About Us

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Company
Name
Team
Advisors

Company
UBM DeusM is an integrated marketing services company owned by United Business Media (www.UBM.com) targeting the fastest growing segment of the online publishing industry: business social media. The company is led by Managing Director Stephen Saunders, Min's Marketer of the Year 2010. He and the other UBM DeusM principals have built and delivered more than 20 successful sites and online communities over the last 10 years.

UBM DeusM's service is based on a unique platform, called Community in a Box (CiaB), which employs a structured system of proven B2B Web publishing best-practices, combined with a breakthrough integrated multimedia publishing platform ("n-Server") to enable marketers to quickly and profitably set up specialized communities for their target customers (for more on CiaB click here).

UBM DeusM has also created a modified version of CiaB called Community Activation Platform (CAP), which utilizes the same n-Server technology to provide exclusively sponsored online communities (for more on CAP click here).

UBM DeusM also takes advantage of existing social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to amplify and propel client content and messaging across the Internet using our SNAP! service (for more on SNAP! click here).

CiaB and CAP have already been used to build 20 multi-award-winning communities, such as Internet Evolution (www.internetevolution.com), which is sponsored by IBM; Enterprise Efficiency (www.enterpriseefficiency.com), sponsored by Dell; and EBN (www.ebnonline.com), which has multiple sponsors.

By codifying everything we know about how to build thriving business communities into a proven set of rules, and uniting it with a unique, custom-built publishing platform, UBM DeusM is taking the element of chance out of social media, enabling customers to buy community as a service - knowing that it will work every time.

UBM DeusM is a startup, but not a speculative one. CiaB communities play at the sweet spot of our market - delivering huge levels of engagement with a highly qualified audience, while allowing the advertiser to own the message. The underlying rationale for our business derives from demonstrable customer demand meeting proven technology that itself has been forged on the anvil of two of the most successful B2B online communities of all time: Light Reading and Internet Evolution.

By supporting UBM DeusM, our customers are availing themselves of the opportunity to clearly define a new publishing market, and to use it to dominate their competitors for the foreseeable future.

Our Name
DeusM is an abbreviation of Deus Ex Machina, a term derived from classical drama that describes the moment that a god is introduced into a play to resolve the entanglements of the plot. The analogy should be obvious.

Our Team

Deus

This is Saunders' sixth successful startup (note: Saunders has had no unsuccessful startups, "failure" not being part of his vocabulary). In 2005 he founded Internet Evolution (www.internetevolution.com), a groundbreaking, award-winning, global online community dedicated to investigating the future of the Internet.

Prior to Internet Evolution, Saunders was the founder and CEO of Light Reading (www.lightreading.com), Heavy Reading (www.heavyreading.com), and Dark Reading (www.darkreading.com), a triptych of online startups covering telecommunications news, telecommunications research, and security news, respectively, which were sold to United Business Media in 2005 for $33 million. All three publications continue to thrive in the hands of their new owner.

Saunders has been recognized with many awards for his work, including six Jesse H. Neal Editorial Achievement Awards from The American Business Press and three awards from the Computer Press Association. In March 2008 Saunders was inducted into Min's Digital Media Hall of Fame. In October 2008 the lead developer at Twitter called Saunders "a troll" - something Steve still considers his happiest moment in 21 years of publishing.

In April 2009 Saunders was named to the No. 2 spot on Folio magazine's Folio 40 ranking of magazine industry influencers and innovators, one ahead of President Barack Obama. The magazine subsequently revised the list following a public outcry, demoting Saunders to the No. 3 spot.

He was named Min's "Marketer of the Year" in September 2010. No outcry ensued.

UBM DeusM's Internet Evolution received two prestigious honors at the 2010 Folio Eddie and Ozzie Awards, where it was recognized as the Best Business-to-Business Science Site as well as the Best Business-to-Business Technology/Computing/Telecom Website.

In 2011, Internet Evolution won the Outstanding Website WebAward from the Web Marketing Association. UBM DeusM's The CMO Site won a 2011 WebAward for Marketing Standard of Excellence; and Enterprise Efficiency won two WebAwards for B2B Standard of Excellence and Technology Standard of Excellence. UBM DeusM's communities have subsequently won a slew of other awards, the full list can be found here (UBM DeusM Awards).

Steve is the author of three books, The Data Communications Gigabit Ethernet Handbook (McGraw-Hill, 1998), The McGraw-Hill High-Speed LANs Handbook (McGraw-Hill, 1995), and The True Story of King Arthur (48hourbooks, 2009). Gripping reads, all. Especially the last.

Saunders started his career in publishing in 1983 working as a van boy (literally, a boy on a van) delivering the BBC's Radio Times program guide. Simpler, happier times for him.

Saunders, second from right. Simpler, happier times.

IT Crew

Chris Williams, Vice President of Technology
Chris Williams is Vice President of Technology for UBM DeusM and the primary architect of UBM DeusM's n-Server platform. Previously the Web Development Manager for the Light Reading Communications Network, a part of UBM TechWeb, he has spent the better part of 13 years imagining, developing, testing, developing, planning, imagining, managing, testing, testing, developing, testing, developing, managing, imagining, developing, testing, and enjoying Web applications. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (so you know not to bother him during March), Chris can bake a cake with an SQL query, single-handedly stress-test your expensive user-management solution, identify the flaws in your five-year plan, debate the ins-and-outs of British politics, and give you a haircut with VBScript (huh? yeah!). A veteran of the ever-loving UltraPlayer and the always-scooping Light Reading, Chris is surly, remembers almost everything, and resides with his wife and son (and 3 cats and 2 dogs) in Durham, N.C.

Williams@DeusM.com

Daniel Yuschick, Web Developer
In both professional and freelance capacities, Dan has eight years experience with Web design and development, having done work for various charities, local governments, and area businesses. His expanding role within DeusM includes communications development, production tasks, and front-end maintenance. After becoming another Yankee transplant to North Carolina in 2009, Dan graduated from Kaplan University with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Crime. Now his evenings consist of freelance work, PlayStation, attending Web design groups, reviewing video games, or working on new music. Of course, this is only when the Oklahoma City Thunder aren’t on TV.

Yuschick@DeusM.com

Sales Dept.

Kathleen Connolly, Vice President of Sales
Kathleen Connolly is responsible for business development and consultative services focused on creating new UBM DeusM communities. Kathleen has 20 years of sales and management experience in IT media and events. Most recently, she was the Strategic Director with Everything Channel, where she worked with leading Channel Chiefs to help meet their Channel objectives, from strategy to recruitment and enablement to demand generation. She is an expert in blending the right products and services to suit the unique needs of each client. Previously, she held both sales and management positions with Internet Week, InformationWeek, and Network Computing. Kathleen has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, with an emphasis on international marketing, from California State University at Fullerton, and she received a certificate from the Leading and Managing People Program from Columbia University's Graduate School of Business.

Connolly@DeusM.com

Marketing Team

Amy Averbook, Director of Marketing Services
As Director of Marketing Services, Amy oversees all things Marketing for UBM DeusM, including audience development, product development, client services, and project management. Prior to UBM DeusM, she was Director of Marketing for the Light Reading Communications Network. Amy received her Bachelor's in Economics from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). In her free time Amy enjoys karaoke, pilates, and any CSI or Bones episode ever made. She is extremely organized and hates to delete emails, though she still can't seem to keep up with the stockpile that Chris Williams has collected over the years.

Averbook@DeusM.com

Marita Schneider, Community Specialist
Marita Schneider works on all aspects of social media as the marketing team's Community Specialist. She started with the company in November 2010 and has been integrating new ideas and strategies to build engagement on a variety of social networks since. Prior to working at DeusM she was a student at New York University and received her Bachelor’s degree in Media, Culture, and Communication. She looks forward to summer all year long, when she spends as much time as possible on Keuka Lake near her hometown in upstate New York. In her free time she enjoys boating, boat parties, swimming with dolphins, and spending as much time in the sun as possible.

Schneider@DeusM.com

Lauren Burke, Community Coordinator
Lauren assists with tracking and reporting on DeusM’s communities and their social media sites. She also helps with the monthly reporting on the communities as well as general administrative work. Lauren graduated from Loyola University Maryland where she majored in PR and advertising. She enjoys reading and watching Law and Order: SVU marathons.

Burke@DeusM.com

Projects Team

Julie Muroff, Senior Project Manager
As Senior Project Manager, Julie oversees all campaigns and community launches running on the DeusM platform, working with both internal and external clients of the company. Prior to DeusM she was Senior Events Manager for the Light Reading Communications Network. Julie attended The George Washington University and received her Bachelor’s degree in International Business with a minor in Spanish. She has studied abroad in both Barcelona and Florence, where she learned to make a mean Bolognese. In her free time Julie can usually be found at New York Sports Club. She also enjoys cooking (she is always looking for next year’s cookie competition winner – ideas welcome), Sunday brunches with friends, and getting lost in the streets of New York. She also has a low tolerance for umbrellas and pets in strollers.

Muroff@DeusM.com

Jean Louise Manalo, Project Manager
Jean Louise Manalo works closely with DeusM’s diverse set of clients and internal partners as Project Manager, establishing campaign goals, strategies, and project plans from inception to launch and beyond. Before joining this fearsome and fearless lot, she was Integrated Program Manager for UBM TechWeb. Jean Louise attended UC Berkeley, then later traded the Pacific for the Atlantic, continuing her graduate studies at the London School of Economics. In addition to majoring in Political Science, English Literature, and Urban Planning, she learned that she is great at staying awake without any caffeine at all. Her favorite parts of these years include working in Cambodia to revive Khmer traditional arts and eating too much fig jam in Marrakesh. In the future, Jean Louise plans to learn how to teleport and to swim more strongly. She has 60 first cousins.

Manolo@DeusM.com

Art and Design

Ken Surabian, Creative Director
Ken has been with us since the beginning, designing every page and every logo that appears on the UBM DeusM family of Websites He comes to us from TechWeb's Light Reading, where he served as Design Director since its inception. Ken has won more awards for magazine design than any other design director in the history of the universe. His mantlepiece bows under the weight of five Jesse H. Neal awards, two American Society of Business Press Editors awards, three Business Press Association awards, and two dozen other professional citations. (He has a really big mantlepiece.) His former clients include Fortune, Time, Newsweek, and Redback Networks.

Surabian@DeusM.com

Sasha Babarina, Senior Graphic Designer
Sasha attended the School of Visual Arts in New York, graduating in 2001 with a BFA in Graphic Design. With 10 years of industry experience, she's worked with a verity of clients – from small, local businesses to large corporations like TD Ameritrade Holding Corp., HESS Corp., and International Securities Exchange. She's a damn good designer and production goddess! She loves reading, cooking, spending time with family and friends, and, most importantly, fawning over the cutest puppy in the world. Because of her USSR upbringing, she's often accused of being too literal. Sasha has seen every episode of Star Trek: Next Generation.

Babarina@DeusM.com

Video

Matthew Conner, Executive Producer
Matthew Conner oversees all video production for UBM DeusM's ever growing list of online publications. Whether it's video blogging, live streaming content, or custom documentary work, Matt's main objective is to always produce engaging and technically sound video content. Prior to his work with UBM DeusM, he was a Video Producer at both InformationWeek and CNET. Matt received his Master's degree in the Media Arts from Emerson College in Boston. He likes being left handed.

MConner@DeusM.com

Editorial

Terry Sweeney, Editorial Director
Terry Sweeney has been a working journalist for more than 25 years, with broad expertise in e-commerce, enterprise networking, security, storage, and wireless. Previously, he was Editor-in-Chief of Internet Evolution, which won five awards for editorial excellence from Min's Publishers Association under his tenure. Sweeney was also Editor-in-Chief of Byte & Switch and was a founding editor of IT security Website Dark Reading; previously he was news editor at Internet Week, and spent three years in Paris working for Communications Week International. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the print, online, and video content for the ITU's Telecom 99 conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Sweeney has also contributed to The Washington Post, Crain's New York Business, Red Herring, Information Week, and Network World, among other business and IT titles.

Sweeney@DeusM.com

Kevin Cramer, Content Ombudsman
Mr. Cramer's primary responsibility is maintaining – indeed, elevating – the quality of the prose that appears across the UBM DeusM family of Websites. He also casts his gimlet eye upon the message board traffic, ensuring that our Dear Readers neither veer too wildly off topic nor engage in slanderous, ad hominem attacks upon their fellows. His inter-office memos are a delight to behold. He was the Copy Chief of the Light Reading network of Websites from its foundation in 2000. Not a former Navy Seal, previous editorial stints included Women's Wear Daily and Data Communications magazine. Cramer won a highly coveted CMP Editorial Excellence award in 2006 for his hand in the creation of Larry, the Light Reading Attack Monkey. He lives in New York City with his angry cat and his bitter, bitter memories.

Cramer@DeusM.com

Lucy Butcher, Senior Copy Editor
Lucy Butcher grew up in Brisbane, Australia, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts in humanities and a Graduate Diploma in Arts in writing, editing, and publishing. In 2009, after working for three years as a marketing and communications officer for the Queensland Government, she moved to New York City. She wrote and edited for Show Business Weekly, ShopWiki, and Ajax Union before joining UBM DeusM's Copy Desk. She likes cats, classical music, and New Yorker cartoons.

Butcher@DeusM.com

Paul Pearson, Copy Editor
Paul Pearson earned his BS in American studies from the University of Notre Dame in 1993. After graduation, he worked for six years as a staff writer and copy editor at La Gaceta, a publication in Tampa, Fla., that bills itself as the nation’s only trilingual newspaper. There, his duties ranged from editing stories to covering NHL hockey games to delivering papers. He later spent nine years at the copy desk of American Banker (including three years at its Copy Chief) and two years as a contributing editor to Investment Dealer’s Digest. He lives in Westchester County, N.Y., and hosts a weekly trivia game on AOL.

Pearson@DeusM.com

Eryn Leavens, Copy Editor
Eryn Alana Leavens attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago before getting her BA in creative writing and studio arts from Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass. She also completed UC Berkeley Extension’s editing certificate program. Eryn has edited for Chronicle Books, Counterpoint Press / Soft Skull Press, and Seal Press. She lives in Oakland, Calif., with her boyfriend and tuxedo cat. She works out of the San Francisco office, extending the Copy Desk Empire coast-to-coast.

Leavens@DeusM.com

Advisory Board

Pieces of advice should be placed in the "Suggestions Wanted" box by the entrance to our Manhattan office, from where they will be taken out and ritually burned on the altar of our vanity once every full moon.