Business Development & Marketing at Howdy Group
Hungary
- Current
-
- Business Development & Marketing at Howdy Group
- Director at Critical Mass Media Consulting
- Past
-
- Chairman at CEU Entrepreneurs Forum
- Online Marketing Director at Asylum Telecom
- Marketing Director at IndexTools
- Chief Communications Officer, Central Europe coordinator at First Tuesday Ltd
- Co-founder, marketing director at iSYS Hungary (ISP)
- Co-founder, editor at Budapest Week publishing
- Education
-
- Univerzitet 'Sv. Kiril i Metódij' vo Skopje
- California State University-Chico
- Recommended
-
16 people have recommended Steven - Connections
-
500+
connections
- Industry
- Internet
- Websites
Steven Carlson’s Summary
At Critical Mass Media I help businesses create high-impact and cost effective weblog marketing channels to their customers, partners and the media.
I have 10+ years of career experience as an online marketer, including executive positions in the fields of web analytics, VoIP, ISP and social networking. While based in Budapest, Hungary, most of my career experience has been with companies doing business in North America and Europe.
I've taken part in starting, building and growing three businesses: a newspaper, an Internet service provider and a social networking company. With the Central European University, I created the Entrepreneurs Forum to help aspiring business leaders from around the region learn, network and live their dreams.
As an independent consultant and blogger for the European Commission, I developed nowEurope.com as a networking and communications platform for Central European technology innovators and entrepreneurs. I was also commissioned by Alinea Partners to create and moderate a weblog for Microsoft on the topic of telecoms convergence in Central Europe and the CIS.
Steven Carlson’s Specialties:
web strategy, web analytics, search marketing, web and email publishing, company startup, market research, copywriting and editing, conference & event management
Steven Carlson’s Experience
-
Business Development & Marketing
Howdy Group
(Internet industry)
April 2008 — Present (6 months)
• Conducting a partner search for launching or licensing social networking sites in 12 key markets
• Working to raise further capital for company expansion and marketing
• Responsible for overseeing marketing strategies in currently operating sites in five markets
• Working to analyze and optimize member acquisition on all sites -
Director
Critical Mass Media Consulting
(Marketing and Advertising industry)
September 2002 — Present (6 years 1 month)
• Currently moderating nowEurope collaborative weblog with a grant from the European Union
• Wrote Internet marketing research reports as freelance analyst for eMarketer
• Commissioned by Alinea Partners to create Vienna Calling! weblog for Microsoft
• Wrote two research papers for DoubleClick surveying the European markets for paid search and rich media
• Advised Colliers International on web strategy and email newsletter launch -
Chairman
CEU Entrepreneurs Forum
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Events Services industry)
September 1999 — October 2006 (7 years 2 months)
• Co-founded Budapest business forum in Sep ‘99 as one of the first 12 First Tuesday city meetings
• Grew membership to 1,500+, sold long-term sponsorships to KPMG, Deloitte and MATAV-Ventures
• Secured EU grant under 6th framework to connect local tech companies with European research partners
• Created partnership with Central European University Business School to relaunch the event under the auspices of the school. -
Online Marketing Director
Asylum Telecom
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Telecommunications industry)
December 2005 — April 2006 (5 months)
• Responsible all aspects of the company's online strategy and promotion
• Relaunched company website, thereby repositioning the company for new business strategy
• Developed program to provide online marketing support and best practices to reseller partner network
• Created internal weblog to share news and best practices -
Marketing Director
IndexTools
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Internet industry)
May 2004 — December 2005 (1 year 8 months)
• Responsible for all aspects of brand development, marketing, campaign management and PR
• Executed comprehensive corporate redesign to reposition the company in a rapidly-evolving market
• During my 18 months in this position we increased the company's revenues fourfold
• COMPANY SOLD TO YAHOO! INC IN APRIL 2008 -
Chief Communications Officer, Central Europe coordinator
First Tuesday Ltd
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Events Services industry)
March 2000 — September 2002 (2 years 7 months)
• Contracted by founders to manage expansion across Central Europe (Feb to Jul ‘00)
• Elected one of 10 Network Representatives to negotiate city leaders’ relationship with new owner
• Took part in raising network syndication ($440K) to purchase First Tuesday from Yazam Inc (May ‘01)
• As Chief Communications Officer, responsible for business development and licensee management -
Co-founder, marketing director
iSYS Hungary (ISP)
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Internet industry)
April 1995 — January 2000 (4 years 10 months)
• Helped raise initial funding ($300K) from Pipex (UUnet) and local business angel
• Took part in launch of Hungary’s first commercial internet service provider (Sep ‘95)
• Collaborated in selling ISP business to MATAV in order to transition business to web design agency (‘98)
• Created local advertising network, Hungarian Link Exchange, sold to Trader.com for $250K (‘00) -
Co-founder, editor
Budapest Week publishing
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Newspapers industry)
March 1991 — June 1993 (2 years 4 months)
• Co-founded Hungary’s first independent English-language weekly newspaper
• Performed various roles including editor, layout and production, copy editor and writer
• Launched sister publication (Hungarian Times), wrote / published Hungary’s first critical restaurant guide
Additional Information
Steven Carlson’s Websites:
Steven Carlson’s Interests:
Entrepreneurship, emerging media, business networking, public speaking, web analytics, search engine optimization, swimming, mediation, personal development
Steven Carlson’s Groups:
Budapest Toastmasters, Alternate President
The Budapest Bardroom, co-host
Steven Carlson’s Honors:
Toastmasters Competent Communicator Award
First Place, Toastmasters Area Evaluation Speech Contest, March 2007
Second Place, Toastmasters Area Speech Contest, March 2007
