CEO of Buddy Media & Founder of GOLF.com, U-Wire and Lazerow Consulting
Greater New York City Area
- Current
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- Founder, Chairman, CEO at Buddy Media
- Founder at Lazerow Consulting
- Past
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- GM. GOLF.com at Time Inc.
- CEO at GOLF.com and GolfServ
- President and Founder at University Wire/Student Advantage
- Education
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- Northwestern University
- Northwestern University
- Recommended
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15 people have recommended Michael - Connections
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500+
connections
- Industry
- Internet
- Websites
Michael Lazerow’s Summary
Entrepreneur who has founded four successful internet-based media companies -- Buddy Media, a NYC-based start up, U-Wire, sold to Student Advantage, GOLF.com, sold to Time Inc, and Lazerow Consulting LLC. Passion for creating, managing and growing companies. Selling 'em ain't bad either!
Michael Lazerow’s Experience
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Founder, Chairman, CEO
Buddy Media
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Internet industry)
September 2007 — Present (2 years 3 months)
I am currently working on my 4th start up, Buddy Media. At Buddy Media, I'm in charge of taking this business from just an idea to something big ... really big.
In today’s social media world, every brand needs a Buddy. Buddy Media develops and promotes social app-vertising campaigns that increase engagement and interaction between people and brands. Some of the world’s largest brands, including FedEx, New Balance, Time Inc. & Microsoft work with Buddy Media to create social brand loyalty. Buddy Media is based in NYC (Columbus Circle area) and backed by Softbank, European Founders Fund and GreyCroft Partners, Keith Bank (KB Partners), James Altucher (Stockpickr.com, TheStreet.com), Peter Thiel (PayPal founder, Clarium Capital and Facebook angel and board member), Roger Ehrenberg, Mark Pincus (multiple startups, including Zynga, Support.com, Tribe, Freeloader and Facebook angel) and Bay Partners, a $300 million fund that operates the AppFactory program. -
Founder
Lazerow Consulting
(Internet industry)
May 2007 — Present (2 years 7 months)
I launch stuff (businesses, web sites, ecommerce stores, media properties and more). Raise money. Invest my own money. Build sales teams. Buy and sell companies. Hire key people. Make introductions to key partners, vendors, investors and colleagues. Basically, I kick things into high gear and get things done.
Here are a few sample engagements:
* Launched 2 new Web 2.0 properties for a major media company. I created the P&Ls, hired the staff, lead product development and sales efforts.
* Advised a leading online tee time company. I advised the company on its ad sales, internet distribution and strategic-planning efforts and made managed the sale of the company for more than $40 million, $8 million more than the company's expectations.
* Advised an early-stage venture capital firm whose investments include Wallstrip.com (sold to CBS Corp.), LifeLock ($200M+ annual run rate company) and others. -
GM. GOLF.com
Time Inc.
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; twx; Internet industry)
January 2006 — April 2007 (1 year 4 months)
Mike spearheaded the sale of GOLF.com and the company that owned it, GolfServ, to Time Inc. Upon completion of the sale, Mike headed up the online golf efforts for Time Inc. and GOLF MAGAZINE.
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CEO
GOLF.com and GolfServ
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Internet industry)
January 1999 — January 2006 (7 years 1 month)
Led GolfServ from a start-up to a multi-million dollar profitable golf media property. The company delivers to millions of golfers each month golf content and e-commerce services through GOLF.com, GolfServ’s flagship site, and 100+ syndicated sites.
Successfully funded GolfServ by raising $6 million in equity financing from private investors, leading venture capital firms and media companies.
Negotiated and executed successful partnerships on behalf of GolfServ with NBC Sports, MSNBC.com, Yahoo!, AOL, FoxSports.com, Microsoft, New York Times Co., the PGA Tour, USA TODAY, Knight Ridder, Chicago Tribune, GOLF Magazine, NTT Communications and more than 200 other companies.
Negotiated and executed sale of company to Time Warner's Time Inc. division generating an 800%+ return for investors. -
President and Founder
University Wire/Student Advantage
(Public Company; 201-500 employees; Internet industry)
1994 — 1999 (5 years )
Founded University Wire, an Associated Press-like network of more than 700 student-run newspapers that provides the most in-depth coverage of campus news and student issues. Today, U-Wire’s youth content is distributed through almost every major college newspaper and most of the major Internet portals.
Sold U-Wire to Student Advantage, the nation's leading student membership organization linking 1.5 million students through one affinity card program, in May 1997.
As a member of the Student Advantage management team, helped grow Student Advantage from a handful of employees into the premier media and marketing company in the college market with more than 300 employees and $80 million in annual revenue.
U-Wire is currently owned by CBS Corp.
Michael Lazerow’s Education
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Northwestern University
MS , Journalism , 1995 — 1996
Successfully completed Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism's Masters program.
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Northwestern University
BS , Journalism , 1992 — 1996
Graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. with a B.S. and M.S. in Journalism in 1996. Byline has appeared in more than a dozen newspapers, including Roll Call, the newspaper of Capitol Hill, the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, the Miami Herald, the Delaware State-News, The Capital Times in Madison, Wis., and the Montgomery Journal.
- Activities and Societies:
- Writer: The Daily Northwestern
Writer: Medill News Service
Additional Information
Michael Lazerow’s Websites:
Michael Lazerow’s Interests:
I live in NYC with my wife, Kass, two sons, Myles and Cole, and daughter, Vivian. You can check out my personal website here: http://www.lazerow.com.
Michael Lazerow’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- new ventures
- job inquiries
- expertise requests
- business deals
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
