Social Media

Tara is the founder of Marketing Artfully, a 12-year-old company that creates cutting-edge marketing strategies for small businesses. Tara’s primary responsibilities are speaking with small business owners, conducting workshop trainings, and consulting with clients. With a B.A. in Psychology and 10+ years of “in-the-trenches” marketing experience, Tara’s background prepared her for helping small business owners grow their market share and profitability with “real life” marketing ideas and lead-generating tips.

Peter Shankman, vice president and small business evangelist for Vocus

PR Week Magazine has described Peter Shankman as “redefining the art of networking”, and Investor’s Business Daily has called him “crazy, but effective”.

Shankman is a spectacular example of what happens when you merge the power of pure creativity with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and a dose of adventure, and make it work to your advantage.

An author, entrepreneur, speaker, and worldwide connector, Peter is recognized for his radically new ways of thinking about social media, PR, marketing, advertising, and customer service.

Peter is best known for founding Help A Reporter Out, (HARO) which in less than a year became the defacto standard for thousands of journalists looking for sources on deadline, offering more than 200,000 sources around the world. HARO is currently the largest free source repository in the world and sends out more than 1,500 queries from worldwide media each week. In June 2010, less than two years after Peter started HARO in his apartment, it was acquired by Vocus, Inc.

Andrew Schulkind,  an online communications and web development strategist, is a 16-year veteran of the interactive media industry, specializing in online communication strategy. Since founding Andigo New Media in 1996, his broad range of interests and insatiable curiosity have helped clients understand and effectively use CD-ROMs, DVDs, websites, email marketing, search optimization and marketing, and social media.

Under his guidance, the Andigo development team has helped clients use these tools to build a wide range of applications

• corporate marketing presences
• business process simulations
• product catalogs and e-commerce stores
• document libraries
• training materials

For all projects, Andrew's primary focus is on effective communication. Combining information architecture, usability/user experience, and common sense, Andrew ensures that every project connects with its intended audience.

Andrew graduated with a B.A. in Philosophy from Bucknell University. He is treasurer of the board of the Rhinebeck Science Foundation, a nonprofit that supports hands-on, thematic learning in grades K through 12. He also co-chairs the Rhinebeck Web Committee, managing site development and recommending online policy for the town and village of Rhinebeck, where he lives. He is an avid fly fisherman and cyclist, and loves collecting meaningless trivia. (Did you know the Lone Ranger made his mask from the cloth of his brother's vest after his brother was killed by "the bad guys?")

Jane Tabachnick is a seasoned professional with more than 25 years of experience with both nonprofit and for-profit marketing, business development, training, management, and fundraising.

She is part geek and part green. For more than 20 years, she has worked with businesses and nonprofits to launch new products and train teams on sustainability and new technologies.

Most recently, she helped develop The Sustainable Design Entrepreneur’s Certificate Program for the continuing education division of The Fashion Institute of Technology. She is now working with the Institute to create an online version of the program.

She helped The American Women's Economic Corp, The Fashion Institute of Technology and Hunter College create programs on video creation, sustainability, entrepreneurship and business growth, and technology for professionals, non-profits and business owners.

Jane’s interest in film and video inspired her to write and produce the film TV Talk as well as create video and video training for clients. She just completed the video training program Easy Video Creation, which teaches how to make and market affordable motion graphics videos.

She has created some DIY [do it yourself] marketing tools for small business owners including Stand For Green™ – the first marketing tool for green businesses, The Buzz Building Toolkit and most recently Easy Video Creation.

She was recently named one of the top 100 most influential people online by Fast Company, and has been named a Woman of the Future and honored for her work with a Galaxy Award from New York Women’s Agenda.

Jane has taught marketing, online marketing, sustainable/socially responsible marketing at AWED, The Fashion Institute of Technology, Wise Women Network, as well as conducted webinars and seminars that her own company has presented.

Farra has more than 15 years of experience in communications and fundraising for nonprofit organizations. She focuses on helping nonprofits use the internet (social media, websites, email, etc.) to increase visibility and connect with donors, activists, and other stakeholders.

Farra co-chairs the Communications Committee for the New York City Anti-Violence Project and is a part-time faculty member at Milano, The New School for Management and Urban Policy, where she teaches a class about Online Engagement for Nonprofits. She also holds an M.S. degree in nonprofit management from The New School.

Farra tweets about nonprofit fundraising and communications via @farra.

Bryan has helped organizations in the nonprofit and commercial sectors use technology to exceed their goals for more than 14 years. He currently helps nonprofits fulfill their missions by using LinkedIn to connect with future staff members, donors, board members, clients, partners, and with one another. Bryan has vast expertise in coaching and energizing people; selling to and supporting nonprofit and commercial sector customers; and designing and delivering sales training.

A "graduate" of the corporate world, Geri is also a mentor and teacher, who is up to date on the latest and best marketing practices, including technology and social media. 

At Ventureneer, Geri uses Web 2.0 technology to make networking and learning affordable, convenient, and effective, and to market Ventureneer's services. Yes, she tweets, blogs, networks on LinkedIn and Facebook, and tracks the results of each.