Management

	Michael L. Atkinson | Co-founder and CEO
	Michael is a serial entrepreneur and investment banker with over 25 of years of consumer retail, consumer Internet and investment banking experience beginning with Shearson Lehman Bros. in New York City. Mr. Atkinson has participated in well over 100 investment transactions as strategic advisor and private equity investment banker working with middle market, early-stage and start up companies in media, entertainment, restaurants, retail and financial services, among other industries. Michael is also the former CFO at Next Century Restaurants, CFO at Cheeseburger Restaurants, past CEO at esports.com, and current founder and CEO at Embarka Digital Media, Inc. mla@talktiva.com
	Ted Cohn | Co-founder, President and CTO
	Ted is a serial entrepreneur with over 20 years experience as a software developer, technologist, and senior executive. His technology background includes Internet, database, applications, graphics, video, compression, operating systems and more. Ted most recently co-founded Ugobe, an innovative robotics startup based in Emeryville, CA. He has developed and shipped cutting edge consumer products and services at well-known Silicon Valley firms, including Ten Square, Excite/Webcrawler, NeXT, Apple, RasterOps, Radius, Catapult Entertainment and Bridgespan. Ted graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Computer Science, holds two patents, and has won numerous product awards. ted@talktiva.com
Advisors
	Bennett Barouch
	Mr. Barouch has over 25 years of engineering experience spanning enterprise software, consumer software, natural language voice applications, computer-telephony integration, search and database technologies, and software development methodology, as an engineer, a manager, and an executive. Bennett is currently Vice President of Product Development at Palamida, Inc. Palamida provides software and services for intellectual property management to major corporations for self-governance, for M&A activities, and to maximally leverage open source projects within commercial products and IT infrastructures. Previously, Bennett was Vice President of Engineering at iPass, where he led a team of 100+ engineers in the development and operation of the world’s largest secure, remote, enterprise-grade network and authentication system. Before iPass, Bennett was Vice President of Engineering at Comergent, developing Internet-based enterprise software for sell-side e-commerce. Prior to that he held positions at General Magic, including Vice President of Engineering. His work there spanned compiler development, natural language voice applications, personal information management, computer-telephony integration, and mass-market website development and support. His work at General Magic and at iPass required extremely high service availability and reliability. Before this, Bennett held developer and management roles in a number of technology companies, including Cadence Design Systems and Hughes Aircraft. Bennett holds degrees in Computer Science and in Psychology, and is a patent holder in the area of IC design automation. Software products under his management have won numerous forms of recognition, including being in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institute, for Outstanding Achievement in Information Technology.
	Mary Curtis
	Mary Pacifico Curtis is founder, president and CEO of Pacifico, Inc., a leading Silicon Valley integrated marketing communications firm. In addition to management responsibilities, she directs the strategic and public relations activities that the company provides to its clients.Founded in 1977, Pacifico serves both high technology, B2B and B2C companies. The agency’s technology clients – in industries ranging from semiconductor devices to software and wireless communications – have put the company at the forefront of working with the technologies that enable profound change. Central to the core value for Pacifico clients is the notion that branding builds differentiation and value for companies and products competing in crowded markets.A graduate of Northwestern University, Ms. Curtis serves on the board of directors of the Children’s Musical Theater of San Jose. In the recent past she was a director for the San Jose Jazz Society, the Silicon Valley Ad Club and the San Jose Symphony, both of which she has also chaired. As well, she has served as a member of the Mayor’s New Realities Task Force, a board member for the Children’s Discovery Museum and an executive trustee for the Silicon Valley Arts Fund.Ms. Curtis serves on the advisory boards of several startup companies. She is a frequent speaker on topics pertaining to marketing and communications, and in 2000, was awarded the American Advertising Federation’s Silver Medal Award for furthering the industry’s standards, creative excellence and responsibility in areas of social concern.Pacifico, Inc. participates actively in a number of professional organizations and is a member of the Business Marketing Association (BMA) and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
	Richard Heaps
	Rich has more than 25 years of leadership experience in all facets of high technology including strategy, planning, sales, marketing, finance, operations legal and professional services. He took Clarent Corporation public which became the leader in voice over internet infrastructure technology, building the company from under 50 people and annualized revenue of $12M to a 20+ country multinational currently approaching 900 people and $250M+ in annualized revenue, exceeding market expectations in each quarter as a public company. He completed three major acquisitions and restructured the company into three separate business units to address a growing market. Rich has a proven ability to design, structure and drive highly visible and complex transactions and deliver revenue. He has proven leadership ability to drive culture, process, consensus and accountability. He is a respected team builder in leading both small (under 15) and large (over 500-) functional organizations, and is a recognized industry leader and spokesperson. Rich has extensive international experience in both developed and developing geographies.