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CAN'T FIND SOMETHING? |
Business in Vancouver December 30, 2008-January 5, 2009; issue 1001 Leonard Brody CEO, NowPublic , Age: 37 Leonard Brody doesn’t like buzzwords. His success, however, is inextricably linked to one of today’s hottest buzzwords: citizen journalism. Brody is CEO and co-founder of NowPublic, a website that hosts one of the largest networks of citizen journalism or participatory news in the world. In addition to the Vancouver-based company’s 40 core employees, NowPublic has a base of 150,000 contributing reporters. That base grows at a rate of 250 to 450 per day. “What we do isn’t capital J journalism,” said Brody. “What we do is provide an army of eyes and ears [with] a place to meet.” Recognizing the changing ways in which news was created and consumed, Brody founded NowPublic with Michael Tippet and Michael Myers in 2005. Last year, NowPublic partnered with the Associated Press, allowing AP to expand its reach using NowPublic’s contributor base. Brody, a past senior adviser to former federal minister David Emerson, led NowPublic’s two rounds of financing, which totalled $12.5 million. He was also part of the founding executive team of Onvia Canada, an e-marketplace company that is most known for its closing a US$240 million IPO in 2001. That year, Brody subsequently led the sale of Onvia’s Canadian operations to Bell Zinc Corp. Brody often questions the “subservience” of Canada’s technology industry. He addresses the issue in two best-selling books that he authored: Innovation Nation: Canadian Leadership from Jurassic Park to Java and Everything I Needed to Know About Business...I Learned from a Canadian. Brody’s next challenge is launching NowPublic’s sponsorship platform that will drive the company’s future revenue by allowing businesses to sponsor web pages and stories on NowPublic. “Our focus was clear,” said Brody. “Build a community and build the technology. Get those right first and then you have something to monetize.” • Birthplace: Calgary Where do you live now: Coal Harbour, Vancouver. But truthfully, on a plane most of the time Highest level of education: Law degree, Osgoode Hall Law School Car or chosen mode of transport: Bus Currently reading: About 20 different books at a time on my Kindle, but top of the list now is Happier: Can You Learn to be Happy? by Tal Ben-Shahar Last CD bought or music downloaded: Cease to Begin by Band of Horses and Ragged Wood by Fleet Foxes Favourite movie: The Ten Commandments Favourite local restaurant: Enigma Profession you would most like to try: Military – an officer in either the Canadian or Israeli Army Mentor: Israel Asper and Yitzhak Rabin Toughest business or professional decision: I struggle every day to ensure I am passionate about what I am doing. Problem is, I haven’t figured out what being passionate means just yet What’s left to do: See answer above |
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