Ryan Kiskis

Current

Advisor at Martini Media Network

Past

Founder at Martini Media Network
Founding CEO at Martini Media Network
Director of Product Management at MTV Networks

Director of Product Marketing & Management at Xfire
Director, Business Development at Xfire
Intern at BearingPoint
Intern at Merrill Lynch

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4 more...

Education

Stanford University
Princeton University
Branson

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Recommended

5 people have recommended Ryan

Connections

465 connections

Industry

Internet

Websites

Ryan Kiskis’s Summary

I help organizations build new business. It comes in 3 deceptively simple steps:

- Analyzing where to play
- Determining how to win
- Building the right team to execute

I'm an experienced entrepreneur at both startups & Fortune 500 companies, with an MBA and engineering degrees. I have seen the lifecycle of rapidly growing organizations from initial concept, fundraising, hiring, product realization, competitive positioning, monetization and long term success. I've built startups from the ground up, as well as opened new markets from within existing organizations. My expertise has been primarily focused in the online sphere, particularly in industries transitioning online. I pride myself on developing creative approaches to opportunities in new growth areas, while ensuring a rigorous and data-driven methodology to building and decision-making.

I bring a unique mix of a strong technical grounding in engineering combined with a rigorous approach to organization analysis, management, and execution. I have sought & tackled challenges from across the spectrum of business, from go-to-market planning & positioning, online business development, agile product management, team building & process planning, digital media sales and financial analysis.

I have a particular passion and understanding of the digital media, interactive entertainment, and transportation & energy resources spaces. I find these markets are not only undergoing significant upheaval & business model development, they spark the imagination & enthusiasm of those who choose to lead them. They have the greatest opportunities to not only drive innovation but also improve our world & lifestyles for the better.

Ryan Kiskis’s Specialties:

Problem solving.
Space analysis, including competitive research, financial projections, and market sizing.
Fundraising, go-to-market strategy, and team development.
Agile product management.
Online marketing, particularly organic & grassroots initiatives.

Ryan Kiskis’s Experience

Advisor

Martini Media Network

(Privately Held; Online Media industry)

August 2009 — Present (5 months)
Founder

Martini Media Network

(Privately Held; Online Media industry)

September 2008 — August 2009 (1 year )

- Responsible for strategy, financial operations and organizational design. P&L responsibility for the business.
- Successful at developing & executive online marketing plans for leading brands such as Aston Martin, Maserati, The Glenlivet, Audi, Gulfstream Aircraft and more.
- Developed business plans and secured funding from leading Silicon Valley & NY investors.
- Brought on board an experienced sales-focused CEO to lead the company to increased financial success. Revenue growing rapidly on a quarter-by-quarter basis; on track to exceed projections.
Founding CEO

Martini Media Network

(Internet industry)

September 2007 — September 2008 (1 year 1 month)

- Developed business plan & secured seed funding for a digital media startup focused on developing the affluent online marketing space.
- Recruited a team and honed the business model to the current network strategy, working closely with our strategic & financial advisors.
Director of Product Management

MTV Networks

(Public Company; VIA; Entertainment industry)

May 2006 — September 2007 (1 year 5 months)

- Conceived, secured funding, and managed development for a community-focused gaming website in collaboration with other MTV groups including GameTrailers.com and MTV Games.
- Designed and implemented a new cross-functional team structure to revitalize product and departmental collaboration.
Director of Product Marketing & Management

Xfire

(Privately Held; Computer Games industry)

June 2005 — May 2006 (1 year )

- Developed business models to determine ROI on potential feature development
- Managed launch & consumer messaging of Xfire features to community of 6M gamers
- Supported an agile desktop & web development team with feature specs, user research, and business model development.
Director, Business Development

Xfire

(Computer Games industry)

January 2004 — June 2005 (1 year 6 months)

Responsible for organizing and executing a variety of grassroots marketing efforts to develop Xfire. Events included national-brand skins, gaming tournaments, online events, and strategic partnerships. Part-time position while completing business school.
Intern

BearingPoint

(Public Company; BE; Management Consulting industry)

June 2003 — August 2003 (3 months)

Summer position in Chemicals & Natural Resources. Focused on data-driven analysis of customer and product lifecycles for clients. Ran analysis and helped pitch an engagement that resulted in $250k of business for the firm.
Intern

Merrill Lynch

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; MER; Financial Services industry)

June 2002 — August 2002 (3 months)

Summer position in Merrill Lynch's Private Client division. Worked on deployment of Six Sigma techniques across Merrill Lynch. Passed training and completed project to secure Green Belt certification during 3 month term.

Ryan Kiskis’s Education

Stanford University

MBA , 2003 — 2005

- Certificate in Global Management
- Certificate in Product Creation & Innovative Manufacturing

Activities and Societies:

- Active in High Tech, Entrepreneurship, and Product Design & Manufacturing clubs
Princeton University

BSE , Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering , 1999 — 2003

- Certificate in Robotics & Intelligent Systems

Activities and Societies:

American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Princeton Flying Club, Princeton Business Plan Competition, Sigma Xi Research Society Member, Japanese language training including summer immersion in Kanazawa, Japan
Branson

Additional Information

Ryan Kiskis’s Websites:

Ryan Kiskis’s Interests:

Automotive, investing, venture capital, entrepreneurship, space travel, professional racing, autocross, aviation, languages (Japanese, French, Mandarin) videogames, online communities, distributed applications, markets, San Francisco, good food, energy policy, falcons, travel, sailing, cello