Management Team
David Gottesman, Founder, President & CEO
Sales veteran and successful entrepreneur with early-stage expertise in developing and driving rapid revenue growth. Sole founder and CEO of TDR Corporation with sales of $15,000,000 after 4 years when he sold it to FusionStorm in 1996. Other companies to his credit include SI-CAP Corporation sold to Acclaim Technology in mid 2006 and WeBot an innovative Web 2.0 media site. He currently is on the Board of Directors for Blue Bear Music School and Chairman of the Trustees committee; 25 year music student of guitar, bass, mandolin and vocals. David received his BSBA in 1988 and MBA from Xavier University in 1990.
Noah Thorp, Co-founder, VP Engineering
Founded Rixiform Inc. in 2006 with 10+ years of software development experience with information and media technology. His projects have included financial industry accounting and CRM systems ontologies, geo-location applications, multi-media content management systems, music performance and composition software, interim CTO duties for a financial startup, and systems analysis advising. He founded the Bay Area Computer Music Technology Group (BArCMuT) in 2007, a community organization for sharing knowledge about computer music technology with hands on sessions and presentations at Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Pyramind, Ex’pression, Digidesign, and Dolby. In addition to his agile software project management and engineering skills, he has an extensive background in music management, production, mixing, and composition including founding record label and audio think-tank Listen Labs (1998), producing Independent Music Awards nominated orchestral-electronica project Rabbit’s Rum, and a TED 2009 performance with the Capacitor Dance Troupe. He worked for a decade at Digidesign in various roles including web architect, project manager, lead web developer, and earlier on as premium customer support technician for 200+ Digidesign audio products.
Dwight Petersen, CFO
Mr. Petersen has gained over 25 years of experience as head of finance in start-up and early-stage companies, as well as divisions of major firms. As a CFO, some of his major accomplishments include raising VC funding ($20M) for NameTree and ClearingFactory as well as leading the TABNet acquisition by VERIO ($48M). Mr. Petersen also served as the Director of Finance for the SPACEWAY business unit of Hughes Electronics where he successfully coordinated and arranged a multinational finance facility for the Asia-Pacific system ($500M) and secured tax incentives for the company from foreign governments ($250M). As head of finance at American Mobile Satellite Corporation, he is credited with leading the successful IPO of the company ($246M), as well as spearheading major projects including the FCC filing for an initial formation of XM Satellite Radio.
Ken Leonard, Investor, Chairman
Ken Leonard has been an active entrepreneur and pioneering technologist since the late 60s; creating innovative companies in the music and recording industry, consumer electronics, video graphics, computer hardware, web hosting, international e-commerce, and the Internet security markets. During Ken’s more than three decades of entrepreneurship he has founded 16 companies including Spectrum Electronics, AEA, and the Video Graphics Corporation. His technology career started when he designed a new generation of state-of-the art sound systems and studio electronics incorporating the then revolutionary Integrated Circuit or “chip” technologies. He designed and built custom sound systems used by several bands who went on to become legends—including The Allman Brothers, Tom Petty, The Grateful Dead, Santana, Frank Zappa and Fleetwood Mac. He was also instrumental in designing electronics for the new mixing consoles used to refurbish and reestablish the Criterion Studios in Miami. Derek & the Dominoes “Layla” was one of the first albums recorded at the new Criterion Studios. After a 10 year break where he sailed around the world and captained a ship for the Cousteau Institute on a south pacific research cruse, Ken returned to found some of the earliest and most successful Internet startups. In 1995, he launched TABNet, a webhosting pioneer that grew to more than 150,000 customers before NTT/Verio acquired it in 1998. He went on to found China’s first cross-border trade portal, MeetChina.com in 1999. In addition to being the first wholly owned foreign entity licensed to conduct Internet business in China, MeetChina attracted many distinguished investors, including President George Bush Sr. In 2002 he founded ScanAlert, provider of the HACKER SAFE website security service, acquired by McAfee in 2008. He has represented outside investors on the board of directors of GameWorld Technologies, WebEver, D-achieve, PeerPC and OnMap. Besides creating businesses, Ken loves to sail; cruising around the world and logging over 60,000 mile as a licensed ship’s captain. He studied medicine at the University of Vienna, Austria, and radio astronomy at the University of Florida
Advisors
Scott Mathews
Record Producer with a clients including, A&M, BMG, Capitol, Epic, EMI, Sony, Universal, Virgin, & Warner Bros. He has produced, recorded or performed with: The Beach Boys, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, Roseanne Cash, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, Ry Cooder, Robert Cray, John Fogerty, Jerry Garcia, Sammy Hagar, John Hiatt, George Harrison, John Lee Hooker, Mick Jagger, Booker T. Jones, Patti Labelle, Huey Lewis, Steve Miller, Van Morrison, Aaron Neville, Roy Orbison, Steve Perry, Bonnie Raitt, Joey Ramone, Keith Richards, Todd Rundgren, Carlos Santana, Joe Satriani, Boz Scaggs, Ringo Starr, Barbra Streisand, Trip Shakespeare (Semisonic), Bob Weir, Brian Wilson, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Neil Young
Jonathan Shambroom
15 years experience introducing new consumer entertainment and social media services that define new categories and are viral in nature: Online video, social networks, online invitations, online calendaring and video games. General Manager and Product Development leader for both shrink-wrapped and online services. His product success has lead to company acquisitions on 4 occasions: Mattel / The Learning Company (PF.Magic), AOL (When.com), IAC / CitySearch Ticketmaster (Evite.com), Sony Entertainment (Grouper / Crackle).
David Kostiner Esq.
David started his professional music career at age 15 playing jazz drums. Kostiner co-founded the Independent Online Distribution Alliance, managed Sub Pop recording artists Rogue Wave, worked as an associate in the San Francisco office of Davis Shapiro Lewitand Hayes, LLP, and recently founded Counsel LLP. Kostiner holds a BA in Clinical Psychology from Tufts University, a JD from Hastings, and attended the New England Conservatory of Music. Kostiner has been published in the Santa Clara High Technology Law Journal and the Hastings Comment Law Journal.