THE 2016 MLA EXPERIENCE: SALAMANDER RESORT & SPA
Middleburg, VA, April 24-26 2016
It's time to get back on the horse (or ride for the first time) as we try something new with this year's conference.
Not an equestrian? Not to worry. The resort is surrounded by Virginia's beautiful wine country, perfect
for sightseeing (and sipping).
Our 2016 Host and Emcee:
Noah Robischon
Noah Robischon has been at the forefront of the Internet revolution since the earliest days of the World Wide Web. After working on an Oscar-winning documentary film, and an Emmy Award winning series called TV Nation, he shifted his career into digital media shortly after it emerged and long before it was a sure bet. He was a member of the very first digital reporting class at the Columbia Journalism School in 1995, and soon landed at job at Time Inc. where he hand-coded the original website for People magazine. He later helped bring Time and other magazines into the digital age as well, and then co-created one of the Web’s first original daily news outlets, called The Netly News.
For many years Noah covered the Internet as it disrupted everything from reading to retail and personal technology. He’s interviewed many of the key figures in digital history, including the inventor of the web, the coder who figured out how to distribute MP3 music online, the creators of Twitter, the lead designer of the iPod, and even got to ask Bill Gates whether he was a bigger fan of Star Trek’s Captain Kirk or Captain Jean-Luc Picard (he chose Kirk). After contributing to outlets including The New York Times, Outside, Discovery, and GQ, Noah was named the editor-in-chief of the gadget blog Gizmodo in 2005, which soon became an influential voice in the consumer electronics industry. He then became the managing editor overseeing all of the websites in the Gawker Media network, which includes Deadspin, Jalopnik, and Jezebel.
He’s appeared as a commentator on CNN, ABC, and MTV, and hosted a weekly on-air segment on NY1 News for several years. Since joining Fast Company in 2009 to oversee its digital editorial strategy, Noah has increased website traffic ten-fold and helped double the revenue.
Featured Presenters
Michele Caniato
Material ConneXion
Named “The Consigliere” by The New York Times, Michele Caniato, prime visionary and renowned dealmaker of the design world is President of Material ConneXion (materialconnexion.com) and Culture + Commerce. Caniato has followed both companies from their inception, working to transform them into profitable platforms and taking them under the ownership of SANDOW in 2011.
His natural inclination to transform good design into good business has allowed him to broker successful deals with world-renowned designers, Fortune 500 companies and international tycoons such as Fred Segal, Philippe Starck, Target, Yves Behar, Sami Hayek, Kravitz Design, Lualdi, Molteni, SBE and more. Passionate about design and entrepreneurism, Caniato has worked to expand Material ConneXion’s presence across the globe, with libraries in New York, Bangkok, Daegu, Milan, Skövde and Tokyo. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children.
David Rehr
George Mason University Law School
David Rehr has over 25 years experience in advocacy, governance, federal policy, and politics. He is Senior Associate Dean and a Professor at the George Mason University Law School where he teaches Legislative Advocacy and Strategic Leadership. Prior to joining Mason Law, Rehr was the Program Director, Advocacy in the Global Environment and a Media Commentator on politics and policy representing the George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM).
David previously served as the President and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). There he was a strong advocate for radio and television broadcasters—meeting with policymakers, testifying before Congress, and bringing innovation to the organization. Before joining the NAB, Rehr was President of the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA). Under his leadership, NBWA’s visibility in the advocacy community soared, and the association was ranked as one of the top ten most influential lobbying organizations by Fortune magazine.
Rehr, who has a doctorate in economics from George Mason University, has been named to Washington Life magazine’s Power 100 list, and is annually listed as a Top Association Lobbyist by one of Congress’ “must read” publications, The Hill. He has also been featured in Beachum’s Guide to Key Lobbyists, and has been named one of the top 20 most influential people in radio by Radio Ink magazine.
Rehr appears regularly on major U.S. media network, including FOX News, CNBC, Hearst TV, and FOX Business. He has also appeared internationally on Canal Plus (French Television) and the Canadian Radio Corporation. Rehr is the author of a forthcoming eBook on the successful public affairs campaign on the Digital Television Transition, the largest marketing campaign in American television.
Tim Quinlan
Wells Fargo
Tim Quinlan is a director and senior economist with Wells Fargo Securities. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, he provides analysis on the macro U.S. economy and major foreign economies. Domestically, he covers industrial production, manufacturing, and business investment spending. His international e fforts concentrate on Japan, Canada, Korea, and Australia. Tim’s work has been published in academic economic journals and his comments on the economy regularly appear in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and USA Today. He is also a frequent guest on CNBC and National Public Radio.
Tim joined the company in 2007. He previously held positions as a trust account portfolio manager and investment strategist before joining the economics group in Prior to joining the company, he worked for Putnam Investments in Boston. Tim has a B.A. from Siena College in Albany, New York. He is a member of both the National Association for Business Economics and the Canadian Association for Business Economics.
Stephen Gaddis
NASA Langley Research Center
Presently Mr. Gaddis serves as Director for the Level II Game Changing Development Program at LaRC. In this capacity he completes programmatic and supervisory responsibility for technology development projects, managers, principal investigators, strategic evaluations, program cost and schedule. He accepted this position after completing a 1 year detail to HQ acting as Program Executive (PE) for the newly formed Game Changing Division, where he was responsible for formulation and planning. Mr. Gaddis served as Project Manager for the Nano-Energetics Propulsion Project at MSFC. He was responsible for managing and directing the technical, cost, and schedule of the design, development, production engineering, test, evaluation, deployment, and operational and sustaining engineering of the nano-scale propellant materials as well as integration with other key elements and functions of the program.
Petros Dertsakyan
Knox Labs
“VR", or virtual reality is technology gaining in popularity as a great tool to create experiences. Petros Dertsakyan is COO of Knox Labs, a full service virtual reality company. As a Google Cardboard certified partner, Knox Labs creates original virtual content to support a full branded experience. Petros graduated from UCLA and has a masters in Molecular & Cell biology. Before joining Knox Labs Petros was a founding director of OmniBiome Therapeutics where he developed and holds two patents for new medical innovations related to pregnancy complications.
Suzette Malek
General Motors Global Trends & Innovation
Suzette has an Engineering and Business background with extensive experience in Global Consumer Research and Future Trends Exploration. She co-created GM’s Global Trends Network as a channel to provide global trends information and insights to various global teams working on advanced projects. Working with the advanced designers and engineers she helps translate trend information into innovation insights and product/business opportunities. Suzette has also developed a Global Research Process for testing Advanced Ideas & Concepts with consumers.
Cam Marston
Expert on the Generations
Cam Marston is the leading expert on the impact of generational change and its impact on the marketplace. As an author, columnist, blogger, and lecturer Marston and his firm, Generational Insights, have provided research and consultation to American Express, Fidelity, BASF, Nestle, Schlumberger, Merrill Lynch, Kellogg, Coca-Cola, Macy’s, Warner Brothers, ESPN, Qualcomm, RE/MAX and Eli Lilly. He has also offered presentations and consultations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Army, as well as major professional associations such as the American Bankers Association, the Financial Services Roundtable, and the Million Dollar Roundtable.
Marston’s books, articles, columns, and blog describe and analyze the major generations of our time: Matures (born before 1946), Baby Boomers, (born 1946-64), Generation X (born 1965-79), and Millennials (born 1980-2000).
Marston’s expertise has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, the Chicago Tribune, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Money, and Forbes, as well as on Good Morning America, CNN International, and the BBC. He writes a column for InvestmentNews, CNBC, Investment Advisor, and has been a featured columnist in Agent’s Sales Journal, AdvisorOne Magazine, ThinkAdvisor and Multi-Housing News, among others.