Digital Music Forum: East

February 26-27, 2008 | Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York City

Museum of Jewish Heritage
36 Battery Place
New York City
February 26–27, 2008

Hotel Bookings
Embassy Suites New York
102 North End Avenue, NYC
Group Rates:
$349 King/$439 Double
Group Code: H03
Group: Digital Media Wire
Call for Reservations:
Tel. (877) 371-2125

Press/Media Inquiries:
Ellen Gildersleeve
Tel. 310-855-0033

Our Sponsors

Media Partners

Testimonials:

“ We should all thank the folks at Digital Media Wire for putting on these forums and keeping us informed through their daily email newsletter. When I read the daily newsletter and attend these events, I have begun to form the conclusion that we may actually be an industry. ”
– Chris Gorog
Chairman and CEO, Napster

“ DMW conferences are great opportunities to meet new companies and hear about new opportunities. I recommend them highly. ”
– Jonathan Potter
Executive Director, Digital Media Association

“ I just wanted to say thanks for a great event. If you ever need us again, please let me know. Congrats on everything. ”
– Leah Arnold
Communications Manager, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)

“ It was a wonderful event. ”
– Sarah B. Deutsch
Vice President & Associate General Counsel, Verizon Communications

“ Please let me know if you have anything that AOL Music or I can do for other events. ”
– Mike Rich
AOL Music

“ I enjoyed it and hope to be working with you in the
future. ”
– Elliot Maxwell
Special Advisor for the Digital Economy, U.S. Secretary of Commerce (1998-2001)

“ Very good conference - diverse participants, meaty discussion. ”
– Tolman Geffs
Managing Director, Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc.

“ A rare chance for competitors to gather in one place and collaborate on what’s working and what&rsqou;s not. ”
– NY1 News

“ I was thoroughly impressed with Digital Media Wire and the logistical expertise you and your team displayed in executing a successful event. I believe the forum was very informative and afforded everyone in attendance the opportunity to express new ideas about the future of entertainment. I look forward to working with you and your company in the future, and please do not hesitate to call me if I can be of assistance to you. ”
– Michael Gravley
Governor’s Film & Entertainment Industry Liaison, The State of Georgia

“ It was a pleasure speaking at your show. Please keep QUALCOMM in mind for future events. ”
– Mike Yuen
Senior Director, Games, QUALCOMM

“ Fantastic event... ”
– Matt J. Railo
Partner, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP

“ I enjoyed the event and appreciated the opportunity to speak. ”
– Thomas Gewecke
SVP, Global Digital Business, Sony BMG Music

“ I had a lot of fun on the panel and thoroughly enjoyed the event. ”
– Thomas Ryan
SVP, Digital & Mobile Strategy and Development EMI Music

“ Great conference and great attendance! ”
– Brad Duea
President, Napster

“ While some of the other conferences in this space may have more ‘bling’, they don’t have the opportunity for meaningful networking like DMF is able to orchestrate. “
– Jan Eglen
CEO, Digonex Technologies, Inc.

To receive updates and announcements about our events, please join our event list here:

Digital Media Wire, Inc. launched in early 2000 with a simple yet compelling proposition to provide busy executives with a daily briefing of the most important news stories about the business of digital entertainment and media. Over the years, we have become a standard in publishing and events. We currently own and produce 6 annual conferences and publish 7 newsletters, including Digital Media Wire Daily, and run the DMWMedia news and community portal. For more information, visit: www.dmwmedia.com

Submit a Speaker
Client & Partner List

More Information:
Digital Media Wire, Inc.
8721 W. Sunset Blvd.
Suite P-10
Los Angeles, CA 90069
ph. 310-855-0033

Mark Ghuneim, CEO
WiredSet

Mark Ghuneim launched the online and mobile company Wiredset in 2004 after 16 years with Sony Music USA, where he was most recently Senior Vice President for Online Services. In that role, he created and implemented online marketing campaigns and was responsible for Sony Music's online sales. As Senior Vice President of Online & Emerging Technologies for Sony's Columbia Records Group, Ghuneim was instrumental in the careers of artists such as Destiny's Child, Jeff Buckley, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Billy Joel. Ghuneim has pioneered innovations in new media as the music industry has evolved during the past three decades. Before joining Sony, Ghuneim was Director of Press and Video Promotion for the legendary independent label Beggars Banquet Records. In the nascent days of music video, he was program director and production manager at the New York City video night club Private Eyes. Ghuneim has moderated numerous panels at industry gatherings and guest lectured at universities in Los Angeles and New York. He has worked as as a mentor with New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business. Ghuneim photographs have appeared in publications such as New Musical Express, the British music weekly.

Greg Scholl, CEO
The Orchard

In addition to his Dimensional role (Dimensional acquires and operates media and technology businesses, including The Orchard, eMusic, and Dimensional Music Publishing), Scholl serves as Chief Executive of The Orchard, which is the world’s leading distributor of independent music.

David Pakman, CEO
eMusic

David Pakman is a Managing Director of Dimensional Associates, the parent company of eMusic, The Orchard, Dimensional Music Publishing (formerly DreamWorks Music Publishing) and Dimensional Mobile Entertainment. He also serves as President and CEO for eMusic and Dimensional Mobile Entertainment.

Pakman is a pioneer and entrepreneur in the world of digital music. He was the Co-founder and President of Business Development and Public Policy at Myplay, Inc., the broadband application services company founded in 1999 that introduced the “digital music locker” and pioneered the locker category. After selling Myplay to Bertelsmann’s eCommerce Group in 2001, Pakman was named Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Public Policy for BeMusic, a division of Bertelsmann.

Prior to Myplay, Pakman was an early principal force and co-creator of Apple Computer’s Music Group, co-founding the Macintosh New York Music Festival and co-producing the then-largest industry webcast to date, the 1997 GRAMMY Awards. After Apple, he became Vice President at N2K Entertainment. He served as a board member of the Digital Media Association (DiMA) and was co-chair of its licensing committee.

Pakman has advised scores of companies in the digital entertainment space, and remains a board member of Knitting Factory Entertainment, and an avid musician and songwriter. Pakman has spoken at more than 100 events over the past decade, including Plug.in, Webnoize, Digital Hollywood, PFF Summit (Progress and Freedom Foundation), Paul Allen’s conference, Billboard, Winter Music Festival, SxSW, NxNW, AES, NAMM, Leadership Music in Nashville, Macworld, Digital Music Summit, Music 2.0, MobileMusicCon, and more.

He has testified in front of Congress on issues related to music copyright in a digital age, and has published in the American University Law Review. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science Engineering from University of Pennsylvania.

Ali Partovi, CEO
iLike

iLike (www.iLike.com) is the web's leading social music discovery service, and the dominant music application on Facebook. iLike helps you discover and share playlists, concerts by your favorite artists, and new music to match your tastes. With iLike you can add music to Facebook and add friends to your iPod.

Ali has been the CEO of iLike (formerly GarageBand.com), since 2002. Prior to iLike, Ali co-founded web-promotion company LinkExchange, which was acquired for $265 million by Microsoft in 1998. Ali is an avid guitarist and keyboard player.

Eric Garland, CEO
BigChampagne

Eric Garland is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of BigChampagne Media Measurement, a privately-held technology and market research company specializing in online media. Garland is recognized as one of the industry's leading authorities on the intersection of popular entertainment and technology. His report in 2003 to the California State Senate was the basis of the recent Associated Press story "Analyst: Internet file-sharing bigger than record business." Each year, Garland contributes data and analysis to the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) flagship publication "IT Outlook." His advisory board membership includes the digital initiative of the Recording Academy (The Grammys), where he has served alongside artists Kelly Clarkson and Kanye West. Garland was formally recognized for his outstanding contribution to the Recording Academy in 2007.

Garland's commentary appears in the media frequently, and his remarks can be found often in the pages of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. Garland has provided information and insight into online music to publications including Time, Newsweek, BusinessWeek and Fortune. He has been featured on Nightline, Good Morning America and National Public Radio as a digital music pundit, and is a regular guest on Los Angeles talk radio 97.1 KLSX in that capacity. Most recently, he has been a repeat guest lecturer at UCLA and USC Annenberg School for Communication, speaking on the impact of new technologies on entertainment businesses.

In October of 2003, WIRED magazine anointed BigChampagne the Nielsen television ratings of online music. BigChampagne pioneered the concept of tracking the music downloading phenomenon, starting with the popular Napster community, and is today an industry standard research tool. BigChampagne's partners and subscribers include MTV/Viacom, Clear Channel Radio, all of the major record labels, as well as music retailers, artists, managers and other music industry professionals. BigChampagne's chart syndication partners include Entertainment Weekly and E! Entertainment Television. Before co-founding BigChampagne in 1999, Garland was an associate with global management consulting firm Towers Perrin in the Communication and Measurement practice where, according to WIRED, "he spent much of his twenties dashing through airports and hotel restaurants telling people how to run their businesses."

Aydin Caginalp, Partner, Entertainment & Media Group
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Mr. Caginalp’s practice concentrates on business transactions, including acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures, private equity and general corporate and commercial matters, with an emphasis on international matters, entertainment and new media. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America.

He has worked extensively in the media and e-commerce field in connection with the acquisition of technology companies, music, broadcast and production companies throughout the world. In connection with Internet activities, he has worked in the establishment of ISP services, search engine companies, e-commerce companies and various initiatives involving delivery of music and entertainment products through the Internet, as well as digital rights management.

Ned Sherman, CEO & Publisher
Digital Media Wire

Ned Sherman is CEO and Publisher of Digital Media Wire, Inc., where he works at the center of the rapidly growing digital media industry. Under his leadership, Digital Media Wire has grown from a small newsletter publisher into a well-respected B-to-B brand that owns and produces five annual conferences - Digital Music Forum, Games & Mobile Forum, Digital Media Conference, Future of Television Forum, Digital Commerce Summit and The Billboard Digital Entertainment Conference & Awards (now DEMXPO) - and provides daily news, information and community to 30,000+ executives and professionals at entertainment, media and technology companies throughout the world.

As digital media community-builder, Ned has established partnerships with the leading B-to-B media companies and educational institutions, including VNU Business Media, Billboard Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, Reed Business Information, Multichannel News, Business 2.0, Business Week, CableFax/CableWorld, VIBE/SPIN, MidemNet, NYU's Stern School of Business, USC’s Center for Telecom Management and UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, and hundreds of the leading digital media companies, including Microsoft, Real Networks, Sony Corporation of America, AOL Time Warner, Napster, Yahoo! and many more.

Ned’s background is in law. Before joining Digital Media Wire, Ned spent 7+ years as a corporate and entertainment attorney practicing at several of the leading law firms in the world with an international client base across industries including technology, Internet, media and entertainment.

As a founding member of the iLaw Group in the Entertainment Department at Loeb & Loeb LLP in Century City, he handled complex licensing transactions and financings for media and entertainment clients including Universal Studios and MGM and launched dozens of Internet and new media start-ups. He has counseled company founders from initiation of a business plan to seed, angel, venture capital and later-stage private financings and managed all legal aspects of Internet clients from corporate organization, stockholder relationships, board compositions and dynamics, stock option plans, capital raising and security regulatory matters, Internet law issues, trademark, copyright, content and technology licensing, advertising and privacy issues.

He sits on the Board of Directors of Wild Way, a non-profit dedicated to cultivating environmental awareness and developing educational programs for inner-city and “at risk” kids and has traveled extensively from Europe to Asia to South America to Northern Africa. Ned is married and lives with his wife and son in Hollywood Hills, California.

Ted Cohen, Managing Partner / Chairman
TAG Strategic / MEF Americas

Integrating his widespread digital authority in music, mobile, IPTV and product & service development, Ted Cohen is the Managing Partner of TAG Strategic.

In an industry that's been slow to embrace change, Cohen is the exception to the stereotypical music-exec rule. Of course, when you start a career on the road with Alice Cooper and Van Halen, you're more primed for the unexpected.

Known throughout the technology and music industries as being "part ambassador and part evangelist," Cohen was instrumental in crafting the licensing agreements upon which the Rhapsody subscription service and the iTunes Music Store were built.

In his previous role as Senior Vice President of Digital Development & Distribution for EMI Music (home of artists including Coldplay and the Rolling Stones), Cohen led next-generation digital business development worldwide for this "big four" record company, which includes labels such as Capitol, Virgin, Angel/Blue Note, Parlophone and Chrysalis. During that time, EMI led the industry by embracing and exploiting new technologies and business models such as digital downloads and online music subscriptions, custom compilations, wireless services, high-definition audio and Internet radio.

In addition to seeking out, evaluating and executing business opportunities for the company on a global basis, Cohen served as both a strategist and key decision-maker for EMI's global new media and anti-piracy efforts. He worked to establish company-wide digital policies, which have provided EMI's artists and labels a substantial advantage in the digital music arena.

Prior to his role at EMI, Cohen served as Executive Vice President of Digital Music Network Inc., where he co-founded and served as Chairman of the groundbreaking Webnoize conferences.

Cohen also led two highly successful new media consulting operations, DMN Consulting and Consulting Adults, attracting clients such as Amazon.com, Microsoft, Universal Studios, DreamWorks Records, Liquid Audio, Wherehouse Records/Checkout.com and various other entertainment, technology and new media organizations. Cohen also held senior management positions at both Warner Bros. Records and Philips Media.

A 30-year industry veteran, Cohen was recently elected Chairman of the Mobile Entertainment Forum Americas board, and currently chairs MidemNet, an international music/technology conference convened in Cannes each year. Cohen also serves on the NARAS (Grammy) Los Angeles chapter Board of Governors as well as the national Trustee Board, the Board of Directors for the Neil Bogart Memorial Fund, co-chairs the new media arm of the T.J. Martell Foundation, and lends his time and talents to music & technology education efforts such as the Grammy In The Schools Program.

David Israelite, President & CEO
National Music Publishers Association

David Mark Israelite is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Music Publishers’ Association. Founded in 1917, The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) is the premiere trade association representing American music publishers and their songwriter partners. The NMPA's mandate is to protect and advance the interests of music publishers and their songwriter partners in matters relating to the domestic and global protection of music copyrights. Music publishers control the copyrights for the underlying compositions of songs on behalf of the songwriters they represent. The Harry Fox Agency, Inc., the leading U.S. mechanical rights organization, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the NMPA.

From 2001 through early 2005 Israelite served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor to the Attorney General of the United States. In this capacity he helped manage the United States Department of Justice’s 112,000 employees and $22 billion annual budget. In addition to his general management responsibilities, Israelite served as the Attorney General’s personal advisor on all legal, strategic and public affairs issues. In March of 2004, the Attorney General appointed Israelite Chairman of the Department’s Task Force on Intellectual Property. As Chairman Israelite lead a team of high-ranking officials in examining all aspects of how the Department of Justice handled intellectual property issues and implemented proposals developed by the Task Force.

Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Israelite served as the Director of Political and Governmental Affairs for the Republican National Committee. In that role he was the senior advisor to the Chairman of the National Republican Party, and was responsible for the Republican Party’s Campaign Operations, Government Affairs, Research, and Presidential Liaison Divisions.

From 1997 through 1998, Israelite served as Missouri Senator Kit Bond’s Administrative Assistant, making him the youngest AA in the United States Senate. Israelite also served as Campaign Manager for Senator Bond’s successful 1998 re-election campaign.

From 1994 through 1997, Israelite practiced law in the Commercial Litigation Department at the firm of Bryan Cave, LLP in Kansas City, Missouri. Israelite earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri in 1994 and received a B.A. in a double major of Political Science and Communications from William Jewell College in 1990. While in college, Israelite was named Top Speaker by the National Cross Examination Debate Association, recognizing him as the nation’s top collegiate debater.

Brad Duea, President
Napster

Brad Duea began his love affair with music as a young child through his sisters’ diverse collection of artists, ranging from Fleetwood Mac and Billy Joel to Van Halen and Devo. Brad has since constructed his personal soundtrack through unique playlists on cassettes, CDs and now MP3s that serve as the backdrop to his daily life.

As President of Napster, Brad oversees all of the company’s international business endeavors as well as all business development activities worldwide, including the development of Napster’s position in the mobile market. Brad also helps define the strategic direction of the Napster service.

Brad has a passion for music and values the Internet’s ability to connect fans with both large and small artists, making his entrance into the digital entertainment world a natural progression. Brad made this transition as Vice President of Worldwide Business Development and Worldwide OEM Sales for Roxio, Inc., where he was responsible for all business development efforts for the company, including international expansion, the acquisition and integration of pressplay (a music subscription joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group), the acquisition and integration of MGI Software (which brought the #1 consumer photo and editing products into Roxio’s digital media portfolio) and the development of strategic partnerships, including those with Samsung Electronics, Intel, Best Buy, Gateway and Dell.

Prior to joining Roxio, Brad was active in both the technology and customer service industries as the Vice President of Corporate Development for PeopleSupport, Inc., a leading provider of integrated e-customer relationship management solutions. While at PeopleSupport, Inc. Brad raised over $50 million in venture financing, and closed strategic partnerships with industry leaders, such as Hewlett Packard and Siebel Systems, Inc.

Brad holds a B.A. in Law and Society, High Honors, from University of California at Santa Barbara, a M.B.A. in Finance and International Business, Beta Gamma Sigma, from the University of Southern California, and a J.D., Magna Cum Laude, from the University of San Diego. He is a member of the State Bar of California and served as a corporate lawyer with O’Melveny & Myers LLP in Century City, specializing in merger and acquisitions for some time.

Brad is a devoted fan of The Cult. Having attended almost every local gig, he fondly remembers one show in particular where the opening act was Guns n’ Roses. Brad also has a weakness for influential bands, such as Gene Loves Jezebel, The Clash and Devo.

Dave Ulmer, Sr. Director, Entertainment Products
Motorola Media Solutions

Dave Ulmer is Motorola’s Sr. Director, Entertainment Products, defining and promoting seamlessly mobile media devices and experiences. A digital media pioneer, Dave has held a variety of executive roles with wireless, hardware, and software companies, including running the world’s leading CD-Recording software company and initiating its spinout as the original founder of Roxio and Napster. Dave serves as board director and vice-chairman of the Mobile Entertainment Forum and has a long history of championing and chaperoning leading edge products into mainstream consumer markets.

Gary Greenstein, Of Counsel
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Gary Greenstein is Of Counsel in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where his practice focuses on intellectual property, licensing, and commercial transactions, with specialized expertise in the digital exploitation of intellectual property.

Prior to joining the firm, Gary served as general counsel at SoundExchange, Inc., the sole entity designated by the Copyright Royalty Board to collect and distribute statutory performance royalties for sound recordings, where he was responsible for all corporate matters, including tax, corporate compliance, and governance issues. He also managed license enforcement and developed successful strategies that reduced the infringing activities of music on the Internet and helped to develop industry-wide strategies for litigations before the Copyright Royalty Board.

Gary previously was the vice president of business and legal affairs at the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In this role, he negotiated and drafted licensing agreements for webcasters and satellite radio services, managed complex arbitrations before Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panels, and prepared proposed legislation, regulations, and congressional testimony.

Before joining the RIAA, Gary was an associate in the Washington, D.C., office of Arnold & Porter, where he represented Major League Baseball on numerous matters before the U.S. Copyright Office, with a particular focus on satellite and cable television statutory licensing matters. He also served as outside counsel to the RIAA and Universal Music Group, specializing in statutory and non-statutory licensing matters for the use of sound recordings through new digital media.

Prior to his legal career, Gary was the director of planned giving at The Wilderness Society and a fiduciary real estate asset manager at The Boston Company.

Gary Shapiro, President & CEO
Consumer Electronics Organization

Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the U.S. trade association representing over 2300 consumer electronics companies and owning and producing the continent’s largest annual trade show, the International CESÒ.

Shapiro led the industry in its successful transition to HDTV. He co-founded and chaired the HDTV Model Station and has served as a leader of the Advanced Television Test Center (ATTC). He is a charter inductee to the Academy of Digital Television Pioneers, and received its highest award as the industry leader most influential in advancing HDTV. He began the effort urging Congress set an analog cut-off date.

As chairman of the Home Recording Rights Coalition (HRRC), Shapiro led the battle to preserve the legality of recording technology and the consumer fair use rights. Shapiro has held many exhibition industry leadership posts, and received the exhibition industry’s highest honor, the IAEM Pinnacle Award. Shapiro served on the Board of Visitors of George Mason University and served as a member of the Commonwealth of Virginia's Commission on Information Technology. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Board of Governors for the National Academy of Media Arts & Sciences. Shapiro has also been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a “mastermind” for his initiative in helping to create the Industry Cooperative for Ozone Layer Protection (ICOLP).

Shapiro leads a staff of 150 employees and thousands of industry volunteers and has testified before Congress on technology and business issues more than 20 times. He is a member of the State Department’s Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy (ACICIP), and a member of the Copyright Roundtable, a small group of the nation’s top copyright experts. In 2006 and in 2007, the Hill named him one of the top 50 business lobbyists in Washington. Shapiro also serves on the Advisory Committee for the National Task Force on Community Preparedness and Response. In May 2007, he was named one of Washington DC’s 100 most influential individuals by Washington Life Magazine. CEA has won many awards for its magazine, Vision, and as a family friendly employer and one of the best places to work.

Prior to joining the association, Shapiro was an associate at the law firm of Squire, Sanders and Dempsey. He also has worked on Capitol Hill, as an assistant to a member of Congress. He received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate with a double major in economics and psychology from the State University of New York, Binghamton.

He is married to Dr. Susan Malinowski, a retina surgeon.

Matt Schwartz, Manager, Music Programming & Business Development
Verizon Wireless

Matt Schwartz is Manager of Music Content Operations and Business Development for Verizon Wireless. In this role he oversees music programming and content acquisition for the suite of music products Verizon Wireless offers including V CAST Music over-the-air full song downloads, ringtones, ringback tones and music videos. He is responsible for the deals with Verizon Wireless’ music content providers as well developing its music marketing strategy and product development.

Mr. Schwartz is a music industry veteran with over 12 years of music content experience. Prior to joining Verizon Wireless he served as Senior Director of A&R Administration for SonyBMG’s Zomba Label Group, where he was responsible for the management of several of the world’s most successful recording projects including Chris Brown, T-Pain, Usher, Outkast, Ciara, Pink & Kelis. Before this, Mr. Schwartz oversaw the A&R Administration department for Arista Records and managed recording projects for artist greats such as Avril Lavigne, Jermaine Dupri, TLC, & Whitney Houston. At Arista he was also responsible for the management of the producer deals with producer veterans Jermaine Dupri, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis & The Neptunes. Prior to Arista, he served as Director of A&R Operations & International at TVT Records when he oversaw budgets and operations for A&R, Touring & Music Videos while managing TVT’s international marketing. Mr. Schwartz has also served as founder and webmaster of Bouldermusic.com, a web community portal, where he created a community team of web developers, internet providers, concert photographers, music editors/promoters, ticket outlets & records stores to successfully drive business operations for the local and national music scenes.

Prior to this he ran Island Record’s Black Music’s A&R Operations and was responsible for the project management for platinum & gold artists Dru Hill, Isley Brothers, Kelly Price, Karen Clark-Sheard, Luther Campbell, Steve Harvey, Bishop TD Jakes and Sisqo There he developed, structured and helped negotiate producer deals including some of the following top R&B/Hip-Hop producers; Jermaine Dupri, P-Diddy, R. Kelly, Teddy Riley & Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.

Mr. Schwartz holds a Masters of Music from the University of Miami School of Music and a B.A. from George Washington University.

Jim Donio, President
National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM)

Jim Donio is the President of the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM). As the leading trade association for music retailers, wholesalers, distributors, suppliers, and individuals involved in the business, NARM advances the promotion, marketing, distribution, and sale of music by providing its members with a forum for diverse meeting and networking opportunities, information, and education to support their businesses, as well as advocating for their common interests. Donio has been with NARM since 1988, when he joined the organization as Director of Creative Services, focusing primarily on editing a monthly newsletter, as well as creating a series of promotional and informational publications and materials. In 1991, Donio added PR and marketing functions to his NARM resume, and was promoted to the position of Communications Director. In 1995, he took on oversight of NARM's conventions and conferences as Vice President of Communications & Events. In 2000, he was elevated to Executive Vice President, adding most of the organization's day-to-day administrative and operational responsibilities to his job description. Donio was was named President in 2004. Prior to joining NARM, Donio held a variety of editorial, PR and event-related positions for the Association of Information Systems Professionals (AISP), an international individual membership organization focused on the needs of office systems professionals. Donio earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia. He has been active in Philadelphia-area TV and cultural events, winning a local Emmy Award in 1986 for “Outstanding Cultural Programming.”

Michael Petricone, SVP of Gov't Affairs
Consumer Electronics Association

Michael Petricone is the senior vice president of government affairs for the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). In his position, Michael has been responsible for representing the CE industry’s position before Congress and the FCC on critical issues such as digital television broadband, privacy and home recording rights. Mr. Petricone is a frequent speaker on policy issues impacting the consumer electronics industry, and in 2003 Michael was featured by Dealerscope Magazine as one of the technology industry’s “Top 40 Under 40”. Mr. Petricone received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and his undergraduate degree from Tufts University. CEA represents more than 1000 U.S. manufacturers of audio, video, accessories, mobile electronics, communication, information and multimedia products that are sold through consumer channels. CEA also sponsors and manages the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s largest annual trade event showcasing consumer electronics products.

Steve Jang, CMO & Head of Bus. Development
imeem

Steve develops and drives content and technology partnerships, product management, and community marketing for imeem.

Prior to joining imeem, he worked in digital media, business development and marketing roles at EMI Music, XUMA, WR & Hambrecht + Co, and Salon.com. Steve has a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Southern California.

Maria C. Thomas, SVP, NPR Digital Media
NPR

In 2007, Maria C. Thomas was named Senior Vice President for NPR Digital Media, responsible for the development and delivery of NPR content on new media platforms, including NPR.org and mobile devices.

Prior to joining NPR in late 2001 as Vice President and General Manager, Digital Media, Thomas spent three years at Amazon.com. She played a key role in the launch and management of Amazon.com's camera and photo store, including forging its partnership with Ofoto, a company engaged in the online photo services business.

From 1992-1999, Thomas worked as an investment officer with the World Bank's private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC). In 1995, she was awarded an Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship to study the limitations to financing small- and medium-sized enterprises in Argentina. In 1997, Thomas made the institution's first investment in a private company in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Her career at the IFC culminated with an appointment to the position of special assistant to the CEO.

Thomas began her career on Wall Street where she spent five years in corporate and project finance with Kidder, Peabody & Company, Incorporated.

Thomas holds a M.B.A. degree from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a B.S. in accounting from Boston University. She passed the CPA exam in Massachusetts. Thomas lives in Washington, D.C.

Gerd Leonhard, CEO
Sonific LLC

The Wall Street Journal calls Gerd one of the leading media futurists in the world. He is the co-author of the influential book The Future of Music (2005, Berklee Press), as well as the author of Music2.0 (January 2008, self-published), and of 'A Change of Control' (Fall 2008). Gerd's background is in music (he won the Quincy Jones Award in 1986 and is a graduate of Boston's Berkee College of Music) as well in technology and the Internet (former CEO of Licensemusic.com, and currently as CEO of Sonific LLC). Gerd's work focuses on the overlap zones of music & content, technology, communications and culture, and he is considered an expert on topics such as Web/Media 2.0, social networking, copyright vs. technology, online content commerce models, media convergence, mobile entertainment, the future of advertising and branding, and future scenarios for digital content, and next generation business models.

Gerd's keynotes, speeches, and think-tanks are renowned for his hard-hitting, provocative yet inspiring and motivational style. With over 50 engagements in the past two years Gerd has addressed global audiences in the sectors of recorded music & music publishing, radio, TV, film/video and broadcasting, online gaming and virtual worlds, telecom & wireless, and advertising and branding. His clients include SonyBMG, RTL, ITV, the BBC, France Telekom, German Telekom, Orange, LebWeb3, Financial Times, TribalDDB, the European Commission, Nokia-Siemens, and many others. Gerd is a fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts (London), and resides in Basel, Switzerland. www.mediafuturist.com

Navarrow Wright, President & CEO
Global Grind

Before joining Global Grind Wright was senior vice president of technology at Digitas Health and was, responsible for leading the growing company’s technology practice.

Previously, Navarrow was chief technology officer for BET.com, the number-one African American Internet portal, run by Black Entertainment Television. Under his direction, BET.com doubled its number of registered users and unique visitors, and won numerous best-in-genre awards from companies such as AOL and Yahoo!. Navarrow also served as vice president of technology for 360hiphop.com, a start-up created by entertainment mogul Russell Simmons.

Navarrow has over 13 years of experience in the design and development of Web applications, and is considered an authority in enterprise content management implementations. His expertise has earned him a coveted place on the advisory boards of many dominant Internet technology leaders, such as Akamai, Vignette, and InfoWorld magazine.

He has also worked as the director of technology for Raymond Karsan Associates, a leading provider of Web-based training solutions for Fortune 500 companies. Before joining Raymond Karsan, he was the senior software engineer in the electronic publishing department of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, one of the largest medical book publishers in the country, where he was instrumental in the design and development of Internet-based publishing systems for online medical journals.

Navarrow received a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from Rider University.

Celia Hirschman, Host
KCRW's On The Beat

Celia Hirschman oversees a wide scope of music business. With 29 years experience behind her, she runs the marketing consulting company she founded, Downtown Marketing. Ms. Hirschman also runs the UK based independent label, One Little Indian, in North America, overseeing the marketing for such artists as Bjork, The Twilight Singers, Lloyd Cole and others.

In addition, Ms. Hirschman is a weekly commentator on Los Angeles NPR station KCRW, speaking on issues affecting the music business. Her show, “On The Beat” airs at 4:44 on Wednesdays, right in the middle of NPR’s, “All Things Considered”. “On The Beat” is podcast around the world, via KCRW, Itunes, and many other nationally known outlets. Ms. Hirschman also serves as guest host for KCRW’s half hour radio show, “The Politics of Culture” as well as a guest commentator on the National radio show, “Marketplace”, and XM’s “Musician’s Radio”.

She resides in San Francisco.

Steve Marks, EVP & General Counsel
RIAA

As General Counsel for the Recording Industry Association of America, Steven oversees the RIAA's litigation, licensing, and technology initiatives. He is also involved in legislative initiatives, having led negotiations on behalf of the industry that resulted in comprehensive revisions to the Copyright Act.

Marks joined the RIAA from the Washington, D.C., law firm of Arnold & Porter, where he assisted with mechanical royalty negotiations and litigated the inaugural statutory performance right royalty rate for digital audio services. More generally, Marks has represented clients on intellectual property, First Amendment and general litigation matters.

Marks is a 1988 graduate of Duke University and a 1992 graduate of Duke Law School, where he was Articles Editor of the Duke Law Journal. Upon graduation, Marks served as a law clerk to the Honorable Mary M. Schroeder of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Rich Bengloff, President
A2IM

Rich Bengloff joined A2IM as it’s President in January of 2007. Rich also serves as a board member representing the Independent music label community on the boards of the SoundExchange and the Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies ("AARC"). Rich has spent much of his career in the music and entertainment industry, having served in various capacities at SONY Corporation of America. As Vice President of Columbia Pictures Entertainment; as Vice President, Finance and Administration at Relativity Records/R.E.D. Distribution; and as Vice President, Distribution Operations for Sony Music Distribution between 1989- 1998. He then joined Elektra Entertainment Group to become Senior Vice President/CFO. In 2005, he became WNYC Radio’s Vice President of Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer.

Rich holds a BA degree from SUNY–New Paltz and an MBA from Columbia University. Rich also co-teaches the music industry course in the Media and Entertainment Department of Fordham University’s MBA program.

Michael Robertson
Founder & CEO
MP3tunes
Founder
MP3.com

In his 18-year career, high-tech entrepreneur Michael Robertson has spearheaded a cache of diverse, high-profile companies ranging from digital music to operating systems to VoIP to entertainment. Not one to shy from controversy, his quest to offer competing products and innovative technologies has brought him face to face with corporate giants – and corporate lawsuits. But his madness always has a method – producing relevant technology and products that bring choice and freedom back to the consumer. Be it MP3, Linux, software, or hardware, Michael has built his career on supporting open standards that empower consumers. With companies like Linspire, SIPphone, and MP3tunes, Michael has entered industries that traditionally had only one or two dominant players. But with each industry he tackles, Michael's end goal is trying to bring competition and freedom of choice back to the marketplace. And restoring that freedom is the undercurrent of every venture he helms.

Michael's high-profile startups include MP3.com, where he established the largest collection of digital music in the world, amassing more than 1 million downloadable MP3 files. Robertson also spearheaded change in corporate business music services and put the power of CD creation in artists' hands by offering a host of support technologies and services. Vivendi Universal purchased the profitable company in 2001 for $372 million in stock and cash.

Michael's next project was to produce an easy-to-use product that could handily compete with operating systems like Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Having used Linux at MP3.com, Michael decided to start Linspire, Inc., a company that produces an affordable, license-free desktop Linux operating system that is gaining market share on Microsoft Windows. Four years after its founding, the Linspire operating system is making inroads in North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific Rim as the easiest Linux distribution available.

In 2003, Robertson founded SIPphone.com, a company that harnesses the power of the Internet to allow customers to make free long distance phone calls. SIPphone was founded to build a VoIP platform and directory on which any hardware or software developer could offer free VoIP service. Since then the company has partnered with Web communities, universities, telcos and hardware manufacturers around the world to extend and strengthen its VoIP platform. Today SIPphone's service incorporates all the key elements of VoIP service.

In 2005, Michael reentered the MP3 business with his latest venture MP3tunes, an online music store and artist music service that offers digital music without digital rights management.

An active supporter of higher education, Michael launched REEF (Robertson Educational Empowerment Foundation) in the fall of 2002 at the University of California, San Diego. REEF is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to promoting new and innovative programs of investment in education.

Prior to establishing MP3.com as a major portal of music distribution, Michael operated several web sites from 1995 to March 1998 that focused on merging search technologies with commerce. Michael received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in 1990. Michael is also a principal investor in Sadie's Children's Photography, a studio that creates Hollywood-like settings for children's portraits. Sadie's is located in malls across the country, including Mall of America.

Michael is a frequent public speaker and presenter and contributor to major news publications. For questions or comments, please fill out the contact form here. For press queries, or to schedule a speaking engagement, please contact Camille Wood at 858.202.1600 ext. 242.

Jim Griffin
Managing Director
OneHouse LLC
Co-Founder
Pho Group

Jim Griffin is Managing Director of OneHouse LLC, dedicated to the future of music and entertainment delivery, and works as a consultant to absorb uncertainty about the digital delivery of art.

In addition to serving as an agent for constructive change in media and technology, he is an author, serving as a columnist for magazines, and is on the boards of companies and associations. He started and ran for five years the technology department at Geffen Records. Prior to Geffen he was an International Representative for The Newspaper Guild in Washington, D.C.

While at Geffen, Jim led a team that in June of 1994 distributed the first full-length commercial song on-line, by Aerosmith. Geffen was the first entertainment company to install a web server, and Geffen World was one of the first corporate intranet sites. Geffen was named by Network World in 1996 as one of the world’s top 25 technology companies, and one of only seven in the United States.

Jim is co-founder of the Pho group. Named after a bowl of Vietnamese soup, Pho is an organization that meets for discussion-oriented meals in cities around the world, electronically linked by the Pho mailing list. Pho’s many thousands of readers enjoy dialogue on the digital delivery of art and the new economy in music, movies, books and all media.

Jim testified in July 2000 before the Senate Judiciary Committee at its oversight hearing on file sharing and music licensing. He regularly moderates video and television shows on digital entertainment. He is often a keynote speaker or moderator at conferences (Internet Summit, Giga Conference, Comdex, CES, Webnoize, and many others) and lectures annually at business schools (Harvard, USC, UCLA, Berkeley). He also serves as an expert witness in digital entertainment, and has presented many Continuing Legal Education courses.

In addition to work with music, his expertise includes wireless work in Europe, including at Nokia’s Research Center in Helsinki, Finland, and with numerous companies in Finland and throughout Europe. He’s moderated numerous panels on wireless and given speeches on wireless issues around the world, ranging from music conferences to parliament meetings in Europe. He is a regular speaker at entertainment industry events and corporate and association meetings

Maria Egan-Cohen, A&R
Columbia Records

Maria Egan Cohen was named one of Billboard Magazine's "Power Players under 30" in 2006 and is currently an A&R manager for Columbia Records, the world's largest and oldest record label. She began her career in music as a teenager writing for fanzines and music magazines in the UK which led to a stint as an independent publicist and then artist manager. In 1999 she came to NYC to join boutique management firm Magus Entertainment (whose clients included Aerosmith, Carly Simon, Duran Duran) and in 2002 joined the NYC office of Nettwerk Management where she helmed the careers of high profile alternative and electronic artists.

In 2005 she joined Columbia Records and currently A&R's a atable of developing and established artists including Aqualung, Brandi Carlile, Lostprophets, Patti Smith, Nicole Atkins, Mat Kearney, Mew and The Automatic.

Jon Potter, Executive Director
Digital Media Association

Representing America’s leading online media companies as Executive Director of DiMA, Jonathan Potter is actively involved in the development of U.S. and global public policy associated with digital entertainment convergence. He frequently testifies before Congress and speaks at conferences worldwide, and was named one of Washington’s top technology lobbyists by Tech Counsel Magazine. In 2001 Mr. Potter was instrumental in the creation of EDiMA, the European Digital Media Association. He is a graduate of New York University School of Law and the University of Rochester.

Kelli Richards, President & CEO
The All Access Group

Kelli is a veteran in the traditional music industry as an A&R exec (EMI), and is an early pioneer & veteran in digital music and entertainment as well.
She is also a sought after talent producer, having produced a wide range of concerts, award shows, and celebrity fundraiser events over the past two
decades. She led music and entertainment initiatives at Apple for over a decade before launching her own company, The All Access Group, a digital music and media consultancy. Her company advises some of the most influential, cutting edge companies in technology and entertainment today.

Kelli is highly artist-centric with a large network of artists, producers, and industry influencers in her extensive rolodex. She has a special passion for enabling established artists to connect more directly with their fans, and to monetize their brands more broadly across the full spectrum of the digital landscape. Kelli is the co-author of two books, including the acclaimed "The Art of Digital Music", and is renowned globally as an expert and speaker on digital media and music convergence.

Jim Cooperman, COO
Wind-Up Records

Jim Cooperman, Wind-Up Entertainment’s Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice-President of Business and Legal Affairs, has been instrumental in designing and implementing the strategic path of the company over the last several years. In addition to overseeing Business and Legal Affairs, Cooperman oversees A&R Administration, Human Resources, Operations, International, Publishing, Licensing and Pronto, the company’s merchandising concern.

Prior to joining Wind-up, Cooperman was the Co-General Counsel and SVP, Legal and Business Affairs at BMG. In this position, he was actively involved in devising and actualizing online and wireless opportunities and deal making, handled business affairs for BMG Distribution and BMG Strategic Marketing Group, and spearheaded new world-wide royalty initiatives. He also contributed to pan-label transactions such as on-line catalog licenses, and multi-label joint ventures. After beginning his legal career at the law firm of Kaye, Scholer, Cooperman entered the music industry as a lawyer within the Business and Legal Affairs Department of RCA Records. He thereafter headed up Business and Legal Affairs for Sony Music’s RED Distribution and its sister labels Relativity Records, LOUD Records, and Edel North America.

Aram Sinnreich, Founder & Managing Partner
Radar Research

Aram Sinnreich is a writer, speaker and analyst covering the media and entertainment industries, with a special focus on music. Named one of the fifteen "Innovators and Influencers of 2001" by InformationWeek, Sinnreich is often quoted in media outlets such as The New York Times, Forbes, Billboard, The Wall Street Journal and NPR. He has appeared on ABC World News Tonight, The CBS Early Show with Bryant Gumbel, CNN, CNBC, BBC Radio and Fuji TV. He has also addressed several university audiences and professional organizations, including NYU's Graduate Music Business Program, Fordham University's MBA Program, USC's Communication Management Master's Program, and The New York State Bar Association. He has also served as an expert witness in several court cases, including the recent Supreme Court file sharing suit MGM v. Grokster.

Sinnreich has written about music and the media industry for publications including The New York Times, Billboard, Wired News, Truthdig.com, and American Quarterly. As a Senior Analyst at Jupiter Research in New York for over five years (1997-2002), he produced research covering the online music and media industries and provided hands-on strategic consulting to companies ranging from Time Warner to Microsoft to Heineken.

Sinnreich holds a B.A. in English from Wesleyan University, an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University, and an M.A. in Communication from USC Annenberg, where he is currently a doctoral candidate and lecturer.

Frank Rose, Contributing Editor
Wired Magazine

As a contributing editor at Wired, Frank Rose covers media and entertainment from a global perspective. In the process he’s chronicled the 21st-century aspirations of such companies as Sony, Samsung, and Vivendi, as well as the trend toward digital empowerment that has given consumers unprecedented choice and control. Formerly a contributing writer at Fortune and a contributing editor at Esquire, he also wrote for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair and got his start covering the lower Manhattan punk scene for The Village Voice. More recently he has led debates about the future of media at such venues as the Cannes Film Festival and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Among his books are The Agency: William Morris and the Hidden History of Show Business, and West of Eden, about the power struggle between Steve Jobs and John Sculley at Apple.

Rachna Bhasin, VP, Business Development
Dell-ZING

Rachna Bhasin became Vice President of Business Development for Dell-ZING in 2007 after ZING was acquired by Dell, Inc. ZING is charged with entertainment services in Dell’s Global Consumer Group and creates software and services to enable the next generation wireless media players which offer a fresh approach to entertainment discovery and acquisition.

Previously, Bhasin was Vice President of Business Development for EMI Music North America. She was responsible for growing EMI’s digital business through digital deals with partners – including download retailers and mobile operators. She worked closely with the digital teams at EMI's labels, which include Astralwerks, Blue Note, Capitol Records and Virgin Records, and in cooperation with EMI's global strategy and development group.

Bhasin joined EMI in 2004 as director of Catalog Sales for EMI Music Marketing (EMM). At EMM, she oversaw all aspects of EMI's Catalog Digital Sales and International Sales for the US. Prior to joining EMI, Bhasin served as Director of Corporate Strategy at InterActive Corp in Los Angeles. Bhasin also worked for Airvana, a wireless infrastructure company, and as a senior technology consultant at DST Systems in New Zealand, Australia and Hong
Kong.

She is a graduate of Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand and holds a MBA from Harvard Business School.

Bhasin is located in New York City.

About ZING - A Dell Experience

ZING is redefining the portable digital entertainment experience.

A new generation of all-in-one mobile digital media devices and experiences from ZING offers consumers new and exciting ways to discover, collect and share entertainment. Based in Mountain View, CA, ZING is a division of Dell’s Global Consumer Group. For more information go to http://www.ZING.net.

Mike Rich, SVP & GM
AOL Entertainment & AOL Black Voices

Mike Rich joined AOL in early 2001 as executive programming director responsible for the editorial voice of AOL Music, Winamp, Netscape Music, CompuServe Music and AIM Music. He then advanced to vice president of product integration, where he focused on developing and integrating tools to enhance programming for AOL’s entertainment properties, as well as News, Sports, Coaches and Black Voices. In addition, Rich led content management operations for AOL’s Emmy-Award winning Live 8 broadcast; he co-created AOL Music’s Top 11 countdown show and developed AOL Music’s search experience. Rich’s role then expanded to serve as vice president of AOL programming, products and operation leading the efforts of enhancing the company’s publishing platforms and managing the enhancement of AOL’s Web 2.0 programming experiences.

In 2007, Rich was promoted to senior vice president and general manager of AOL Entertainment and AOL Black Voices. In this role, he spearheads the programming, products and overall business strategies for AOL’s central entertainment properties including Music, Radio, Television and Moviefone. Additionally, he oversees the editorial and business sides of the leading Web site for African American news, culture and community.

Prior to joining AOL, Rich was vice president of internet media at Burly Bear Network, Loren Michaels’ college television network. He also served as executive producer at Get Music, LLC, an online music company financed by BMG/Universal Music Group. He was also a principal in CIA Music Management.

A graduate of Temple University, Rich holds a BA in Communications. He currently resides in New York City with his wife Melissa and their daughter Sophie.

Peter Rojas, CEO & Co-Founder
RCRD LBL

Peter Rojas is the CEO and co-founder of RCRD LBL, an ad-supported free music download site, and the founder and editorial director of Engadget, a daily blog covering gadgets and personal technology with a monthly readership of over 9 million. He is also the co-founder of several other popular blogs, including Joystiq, Gizmodo, Hackaday, and Engadget Mobile.

Matt Mason, Author
The Pirate’s Dilemma: How Youth Culture Reinvented Capitalism

Matt Mason began his career as a pirate radio and club DJ in London, going on to become founding Editor-in-Chief of the seminal magazine RWD. In 2004, he was selected as one of the faces of Gordon Brown’s Start Talking Ideas campaign, and was presented the Prince’s Trust London Business of the Year Award by HRH Prince Charles.

He has written and produced TV series, comic strips, viral videos and records, and his journalism has appeared in The Observer Music Monthly, VICE, Complex and other publications in more than 12 countries around the world. He recently founded the non-profit media company Wedia with his wife Emily. He lives in New York City.

Edith Bellinghausen, SVP, Digital Business
Razor & Tie

Edith Bellinghausen is SVP of Digital Business for Razor & Tie, where she oversees digital marketing, direct