Michael Drapkin

Current

• Chief Executive Officer at Drapkin Technology Corp.

Past

• Executive Director at Brevard Conference on Music Entrepreneurship
• Vice President of Strategic Projects at IDT
• Executive Director at Foundation for Entrepreneurship in the Arts

• Executive Director and Solo Clarinetist at Music Amici
• Board of Directors at Youth Education in the Arts
• Chair of ECommerce Management at Columbia University
• Chief Technology Officer at Dispatch Management Services Corporation
• Director of Technology at Avalanche Solutions, Inc.
• Vice President at Lehman Brothers
• Director of Technology at Lodestar Software Development Inc.
• Software Consultant (Sole Proprietorship)
• Principal Clarinetist at Lake George Opera Festival
• Assistant Principal Clarinet/Bass Clarinet at Honolulu Symphony Orchestra
• Principal Clarinetist at New York City Opera Touring Company
• President at Musical Entertainment Company of New York (Sole Proprietorship)

see less...

12 more...

Education

• University of Rochester

Recommended

9 people have recommended Michael

Connections

500+ connections

Industry

Management Consulting

Websites

• My Company
• My Website
• Puerto Rico Conference

Michael Drapkin’s Summary

A proven executive achiever, Michael Drapkin continues to assume leadership roles in both the for-profit and not-for-profit/academic worlds. He has played principal roles in the consulting/contracting worlds in a variety of industries, and is Executive Director of The Puerto Rico Conference on Music Entrepreneurship, Chair of the Committee on Career Development and Entrepreneurship for the College Music Society and formerly the chair of E-Commerce Management at Columbia University's Executive Information Technology Management program. Drapkin is an expert at business strategy and management, with more than twenty years of experience at both Fortune 1000 and over 30 startup companies. He served as senior technologist at the web agencies Razorfish and Avalanche, was CTO of DMS Corporation and a vice president at Lehman Brothers. His writings have appeared in the New York Times and numerous trade periodicals. A former Honolulu Symphony clarinetist, he has become one of the most recognizable names amongst bass clarinetists, having authored the Symphonic Repertoire for the Bass Clarinet series which has become standard literature worldwide. An active chamber musician, Michael Drapkin am a Selmer Performing Artist.

"The joy of creativity in its infinite diversity; and the way our differences combine to create meaning, and beauty."

Michael Drapkin’s Specialties:

Financial Services, Retail, Web/Internet, Telecommunications, Advertising/New Media, The Arts, Leadership, Project Management, Logistics, Business Strategy.

Michael Drapkin’s Experience

• Chief Executive Officer

  Drapkin Technology Corp.

  (Information Technology and Services industry)

  January 1999 — Present (10 years 11 months)

  Drapkin Technology provides senior-level business, management and technology expertise to enable profitable businesses and commerce, using a deep bench of best-of-breed partners, alliances and resources. Services included: business assessment and triage, project management and reorganization, vendor management and contract renegotiation, market analysis and assessment, technology, web design and application development, web administration and infrastructure.
  
  Selected clients include: Gateway.com, MCY Music, Inc., Sector, Inc. (New York Stock Exchange), Brouillard Communications (J. Walter Thompson), iVillage.com, Frankfurt Balkind, Internet Shopping Network/Tiffany and Co. (via Oven Digital), Sony Music, Wineshopper.com, Nickelodeon Online, many others

• Executive Director

  Brevard Conference on Music Entrepreneurship

  (Education Management industry)

  2005 — 2008 (3 years )

  Founder of the first national conference on entrepreneurship in music. Think tank with key speakers held on July 16-17, 2005; full sold-out conference held July 14-16 2006; at the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina. $100,000 in grants obtained from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Sponsorship by the College Music Society, Music Entertainment Industry Educator’s Association, Executive Council of NY, others.

• Vice President of Strategic Projects

  IDT

  (Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; Telecommunications industry)

  May 2004 — October 2006 (2 years 6 months)

  In charge of business intelligence for a $2.5 telecom firm. Part of an intrapreneurial business strategy group for a large telecom firm with mandate to look anywhere in the firm to either save or make the firm money. Developed a business services division, coordinated large efforts spanning multiple business units and projects, including a MasterCard Point of Sale Activation (POSA) system, Alaska routing, Toll-Free NPA-NXX routing, and the integration of Sonus Softswitch as a core carrier switch. Two patents applied for on Point-Of-Sale Activation of Products.

• Executive Director

  Foundation for Entrepreneurship in the Arts

  (Non-Profit; 11-50 employees; Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

  2003 — 2005 (2 years )

  The Foundation for Entrepreneurialism in the Arts (TheFEA.org), a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to addressing the oversupply of arts graduates by teaching performers how to become entrepreneurs and create demand for their talent through adoption of FEA’s Performance Entrepreneurialism Program (PEP) curriculum at music conservatories and arts schools; Supported by Merrill-Lynch’s Planned Giving practice.

• Executive Director and Solo Clarinetist

  Music Amici

  (Non-Profit; 1-10 employees; Music industry)

  2001 — 2005 (4 years )

  Rockland County, New York’s oldest professional chamber music group. Regular performances in Rockland County, the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, and Carnegie Hall in New York City; recordings on labels Angel/EMI and New World Records; has often appeared live on WQXR, WNYC and NPR. Members included violinist Marti Sweet, of the Met Opera Orchestra, and pianist Christopher Oldfather, soloist with the New York Philharmonic. Obtained Ensemble in Residency with the Suffern Lafayette Theatre, and declaration of “Music Amici Day” on the day of the Gala installation on January 30, 2005 by the Rockland County Legislature.

• Board of Directors

  Youth Education in the Arts

  (Non-Profit; 11-50 employees; Performing Arts industry)

  2001 — 2003 (2 years )

  Served on the working board of this not-for-profit group to apply skills in music, business, technology and organization to benefit America’s Youth. YEA! is the parent organization of the United States Scholastic Band Association, the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps, and the eight-time world champion Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. Conceived, organized and ran their highly successful Benefit Concert in Weill Recital Hall, bringing in new outside non-music corporate sponsorship, including Fortune Magazine, VH1, Cushman and Wakefield, Morrison & Foerster.

• Chair of ECommerce Management

  Columbia University

  (Educational Institution; 1001-5000 employees; Higher Education industry)

  1999 — 2002 (3 years )

  Executive Information Technology Management program. Founded an e-commerce-oriented program to train senior technology managers to become executives. Designed all course syllabi, hired the instructional staff, including MBAs from Harvard and NYU Stern, and brought in top industry executives as guest lecturers.

• Chief Technology Officer

  Dispatch Management Services Corporation

  (Public Company; 201-500 employees; Logistics and Supply Chain industry)

  May 1998 — January 1999 (9 months)

  CTO of a quarter billion dollar, global publicly traded firm providing on demand, same day bike-messenger delivery services in the US, England, Scotland, New Zealand and Australia. Built the infrastructure for basic technology services ranging from wireless Palm Pilots for couriers, global frame relay networks and T1 lines to mobile phones and PC support/system administration. Headed up the technological reengineering of software and telephony, as well as management of office moves/consolidations in both New York and London. Managed staff across two continents; ran multiple projects ranging from software development and system administration to infrastructure architecture; negotiated global vendor technology contracts.

• Director of Technology

  Avalanche Solutions, Inc.

  (Public Company; 11-50 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry)

  December 1997 — May 1998 (6 months)

  Led all web development, programming, Q/A, system administration and technology infrastructure for this pioneering Silicon Alley web design and web-based application development firm. Re-engineered project management practices, managed major multi-million dollar projects and represented technology both to clients and to sister company Razorfish’s large corporate customers. Managed the firm’s largest clients including Carnegie Hall, Guardian Life and Casio.

• Vice President

  Lehman Brothers

  (Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; Financial Services industry)

  1993 — 1997 (4 years )

  Managed web development and site design for the technology architecture group, Project manager for the PC side of Lehman’s enterprise system engineering group. Led network and enterprise management technology, including software development for company-wide infrastructure and network utilities, product evaluation, and vendor management. Implemented Lehman’s first data warehouse and Decision Support System, and ran it in production. Developed a Lead Prospecting System using high net worth prospects for retail brokers saving $800,000/year. Awarded a letter of commendation.

• Director of Technology

  Lodestar Software Development Inc.

  (Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Computer Software industry)

  1986 — 1993 (7 years )

  Supervised business development, sales and marketing, consulting and technology. Performed project management, management consulting, business analysis, and software development. Clients included Reader’s Digest, Banker’s Trust, IBM Canada Ltd., Dun and Bradstreet, United Parcel Service, IBM Baltimore, Reuters Information Services, Prodigy, Waldenbooks, American Express, Coopers & Lybrand, A & W Brands, others.

• Software Consultant

  Sole Proprietorship

  (Sole Proprietorship; Myself Only; Computer Software industry)

  1979 — 1986 (7 years )

  Engaged in software development, product and technology development

• Principal Clarinetist

  Lake George Opera Festival

  (Non-Profit; 51-200 employees; Performing Arts industry)

  1984 — 1985 (1 year )

• Assistant Principal Clarinet/Bass Clarinet

  Honolulu Symphony Orchestra

  (Non-Profit; 51-200 employees; Performing Arts industry)

  1982 — 1983 (1 year )

• Principal Clarinetist

  New York City Opera Touring Company

  (Non-Profit; 51-200 employees; Performing Arts industry)

  1981 — 1981 (less than a year)

  Toured throughout the South performing Verdi’s La Traviata with tenor Jerry Hadley.

• President

  Musical Entertainment Company of New York (Sole Proprietorship)

  (Sole Proprietorship; Myself Only; Music industry)

  1979 — 1980 (1 year )

  An artist management firm specializing in booking musicians.

Michael Drapkin’s Education

• University of Rochester

  B.M. A. Mu. (Clarinet) , Eastman School of Music; Clarinet performance , 1975 — 1979

Additional Information

Michael Drapkin’s Websites:

• My Company
• My Website
• Puerto Rico Conference

Michael Drapkin’s Interests:

Guest Lectures and Master Classes at the Eastman School of Music, The Juilliard School of Music, Citibank in New York City and Florida, University of Texas at Austin (keynote speech), University of Florida at Gainesville, New York University Stern College of Business, University of Chicago. Instructor, Lehman Brothers Trading Services University 1995-1998 Private Clarinet Instructional Studio Marching band and music judge and clinician, Cavalcade of Bands, Classic Festivals and Tours, Musical Arts Conference, United States Scholastic Band Association. Wrote, cowrote and contributed to 8 books spanning music, business and technology.

Michael Drapkin’s Groups:

College Music Society, Network of Music Career Development Officers, Selmer Performing Artist, American Federation of Musicians, Local 802 New York City, International Clarinet Association, World Bass Clarinet Foundation, Internet World Advisory Board, eVentureWorld Advisory Board, American Mensa, Texchange, Bootstrap Network, Rockland County Concert Band, Columbia University

•    Mensa
•    Austin Texchange
•    Austin High-Tech
•    Mensa - Official 'Linked M's' SIG (USA)
•    Lehman Brothers Alumni
•    Geek Austin
•    Austin, The Human Capital
•    Eastman School of Music Alumni
•    The Unusual Discussion Group
•    CONNECT FORWARD Job Club
•    Linked Local Austin, TX
•    iBreakfast
•    Cottonwood Technology Fund

Michael Drapkin’s Honors:

- Finalist for Best Non-Profit CEO, The Ten Awards. The "Academy Awards of New York Business," an annual selection of ten companies and individuals in the greater New York business community that display extraordinary leadership and innovation to improve their business – for the Brevard Conference on Music Entrepreneurship, 2006
- Finalist for Dean of Music Position, North Carolina School of the Arts, 2004
- Finalist for Dean of Music Position, DePauw University, 2006

Michael Drapkin’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• job inquiries
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch