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 Joe DiNunzioAs President of Fido Management, Joe leads the consultancy partnership, where he focuses on setting the company’s vision, building client relationships, and driving engagements. He has more than two decades of leadership building successful operations in large corporations as well as in start-up ventures, with extensive experience assessing market opportunities, setting enterprise strategy, defining new opportunities, building new products, and crafting cross-functional organizations. Joe’s prior work experience includes five years as Chairman, CEO, and co-founder of 42 Entertainment, the leading creator of experiences that seamlessly integrate online, mobile, and physical world narrative content with user communities. 42’s client engagements have won numerous honors, including GDC Innovation, Clio, multiple Webby, and multiple Cannes Cyber Grand Prix awards. Joe was also the founding CEO of digital media studio and network Z.com. In two years at Z, Joe raised $15mil in venture capital, and directed the development, production, and distribution of next generation entertainment and branded content for the web and mobile devices. Joe also oversaw the development of new technology platforms for optimized ad serving, content publishing, and video multi-casting. Previously, Joe spent six years at Walt Disney Imagineering, where he served as SVP of New Product Development and led design, technology, and business teams in the development of theme park concepts, entertainment centers, retail venues, and digital media initiatives. While at Disney, Joe led the team that created and built DisneyQuest, five-story tall indoor “digital” theme parks in Orlando and Chicago; he also provided strategic leadership for creation of the company’s online, mobile, and location-based entertainment businesses. Earlier in his career, Joe served as a Principal in the Marketing Intensive and Operations practices at management consultancy Booz, Allen & Hamilton, where he co-founded the firm’s Service Operations practice. In his five years at Booz Allen, Joe sold and directed engagements for clients in the entertainment, retail, hospitality, and consumer products industries. Joe started his career in brand management at Procter & Gamble, where he led marketing and product launch efforts for a number of paper division product lines. Joe has an AB (Psychology) from Harvard and an MBA from Stanford. He is a Visiting Professor at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management. He serves as a board member of Ryman Arts (Chair, Communications), sits on Procter & Gamble’s Digital Advisory Board, and is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Interactive Media Peer Group) and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.  Carl NicholsAs a Senior Partner at Fido Management, Carl focuses on driving engagements in strategy and operations, for both corporate and early stage clients. Carl brings more than 25 years of experience to Fido, having held executive positions in strategic planning, finance, venture capital, operations, and business development with start-ups and industry leaders. Most recently Carl has been a Managing Director of Outlook Ventures, a venture capital firm based in San Francisco that he co-founded. His investing focus spanned consumer and technology sectors. Carl helped define the firm’s investing strategy, identify investment opportunities and lead investments. As an active investor with operating experience, Carl has been involved in working with portfolio companies on strategic as well as operational issues to bolster their success. Prior to Outlook, Carl led strategic planning and co-led financial management at Pacific Bell (now AT&T) where he was responsible for identifying new growth opportunities and business lines, developing strategic partnerships while optimizing the company's investments and overseeing an $8 billion operating plan. As an early advocate of Internet-centric opportunities, Carl helped identify, assess and obtain funding for new lines of business that broadened the firm’s position, including the launch of Internet services and ecommerce businesses. Before joining Pacific Bell, Carl was the Vice President of Strategic Business Management at Scrivner, Inc., a $6 billion consumer goods supplier. He led the company's business development efforts, including market expansions, new concept developments, domestic and international alliances, new technology initiatives, and operating improvements. Prior to Scrivner, Carl spent six years as a management consultant at Booz, Allen & Hamilton, where he provided guidance for his Fortune 500 retail, consumer product and technology clients on growth and operating improvement opportunities. Prior to Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Carl served in marketing at AT&T, focused on tapping new market opportunities, and previously performed software development at Manugistics (STSC), IBM, and Aarhus Oliefabrik (Denmark). Carl received a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science magna cum laude with Honors from Brown University and an MBA from Harvard's Graduate School of Business. Carl is a visiting professor at the University of California’s Haas School, and serves as a guest lecturer at Harvard’s Graduate School of Business and Brown University.  Yair LandauAs a Consulting Partner at Fido, Yair provides strategic, organizational, and investment counsel to clients in the entertainment and media sectors. Yair has been a leader in the entertainment industry for two decades, initially as a senior studio executive and recently as a digital media entrepreneur. Yair serves as president and founder of Mass Animation, a new collaborative animation company producing crowdsourced entertainment. In its first project, launched last November, Mass Animation invited animators around the world to join together on Facebook to create an animated short film entitled Live Music – 58,000 participants; 101 countries; and 51 finalists from 17 different countries – the largest global animation collaboration ever. Prior to founding Mass Animation in August 2008, Yair was Vice Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment and President of Sony Pictures Digital, which he formed in 1999 and consisted of Sony Pictures Imageworks, Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Online Entertainment. Previously, as head of corporate development, he was responsible for securing the underlying rights to the SPIDERMAN franchise for Sony Pictures. Under Landau's direction, Sony Pictures Imageworks developed into a leading, state-of-the-art digital animation and visual effects company. In 2003, he supervised production of Imageworks' first animated short, THE CHUBB CHUBBS!, which won numerous awards including an Academy Award® for Best Animated Short Film. In 2005, the visual effects and animation team at Imageworks was honored with an Academy Award® for Achievement in Visual Effects for SPIDERMAN 2 Yair also managed Sony Pictures Animation (SPA), a full-scale animation unit producing full-length CG animated feature films from storyboard to screens. SPA has released three animated features to date: OPEN SEASON; SURF'S UP, which was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Animated Film; and CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS. Under Landau’s leadership, Sony Online Entertainment grew into a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, known internationally for its blockbuster franchises and hit titles for PC's, including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Star Wars Galaxies (published by Lucas Arts) and Free Realms.  Steve LewisAs a Consulting Partner at Fido, Steve provides strategic and operational counsel to clients in the global technology business. Steve has more than 25 years of experience helping build successful operations- and technology-intensive companies. Currently he works with sector leading companies on issues of business, operations, go-to-market, and overall technology strategy. Steve has founded and built three category defining, sector leading companies. He was the Founder and CEO of Teneros, where he created the category of Application Continuity Appliances for ending email downtime. He was previously the CEO of All Covered which, under his leadership, grew from a single office to the largest outsourced IT provider to U.S. Small Business. Prior to founding All Covered, Mr. Lewis was a partner and managing director of Generation Ventures, a venture firm focused on China. While at Generation Ventures, he co-founded both Guangzhou HuaMei Telecommunications, China's first broadband telecommunications company, and Pharmanex, today the world’s leading phyto-pharmaceutical company. Earlier in his career, Steve spent a decade with the consulting firm of Booz Allen & Hamilton, where he was a partner assisting top executives of the Global 1000 gain competitive advantages through technology and global operations. Steve holds a B.A. in Economics, an M.S. in Industrial Engineering, and an MBA, all from Stanford University.  Marty SklarAs a Consulting Partner at Fido, Marty provides strategic, innovation, and organizational counsel to clients in entertainment, media, and hospitality. Marty is an entertainment industry legend, having been an inspirational leader and creative visionary for more than five decades. He retired from Disney on July 17, 2009, and founded Marty Sklar Creative Inc. “to answer all the requests I receive for concept development, speaking engagements, writing and advice about leadership.” As Vice-Chairman and Principal Creative Executive of Walt Disney Imagineering, for 30 years Marty led the creative staff that provides innovative entertainment through design, story development, master planning and engineering for all Disney parks and resorts. He also served as Imagineering Ambassador, a global role that was fashioned to take advantage of his creative leadership and unique Disney history and perspective. Marty began his career in public relations at Disneyland one month before it opened, while he was still a student at UCLA. For 10 years, he wrote personal materials for Walt Disney, including a 20-minute film that established the creative intent for Walt Disney World and Disney’s Epcot community concept. He was responsible for the creative development of all Disney parks and attractions for more than three decades beginning in 1974, and is the only employee who participated in the opening of all 11 Disney parks around the world, including the newest, Hong Kong Disneyland. His contributions to the entertainment industry have been honored with numerous awards including the Disney Legend award, the Lifetime Achievement Award from TEA (the Themed Entertainment Association), and the Hall of Fame honor from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). More honors came his way in 2005, beginning on January 1, when Marty was one of three float judges for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. Later that year he became only the fifth person inducted into the Hall of Fame of the UCLA student newspaper, The Daily Bruin, for which he served as editor and sports editor during his undergraduate days. In June 2007, Marty received the UCLA Award for Professional Achievement, one of five prestigious recognitions presented annually by the UCLA Alumni Association. And in 2008, he accepted an invitation to become a member of the UCLA Alumni Association Board of Directors. In addition, Marty was elected to two terms on the Board of Education of the Anaheim (California) City School District, and served as its President. Today, he serves the community as President of Ryman Arts, which he co-founded 20 years ago with his wife Leah and four others. The foundation has provided over 2500 scholarships to talented high school artists in Southern California through the Ryman Program for Young Artists.  Jordan WeismanAs a Consulting Partner at Fido, Jordan provides creative concept, consumer engagement, and business strategy counsel to clients in the entertainment and media sectors. Jordan has been the creative and motivating force behind the founding and success numerous entertainment companies, including Smith & Tinker (connected toys), FASA Corporation (role playing games), Virtual World Entertainment (the world’s first public networked virtual reality entertainment centers) acquired by the Disney Family in 1992, FASA Interactive (PC games, including the MechWarrior franchise) acquired by Microsoft in 1999, WizKids (collectible games, including HeroClix) acquired by Topps Inc. in 2003, and 42 Entertainment (alternate reality gaming). At Microsoft, Jordan was the Creative Director for the entire entertainment business unit which included all PC and Xbox titles. While there, he conceived of the pioneering transmedia non-linear storytelling experience for Steven Spielberg’s movie, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, which has spawned a whole new genre of interactive entertainment called Alternate Reality Games. Jordan and the 42 Entertainment team have remained in the forefront of ARGs with such experiences as “I Love Bees,” “Year Zero,” the campaign for The Dark Knight, and many others to their credit. Jordan’s latest experimentation with transmedia storytelling combines elements of ARGs with novels. Jordan’s first transmedia novel, Cathy’s Book, co-written with Sean Stewart, became a New York Times bestselling young adult novel, and has recently gone on to become a best seller in the UK, Germany, Sweden and Italy. The most recent book in the series, Cathy’s Ring, was released in summer 2009. At Smith & Tinker, Jordan is reinventing play for today’s children by creating toys and games that combine the endless expandability of online content and the power of neighborhood social dynamics to create a truly connected play experience that moves seamlessly between kids’ online and offline worlds. Nanovor, Smith & Tinker’s first game, combines an online multiplayer game with a handheld gaming device, set in a rich fictional world that is revealed through novels, comic books, animated episodes and transmedia-rich websites. During his career, Jordan has created some of the largest and longest-lasting franchises in the gaming industry, including BattleTech/MechWarrior, Shadowrun, and Crimson Skies. He has won more than one hundred awards, including election to the game designer’s hall of fame by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design, and in 2003 was selected as the Pacific Northwest Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young. Jordan also serves as an adjunct professor at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.  John ZiffrenAs a Consulting Partner at Fido, John provides strategic and operational counsel to clients in the entertainment and media sectors. John has worked in the entertainment industry for over thirty years, having been involved with the production of nearly one thousand episodes of prime time programming and one hundred digital media experiences. Included in John’s many credits is The Larry Sanders Show for which he received six Cable Ace awards, five Emmy nominations and a Peabody Award. In addition to his television experience, John served as Vice President of Production for Z.com, an Internet entertainment company. Under his supervision, Z.com produced over sixty interactive series covering a full spectrum of program types and production styles. Since 1976, John has been involved with numerous television pilots and series including Greek, The Middleman, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, The Golden Girls, Married to the Kellys, Inside Schwartz, Hart to Hart, Family, True Believer, Houston Knights, Paper Dolls, and the critically acclaimed movie of the week Alex: The Life of a Child. In addition, John supervised the production of Brillstein-Grey Entertainment television programs including NewsRadio, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, The Naked Truth, Just Shoot Me and many more. Since 2007, he has been affiliated with ABC Family where he serves as Executive Producer on multiple pilots and series. John has been very involved in the entertainment industry as well as community activities. As a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, he was elected four times to the Board of Governors and served four terms as the Chairman of the National Awards Committee, served on the Producers Peer Group Executive Committee, the TEC Council and participated in the formation of the Interactive Media Peer Group. John is a member of the Board of Directors of LA84 Foundation (formerly The Amateur Athletic Foundation) and was Co Chair of their Long Range Planning Committee. He participates on multiple committees of the Producers Guild of America, served as President of the Television Series Jury at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, served on the Board of Advisors of the AFI/Intel Enhanced Television Workshop and has had extensive involvement with the American Association of Producers, the Los Angeles Free Clinic, The Skirball Cultural Center and The Oakwood School where he sat on the Board of Trustees for over a decade. |