Shelley Harrison, Founder and CEO Shelley Harrison is the founder and CEO of San Francisco-based Launch Pad. Harrison, who began her high technology career with Hewlett-Packard nearly 25 years ago, has been involved in numerous high-tech success stories. She has led marketing teams responsible for countless PR, advertising, product, and brand identity awards, and has been the driving marketing force behind many successful IPOs and acquisitions. As CEO of Launch Pad, Harrison has advised many of today's leading high-tech firms, including Vermeer, Verity, Quack.com, Amplitude Software, TriVida, and Signio. Harrison excels at developing positioning, articulating key messages, developing effective communications strategies, and creating focused, impactful marketing programs. In addition to her success as a marketing consultant, Harrison served as senior vice president of sales, marketing and operations at Compressent Inc., a software company that went public in 1996. She was the fourth employee at now-public scanner manufacturer Visioneer, serving as the company's vice president of marketing and customer service. Prior to Visioneer, Harrison ran marketing for cc:Mail, one of Silicon Valley's most successful start-ups, taking it from market laggard to market leader with more than 50 percent market share. Harrison helped oversee its subsequent acquisition by Lotus. After leaving Hewlett-Packard, she served as marketing manager for Amdek, a subsidiary of Wyse Technology.
Steve Abdalla, Vice President Steve Abdalla brings over fifteen years of high tech and management consulting experience in marketing strategy and market research to his role as Launch Pad vice president. Abdalla's skills lie in a unique ability to blend his engineering background with analytical business experience gained at both start-up and larger organizations. Abdalla has helped launch more than a dozen high-tech start-ups, including Quack.com, Amplitude Software, MarketTools and TriVida, developing targeted marketing strategies and programs that have generated significant results. For Launch Pad, Abdalla serves as a client engagement manager, overseeing strategy development and tactical execution. Just prior to joining Launch Pad, Abdalla consulted for Quattro Consulting, a healthcare and high-tech consulting firm, and served as a senior associate at APM, Inc., a healthcare management consultancy. He was the product manager on the original cc:Mail for Windows software application. Abdalla began his career with Bain & Company, working for more than five years at the Boston-based management consulting concern. Abdalla holds an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and earned a B.S. with High Honors in mechanical engineering from University of California at Berkeley.
Greg Vogel, Vice President – Brand Management Greg Vogel has over 20 years of experience in brand development, marketing communications, name development and copywriting. He works with companies in technology, entertainment, consumer goods, and medicine. Vogel excels in brand development, including leading brand positioning sessions, creating market value propositions and key messages, coining corporate and product names, and writing taglines and other materials for corporate communications. In 1989 Vogel founded his own agency, Millennium Communications, for science and biotechnology clients including J&W Scientific, InterHealth and Sterogene Bioseparations. Previously, he worked as a PR account manager at Robert LaPointe & Company, San Francisco, and as an environmental policy consultant at Jellinek, Schwartz & Connolly, Washington, D.C. Vogel also worked in TV as a writer-researcher at Discovery Communications, where he handled projects for Discovery and TLC. In Los Angeles, he developed documentary projects at ABC, co-founded the production company FilmOasis, and worked in production and development for National Geographic Television, Fox, TLC and United Television, including the daily show "Strange Universe." Vogel has master's degrees in biology (College of William and Mary), journalism/public affairs (American University) and TV producing (UCLA).
Terry Erisman, Vice President Terry Erisman, vice president, brings over ten years of marketing, business development and general management experience in high-tech industries to the Launch Pad team. He has provided marketing consulting services to a range of Internet-related start-ups including ShoppingList.com, Conxion, and Digital Integrity. Erisman was vice president and general manager of the Lotus Technology Division of Intevac. He founded ReservationPlanet.com, raising seed equity and recruiting the Board of Directors and a senior management team to commercialize a patent-pending auction process. A co-founder of Spectra-Physics Laser Data Systems, he has also held senior management positions at Atcor and LiCONiX, where he was responsible for business development, marketing and sales. A strong supporter of community-outreach programs, Erisman has participated in a development plan for the Saratoga Education Foundation and marketing plans for the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, the Santa Clara County Childhood Immunization Registry, Santa Clara County Child Advocates and the Santa Clara County Special Olympics. Erisman received a BA in Chemistry from Harvard University and an MBA from Stanford University.
Bob Fournier, Vice President – Market Research Bob Fournier, Launch Pad's VP of market research, brings the consummate blend of experience in both market research and marketing for the high technology and financial services markets. He has used his team building, project management and strategic planning skills on behalf of a variety of market leaders. Prior to Launch Pad, Fournier ran Mayten Consulting for eight years, providing customer research and analysis to Netscape, 3COM, and Sun Microsystems, as well as a variety of start-ups. As head of marketing for CareerCredit.com, a start-up offering online virtual work experience for college students, Fournier redirected the focus of the product, establishing and executing branding strategy toward an international launch. He developed the original business plan for and formed AtariSoft, a semi-independent computer-games division that grossed more than $32 million. Fournier revamped Bank of America's VIP Program, improving retention of that customer segment by 30%. Fournier trained in survey methodology at the Institute for Social Research and holds a Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Michigan.
Darlene Moore, Search Engine Optimization Specialist Darlene Moore is a highly sought-after advisor to companies that want to both increase their visibility within search engine results and create successful pay-per-click advertising campaigns. She has helped clients decrease cost-per-click costs by more than 75 percent while more than doubling click-through rates and website popularity. Moore has also developed and delivered Internet marketing courses for public- and private-sector clients allowing them to increase both their online effectiveness and their return-on-investment. A recognized speaker and trainer on the subjects of search engine optimization, web analytics and writing for the web, Moore also teaches web-based courses through the International Webmasters Association. Prior to advising on marketing online, Moore worked as a computer trainer teaching web analytics, web design, search engine marketing and Microsoft Office applications. Moore holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Carleton University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Ottawa (Canada).
Sue Weitendorf, Project Manager Sue Weitendorf brings over twenty years of marketing and sales experience. Weitendorf managed the marketing service departments at both Syntex/Syva and Dey Laboratories, taking responsibility for trade shows, customer advisory meetings, sales literature and special events. She also spent six years in medical sales for Syntex Medical and Orion Diagnostica managing distribution of diagnostic products to physicians, hospitals and clinics. In addition to working for Launch Pad, Weitendorf runs Solutions Plus, a trade show and event management company, providing strategic trade show planning, logistic management and exhibit staff training expertise to companies ranging in size from small start-ups to billion dollar corporations. As a consultant, she’s had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of industries, including high-tech, entertainment, manufacturing, medical, and media. Her skills lie in a unique ability to blend her marketing background with her sales experience to produce highly successful trade shows and events. Weitendorf attended Drake University and holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts/Biology.