CASANOVA VENTURES ADVISORS
US-based Kiwi Claudia Batten admits she is digitally obsessed. From her roots in commercial law, she has been a founding member of two highly successful entrepreneurial ventures: Massive Incorporated (acquired by Microsoft); and Victors & Spoils (acquired by Havas Worldwide).
Claudia’s recent focus has been sharing her thinking on Squiggling, a methodology for embracing intuition and moving into uncertainty in pursuit of the remarkable. In her recent talk at TEDxScottBase in Antarctica she shared her reflections that “disruption is not the friend of the linear”, encouraging the world to squiggle and embrace non-linear thinking: tedxscottbase.com/claudia-batten.
Claudia has an appetite for new challenges and and intuitive handle on the pulse of what makes success in the industry. She truly is a force to be reckoned with.
Follow her: @claudiabatten www.squigglylife.com linkedin.com/in/claudiabatten
claudia batten
entrepreneur, speaker and director
FOUNDER, MASSIVE
Marketer. Storyteller. Brand Builder. Customer Experience Champion. Technology Enthusiast.
Valerie Buckingham leads marketing at Carbon, the company working at the intersection of hardware, software and molecular science to deliver on the promise of 3D printing, and to reinvent manufacturing.
Most recently, she led marketing in North America for Microsoft Mobile Devices, owning the spectrum of marketing functions and brand strategy; and launching the company's first Microsoft-branded mobile devices in the region. Previously, as Head of Marketing for Nokia North America, she relaunched the Nokia brand in the USA and Canada; ran consumer and B2B marketing; and launched 30+ products. Valerie has deep experience building and inspiring marketing teams, and managing a portfolio of products -- combining product launches with 360 integrated marketing and media planning.
Valerie has worked in a variety of roles including global brand at Nokia's Developer division, where she relaunched and managed global brand strategy for one of the world’s largest developer organizations, Nokia Developer. In Nokia's Corporate Strategy team, she handled software ecosystem marketing. As Principal in the Nokia Ventures Organization, she was responsible for investments for the early stage group, Innovent. She has toiled happily in a number of early stage roles in Bay Area start-ups; as well as co-founded a venture-backed privacy software company. Valerie started her career in high tech with roles in design at Paramount Digital Entertainment and business development at Motorola.
A native of Canada, Valerie holds an MFA in Intermedia from the University of British Columbia; as well as an MBA from the University of Victoria.
Follow her: linkedin.com/in/buckingham
valerie buckingham
vice president of marketing at carbon, inc.
Former head of marketing, microsoft mobile devices
Since dropping out of college in 1995, I've co-founded a number companies. Some were successful, some not so much. They include IGN (IPO), MyBlogLog (acquired by Yahoo!), Gnip (acquired by Twitter) and OneTrueFan (acquired by BigDoor).
I also invest in and advise early-stage startups, including Chromatic, CitizenNet, Foodzie (acquired by Joyus), Gigwell, Intense Debate (acquired by Automattic), Ubooly (acquired by Cartwheel Kids), Zemanta and Zynga (IPO).
I'm a product guy at heart. I speak for the people not in the room. I bring the fire.
Areas of Expertise: Product development, How not to fuck up your product or service, agile product development inside large organizations, Lean development, Consumer Internet, Gaming, Fundraising.
Follow him: www.marcoullier.com linkedin.com/in/bpm140
eric marcoullier
Serial entrepreneur with twitter and yahoo exits
President of Valor Partners. Executive Recruiter with 20-years of experience in Enterprise Software with a focus on building sales, marketing and product strategy teams, including the leaders. Specialized focus on working with top female leaders in tech.
Follow him: @Doug_Valor www.valorpartners.com linkedin.com/in/dougjohnsonrecruiter
doug johnson
president, valor partners
Prior to being Melanie serves as President and Chief Growth Officer at one of Denver's largest digital marketing firms, Fruition, Melanie was the Vice President of Digital Strategy for many of Merkle’s digital clients including Under Armour, Exclusive Resorts & TD Bank.
Melanie has a 18 year consumer marketing background that includes early successes at AOL and has a deep understanding of customer experience optimization, direct response marketing, digital marketing, customer and digital strategy.
In her spare time, she is a strong social advocate and impact investor focused on supporting organizations and entrepreneurs that are dedicated to poverty alleviation, food stability and economic security. Melanie is also a foundation board member for Excelsior Youth Foundation helping rehabilitate underprivileged youth who are victims of trauma and abuse and is on the advisory council of Blueflower Action, an initiative that supports women, especially women of color, running for office in Colorado.
Having worked across many sectors, Banking, Non For Profit, Travel, Tourism & Entertainment and Tech, Melanie is seasoned in building strong teams for success focused on both skill and cultural fits and client relations.
Follow her: @melaniedavidson www.davidsonpease.blogspot.com linkedin.com/in/melaniepeasedavidson
melanie davidson (pease)
chief growth officer at fruition
IMPACT INVESTOR
Jay Allen is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Executives Network, CXO, HR100, EA100 and several other private collaborative organizations with over 5,000 executive members from the major companies in the US and Europe. He has over 25 years’ experience as an entrepreneur, strategic advisor and executive leader.
Formerly, Jay served in various sales and business development roles for leading technology companies and emerging tech companies, and was ranked by Colorado Company Magazine as one of the top networked executives in the region. Jay is an influencer among private companies and large strategic corporations and continues to oversee strategic business development for a number of emerging technology portfolios. Jay received his Bachelor of Science in International Marketing from Brigham Young University and enjoys life with his wife and five children in Littleton, Colorado.
Follow him: @cxotweet www.cxo.org linkedin.com/in/allenjay
jay allen
founder and chairmaN, cxo.org
FOUNDER, THE INFLUENCE BOARD
For the last three years I ran the startup program for Softlayer & then IBM. My role was to engage with startups and promote IBM technology. The program offered credits to use IBM Cloud & Watson, plus mentorship, technical expertise, and go-to-market support. We on-boarded over 10,000 startups worldwide in the life of the program through a combination of partnerships, community involvement, and marketing. It was a prime example of how corporations can successfully engage in the startup community, and fill their sales pipeline by taking a long-term approach. In my new role, I will be running a lean business practice for an innovation consultancy, leading hands-on workshops & programs for "startup" teams inside of enterprise.
Follow him: @stoneybaby www.richmaloy.com linkedin.com/in/richmaloy
Jack A. Donenfeld has been practicing law for 39 years and has received the prestigious “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, the highest rating attainable for legal competence and ethics. Mr. Donenfeld is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers and has been ranked among top lawyers nationally. He frequently speaks on educational panels and is regularly quoted in local, regional and national media.
Donenfeld Law serves entrepreneurs and start-up businesses, closely-held companies, family offices, venture capital and private equity groups, investors and investment funds, securities broker-dealers, sponsors of securities offerings and real estate investors and developers.
Specialties: Donenfeld Law focuses on:
• Capital Formation and Securities,
• Corporate and Transaction-Oriented Business Law (including Entity Formation and Corporate Finance),
• Real Estate Transactions, Project Planning and Finance (including Private Residence Clubs and Fractional Ownership Development), and
• Wealth Preservation and Trust Planning (including Multi-Generational Dynasty Trusts).
Follow him: JackDonenfeld (Skype) www.donenfeldlaw.com linkedin.com/in/jackdonenfeld
Traci Fenton is the Founder and CEO of WorldBlu, which has a vision of seeing one billion people living, leading and working in freedom-centered and democratic organizations worldwide. WorldBlu was founded in 1997 and is the largest global network of companies committed to freedom and
democracy in the workplace, with clients in over 80 countries globally representing over $30 billion in annual revenue.
Traci was recently recognized by Inc. Magazine as a Top 50 Leadership Thinker, along with other world-class leaders such as Dan Pink, Brene Brown, Simon Sinek, and Marshall Goldsmith. Traci developed the groundbreaking Freedom at Work™ model as well as the Freedom-Centered Leader™ certification programs and frequently coaches and consults with leaders of companies worldwide working to embrace a more freedomcentered model.
Traci also developed the lifechangingThe Power Question™ Process. Research shows that the Freedom at Work™ organizational design and leadership model that WorldBlu teaches delivers on average a staggering 103% revenue growth (compared to the S&P Index’s 15% growth) over a three-year period for freedom-centered companies.
Follow her: @tracifenton www.worldblu.com linkedin.com/in/tracilfenton