The Team
Matt Sunbulli
Matt most recently worked as a digital product and marketing manager for MTV Networks where he strategically advised on digital initiatives for MTVN. In addition, he has collaborated with MTV’s Digital Fusion in creating integrated social media advertising campaigns on MTV digital properties. MTV Networks operates one of media’s most robust ethnography research departments dedicated to understanding and reaching teenage influencers. While at MTV, Matt’s passion was analyzing and understanding how social media and social networks could be used as a more efficient means to identify and engage these influencers to activate and amplify viral messaging. Matt is a graduate of Northwestern University.
Alexander Chang
Alex worked on the frontend of BarnesandNoble.com and for the news platform, Daylife.com, where he helped develop algorithms used to analyze and determine top stories occurring in the news cycle. Alex also served as the lead social application developer for Daylife. He was one of the first developers on the Facebook application platform, and continues to play a visible role in the Facebook application developer community. He has contributed code to a wide number of the top apps on Facebook.
Advisors
Shaun Abrahamson
Shaun is the Founder of Mutopo, New York. He identifies new business opportunities and gives them life. He draws on his early experience at MIT where he researched the process of new product development at the cadlab.mit.edu. More recently Shaun has been exploring Mass Collaboration as part of his work at the Berlin School. Shaun has worked for a number of early stage organizations, including: www.mediasentry.com, www.starmedia.com, www.govworks.com, www.oculustech.com. In addition to his role as instigator and distracter at Colaboratorie Mutopo, Shaun works with early stage companies as an investor and advisor. He has an MBA from the Berlin School, a Masters of Science from MIT and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Cape Town. He was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He lives in New York with his wife Andrea and sons Max and Oli.
Mike Brown
Michael Brown works with Virgin USA, the North American investment arm of the Virgin Group. He is responsible for starting new companies in North America for Virgin with a special focus on gaming, media, technology and digital media. In addition, Michael is responsible for evaluating many of Virgin USA’s unbranded investments (Corporate VC) with a particular focus on consumer facing internet and software companies. Prior to Virgin USA, Brown was with Morgan Stanley. He began his career working in a variety of start-ups, namely FitFuel.com and Pop Company Media (sold to Warner). He graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University.
Sinan Aral
Sinan Aral obtained his PhD in Information Systems from MIT. He is a faculty member in the Information, Operations and Management Sciences department of the NYU Stern School of Business and affiliated faculty at MIT. Sinan's research interests include how information diffusion in massive online social networks influences demand patterns, consumer e-commerce behaviors and word of mouth marketing. For more on Professor Aral’s research areas: http://web.mit.edu/sinana/www/