Drew Stein
Chief Executive Officer
(SL: Bolliver Oddfellow)
drew [at] involve3d [dot] com
Drew Stein brings a wealth of interactive and print marketing and production expertise and is considered a visionary in the field of interactive marketing. Drew has more than 23 years of creative marketing and production management experience, including responsibility for the creative and production needs of several multi-million dollar product lines. Mr. Stein began his career at David Hunter and Co., a Ft. Lauderdale based marketing and promotions company, while still in college. He quickly rose from Jr. Production Manager to Director of Production Services. Along the way, his talent for marketing and flair for copywriting led him to take on many creative and account management responsibilities. After 7 years with David Hunter and Co. Drew felt the need to expand his creative horizons and accepted a position of Director of New Business Development at New York City based Fort Lee Marketing – a medium sized marketing and promotions agency. In this position, Drew was responsible for marketing campaigns for such clients as Chrysler Motors, Spin Magazine, MTV, Jena Pateau Perfumes and TVT Records.
In 1994, Drew accepted the position of head of production for Acclaim Entertainment, during the heyday of the video game giant’s success. In less then a year he was responsible for all creative production and manufacturing efforts – supervising a staff of close to 100 freelance and staff creative and production professionals. While at Acclaim, Drew supervised the simultaneous launch of five games in seven countries. He was also instrumental in the launch of the much-lauded Acclaim Nation web site, as well as streamlining the company’s production methodologies and saving more than $2 million in production costs.
In 2005, Drew started the influential Digerati group on the Soflow business network. Digerati was conceived as a place for those in the know to come and engage in a free flowing exchange of thoughts, opinions and ideas on interactive issues without fear of censorship or narrow-mindedness. Topics discussed range from cutting edge business issues to spirited discussions of the politics of the day. Its membership are some of the best and brightest in the interactive and social networking space and include such well-known members as Internet writer and pundit Marcia Geller and Steve Hall, publisher of Adrants, as well as Joe Jaffe, the well-known blogger, and author of “Life After the 30-Second Spot.”
Before founding Involve early in 2006, Mr. Stein had served as a freelance web producer working with companies like Crispin Porter + Bogusky and Genex producing high-end flash sites for such clients as EarthLink, Lions Gate Films and Relic THQ Games.
Drew holds undergraduate degrees in Theatre Arts, communications, philosophy, art history and a master’s of business administration from the University of Miami.
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Ron Blechner
Chief Technology Officer/Software Dev. Team Leader
(SL: Hiro Pendragon)
ron [at] involve3d [dot] com
As software developer, coder, 3-D artist, blogger, business owner, tester, marketer, speaker and event host, Ron is a pioneer developer in the emerging Metaverse well-grounded in its many aspects. His passion is creating top-notch virtual world content and has been doing so as a full-time business since January 2006. Aside from his work at Involve, Ron also participates in forwarding the Second Life community and serves on a developer council advising Linden Lab on Second Life technology.
Ron merged his company, Out of Bounds software with Involve in August of 2006, bringing with him experience in many areas of metaverse development services. In 2006, he co-founded SLdevelopers.com, the Second Life Developers Archipelago commity. He also co-founded and co-sponsored SL Community Convention (SLCC) with Jerry Paffendorf of Accelerating Change, with the help of other organizers and dozens of volunteers. His work with Paffendorf on the SLCC created the first two-way mixed reality event, an event with cross-connecting media between real and virtual worlds. From early 2005 through 2006, he volunteered with Linden Lab's Live Helper program in Second Life.
Constantly testing and evaluating new virtual worlds and mediums, Ron ensures that Involve is at the leading edge of the new and hot emerging media. He has been a speaker on business and technology panels for virtual worlds, and has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Wired, and NY1 News.
Ron attended Stevens Institute of Technology and graduated in 2003 with a B.S. in Computer Science and a minor in Philosophy. Ron worked in the wireless cellular sector for two and a half years before starting his metaverse consulting business.
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June Peoples
Executive VP/Executive Producer
(SL: Quirky McArdle)
june [at] involve3d [dot] com
June Peoples is an award-winning communications professional who sees the Metaverse as the next iteration of social media.
Before joining Involve in late 2006, June was vice president and senior producer at Lichtenstein Creative Media, where she had responsibility for development and production of television, film, radio and web programming, and related educational outreach, community engagement, strategic communications and marketing efforts in the areas of health and social justice.
June served as executive producer of The Infinite Mind, an award-winning weekly public radio program airing in 260 public radio markets in the U.S. and Canada, on Sirius Satellite Radio and on the web. Under June’s leadership, over the past 10 years the program was honored with 26 major broadcast, health and public service awards. June managed construction of The Infinite Mind’s virtual broadcasting facility in Second Life and she produced and directed the ground-breaking mixed-reality events featuring host John Hockenberry with Suzanne Vega, Howard Rheingold, John Maeda and Kurt Vonnegut, broadcast in Second Life and on public radio.
June is deeply committed to the use of media for social justice, educational outreach and community engagement. She has developed, produced and/or advised research and social marketing projects on a wide range of health and human rights issues, including: the emotional effects of the September 11th attacks, emergency room care and staff training, health care for Latinos, treatment of personality disorders, juvenile justice, and preventing college suicide. June served as co-coordinator of a mental health anti-stigma campaign developed under contract with the City of New York, working with leading market research and advertising professionals. Non-profit, institutional and academic project partners have included the American Psychological Association, the National Institutes of Health, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and Boston University.
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Ian Tepoot
Chief Creative Officer/Creative Director
(SL: Ethan Therian)
ian [at] involve3d [dot] com
As a designer and illustrator for over ten years, Ian has a passion for creating rich, immersive experiences in virtual worlds. He brings an illustrator's eye for high-fidelity detail to his virtual creations. In fact, his builds have been selected as among only ten sites featured on Linden Lab's in-world guide ("Pathfinder's Picks") and they have maintained that position through one year and two updates. Ian joined the Second Life community in 2004.
Ian got his start while still in college, as a freelance designer. Since then, Ian has worked as a contract artist creating projects for such companies as Burger King, American Express, Canon, and Procter and Gamble. He was Studio Director for a South Florida multimedia firm and was responsible for managing the teams that created work for clients such as Bank Atlantic and the University of Miami.
In addition, Ian was a professor of game art, interactive media, animation and design students at the Art Institute of California. He teaches (among other subjects) digital illustration and digital paint/image manipulation. He is also a member of the Instructor volunteer program in Second Life. Ian attended the University of Florida and was awarded a B.S. in Advertising (Design) from the College of Journalism and Communications.
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Marv Goldschmitt
Senior Vice President, Business Affairs
(SL: Marv Bekkers)
marv [at] involve3d [dot] com
Marv brings a history of high tech executive management experience helping companies bring breakthrough innovations to market. After running one of the first computer stores, he was an early executive at Lotus Development where he was responsible for the introduction of Lotus 1-2-3, the "killer app" that created the PC market.
He has proven ability to spot major trends and help companies take advantage of them. In other positions he has successfully:
- created and implemented business, product and marketing strategies
- established international partnership networks
- created the first advertiser supported, free email service
- helped introduce Photo-CD, Kodak’s first consumer digital photography product
- co-managed the strategy, negotiation and due diligence process for both early stage investment in and the ultimate sale of multiple companies.
Marv brings a unique understanding of how to develop trusted B2B and B2C information relationships and is a recognized expert in the rapidly changing area of information privacy and data governance. He is currently a member of IBM’s Data Governance Council. |
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Drew Stein
CEO
June Peoples
Executive VP/
Executive Producer
Ron Blechner
Chief Technology Officer/
Software Dev. Team Leader
Ian Tepoot
Chief Creative Officer/
Creative Director
Marv Goldschmitt
Senior VP, Business Affairs
Andy Fundinger
Lead Software Developer
Trevor Finney
Senior Builder/3D Artist
Michael Adams
Modeler/3D Artist
Cassandra Dowman
Animation/Texture Design
Shannon Grei
Character/Avatar Design
Jason Scheier
Lead Concept Artist
Marianna Krichevsky
Interior Design
Analisa Gordon
Texture Design
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