Content developers square off in the highly anticipated finals of the Imagine App Challenge.
Bio
Mark Hess
Mark Hess serves as SVP of Advanced Business and Technology Development for Comcast Cable.
Mark joined Comcast in 1999 as Vice President of Digital Television. Mark has held several positions at Comcast including leading the team that developed and deployed the first Video OnDemand systems and products. A veteran of the cable industry, Mark began his career in 1982 with TCI, where he managed cable systems in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New York. He later became Vice President and State Manager with responsibility for all TCI systems in New York. In 1992, he was named Director of New Product Development at TCI’s corporate headquarters and worked directly on the early development of digital television. In 1994, he joined the Sega channel and helped launch that pioneering interactive television service.
Mark holds a BA in History and English from Davidson College in Davidson, NC.
Rebecca Rusk Lim
Rebecca Rusk Lim is vice president of interactive experience for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.). Rusk Lim leads the user experience (UX) strategy within the audience & multi-platform technologies (AMPT) group that designs, develops and deploys technologies and data solutions for Turner’s portfolio of brands. Her UX team is key to the design, development and usability testing of interactive applications for mobile, connected devices and broadband. Recent projects include sync co-viewing applications for TBS & TNT, UX Strategy for March Madness Live and creation of the UX Center of Excellence. Lim’s career has spanned more than 25 years in the media industry and includes senior management positions in new media, interactive television, technology development and cable and broadcast television. Previously, she was senior director, internet and interactive TV for Starz Entertainment. Prior to Starz, she led UX and content development for advanced set-top platforms at TCI and AT&T Broadband. Rusk Lim also served as the Hong Kong bureau chief for Asia Business News (now CNBC Asia) and worked for CNN at its launch. Rusk Lim was named among CableFAX Magazine’s “Top Women in Technology” in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2008 and 2006. She was honored with CTAM’s 2010 Rainmaker Award. Rusk Lim was recognized by itvt for Individual Leadership in ITV 2009 and received the 2005 “Woman in Technology” Award from Women in Cable & Telecommunications’ (WICT) Rocky Mountain chapter. Rusk Lim is active in the CTAM Residential Product Council, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Interactive Media Peer Group, NCTA Imagine Park Steering Committee and SIG CHI. Additionally, she serves on the University of Missouri’s Research and Development Advisory Board. She is part of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute’s graduating Class XIII, and served on the WICT Rocky Mountain Board of Directors. Rusk Lim earned a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri Columbia. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, sports, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world. Turner brands and businesses include CNN/U.S., HLN, CNN International and CNN.com; TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, truTV and Turner Sports; and Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Adult Swim.
Jim Luccheese
Jim Lucchese is the CEO of The Echo Nest. The Echo Nest is a music intelligence company that powers smarter music applications for leading online media companies (MTV, Clear Channel, the BBC, Spotify, Rhapsody, MOG, NPR, EMI, NOKIA) and a community of over 10,000 independent developers. The company's customers reach over 100 million music fans every month and over 250 applications have been built on The Echo Nest platform.
Jim has worked in digital music strategy and corporate development for about 15 years. Before The Echo Nest, Jim was a music lawyer at Greenberg Traurig, specializing in music and digital media deals. Clients included multi-platinum and independent artists, music publishers and digital entertainment companies. Prior to GT, Jim held senior sales and corporate development positions at Hughes, where he managed market development and sales with annual revenues exceeding $20 Million. Jim was also Chief Strategy Officer of Webnoize/DMN, a digital entertainment research and advisory company serving over 500 clients. Jim holds a B.A. from Boston College and a J.D., Magna Cum Laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center. When he’s not at the Nest, Jim plays drums and still represents a few indie artists pro bono for fun.
Jon Potter
Jon Potter is responsible for The Alliance's organizational development, program planning and executing its strategic agenda. He brings to the position more than 30 years of experience in building and managing coalitions; policy advocacy, political consulting, strategic planning and legal issues.
Potter founded the Applications Developers Alliance after 12 years as the executive director of the Digital Media Association, which represented pioneering digital media companies such as Apple, Pandora and Amazon.com, from 1998 to 2009.
Prior to his career in industry associations, Potter was a senior vice president at the government relations consulting and investment advisory firm Columbus Newport LLC. Before that, he was an associate attorney at D.C. law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges, where he specialized in policy and government relations work on issues such as digital copyright. Potter launched his advocacy career while a law student at New York University, managing political and non-profit fundraising from his dorm room.
Potter holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Rochester and a juris doctor degree from New York University School of Law.
Matt Powers
At Applico, Matt is responsible for designing the product architecture and leading Applico's cross-platform development teams. Additional responsibilities include Process Engineering and Strategic Planning for Applico’s Fortune 500 clients. Prior to Applico, Matt worked for Textron Defense Systems where he was responsible for leading the technical direction of their Research and Development group. He brings over ten years of software engineering experience, five of which working on projects used by the United States Army and Navy. Matt has been published in several events and publications including the 2008 IEEE Sarnoff Symposium, 2009 MILCOM conference and most recently Computer Magazine. Matt is a member of the IEEE Computer, Networking, and Transportation societies, the Massachusetts Sensor Network Consortium and also is an active member of the Android developer community. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Fairfield University and an M.S. in Computer Engineering from Boston University.
System that distributes television signals by means of coaxial or fibre-optic cables. Cable television systems originated in the U.S. in the late 1940s to improve reception in remote and hilly areas, where broadcast signals were weak. In the 1960s they were introduced in large metropolitan areas where reception is sometimes degraded by reflection of signals from tall buildings. Since the mid-1970s there has been a proliferation of cable systems that offer special services and which generally charge a monthly fee. Besides providing high-quality signals, some systems can deliver hundreds of channels. Another feature increasingly offered by cable operators is two-way, interactive communication by which viewers can, for example, participate in public-opinion polls as well as connect to the Internet. Cable operators are also involved in the development of video compression, digital transmission, and high-definition television.
