Organizers
Kathie Legg, Executive Director and Co-Founder
Kathie Legg is starting a mobile division with the Los Angeles Times, a co-founder and executive director of MobileMonday DC, and is also a blogger for MOpocket.
Kathie previously served as a political producer at Yahoo!, where she directed Web 2.0 integration and optimization campaigns. Kathie also served as business development manager at MSHC Partners, where she specialized in developing new political outreach tools and designing innovative SMS campaigns. She also worked as the lead researcher and assistant editor of The Politics-to-Go Handbook: A Guide to Using Mobile Technology in Politics at the Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet at The George Washington University.
Kathie received her B.A. in Political Science and Information Science and Policy from The State University of New York at Albany, and her M.A. in Political Management from The George Washington University.
Hans Horn, Board Member
Hans Horn is currently a product manager on Verizon Wireless' location-based-services team where he directs the strategy, development, and lifecycle management of Verizon's Chaperone Family Locator product while also leading and supporting other LBS-related projects.
Prior to this, Hans held a number of positions in marketing, business development, and strategic planning in both start-ups and Fortune 500 companies in the broader communications and technology industries.
His interests in the mobile space include location-based-services, mobile content, social networking, m-commerce, and mobile advertising. In particular, he is interested in the evolution of the industry's various business models as growing interest in converging platforms and services offer opportunities to serve similar or divergent customer bases.
Hans received his B.A. in English Literature and Psychology from the University of Rochester and his M.B.A. from University of Rochester's William E. Simon Graduate School of Business.
Rich Leung, Board Member
Rich Leung began his career working for various engineering contracting companies in the DC metro area before settling at MITRE as a Sr. Communication Engineer. Currently, he is working in the CAASD group performing variety of studies, analysis, and R&D effort for the FAA and other related aeronautical mobile communication projects. Additionaly, Rich serves as a Director of Technology for a DC-based organization that provides products & services to Foreign Service and other Executive Branch personnel worldwide.
Rich Leung received his bachelor and a master in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech and he is now currently a Master Canadiate at University of Pennslvania / Wharton Business school
Suneela Vaidya, Board Member
Suneela joined Distributive Networks from Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB), an e-learning company. She has a history of achievement in marketing and management, as demonstrated by sales growth and rapid advancement during her six and a half year tenure at Blackboard Inc. She created the client retention model which accounts for 40+% of the company's annual revenue. While leading Blackboard's international operations, she introduced the first multi language, e-learning platform to non-English speaking markets, opened offices in Amsterdam and Tokyo and published the first, widely adopted business plan for overseas growth. Suneela was also instrumental in integrating the client services teams of three acquired companies. Suneela currently serves on the Women In Wireless Philanthropy Committee of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), as well the Northern Virginia Tech Council and AdClub of Metropolitan Washington. As the Academic Liaison for the Academic Outreach committee of the MMA, Suneela co-edited the first two International Journals of Mobile Marketing.
Suneela holds a Bachelors degree from the University of Richmond, where she double majored in English and Journalism, and is a very active alumna. She manages sales at Distributive Networks.
Julie Barko Germany, Co-Founder
Julie Barko Germany is the Deputy Director of the Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet.
Before coming to IPDI, Julie served as the assistant to the president of ROME Foundation International, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing health care in emerging countries.
In 2003, she received an M.A. from The George Washington University, where she was a University Fellow.
