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About the Experts
Expert Advice for Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners from the Expert Panel. Got a Small Business Question, Need Help? Ask one of our experts below!
Ben Kaufman Ben received his formal education from Portledge School in Long Island, New York. While learning “in his own way” (which did not involve completion of much assigned work), Ben had an idea for lanyard headphones – an idea he went on to pursue during his senior year. These headphones were known as the Song Sling and became the initial product of Ben’s first company, mophie (named after his two dogs, Molly and Sophie). The same day he graduated from high school, mophie officially launched. Ben attended Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont – an attendance that lasted a single semester. After reaching Macworld in January ’06 and winning Best of Show, dropping out of college seemed valid. The Best of Show honor was awarded for a modular case accessory system that he created for the iPod Nano. This early success allowed Ben to raise $1.5 million in venture money from Village Ventures to help push mophie forward.
Twitter: @Mophie
Yanik Silver is a serial Internet entrepreneur and self-made millionaire. He is recognized as one of the leading experts on web marketing even though he still considers himself a ‘techno dunce’. Starting from his one-bedroom apartment and with just $1800 invested, Yanik runs a multiple 7-figure online business (with zero employees
except his wife, Missy).
His story and businesses have been featured on the cover “Millionaire Blue Prints” magazine, inside Business 2.0, Fox Business News, TIME.com, USA Today, SmartMoney.com, MSN Money, Conde Naste’s Portfolio.com, Entrepreneur.com, WIRED magazine, The Boston Globe, Denver Business Journal and many others.
Yanik Silver is the author, co-author or publisher of several best-selling marketing books and tools including “Moonlighting on the Internet”, Instant Sales Letters® & 34 Rules for Maverick Entrepreneurs. He is a highly sought after speaker addressing groups ranging from the prestigious Wharton Business School to international audiences of 3,000 and up.
As a self-described “adventure junkie”, Yanik has found that his own life-changing experiences such as running with the bulls, bungee jumping, sky diving, exotic car road rallies and Zero-Gravity flights have not only brought a profound sense of accomplishment but also led to breakthroughs in ideas, focus and business thinking. That’s why he combined both his passions to found Maverick Business Adventures® creating the kind of “club” he’d want to be part of.
Maverick Business Adventures® creates unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences exclusively for entrepreneurs and CEOs. It’s only for the small group of top-gun achievers who want to live life to the fullest, produce business breakthroughs and give back to young & aspiring entrepreneurs through charity and education.
Twitter: @YanikSilver
Barbara Weltman is an attorney, prolific author with such titles as J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes, and trusted professional advocate for small businesses and entrepreneurs. She is also the publisher of Idea of the Day and monthly e-newsletter Big Ideas for Small Business® at www.barbaraweltman.com and host of Build Your Business radio.
Twitter: @BarbaraWeltman
Gabrielle Bernstein was just one year out of college, when she co-founded the Women’s Entrepreneurial Network, a non-profit professional organization that connects female entrepreneurs. WEN started a local mentor program for young women, WEN Mentors, and is best known for its signature Gift of Service Exchange events.
That same year, Gabrielle incorporated her own boutique public relations company, SparkPlug Communications. Clients included local and international brands that ranged from Urban Rebounding to Gallo Wines and Rockstar Energy Drink.
Since 2004 Gabrielle, who has a degree in theater from Syracuse University, has been on the speaking circuit. Her lecture, Falling in Love with Your Future is regularly presented at the Learning Annex, Femalethink, The Give and Take Network, New York University, Fashion Institute of Technology, Columbia College, Baruch College, Georgetown University and other venues. She also shared her message through her regular guest spot on Sirius Satellite Radio’s LIME station 114 as the featured “ING Girl”.
In 2007, she launched the brand Falling in Love with Your Future: A Young Woman’s Guide to Passion and Happiness, which takes the form of books, life coaching, lectures and more. An integral part of the program is the emphasis on guidance and mentors. Gabrielle recently launched her social networking site www.HerFuture.com for young women to find mentors.
Gabrielle has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, Marie Claire Magazine, Crain’s, NBC10!, WPIX11, NYBTV, Wall Street Journal, AdWeek, Sirius Satellite Radio, Am-NY and New York Moves Magazine. She can also been seen riding around the West Village on a unicycle.
Twitter: @GabbyBernstein
Dave Lavinsky is an internationally renowned expert in the fields of business planning, capital raising, and new venture development.
Over the past decade, Dave has guest lectured at top universities, developed over 100 business plans, and has written hundreds of articles on entrepreneurship, business planning and capital-raising.
Dave also launched and runs Growthink University, which is the leading community for entrepreneurs and business owners to learn how to raise capital. Members of Growthink University have access to all the insider capital raising secrets that Dave has developed over the past decade.
Dave has an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA and earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia. He lives in New York with his wife and two children.
Twitter: @DaveLavinsky
Matt Mickiewicz is the co-founder of SitePoint is the #1 destination on the Internet for Web Professionals. The company was named one of the 100 fastest growing businesses among all categories by BRW Magazine for 3 years in a row and has appeared on the Delloite & Touche Technology Fast 50 numerous times. Recently, SitePoint has utilized the power of social media to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity to assist with the Australian Bushfire relief efforts.
In February 2008, Matt co-founded 99designs – the largest crowd sourcing marketplace for graphic design. 99designs democratizes the business of design, and gives equal opportunity to designers in the 3rd world. To date, over 24,000 projects have been completed for companies like Dictionary.com, Mashable and HGTV and over $100,000 is paid out to designers every week around the globe.
In June 2009, Matt launched his 3rd company – Flippa.com, a marketplace for buying and selling small websites and other digital assets.
Twitter: @sitepointmatt
Leil Lowndes is the author of eight books on communication skill including the just published, HOW TO INSTANTLY CONNECT WITH ANYONE: 96 ALL-NEW LITTLE TRICKS FOR BIG SUCCESS IN RELATIONSHIPS. Her books are internationally known for the concise, concrete communication skills readers can start using immediately. Her best-selling HOW TO TALK TO ANYONE: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success has been translated into more than 17 languages. Top communicators such as Larry King have endorsed her books saying, “You’ll not only break the ice. You’ll melt it away with your new skills!” Lowndes has been featured on the Today Show, every major television network, and has been written about in The Wall Street Journal and dozens of other publications. Visit her website at www.greatcommunicating.com
Twitter: @Leil_Lowndes
David Murdico is the Executive Creative Director and a founding partner of Supercool Creative, an online video and social media marketing agency in Los Angeles, CA. David brings a colorful background to his award-winning work with Supercool Creative that has included commercial spot directing, television comedy writing, art directing and music. A graduate of The University Of Southern California, David is an active member of ThinkLa and the San Diego Ad Club.
Supercool is a creative agency specializing in online video creative and production, viral marketing, video seeding, integrated social media campaigns, viral videos, branded entertainment and webisodes.
Twitter: @DavidMurdico
Andrew Hazen founded the full-service Long Island, NY, search engine marketing firm Prime Visibility in 1998 and dedicated it to increasing its clients’ traffic, sales and ROI. Prime Visibility made the Inc. list of the fastest-growing private companies in America in 2007 and 2008.
Acquired by PV Media Group in January 2008, Prime Visibility provides integrated online marketing plans and individually tailored services, including SEO, Pay-Per-Click (PPC), email marketing, conversion tracking solutions, Web 2.0, social networking and other SEM services.
Mr. Hazen has established himself as a serial entrepreneur, developing and branding businesses for more than a decade. He is a frequent panel speaker and guest columnist on e-marketing, SEO and Internet law. Mr. Hazen has been featured often on established news outlets including: FOX Business, A&E Biography Channel, iMedia Connection, MediaPost, New York Newsday, Los Angeles Times, and many others. Hazen is also a published author and is a member of Long Island’s prestigious 40 Under 40 Club for rising business stars.
Mr. Hazen has turned Prime Visibility into a socially conscious company that is active in numerous environmental and charitable causes. In 2006, he was elected to the board of the non-profit Rock CAN Roll and LISTnet
After earning a B.A. from the State University of New York College at Oswego, Hazen received a J.D. from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
Twitter: @AndrewHazen
Mouli Cohen has over 25 years of experience in investment and entrepreneurship in consumer product, technology, and biotechnology companies. His start-ups have generated well over $3B in shareholder value. In recognition of his ability to generate mega investment in the economy and the creation of thousands of jobs, Mouli was awarded the first-ever “Millionaire Residency” with full citizenship status by President George H. Bush.
Current Investments
Founder, Voltage Capital, which is a venture fund specializing in creating high-value global partnerships in technology and biotechnology.
Previous Investments
Teva, Early investor (1992) in the world’s leading generic pharmaceutical company which grew to a market cap of over $40B. Mouli took over the position previously held by publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell.
Ecast, Founder and Chairman and CEO, of the largest provider of digital entertainment and out-of-home venues based in San Francisco. The Ecast Network, available through internet-connected devices, brings millions of users a wide variety of content and applications including: digital music, interactive games, sports, films, and news.
ICOS, Investor in the discoverer and developer of treatments for inflammation and other diseases, it was sold to Eli Lily in 2006.
Biosense, Investor in a cardiac imaging company that allows physicians to use minimally invasive medical procedures to identify the relative location of instruments within the patient’s body on a continuous, real time basis. Sold to Johnson and Johnson in 1997.
Trading Dynamics, Investor in the supply chain software company that let customers create any kind of auction, reverse auction or bid/ask exchange online. It was sold to Ariba in 1999 in a stock transaction worth about $400 million.
LAMIA, Chairman and CEO in a technology company holding 31 worldwide patents in nonwoven applications in the fabric industry. Sold to PonteNova.
Aristo International, Chairman and CEO, Innovative consumer product technology. Developed concepts and secured patents for products developed and licensed to Fortune 500. Sold to K.F. chemical.
Academic Background
MBA, Tel Aviv University (1985)
BA Economics, University of Jerusalem (1981)
Leiutenant, Israeli Special Forces
Public Service
Stem Cell Biology Program at UCSF – Received grant support from Mr. Mouli Cohen to help launch an FDA-approved “core research facility,” a key component in translating the laboratory advancements made in stem cell research into therapeutic applications. This grant was matched by Andy Grove.
Camp Okizu – Chairman Executive Committee Member, Mr. Cohen works with the camp staff to assure the ongoing success of Camp Okizu. The largest camp in Northern California, Camp Okizu is a free summer camp program where kids with cancer can simply be kids.
Preventing & Training Blindness – Mr. Cohen developed the worldwide Childhood Vision Campaign which lead to leading hospitals in India Cambodia Tanzania help to prevent blindness and restore sight in developing countries where tens of thousands of children go blind every year.
Russian Arts Foundation – Mr. Cohen is a leading donor for this foundation that offers hope and enlivens the lives of Russian orphans through music. Its programs enable Russia’s leading symphony musicians to provide an up close and personal music introduction for children in Russia’s orphanages.
America India Foundation – Invited by President Clinton to join, this foundation provides an important conduit to accelerate social and economic change in India by connecting resources across the United States and India.
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco: the de Young Museum Curriculum – Mouli’s grant supports a unique education program that uses the museum’s collections to provide public school teachers with exciting classroom resources designed for state mandated social science, language and visual arts curricula for grades 1-12.
Cure Autism Now – Another effective and important group of parents, clinicians and leading scientists committed to accelerating the pace of biomedical research in autism through research support, education and outreach programs.
Oakland School for the Arts – By special request of Jerry Brown, Mouli joined this program and it receives his support because it is an important and effective educational program developed by Former Governor Jerry Brown to help underprivileged children of the Oakland area succeed in the arts.
Asian Art Museum – As a donor, Mr. Cohen actively supports the museum’s mission of leading a diverse global audience in discovering the unique material, aesthetic, and intellectual achievements of Asian art and culture.
SF MOMA – As a Director’s Circle member and collector of important 20th century art, one of the privileges of being a San Francisco resident is supporting one of the world’s most innovative museums of modern and contemporary art.
Twitter: @moulicohen
Suzanne Tulien is co-founder and Principal of The Brand Ascension Group as well as a speaker, award-winning graphic designer, certified trainer and certified in accelerated learning methodologies. She served as 2006-07 President of the Pikes Peak Advertising Federation. Suzanne speaks and trains all over the country and has presented for Microsoft Live Meeting, Intercall Live, VoiceAmerica.com, BetterManagement (SAS, Inc.) Her articles have been featured on BrandChannel.com, eHotelier, and other global/national publications.
Twitter: @suztulien
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/suzanne.tulien
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/brandascension
