Bill Gross
Chief Executive Officer
Bill Gross founded UberMedia in 2010 after a series of frustrating experiences tweeting during the Copenhagen climate conference in December 2009, the World Economic Forum in Davos and at the annual TED conference in early 2010. Getting lost in the noise of meaningless chatter and unable to easily connect with users interested in finding insightful tweeters from these events, Bill realized there had to be a better way to connect to serious tweeters and followers. Bill took his concept for UberMedia to the Idealab board and several potential investors, all of whom immediately saw its potential.
Bill is also the CEO of Idealab, where he has started over 75 companies. He serves on the boards of directors of numerous companies and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the California Institute of Technology and of the Art Center College of Design. Bill received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology.
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Jon Kraft
Chief Operating Officer
Jon has over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur in software and new media. Jon was most recently Chief Operating Officer for Big Stage Entertainment, Inc., an advanced avatar platform company recognized by Forbes in 2009 as one of America’s 20 Most Promising Companies. Jon previously served as Co-founder and CEO of Pandora Media, the largest and fastest growing online radio site in the world. Jon has also served as President of Worldwide Marketing and Distribution for Auryn, Inc., a VC-backed animation technology company, and Co-founder of Stanford Technology Group, an innovator in the relational OLAP market, funded by Sequoia and Hummer Winblad, and acquired by Informix Corporation. Jon served four years as Chairman of the Technology Council of Southern California, and currently sits on that organization’s Board of Directors. Jon holds a B.A. from Stanford University.
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Steve Chadima
EVP, Content and Community
Steve joined UberMedia from Suntech Power Holdings, the world’s largest solar module manufacturer, where he was Vice President, External Affairs, responsible for public policy, investor relations and corporate communications. He came to Suntech as a result of its acquisition of EI Solutions, the systems integration arm of Energy Innovations, a solar energy start-up begun at Idealab. Steve has been involved with a wide variety of technology start-ups, including hardware, software and Internet companies, in the lead marketing and/or public policy role. During his extensive career with emerging companies, he also ran regional offices of Regis McKenna, Inc. and Connors Communications, leading technology communications firms in the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. Steve holds a B.A. from the University of California, Irvine and an MBA from Stanford University.
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Uri Blackman
SVP, Applications
Uri was most recently CEO of GIDEON Informatics Inc, a company that provides web-based medical decision support and information to health professionals in over 45 countries. Uri previously served as Vice President of Corporate Development at Speedbit. In this role, Uri developed and managed strategic relationships and managed a successful M&A process for the company. Previously, Uri founded Oloop, a venture backed online insurance brokerage firm. Prior to Oloop, Uri was a Business Development Manager at AOL and Product Manager for Netscape’s web properties and the Netscape browser. Uri serves as Chairman of the Technology Council of Southern California and served as a Commander in the Israel Defense Forces Intelligence Corp. Uri holds a B.A. from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from Stanford University.
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Sherri Nadeau
SVP, Human Resources & Administration
Sherri’s experience as a senior HR leader encompasses a wide range of industries including entertainment, technology, financial services, and hospitality. Sherri has an extensive M&A background and international experience in all major markets. Prior employers include Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, SAVVIS Communications, Equant, Intercontinental Hotels and KPMG. Specialties include change management, recruitment and retention of unique talent and scaling for high growth. Sherri holds a BS in Accounting from Liberty University and an MS in Accounting (Tax) from the University of Virginia.