Leslie Laredo is an interactive and Internet advertising pioneer with more than 25 years in the online and interactive industry. She has been instrumental in changing the face of the interactive media business and dramatically improving the knowledge and skills of media professionals on how to buy and sell interactive media. Leslie has trained and consulted with start-ups, Fortune 500 companies, small to large advertising agencies and multi-brand media publishers.

Her training and consulting services have been used and valued by C-level executives, vice presidents, sales and account managers, and media buyers and planners. She has worked with CPG and B2B brand and marketing managers spanning many industries including automotive, travel, financial, pharmaceutical and many others to educate their teams on how to plan, buy and sell digital media.

Leslie’s insights and training have allowed sales organizations to more efficiently meet the needs of their advertisers while maximizing revenues. She has also worked with agencies of all sizes to be more effective in delivering online media strategies as well transitioning their businesses to provide the thought leadership and digital media and marketing skills increasing required to keep and acquire clients.

In 1983, Ms. Laredo started her interactive career selling advertising on a local public access videotex system. Starting in 1986, she spent six years selling advertising for Prodigy and then 4 years setting up advertising strategies and programs for Ziff-Davis Interactive, Interchange Online Network, and AT&T Business Network.

In 1996, Ms. Laredo co-founded one of the first Internet advertising rep firms, Network 1.0 which was acquired by Softbank in June 1996. That year, she also helped launch the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), the standard-setting industry trade association. Leslie holds a Bachelors of Science degree from Cornell University and studied International Management at the University of Texas.

Leslie was also recently selected to serve as a board member to Breastcancer.org.

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Jeff Leibowitz is a respected management, marketing, business and product development consultant to the online, entertainment and mass-media industries with over 30 years of industry experience. He joined The Laredo Group as CEO in 1998 and has since led the company through significant growth in revenue and profit through both acquisition and expanded and enhanced product offerings.

Prior to the Laredo Group, he served as President of ENGAGE games online, a provider of high-quality games and entertainment to major online and Internet services worldwide. Before ENGAGE, Mr. Leibowitz was with Reuters’ Reality Online, developers of Reuters Money Network, where he was Executive Vice President. Prior to Reality, Jeff helped develop and introduce the concept of cyber-community with The ImagiNation Network, the first online graphically-based games and social network.

Selected as one of the Website 100 Most Influential People on the World Wide Web, Jeff has spoken often at Internet, computer, entertainment and media industry conferences. He is a former co-host of the nationally syndicated radio talk show On Computers and the online host of Cybermania, the nationally telecast annual awards show of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.

Jeff has provided consulting services to start-up and Fortune 500 companies alike and his expertise in developing business plans and digital marketing strategies has made him one of the most desired consultants in the interactive industry. He has been instrumental in making The Laredo Group the most sought after and renowned training organization in interactive media.

Jeff received his B.S. in Business Administration from Vanderbilt University and attended graduate school at Boston University. Jeff is member of the Friars Club as well as an officer in the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps and a Life Member of the Navy League of the United States.

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Jason Heller is a veteran digital media agency executive, respected industry leader, speaker and author, who has pioneered many digital media approaches and processes that have become best practices today.

Jason was co-founder and CEO of Mass Transit Interactive, a unique independent digital media agency, where he helped industry leading clients such as Alta Vista, Shopping.com, DoubleClick, Citibank, Hertz, Bertlesmann, Fodors, UPN Television, BMW Motorcycles and many others, utilize media, technology and data, to reach, engage, influence, acquire and retain customers.

Through his vision and leadership, Mass Transit became recognized industry-wide as a top digital shop, and in 2005 the agency was acquired by Horizon Media, the largest independent media buying agency in the world.

Heller transitioned to the role of Managing Director of Horizon Interactive for two more years, where he continued to expand the digital media, relationship marketing and analytic capabilities of the agency.

Jason is one of BtoB magazine’s “Best and Brightest Media Strategists”, and has been awarded the “Media Planning and Buying Award” from Media Magazine. He sits on a variety of advisory boards, including DoubleClick, is sought after to speak at industry events such as OMMA and AdTech, and pens a regular column in Media Post.

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Rob has been an interactive communications and marketing specialist in production, training and marketing since 1990.

A pioneer in the interactive design and development world, Rob was most recently president and founder of LearningCraft, LLC, a company that develops interactive advertising related curriculum for digital media applications and markets. He joined The Laredo Group when it acquired LearningCraft, which continues to function as the creative and technical training division of Laredo Group.

Rob is also an adjunct professor at both University of Massachusetts - Lowell and Harvard University Extension, where he teaches informational and design technologies.

Prior to LearningCraft, Rob was President of Mediactive, Inc., a multimedia development company specializing in interactive educational and marketing programs. After a decade in this area, Rob accepted a position with Enliven, one of the pioneering rich media development companies, and oversaw the advertising production team.

Rob is the author of Advertising Interactively, a behavioral guide for creating effective interactive online ads; and, most recently, Fishing From A Barrel, a guide to developing effective Behaviorally Targeted ad campaigns. He’s also been a marketing and technology columnist for over 6 years covering the Rich Media and Behavioral Marketing beat for ClickZ and iMediaConnection.

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Kendall is an adviser and special project director to agencies, publishers and brands, based in NYC. She has been immersed in new, emerging and digital media virtually since its inception. Her 16-year path has led from print to digital media, from publisher to agency-side. Her first years in this arena were spent covering emergent media and tech in the San Francisco Bay Area, reviewing products and writing case studies.

Moving from print to the interactive realm during its most formative years, Allen helped found Thrive, an AOL/Time Inc. joint venture, ultimately leading consumer marketing and distribution for the company. She has held top posts at USWeb/CKS and Euro RSCG Circle/Havas. Allen’s most recent post before joining with Laredo Group was as Managing Director for NYC’s Incognito Digital, LLC. There she spent two years building out the agency from its nascent state, expanding the client base and establishing a voice in the marketplace.

A highly regarded thought leader within media and marketing circles, she was on the ground floor of Search Marketing, as an original founding executive at Fathom Online, for whom she moved to New York to establish the east coast. She then became regional Director of Client Services for iCrossing. She contributes heavily to media industry thought leadership through her writing and consulting work. Kendall is a frequent speaker on the SES circuit; regular editorial or programming contributor to Media Post and iMedia; and periodic NYU guest lecturer and author in online learning. She also sits on the Producers Guild of America, New Media Executive Council; the Association of Downloadable Media, Ad Council; the Ad Club of New York Digital Marketing and Media Council, and serves on the Board of Directors for 212NYC, where she oversees the Professional Development programming series.

Kendall holds a B.A. in English from The Ohio State University and two Master degrees – a Master of Arts in Literature from L’Universite de Montreal and a Master of Science in Journalism, Magazine Publishing, from Northwestern’s esteemed Medill School of Journalism.

T.S. Kelly is a 20-year industry veteran, media strategist and consumer trend spotter who keeps a close watch on the social and marketing implications when technology, media and people all intersect. He has worked with clients and industry consortia worldwide to help guide their communication strategy and research efforts, typically as it relates to digital, direct, and relationship-based media.

Prior to joining The Laredo Group as an Adjunct Instructor in 2009, T.S. held senior research and strategy roles at Clear Channel Communications, Nielsen Online, Doner Advertising, IAG Research, Quantcast and, most recently, was the Global Head of Research & Insight at Havas Digital.

TS has appeared on CNN, TechTV, CNET, BBC News, CBS MarketWatch and is frequently quoted in the national press and industry trades, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Advertising Age, AdWeek and many others. He has also spoken at major industry conferences such as Ad:Tech, NAB, CES, Online Advertising Conference, The Summit, E3, Kagan Conferences, Digital Hollywood and many other media and advertising-related conferences and events.

TS holds a Master of Professional Studies degree in Media Management from the S.I. Newhouse School at Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Adelphi University.

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Bill Boggs is a TV host and entertainment industry insider who has won four Emmy Awards. Bill has been a major figure in the lifestyle, food, travel, consumer, sports, news, and celebrity reporting arenas for more than 25 years. He is also a bestselling author of and sought-after motivational speaker.

In 2007 HarperCollins published Bill’s widely-praised book, Got What it Takes? Successful People Reveal How They Made It To the Top. The book is based on success secrets uncovered in his interviews with leader in divers fields-among those included in the book are Sir Richard Branson, Renee Zelwegger, Diane von Furstenberg, Clive Davis, Donald Trump, Matt Lauer, Joe Torre and many others. He is also a featured columnist for The Good life Magazine, Crush Magazine and Black Tie International Magazine and has written several pieces for The New York Times. In 2003, Boggs debuted in his acclaimed one-man Off Broadway show, Talk Show Confidential, now playing at the Triad Theatre in NYC. It’s the first theatrical production of its kind, dealing with the alternately bizarre and inspiring world of talk shows. And it offers everything from celeb gossip to inspirational personal stories.

As host of the New York based Midday Live with Bill Boggs, WNBC’s Weekend Today in New York and Food Network’s Bill Bogg’s Corner Table, Bill has interviewed many cultural icons, presidents, international leaders, writers, athletes, celebrity chefs, food critics and movie stars. Bill was the host and creator of the recent PBS television show, Home Cooked Classics. He’s interviewed notable guests on CNBC’s Let’s Talk Stock and also on Historic Traveler and Freeze Frame (on the Travel Channel). Boggs was host and executive producer of the syndicated FOX-TV series, Comedy tonight and played a major role in developing a number of successful TV networks and series including the creation of COURT TV (as the network’s first executive producer) and the ground breaking Morton Downey Jr. Show (as executive producer).

Bill is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and also has a Master’s Degree from Penn’s Annenberg School. His on the Board of Governors of the Friar’s Club in New York, a member of The New York Athletic Club and a member of The Yale Club.