Entrepreneur and Executive Producer - Interactive
Edmonton, Canada Area
- Current
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- Interactive Strategist & Executive Producer at RED The Agency
- President & Executive Producer at CIE: Seek Your Own Proof
- President & Executive Producer at Hotrocket
- Past
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- Interim Executive Director at ICT Council
- Senior Project Manager at Heritage Community Foundation
- Education
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- University of Alberta
- The University of Lethbridge
- Recommended
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6 people have recommended Jason - Connections
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296
connections
- Industry
- Computer Games
- Websites
Jason Suriano’s Summary
Jason has successfully produced and directed over 150 interactive projects in just under 7 years. After joining Hotrocket in 2004, Jason revamped all aspects of process, management and production and led the company to profitability and the acquisition of its interactive services division by RED the Agency in 2008.
Over the past several years Jason has worked with hundreds of local, national and international production teams on a variety of projects raging from educational learning objects to practical health applications and more recently interactive marketing campaigns and advergames.
Jason, working together with his partners Ken Bautista and Norman Mendoza, are in the late stages of development on CIE: Seek Your Own Proof, a kids online community recognized with several awards including: Grand Prize Winner at the TEC VenturePrize competition in Alberta, Best in Show at the Fusion Digital Media Venture Forum in Vancouver, Pitch It! Winner at KidScreen Summit in New York, and Most Promising Company at the Canadian New Media Awards.
Jason Suriano’s Specialties:
Strategic planning, production management, organizational tactics, execution of creative concepts.
Jason Suriano’s Experience
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Interactive Strategist & Executive Producer
RED The Agency
(Privately Held; Marketing and Advertising industry)
June 2008 — Present (1 year 7 months)
Since 2001, RED has become one of the largest and fastest growing independent full-service marketing communications agencies in Western Canada. RED is an ICA-certified member agency with offices in Vancouver and Edmonton and a staff of 20 full-time advertising professionals. In June 2008, RED acquired the interactive strategy division of Hotrocket. The seamless integration of traditional agency services and interactive agency services will allow RED to consistently deliver the type of brand experiences that will break through in a very cluttered and fragmented communications environment. RED's clients include Work Safe Alberta, Capital Health, OK Tire, Edmonton Oilers, Canadian Western Bank, Edmonton Airports, Alberta Motor Association and West Edmonton Mall. Over the past 3 years alone, RED has been recognized among Alberta Venture's Fastest Growing Companies, along with national recognition in PROFIT and Applied Arts for its creative and business achievements.
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President & Executive Producer
CIE: Seek Your Own Proof
(Computer Games industry)
December 2006 — Present (3 years 1 month)
CIE: SEEK YOUR OWN PROOF is an online and offline community where kids ages 9 and up are challenged to investigate history and science as agents of a fictional institution called the “Central Institute for Exploration”. CIE is a new breed of cross-media franchise that offers “smart entertainment” for kids, blurring fantasy and reality, engaging offline and online, and activating a new generation of connected, critical thinkers. CIE is a subscription based online community where children compete virtual world activities and participate in immersive fiction that takes web-based episodic games to a new level. Through our Field Station program, children can experience real-world activities supported by local museum attractions.
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President & Executive Producer
Hotrocket
(Internet industry)
March 2004 — Present (5 years 10 months)
Hotrocket is an interactive production company held in partnership between Ken Bautista and Jason Suriano. The company specializes in architecting cross-platform interactive experiences. Hotrocket’s most recent production is the “Central Institute for Exploration (CIE)", a cross-platform game that uses websites, mobile phones and real-world locations to engage kids in the world of a secret agency dedicated to exploring time. In 2007, Hotrocket was the winning company among 4 international companies selected to pitch to a jury of senior industry executives in front of the entire conference delegation at the 8th annual KidScreen Summit in New York. CIE was also 1 of only 2 projects in Canada to be supported by the TELUS Innovation Fund, which invests in new forms of original and ground-breaking interactive entertainment content. CIE also led to the company being recognized as "Most Promising Company of the Year" at the Canadian New Media Awards in 2006.
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Interim Executive Director
ICT Council
(Information Technology and Services industry)
November 2007 — March 2008 (5 months)
The Executive Director (ED) supports the ICT Council Chair and Board by providing a wide variety support activities and initiatives. Within the ICT Council, the ED supports the ICT Council Chair and Board Executive performing duties and facilitate positive outcomes that align with the goals of the ICT Council’s Business Plan. The ED prepares budget and forecasts, monitors expenditures and generates accurate financial reports. The ICT Council Executive Director leads the preparation and administration of all contract documents, amendments, and extensions to ensure compliance with approved contracting policy, signing authorities’ matrix and established policies and procedures.
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Senior Project Manager
Heritage Community Foundation
(Privately Held; Real Estate industry)
July 2003 — March 2004 (9 months)
In 2003, Jason was hired by the Heritage Community Foundation. During his time with the non-profit organization, he successfully initiated and launched several products and programs. “Edukits” was a series of interactive learning resources that explored topics such as the Aboriginal Youth Identity series, The Famous 5, Women of Aspenland, Alberta Naturally and Alberta’s Petrolium Heritage. In his first six months with the program, Jason helped raise over $1M in production financing through public and private sources.
Jason Suriano’s Education
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University of Alberta
MA , Humanities Computing , 2001 — 2003
Jason started his career in the interactive industry as a production manager in 2003, after graduating from the University of Alberta with a Master of Arts Degree in Humanities Computing. He was the first graduate of the new program which converged technology with literature, philosophy, project management, content development and writing. His resulting thesis, “The Sign-ificant Body: Finding Corporal Meaning in Literature, Film and Cyberspace” led to employment with Athabasca University as a technology research assistant and a stint as a Faculty of Arts technology mentor at the University of Alberta’s Technologies for Learning Centre.
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The University of Lethbridge
BA , English, French, Philosophy , 1998 — 2001
