Research Fellows / Advisory Board

Tom Abate is a writer and business man. A former small press publisher, he studied for a Master’s Degree in Journalism at Columbia University where, in 1991, he won a Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship. Tom has worked in San Francisco newspapers since 1992, covering science, technology, biotechnology and economics. From 1980 through 1990, he co-founded a now-defunct typography firm and an alternative paper, the Northcoast Journal, still published (under new ownership) in Arcata, California. A Brooklyn native and U.S. Navy veteran, Tom studied political science and Mandarin Chinese at UC Berkeley, where he edited the campus paper, The Daily Californian. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife Mia Ousley, their sons, Julius and Aeneas, and daughter, AnaSofia. Tom blogs at MiniMediaGuy.

Elizabeth Albrycht is a 15-year veteran of high technology public relations practice and co-founder and co-producer of the New Communications Forum, a conference series designed to bring journalists and marketing and PR professionals together to learn how to use participatory communications tools. She has authored articles on blogging, RSS and other new tools for PRSA’s Tactics magazine, the IABC’s CW Bulletin, the New Communications Blogzine and the Future of Work eNewsletter, and has presented teleseminars and in-person seminars on new communications tools for PRSA. She is a member of the Future of Work, PRSA and the IAOC. She blogs at CorporatePR and is the editor of Future Tense, a Corante blog that explores the future of work. Elizabeth was recently named one of the most influential PR bloggers by Intelliseek.

Elisa Camahort is founder and Queen Bee of Worker Bees: Buzz Marketing & More and the co-founder of the BlogHer Conference. Elisa has more than 15 years of experience in marketing, has been published numerous times and has extensive public speaking experience. Most recently, she has presented on the “What, Why and How of Blogging” to various technology and marketing organizations. Elisa is an avid personal, political and business blogger, currently maintaining no less than seven blogs on a highly active basis.

Maurene Caplan Grey is the founder, principal analyst of Grey Consulting. Prior to starting an independent firm, Ms. Grey was Gartner’s lead analyst on messaging, calendaring/scheduling and human communications. Earlier, she headed United Parcel Service’s global messaging environment. With more than 20 years in the IT space, Ms. Grey is recognized within the IT corporate and vendor community as a subject matter expert. She has been widely quoted in print and broadcast media, such as the AP, CNN, Forbes, The New York Times, Reuters and The Wall Street Journal. Ms. Grey is a frequent contributor to New Communications Review and Collaboration Loop. She also serves on the Association of Records Managers & Administrators International – ARMA International (ARMA) collaborative environment task force. Ms. Grey is a member of the Association of Computing Machinery, Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI) and the Open Collaboration Forum. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications, summa cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh, and completed post-graduate work in computer science at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

John Cass is the director of Internet Marketing Strategies for Backbone Media, Inc., a search engine marketing and web design agency based in Boston. Cass was lead author on Corporate Blogging: Is It Worth The Hype? a 70-page study and website on the value and benefits of corporate blogging. John has been quoted in a number of national publications on the topic of blogging and corporate blogging including Florida Sun-Sentinel, Chicago Tribune and L.A. Times. He is the 2005/6 president of the Boston Chapter of the American Marketing Association. He has been blogging at his PR Communications blog since 2003, and now runs the blog, Blogsurvey at Backbone Media.

Karen Christensen is CEO of Berkshire Publishing Group and has an extensive background in trade and academic publishing on both sides of the Atlantic. Karen’s primary responsibility is bringing together global teams and building productive relationships with experts and organizations around the world. Karen also focuses on extending the company’s U.S. business networks and developing connections – guanxi – in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Karen has been involved in regional and national IT business organizations and initiated the Berkshire Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction, edited by William Bainbridge of the National Science Foundation, and is developing further technology projects. For almost five years she served on the Berkshire Hills Regional School Committee, where she was involved in curriculum alignment, library development, and technology applications for teachers and students. In addition, Karen is an award-winning author and writes two blogs Berkshire Blog and the Armchair Environmentalist.

Steve Crescenzo has helped thousands of communicators improve both their print and electronic communication efforts. A former editor of The Ragan Report, he now heads Crescenzo Communications, Inc., a full-service consulting firm specializing in employee communications. Recognized as one of the nation’s leading experts in employee publications, Crescenzo has taught seminars at IABC’s International Conferences and chapter and district events throughout America and Europe. Steve recently was voted the Number One-Rated Speaker at the 2003 IABC International Conference in Toronto. He currently works on four communication-related publications. He is a senior editor and columnist for both The Ragan Report and The Journal of Employee Communication Management, and a columnist and contributing writer for Corporate Writer and Editor.

Elizabeth L. Fletcher, Esq. is a New York State licensed attorney, and a tax accountant. She holds a J.D. from Albany Law School in Albany, NY, graduating in the Top 27% of the her class. She graduated summa cum laude from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY with a BS in Accounting. Most recently, she worked for the Department of Justice. She is a past recipient of the State Farm Outstanding Student Fellowship, Guistwhite Scholar, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants Award for Superior Scholarship in Accounting Studies, and All-New York State First Academic Team, among others. In 2003, she was selected for the Department of Justice Attorney General’s Honors Program. In addition to these accreditations, she served on the advisory committee for the International Nanocasting Alliance, worked as an editor and journalist for Gannett Newspapers, and founded/published Rhythm & News magazine. She currently blogs and hosts a podcast at Blawgzine.com when she’s not working her day job at the Fletcher Law Firm.

Dan Forbush founded ProfNet, PR Newswire’s expert resource for journalists, in 1992 and continues to serve as president. In 2004, he converted his Media Insider webzine to a blog and recently launched the CollaborativePR wiki. In a more speculative venture, Forbush has founded Old North Church, Inc. as a producer of collaborative Web-based entertainments. With 30 years of experience in academic PR, Dan was named by PR Week as one of the 100 most influential PR people of the 20th century.

Tom Foremski left the Financial Times as a full-time reporter and columnist in June 2004. He had joined the FT as a full time US tech correspondent and Silicon Valley columnist in 1999 when it was launching its push into the US market. Tom is still contributing a “View from the Valley” column for the FT, but his main focus is now on the popular Silicon Valley Watcher blog.

Robert French has worked in various PR/Marcom related practices for 20 years. He is currently a Technology Advisor/Instructor at Auburn University in Alabama (USA), and has created several blogs and wikis to complement the classes he teaches in public relations. Robert earned a Masters Degree in Public Relations/Communication. He has done concert promotion, special events management, media relations, fund-raising and even directed student activities for two large state universities. His experiences range from technology/opensource to radio & video production/station management and public relations/marcom activities for non-profits and state universities. Robert has a blog for classes and PR comments at infOpinions hosted on his AuburnMedia.com site.

Phil Gomes is Edelman’s senior counsel, online communications. Phil enjoys wide industry recognition as an expert on the intersection of emerging media technologies and corporate communications, having been quoted in Release 1.0, PR News, Ragan’s Media Relations Report, San Jose Mercury News, Electronic Business, San Francisco Magazine, and other outlets. As a speaker on this topic, Phil has presented to the Forbes Forum For Dynamic Mid-Sized Companies, the PRSA, BusinessWire’s Media Breakfast Series, SFSU, and Golden Gate University. His MediaMap ExpertPR article, “Using RSS for Corporate Communications,” has been widely referenced as one of the very first texts that describe the PR potential of online syndication techniques. Over the past nine years, Phil has gained a comprehensive familiarity with several key technology sectors, including semiconductors, data storage, consumer electronics, open-source software, R&D, enterprise software, and PC hardware, as well as vertical industries such as pharmaceuticals, materials and energy. Phil’s work has not only resulted in greatly heightened publicity for his clients, but increased business development for them as well. His successful career in corporate communications is characterized by his passionate interest in technology, media and emerging forms of communications. Phil received a B.A. in communications from Saint Mary’s College of California, graduating at the top of his department, and is currently pursuing an M.A. in communications management from the USC’s Annenberg School For Communication. He blogs at Philgomes.com.

Neville Hobson, ABC, has 25 years of experience in organizational communication, including public and media relations, marketing communication, employee, compensation and benefits communication as well as investor and financial relations. He helps companies use effective communication to achieve their business goals. For more than 15 years he has been a passionate advocate for new and emerging technology tools and channels and how they can be deployed as highly-effective agents of change in better aligning organizational needs with the marketplace and the needs of customers. He was VP corporate communication at Scala Business Solutions NV. During the 1990s, Neville worked for William M Mercer Ltd (an actuarial, employee benefits, compensation and HR management consulting firm) in the UK. Neville spent five years as a UK-based independent communication practitioner and project leader, an Internet and intranet evangelist, website developer, software tester, freelance copywriter and editor on technology-related topics. In the 1980s, Neville lived in Costa Rica, where he was co-founder and principal of Communication Advisers Ltd, a PR, advertising and marketing communication agency. He authors NevOn, a weblog with commentary and opinion on business communication and technology. Through his blog and his growing network of influence, and in speaking at conferences and other events, he advocates how new communication channels such as weblogs, wikis and RSS can be of significant benefit to organizations in helping them achieve their business objectives.

Shel Holtz, ABC, is principal of Holtz Communication + Technology. Shel has been advising companies on how to use online tools for public relations and corporate communications since 1996. Before that, he was a communications consultant and practice leader for Alexander & Alexander Consulting Group. He has also been director of corporate communications at two Fortune 500 companies, Mattel and Allergan. He is the author of several books, including “Public Relations on the Net,” “The Intranet Advantage,” and “Corporate Conversations.” He’s on the Web at www.holtz.com and blogs at blog.holtz.com.

Dan Karleen is Thomson Peterson’s director of online product delivery and author of Syndication for Higher Ed, a blog exploring social media and micro-content in education and education marketing. He is the creator and administrator of Thomson Peterson’s Edufeeds.com, the largest collection of .edu syndicated feeds on the web, and the co-creator and producer of Podcasts@Peterson’s, a series of educational podcasts for students applying to college. In addition to work in journalism and broadcasting, Dan has more than 11 years of experience in programming, technology management and the development of large information databases and related products. A speaker on syndication technologies in education, Dan is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Organizational Dynamics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Louise Kehoe is an executive media communications consultant. In her consulting activities Louise draws on her many years of experience as a senior technology business journalist, most recently as the Financial Times’ senior technology commentator. As the former “dean of the Silicon Valley press corp” (an informal title conferred by her peers), Louise has superb media contacts and a deep understanding of how the press works. She spent much of her journalistic career at the Financial Times establishing the international newspaper’s editorial presence in the Silicon Valley in the early 1980s and going on to lead coverage of the rapidly growing and changing technology sector. She wrote extensively about high technology industries for more than 20 years. Prior to leaving the Financial Times in 2003, Louise wrote a weekly column in which she commented on a broad range of issues relating to the technology sector. She was also involved in the editorial development of the FT’s web site and acted as a consultant to the FT group managing director on the publishing group’s Internet strategy. Louise holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) degree in physics, from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.

Kathy Klotz-Guest, MA, MBA combines 14 years of marketing expertise with a background in sketch comedy (including a cable show) and improvisation to help clients “get noticed and get results.” She has worked with Silicon Graphics, Dataquest, Gartner Group, MediaMetrix, Excite, Excite@Home, and Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network managing teams and launching products and brands. An author and occasional cartoonist, Kathy has published in Silicon Valley Biz Ink, The East Bay Business Times, MarketingProfs, and is a regular blog contributor to the New Communications Blogzine. Her business has also been featured in San Jose Mercury News. She founded Powerfully Funny in 2004 to help individuals and organizations of any size improve the impact of their marketing and communications through the use of humor. Clients include Cisco, IBM, PowerGenix Systems, Applied Signal Technology, SmoothSale, Positive Impact Partner, The Foot Rescue, W3-Studio, Stanford University, Stanford Hospital, Spherion, San Jose State School of Nursing, DeAnza College, CRONA and Fremont Union High School District among other organizations. A board member of the Silicon Valley AMA (American Marketing Association) and member of the National Speakers Association, Kathy has an MA and MBA from UC Berkeley, is currently working on her Masters in Liberal Arts at Stanford University and is an instructor for graduate and undergraduate marketing at the University of Phoenix in San Jose.

Bruce Lowry heads up global public relations for Novell, a $1 billion plus enterprise software firm in mid-transition from a traditional proprietary model to commercialization of open source software. Prior to joining Novell in 1999, Lowry spent nearly 14 years in the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer, specializing in economics. He headed up the Ukraine Desk in 1998-1999. From 1994-1997, he served as the Financial Attach in the U.S. Embassy in Rome. Earlier assignments included a position as special assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, providing policy advice and political and economic analysis on G-7, European Union, Middle East, and African economic developments; a stint in the State Department’s Office of European Union and Regional Affairs; and a position as staff assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs in 1990-91. Lowry’s initial overseas assignments with the Department were a 1988-1990 stint as a political/economic office in Mbabane, Swaziland, and a 1986-87 tour in Saudi Arabia as a consular officer. Lowry is a member of the Pacific Council for International Policy and on the advisory board of Business for Diplomatic Action. He received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Pomona College and a Master of Arts in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Dianna Miller is an interaction designer at WebEx Communications and has been wearing a variety of hats in Silicon Valley for the past fifteen years. She’s designed interfaces for interactive TV products, web sites and web applications for companies such as Microsoft/WebTV Networks, Sun Microsystems, MetaTV, Apple Computer, Splash Technologies, and Disney. In 2003, she completed her Masters in Interaction Design at the Interaction Design Institute in Ivrea, Italy, where she focused on the consumer application of wearable computing in fashion. Interests include new design education and bringing design tools to the development of service ideas that use convergent technologies to support sustainable business models.

Mike Manuel is a communications strategist with seven years of technology public relations, journalism and marketing experience. Mike spearheads Voce Communications’ Digital Advocacy practice, consulting clients on a variety of online communication programs with a particular focus on integrating social media and influencer marketing strategies with traditional media campaigns. He is also the author of Media Guerrilla, an award-winning weblog that follows Silicon Valley PR and marketing news.

Matthew Podboy is a founder and client supervisor at Voce Communications. Matt has led communications programs for established brands and emerging private sector companies in a variety of markets including online collaboration, P2P, security, and data storage. Matt’s focus on infrastructure and consumer technology allows him to provide strategic positioning, corporate and product market introductions, corporate communications counsel, as well as competitive positioning for a variety of related technologies. He maintains strong relationships with key business media, trade media, market and financial analysts by bringing outside ideas, trends and perspective to media engagements. Recently Matt has focused on implementing online communication tools such as blogs and wikis to expand client programs and build more dynamic interaction with key market influencers. In addition, he has helped establish a significant platform for Voce as leaders in Digital Advocacy counsel for clients. Prior to Voce, Matt worked at Weber Shandwick where he helped manage public relations programs for global company Compaq, test and measurement leader Fluke Corporation, and various emerging technology companies. Previously, Matt held several in-house public relations roles for companies in Santa Barbara, California. Matt graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in psychology. His blog is Active Voice.

Giovanni Rodriguez — Through a combination of luck and persistence, Giovanni has worked in the company of some of the most accomplished and colorful leaders in several worlds: the law, theater, and technology. Today, he is executive vice president at Eastwick Communications, a Silicon Valley PR agency, where he advises both emerging companies and market leaders on executive leadership, public speaking, communications strategy and new media. A leading evangelist for collaborative media, he launched the PR industry’s first agency-branded wiki for internal and external collaboration. He has worked for, consulted and advised numerous businesses and organizations including HP, Stanford University, Fujitsu Computer Systems, Cadence Design Systems, VMware, the American Arbitration Association, and the Unified Court System of New York. He is a graduate of Princeton University (Religion and Anthropology), and he has done graduate course work at the Columbia School of Journalism and N.Y.U. He is a frequent speaker on new media and collaboration, and his work has been noted in BusinessWeek, CNET, Brandweek and many others.

David Strom is one of the leading experts on network and Internet technologies and has written extensively on the topic for nearly 20 years for a wide variety of publications, including holding several editorial management positions for both print and online properties. His last position was editor-in-chief for Tom’s Hardware, which produced a series of technical Web properties, newsletters and other content involving computer enthusiast, gaming and IT industries. From 2002 to 2004, he held several roles in both print and online editorial management for CMP Media, including working at VAR Business and the Electronics Group. He help launch a series of vertical market electronics sites under the DesignLine series for automotive, power management, and wireless communications engineers. From 1992 to 2002, he ran his own freelance writing and consulting firm in Port Washington, NY. The firm was dedicated to improving the quality of networked products, explaining Internet technologies to corporate computing managers and helping early-stage Internet technology companies. In addition to his editorial work, Strom is also a frequent speaker, panel moderator and instructor at industry events and trade shows around the world. He has been a teacher, and has appeared on the Fox TV News Network, NPR’s Science Friday radio program, ABC-TV’s World News Tonight and CBS-TV’s Up to the Minute news broadcasts. For many years, he was on the program committee of the Interop trade show, and helped develop its first ecommerce educational workshops. He is the author of two books on email and home networking and maintains his blog at strominator.com.

Jean-Baptiste Su is the media and technology correspondent for La Tribune and managing editor, co-founder at International Media Publishing Group; columnist at L’Expansion et L’Etudiant, SocPresse-Le Figaro. Previously, he was the US correspondent at Groupe Tests, managing editor of the Network & Telecom section at Décision Informatique and an editor with IDG.

Debbie Weil is a corporate and CEO blogging consultant and author of The Corporate Blogging Book (Penguin Portfolio 2006). She also writes BlogWriteForCEOs, considered one of the most influential blogs about business blogging. As a consultant, she instructs executives on how to use blogs as a next-generation marketing and communications strategy. Debbie has a unique background as a veteran journalist with an MBA and corporate marketing experience. She has worked as an Internet marketing consultant with startups as well as Fortune 500 companies (including HP and Wells Fargo) for more than a decade. She’s the publisher of award-winning WordBiz Report, an e-newsletter read by nearly 20,000 subscribers in 87 countries. She has been quoted on the topic of corporate and CEO blogging in Fortune, the New York Times, BusinessWeek.com, the Washington Post and numerous other publications. A graduate of Harvard with a degree in English, she has an MBA from Georgetown University and a Masters in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin. She is based in Washington DC.

Philip Young is senior lecturer in Journalism and Public Relations at the University of Sunderland, United Kingdom, specialising in media ethics. He runs the Mediations blog.

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