Cool Person of the Day

In business, especially within the tech sector, conflicting philosophies or management styles do not necessarily spell the end of one’s career.  Because companies have different goals, priorities, and resources, what seems audacious or against the majority at one company may be exactly what another business is looking for.  For Gianfranco Lanci, the philosophies that make him popular at Lenovo are the same ideals for which he was rejected by Acer! Read more »

The real estate market constantly changes.  If you have ever bought a house, you know how fast bids may be accepted, how a listing that seemed ideal might have been off the market for months, or how a property you might have never known was on the market actually was available.  The Internet had not kept pace with the real estate world until Zillow.com appeared with comprehensive information about properties in the United States that are available for sale, for rent or is in any state of financial distress that might allow a buyer to get a steal of a deal!  To keep Zillow.com functional, stylish, and growing, the website has Kristin Acker. Read more »

Sometimes, the best ideas on the Internet are some of the simplest ones.  In the case of Internet humor, the evolution from simple shared comics e-mailed to friends to websites that collected memes to full-on Internet comedy channels is an intriguing one.  Too often, Internet users take for granted all of the work that goes into forming a humor-based website and making it successful.  For Ricky Van Veen, the challenges of establishing a viable Internet-based humor site are familiar; he runs CollegeHumor.com. Read more »

As streaming videos from the Internet becomes an increasingly legitimate entertainment channel, major companies in the entertainment industry are working to find their niche there.  Some of the most powerful production companies are rapidly expanding their Online division in order to use the Internet as an effective medium.  FremantleMedia is one such company that is devoting considerable resources to producing material for the Internet, including programming tailored to the mobile computing market.  All of their efforts, however, would be for naught if it were not for Mary Jones. Read more »

In most companies, within the tech sector and without, there is usually a pretty distinctive difference between the marketing and public relations divisions.  Marketing, historically, is all about selling your potential customers on your product.  Public relations is the division that promotes a positive view of your company by dealing with customer service issues, as well as corporate outreach.  So, it is fascinating to find a manager at a major company who is in Marketing, yet functions as a public relations specialist.  Tony Ou, of Silverstone Technology, is one such fascinating individual. Read more »

With the rise of Zynga, a video game developer that has effectively utilized Facebook as a platform for social gaming, traditional video game companies seem to have a lot to worry about.  After all, as Zynga’s market share grows, that company diminishes the market share of other video game companies.  But Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello is not sweating the completion; he has an ace in the hole.  That ace is Gabrielle Toledano. Read more »

Have you ever wondered just what kind of person it takes to design a puzzle game?  Who comes up with things like Rubik’s Cubes and Tetris and Angry Birds?  It takes an incredible, special mind to create a puzzle game that becomes a phenomenon.  Alexey Pajitnov is that exact type of imaginative thinker who can make a brilliant puzzle using only his imagination. Read more »

In the complex legal framework that defines both major corporations and the Internet, it helps to have a good lawyer on your side.  In fact, virtually every major company in the tech sector has an executive Vice President for General Counsel.  Now, specialized law departments write up and enforce contracts and deal with all legal issues that confront the company.  For the professional social network LinkedIn, the General Counsel is Erika Rottenberg! Read more »

There are many executives for whom their technology business is the end of their personal or professional growth.  This can make a lot of sense, as it is a herculean task to establish a successful business within the tech sector.  So, it is always interesting to find an executive who remains close to their roots and uses their businesses success to fund the causes dearest to them.  Lorne Trottier is one such executive. Read more »

One of the most important aspects of a sales-driven business is the ability to reach out to your customers.  Having an interface for customers and vendors is especially important on Internet sales sites, notably online sites that are essentially a platform for vendors who are not directly connected to the site, like eBay and Amazon Stores.  For the art sales website Etsy, the community aspect is exceptionally important.  Artists and those who buy art tend to naturally form communities to discuss art – both the creation and acquisition of art.  That makes Vanessa Bertozzi’s role at Etsy a very important one. Read more »