Hindsight is 20/20

A gathering of the leaders of the early digital music companies - a check in to see their thoughts on the present state of the industry based on the early possibilities saw and challenges they encountered.

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Moderator: Ted Cohen
Managing Partner
TAG Strategic

HIn an industry that’s been slow to embrace change, Cohen is the exception to the stereotypical music-exec rule. Of course, when you start a career on the road with the Sex Pistols and Van Halen, you're more primed for the unexpected.

In his previous role as SVP Digital Development & Distribution for EMI Music, Cohen led next-generation digital business development worldwide for this "big four" record company. During that time, EMI led the industry by embracing and exploiting new technologies and business models such as digital downloads and online music subscriptions, custom compilations, wireless services, high-definition audio and Internet radio.

Cohen also led two highly successful new media consulting operations, DMN Consulting and Consulting Adults, attracting clients such as Amazon.com, Universal Studios and DreamWorks Records. Cohen also held senior management positions at both Warner Bros. Records and Philips Media.

A 30-year industry veteran, Cohen served as Chairman of the Mobile Entertainment Forum Americas and currently chairs international music conference MidemNet. Cohen serves on the boards for NARAS, the Neil Bogart Memorial Fund and co-chairs the new media arm of the T.J. Martell Foundation.

Hank Barry
Partner
Howard Rice
Hank Barry is a partner in our business department. Mr. Barry represents technology companies at all stages of development and in all industries, with a particular focus on intellectual property, commercial strategy and venture capital. For the last 20 years, he has worked with early stage companies as lawyer, investor and director, including seven companies in which he was involved from formation through IPO.

Prior to joining Howard Rice, Mr. Barry was a partner at Hummer Winblad Venture Partners. On behalf of Hummer Winblad, he served as CEO and a board member for Napster, Inc. from 2000 to 2002. In that capacity, Mr. Barry was responsible for Napster's operations, including its $100M agreement with BertelsmannAG. He twice appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on behalf of the company. In a profile focused on his work at Napster, USA Today called Mr. Barry "The Digital Diplomat.”

Mr. Barry was previously a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he was the principal legal counsel to several pioneering Internet and digital media companies, including BizRate, Employease, Global Village Communications, Looksmart, Liquid Audio, NetDynamics and Upshot. He has also represented several notable entertainment and consumer electronics companies, including A&M Records, Amazon.com, Disney Online and Apple Computer. In 1997, Mr. Barry was part of the three-member Wilson Sonsini team that represented Apple in its breakthrough agreements with Microsoft.

Gene Hoffman, Jr.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Vindicia
Prior to Vindicia, Mr. Hoffman co-founded eMusic in January 1998 and served as President, Chief Executive Officer, and a Director. As head of eMusic, Mr. Hoffman was featured on the cover of Forbes Magazine as a member of the July 1999 E-Gang, and named one of the 100 most influential entrepreneurs in technology in Upside Magazine's November 2000 Elite 100. Mr. Hoffman led the acquisition of eMusic by Vivendi/Universal in June 2001.

Before founding eMusic Mr. Hoffman was Director of Business Development and Director of Interactive Marketing of Pretty Good Privacy. Mr. Hoffman joined Pretty Good Privacy after it acquired PrivNet, Inc., an Internet privacy software company, where he was co-founder, Director and Executive Vice President.

Gerry Kearby
CEO
Neurotone
Mr. Kearby was the co-founder and CEO of a number of Silicon Valley professional and consumer audio companies. His pioneering work in digital audio workstations included contributing to the LucasFilm SoundDroid and developing the Studer Dyaxis system. He co-founded Liquid Audio, (now Liquid Digital Media) one of the first secure music distribution infrastructure companies, and has testified before Congress on digital rights issues. Mr. Kearby also received the 2000 Software Developers Forum Visionary Award. He brings over 25 years of technology management experience to NeuroTone.

Ken Wirt
Ken Wirt is currently Vice President of Consumer Marketing for Cisco. From 2001 to 2006 Ken was Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at Palm where he developed and launched the Zire and Tungsten line of handhelds as well as the Treo 650 and Treo 700 line of smartphones. In the late 90’s, Ken was the founder and CEO of Riffage.com, a leading independent music site whose name, riffage, was recently entered as a new word in the Oxford English Dictionary. Previously Ken held senior marketing positions at Diamond Multimedia, Apple, NEC and Atari. Ken has pioneered the development and launch of several new categories of electronic products including: home computers (Atari), CD-ROM drives (NEC), the Newton PDA (Apple), and the Rio MP3 player (Diamond). Ken has an MBA from Stanford and an undergraduate degree in “The Psychology of Kinetic Media” from the University of Michigan.