Ken Banks
Founder, kiwanja.netKen specialises in the application of mobile technology for positive social and environmental change in the developing world. He combines many years experience living and working throughout Africa with a 22-year career in IT. In 1999 he graduated from Sussex University with honours in Social Anthropology with Development Studies. His vision is to empower others to create social change, and he does this by developing and providing tools to mostly grassroots organisations who seek to better use technology in their work.
Ken was recently awarded a MacArthur Foundation grant to continue his work on FrontlineSMS, and was short listed for a mobile industry award for his development of the software. Between 2006 and 2007 he was based at Stanford University as a Visiting Fellow on the Reuters Digital Vision Program
He recently launched the nGOmobile awards - aimed at grassroots non-profit organisations working for positive social and environmental change throughout the developing world.
Â
Ken Blakeslee
Chairman, WebMobility Ventures
Ken's involvement over the past few years has been specifically in the area of private equity investing in the mobile sector, and his previous experience in developing telecoms, IT and web commerce business strategies with Nortel Networks spans 25+ years. His recent focus has been on the emerging new media content, applications and commerce methodologies, and the merging of these with the ubiquitous, personal access of mobile.
Ken has held numerous industry positions including chairman of the Mobile Data Association, (MDA) vice chair of the UMTS Forum Market Aspects Group, and in 2001 was named to the GSM Association 'roll of honour' for 'longstanding commitment to the GSM industry'.
In 2004 Ken launched and produced 'Cool and Connected' a Wearable Technology Fashion Show at 3GSM World Congress.
Â
Mike Short
Chairman MDA and VP O2
www.mda-mobiledata.org www.o2.co.uk
Mike's career spans 32 years in Electronics and Telecommunications, with the last 20 years in Mobile Communications. He was appointed Director of Cellnet (now O2 UK) in 1989 dealing with major infra-structure investments and UK interconnect agreements. In 1993 the focus moved to establishing Cellnet's GSM service and Roaming Agreements.
He was elected Chairman of the GSM Association for 1995/96 and served on their Executive Board for 5 years. He has also been a member of the UK Home Office Internet Task Force, UK OSAB (Ofcom Spectrum Advisory Board). He is a member of the PhoneppayPlus Board ( UK regulator of paid for Telephony carried Content ) and Coventry University and Ravensbourne College Boards.
Mike has chaired the MDA since 1998, leading the Association as Chairman/spokesperson and on Regulatory matters. He is also a Visiting Professor at Surrey University and De Montfort University, and a Fellow of IET and BCS .
He was appointed VP Technology for O2 in 2000 . Mike's focus today is on advanced cellular technologies , Applications trials ( eg Mobile TV , NFC , and Transport/Environmental telematics) and steering O2's Group Research and Development in mobile.
Â
Mike Grenville
160 Characters
www.160characters.org
As founder of 160characters.org, Mike Grenville works as a telecoms and mobile consultant, journalist and conference organiser since 2001.
Prior to setting up 160Characters, he was a key founding member and investor of managed voice and messaging alert services company RealCall (later renamed Adeptra). He helped take the company from initial angel investment through two funding rounds that raised $40 million and his roles included Head of Customer Services and VP Country Operations evaluating opportunities for overseas expansion.
Â
Â
Philippe Herbert
Partner of Banexi Ventures Partners
www.banexiventures.com
Philippe is in charge of investments in IT software at Banexi VP. He is currently serving on the Board of: Kewego, TEDEMIS, Violet and Mobibase.
He has an MSc. in aeronautical Engineering from ESTACA and an executive degree from HEC.
Â
Â
Michael Novikov
CEO & founder ADMIN Ltd. (IT, investments, consulting)
www.adminltd.com
Michael Novikov is report author, company founder and CEO of ADMIN Ltd. based in St. Petersburg. ADMIN Ltd. is a consultancy focused on mobile content industry development, electronic commerce, high-tech investments, IT market research, business consulting and international co-operation. He is also a producer of annual Mobile VAS Conference.
He is publisher/editor of the Russian Mobile Content News (weekly newsletter in English). He was a regular visitor of Esther Dyson's High-Tech Forum, a participant of The Second EU/CEEC Forum on the Information Scoiety (European ministerial telecom conference, Prague, 1996).
In 1998 he was invited to participate at the Eighth Regulatory Colloquium of the ITU/WorldBank (Geneva), a meeting of telecom regulators aimed to address policies and regulatory issues surrounding electronic commerce.
Michael studied biology at the St. Petersburg State University, economics and management at the LETI-Lovanium International School of Management (St. Petersburg)
Â
Â
Marek Pawlowski
www.pmn.co.ukMarek leads the development of PMN's conferences and research services. Since founding PMN in 1995, Marek has focused the company's activities on helping the mobile telecoms industry to improve its understanding of customers and translate that understanding into better user experience and increased profitability.
In addition to his extensive research portfolio for PMN, he is widely published in print and digital media, a frequent speaker at international conferences and provides commentary for leading broadcast channels such as the BBC and CNN.
Marek is also the founder of the groundbreaking PMN Mobile User Experience conference - MEX.
Â
Â