| Mike Kennedy, CEO and Founder
From his beginnings at Sesame Street Place in Philadelphia, PA, Mike has been entertaining audiences for over two decades. He has worked with everyone from Jamie Foxx and the Foo Fighters to LeBron James and Big Bird during the course of his career.
For the past decade Mike was the emcee-announcer for the Sacramento Kings and for dozens high-profile NBA events, including four All-Star Games and the first NBA game in China. During his ten plus years in the NBA he also wrote, produced and hosted many things - most notably the "Big Mike Pre-Game Show" before each home game. This kid driven sports variety show became a league staple and more importantly planted the seeds for another vision... "Hey! You Up There!"
No stranger to the spotlight, Mike's voice, personality and ideas have propelled many high profile television events, including the MTV Movie and Video Music Awards, Nickelodeon's Let's Just Play, The ESPY's and dozens of other events televised by VH1, TNT, MTV, Nickelodeon and ESPN. He has also hosted or co-hosted several regional and national shows including ABC's "Sacramento and Company" and the DIY Network's "Do It Yourself Kids".
Mike has an 18 month old daughter.
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| Dean Kisieu, SVP and Co-Founder
Dean is a multi-faceted business professional with a history of delivering results. He has experience in start-ups, rapidly growing companies as well as turn-around situations. Dean is a strategist, deal maker, entrepreneurial manager and finance whiz who has spend much of his career in the media space. He has a passion for media that effects positive change.
Dean started his career working on political campaigns, managing early voting and media relations. He subsequently joined the National Democratic Institute, where he managed logistics for international election observation missions. Following business school at Wharton, Dean joined Central European Media Enterprises, where he spearheaded investments in television and wireless, and acted as country manager in two East European nations. In that capacity, he project managed the launch of a successful TV network and served as a founding board member of a major wireless carrier. Dean then followed an entrepreneurial path, launching several businesses including a webcaster that streamed ethnic television to subscribers in over 20 countries, which was acquired by a larger competitor. Subsequently, Dean was head of business development and finance at MediaOne Services. Most recently, Dean formulated the online strategy and drove broadband video syndication for Healing Quest, a PBS series on natural wellness. Dean received his BA from Stanford University and his MBA from Wharton.
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Scott Gelfand, SVP Living Networks Media Live Events, Sales and Community Outreach
Scott is the former Partner and Manager of The Other Café Comedy Club, and the Founder and Owner of San Francisco’s longest-running family entertainment company, The Buddy Club Children’s Shows, now in its 24th season. The Buddy Club produces over 50 live shows to more than 50,000 families a year.
Scott is the proud father of two Tween girls.
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| Jim Kiles, VP Strategy
Jim is CEO of Living Networks Media and brings almost thirty years of experience in the investment, media content distribution and rights management and partnerships to Hey You.
Jim has a deep understanding of internet traffic and revenue strategies and business partnership strategies with popular rights holders. From 2002 to 2006, Jim was CEO of Eyetide Media (an image broadcast system that implemented distribution deals with the NFL, MLB, WWE, Getty Images, AP Worldwide, HBO, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, Playboy, the Washington Post and others). In 2005, he founded CPM Capital, LLC where he implemented the development of CPM Capital’s advertising arbitrage system, driving millions of highly relevant page views on thousands of sites. Jim also has considerable experience representing Sports Industry clients on intellectual property, media and content rights issues.
Jim is also a member of the Board of Directors of Next Agenda, Inc. Jim's background includes a highly successful stint (1996-2001) as the Director of Intel Capital investments in media content, software, infrastructure and services where he managed and invested hundreds of millions of dollars of Intel's capital in more than sixty startups, many of which were successfully merged or achieved IPOs (Juno, Broadcast.com, Sportsline, Sightpath, Loudeye).
Jim has two wonderful children.
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| Ben Schick, VP Operations and Production
Ben is a partner and COO of Living Networks Media. Ben was formerly CEO of MediaOne, the largest independent broadcast and live media production facility in Northern California.
Ben's experience is in media production, content development, management and social profit organizations. In media, Mr. Schick has served as Vice President of Operations at re:Sources, a premiere producer of pre-visualization and visual effects projects, on film projects that include "Armageddon," "Contact," and "Shrek." He spent several years merging media with health and social issues as Director of Business Development for WISDOM Media Group and Director of Strategic Development for BroadcastHealth.com. He is proud to have been the first Executive Director of Challenge Day, the nationally acclaimed youth violence prevention program in middle schools and high schools across North America, that has been showcased numerous times on the Oprah Winfrey Show and MTV. Ben has an MA in Organizational Development.
Ben lives in Oakland with Amy and their six year old son, Sam
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