with more than three million online views of the viral video, and online outlet. Prior to his work in Japan, Anton led Symantec's Australia and New Zealand marketing team. Earlier in his career, Anton led the development of successful marketing programs for companies ranging from AIG, NEC, Xerox and others. |
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| Vanessa Van Petten, Editor, Onteenstoday.com | ||||||||
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Vanessa Van Petten is one of the nation's youngest experts on parenting and youth. She wrote her parenting book from the teen's perspective, called "You're Grounded!," when she was just 17. After becoming a judge for the Mom's Choice Awards and launching her popular parenting blog, she is now on a national speaking tour, reaching out to both parents and teenagers talking about what young people really wish adults knew about them. Her daily blog: OnTeensToday.com , which she writes with 15 other teenage writers from ages 12 to 20, is read by thousands of teens and adults daily and has been featured on hundreds of other parenting sites around the web as the only teen written parenting blog. She has been featured on CBS 4 Miami and Fox 5 New York and has been in the Wall Street Journal, the Santa Monica Daily Press, Atlanta Insite Magazine and the World Journal. She has been an expert on numerous radio programs including Playboy Radio, KBUR, WCOJ Philadelphia and more for giving a young perspective on awesome parenting. | |||||||
| Boyd Wedin, Creative Director, Jazwares | ||||||||
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An award wining designer, Boyd Wedin has been overseeing the design and development of toys at Jazwares over the past 9 years. He has had the opportunity to be involved in every aspect of toy development. Everything from product design, engineering, safety testing, product packaging, advertising, promotion and even display design. Even with 15 years plus experience he is still learning, especially from his kids ages 4 and 6. | |||||||
| Dr. Susan Tave Zelman, Senior Vice President, Education and Children’s Content, Corporation for Public Broadcasting | ||||||||
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Dr. Zelman’s career in educational leadership and service spans more than 20 years. Prior to becoming Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction, Zelman served as deputy commissioner in Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. She serves as an advisory board member of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching and is a founding member of the Ohio Council of Professors of Educational Administration. Dr. Zelman earned a BA in Arts, History and Political Science from Hunter College and a Masters and Ph.D. in Education from the University of Michigan. | |||||||
