Kent Wakeford

Current

Co-Founder / Chief Revenue Officer at AdSafe Media, Inc.
Advisory Board at Watercooler Inc.
Advisor at OpenX

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Past

Senior Vice President at Clearspring Technologies, Inc.
President at The Enthusiast Network, LLC
Board of Directors at Care for the Homeless

Board of Directors at Susan's Place
Vice President at America Online
Attorney at O'Melveny & Myers

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3 more...

Education

University of Southern California Law School
University of California, Los Angeles

Recommended

8 people have recommended Kent

Connections

500+ connections

Industry

Internet

Websites

Kent Wakeford’s Summary

Over 12 years of entertainment, media and interactive experience, including running a digital media company, co-founding an ad technology and content rating company, leading sales / business development teams, general counsel at leading social media company, and attorney at national law firm. Expertise in structuring and negotiating all aspects of digital media partnerships, venture financing, and acquisition of digital / social media / technology companies.

Executive team member and co-founder of digital media and ad technology companies with lead role developing hundreds of relationships in the digital, social media, and ad technology space with media companies, sports leagues, social networks, search engines, ecommerce sites, ad networks and exchanges, data providers, and behavioral targeting companies.

Completed equity investments and/or warrant issuance in fourteen digital and social media companies. Sourced and negotiated the acquisition of four community-based online media properties. Helped negotiate and facilitate venture financing including angel investments, Series A and Series C investments. Lead legal negotiator for the acquisition of the leading online bookmarking platform.

Kent Wakeford’s Specialties:

Developing digital media strategies and partnerships with emphasis on online advertising technology, content syndication, cross-platform marketing relationships, advertising and ecommerce partnerships, and data acquisition. Sourcing, evaluating and structuring the sale and acquisition of digital media assets and companies.

Kent Wakeford’s Experience

Co-Founder / Chief Revenue Officer

AdSafe Media, Inc.

(Internet industry)

May 2009 — Present (8 months)

Co-founder and senior executive of leading content rating and ad technology company that provides advertisers and agencies tools to prevent inappropriate online ad adjacency. AdSafe allows advertisers and agencies to set content rating thresholds for campaigns and AdSafe’s firewall prevents ads from appearing on unqualified sites. Work closely with ad networks, exchanges, and behavioral targeting companies to identify publisher content that is not in compliance with standard IAB, IASH, or regulatory guidelines.
Advisory Board

Watercooler Inc.

(Privately Held; Online Media industry)

February 2009 — Present (11 months)

Advisor to the largest TV entertainment and Sports fan community application across Facebook, MySpace, Yahoo!, Google, Friendster, Bebo, Hi5 as well as its TVLoop.com and FanSection websites. Watercooler has more than 40 million registered fans across its properties and is funded by Canaan Partners.
Advisor

OpenX

(Privately Held; Internet industry)

January 2009 — Present (1 year )

Advisor to the leading independent and open source ad serving and monetization platform for web publishers. OpenX powers ad serving across a community of more than 150,000 websites with its platform translated into 25 languages, used in more than 100 countries, and serving more than 300 billion ads each month. OpenX enables publishers to monetize websites and maximize the price of online ad inventory using a real-time auction platform. OpenX is backed by Accel Partners, Index Ventures and O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures.
Senior Vice President

Clearspring Technologies, Inc.

(Privately Held; Internet industry)

June 2007 — December 2008 (1 year 7 months)

Senior executive responsible for business development team and legal affairs for the leading social media and online viral syndication company. Responsible for structuring and negotiating relationships with most major media companies, sports leagues, major social networks, blogs, mobile media platforms, and Web 2.0 companies. Negotiated operational relationships focused on ad technology, product development, display and video ad networks, hosting and data center relationships. Clearspring is funded by leading investors including New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Novak Biddle Venture Partners, Steve Case, and Ted Leonsis.
President

The Enthusiast Network, LLC

(Privately Held; Marketing and Advertising industry)

2004 — 2007 (3 years )

Lead the development and sale of an enthusiast publishing company with 35+ enthusiast websites, two digital magazines, four print publications, and streaming video programming. Responsible for strategic and day-to-day activities, including staff of 22+ employees, overseeing legal, technology and financial departments. Responsible for P&L, and bringing company to cash flow positive position in 2006. Increased revenue with over 100% year-over-year growth. Grew unique visitors to over 900,000 per month and pages views to over 15,000,000 per month. Developed interactive product guide with contextual integration of relevant advertisers, including CPC bidding platform for product retailers. Structured and negotiated acquisitions of major competitor and various enthusiast websites.
Board of Directors

Care for the Homeless

(Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

April 2002 — May 2007 (5 years 2 months)

Member of Board of Directors, including roles as Vice-President and Board President of a non-profit group that provides health care and other services to over 8,000 homeless men, women and children in New York with an operating budget of over $5 million per year.
Board of Directors

Susan's Place

(Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

April 2002 — January 2005 (2 years 10 months)

Member of Board of Directors, including role as President of a non-profit group in New York that has partnered with the Department of Homeless Services to develop a transitional housing and a drop-in center for homeless women in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx. Susan's Place opened in August, 2008.
Vice President

America Online

(Public Company; TWX; Internet industry)

1999 — 2004 (5 years )

Responsible for leading a team charged with developing strategies and partnerships across AOL's web properties, including Netscape, CompuServe, AIM, DigitalCities, Spinner, WinAmp, ICQ, MapQuest, MovieFone, and America Online. Negotiated and closed over two hundred cross-platform marketing programs with industry leading retail, travel, health, entertainment, search, finance, and small business companies. Developed and closed integrated marketing partnerships across TimeWarner family of brands including Time, Inc., Warner Bros., CNN, and Fortune. Represented AOL on the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) task force to negotiate and publish the AAAA's standard terms and conditions V.2.
Attorney

O'Melveny & Myers

(Partnership; Law Practice industry)

1996 — 1999 (3 years )

Attorney with a national law firm with specialty in media and entertainment transactions. Completed investments, acquisitions and film financing projects with major film studios, music labels, and publishing companies. Represented telecommunications company with major investments and strategic operating agreements. Assisted in opening first retail outlets of major coffee chain in China.

Kent Wakeford’s Education

University of Southern California Law School

Juris Doctor , Law , 1993 — 1996

Recipient of Norma Zarsky Memorial Award for excellence in the field of entertainment law
Recipient of Gerald G. and Sally D. Kelly Award for highest scholarship
Southern California Law Review, Articles Editor
Publication: Municipal Cable Franchising: An Unwarranted Intrusion Into Competitive Markets, published: Volume 69:1 Southern California Law Review

Activities and Societies:

Order of the Coif, Law Review
University of California, Los Angeles

1988 — 1992