About Us
Collective Intellect is the leader enabling Social CRM through its web-based, automated, real-time text mining and analytics software. Collective Intellect's Social CRM Insight platform automates your ability to identify emerging consumer considerations and preferences, and to track your ability to change them.
The software solution enables customers to collect, process, and synthesize intelligence from online consumer conversations and other available proprietary content, so that they can listen to and understand what is important to their consumers, to gain faster insights and early warnings on important trends.
Using our proprietary analytics engine that instantaneously sifts through and analyzes millions of consumer conversations occurring online everyday. Collective Intellect's Social CRM Insight Platform automates deep analytics of real-time social media to provide rapid insight and enable quick and focused action.
Collective Intellect Social CRM Insight software enables open-ended analysis by identifying key themes and terms to capture the true voice of the consumer. It also enables closed-end analysis to identify and quantify consumer considerations and preferences utilizing dimensions that either are customized or provided in Collective Intellect's extensive library based on best practices established by our professional services team.
The Technology
We use proprietary, semantic search and analytics technology to automate the capture of social media metrics and insights from consumer generated content from a myriad of social media and unstructured data environments. Our semantic engine is based on Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA), an advanced form of statistical language modeling.
LSA is a method for exposing latent contextual-meaning within a large body of text. This allows more relevant terms to carry more weight to construct more accurate vectors of how consumers are talking about a category, brand or product. This technique deciphers the relationships and correlations between words and plots where they dimensionally reside in proximity to a specific topic of interest. The resulting data is more relevant and pertinent to a research query. LSA learns in much the way the human brain does, by recognizing the context of language from all of previous times it has seen a term within that context. This produces a technology that can accurately disambiguate a term that is used in multiple contexts.
Our solution addresses the inaccuracy and bluntness of keyword search and the speed and cost disadvantages of NLP techniques through the use of advanced statistical language modeling. The proprietary technologies isolate important attributes from groups of authors and reveal unique considerations and preferences in addition to providing the ability to identify unknown associations occurring through natural online conversation. Our technology is used in a compounding fashion, starting with topic categorization, to theme extraction, then to trait extraction.
Social Maturity Curve
Implementing the right listening tool is critical, as it becomes the foundation for the Enterprise to move along the social media maturity curve. CI:Insight use semantic search and analytics technology to achieve a high degree of categorization accuracy that automates the capture of consumer consideration and preference, including sentiment, demographics and author profile details. Using this type of sophisticated language modeling technology, companies can adopt and integrate social media analytics at any phase within their social business.
Where is your business along the social media maturity curve? Review each phase to determine which tools and methodologies can help you achieve your social business goals. Or contact us and we'll work with you to transform your organization into a social business.
Social Monitoring
Monitoring is an important first step in acknowledging and tracking online conversations about your products and/or services. Learn more about the tools and practices of Social Monitoring (PDF).
Social Presence
Social creative assets and their placement build on the intelligence surfaced during the social monitoring phase of the maturity curve. Your social strategy is organized around earned social – placement of creative assets with the intention of improving clicks or activity to support brand awareness, a specific campaign or new service. Learn more about the tools and practices of Social Presence. (PDF)
Tools
Social Research
You are beginning to segment your audience for more effective social engagements and media spend, and are pursuing strategic programs for different digital and social media platforms. This type of more robust analysis is configured to be repeatable and scalable and direct feeds are integrated into a dashboard, allowing for real-time analysis. Learn more about the tools and practices of Social Research. (PDF)
Tools
Social CRM & Targeting
You are communicating the right message, from the right employee to the right prospect at the right place and time to achieve a desired consumer response and thus ROI. Learn more about the tools and practices of Social CRM & Targeting. (PDF)
Tools
Social BPM & Engagement
A fully integrated solution, combining real-time listening , targeting, engagement and measurement to effectively collaborate with your customers, prospects, influencers and employees in an ever-evolving socially connected world. Learn more about the tools and practices of Social BPM & Engagement. (PDF)
Tools
The Management Team
Ed Roberto
Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Roberto has been an active entrepreneur and investor for the past 29 years. He has advised, mentored, and operated technology companies across the globe, including high growth startups and larger organizations. His work has encompassed refining operating plans, developing partnerships, building distribution channels and preparing companies for initial public offerings. Mr. Roberto was formerly President at Hydra Group, a digital media software platform and ad network. Previously, Mr. Roberto was COO at TrenStar, a provider of supply chain logistics and tracking software.
Don Springer
Chief Strategy Officer & Founder
Don is a successful three time entrepreneur whose previous companies have returned more than 500% to his investors. Dante Software was a venture capital-backed company acquired by webMethods (WEBM) in the fall 2003. Don led WEBM's business process optimization unit, achieving more than 40% in consecutive quarterly revenue growth and an annualized run-rate of $30M. He has an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, and a B.S. in Systems Engineering at the University of Virginia.
Mehrshad Setayesh
CTO & VP of Product Development
Mehrshad is an accomplished twenty-year software professional with extensive international experience and unique expertise in the high volume transactional systems coupled with advanced systems integration that permeate social media content. A Collective Intellect veteran and architect of a patent-pending CI technology, Mehrshad brings deep social media, data mining, and system integration insight to his CTO role, ensuring all partner integration projects benefit from sound process and best practices. Mehrshad studied software engineering at Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne, Switzerland, received a B.S. in Computer Science from Texas A&M and a Masters in Software Engineering from Southern Methodist University.
Tim McCandless
VP Engineering
Mr. McCandless has more than twenty-five years experience researching, designing, and developing software that challenges the state of the art. He has worked extensively in neural networks, blackboard, systems, statistical natural language processing, knowledge-based human-computer interface design, and automated optical network provisioning. Over his career, he has held leadership or distinguished fellow positions with the Naval Personnel Research and Development Center, MCC Human Interface Laboratory, U S WEST Advanced Technologies, Emperative, Inc. and Pearson Knowledge Technologies. He is also the author of numerous technical publications. Mr. McCandless has a B.S. degree in Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego.
April Gatesman
VP Corporate Counsel
April Gatesman is Collective Intellect's Corporate Counsel and Secretary of the Board of Directors. She leads the company’s efforts in corporate compliance, technology licensing, contracts and negotiation, corporate law and governance, intellectual property rights, commercial agreements and human resources.
Ms. Gatesman joined Collective Intellect in 2010 after 13 years of practicing corporate and commercial law. Prior to joining Collective Intellect, she was General Counsel for LeftHand Networks, Inc. Previously, Ms. Gatesman was Corporate Counsel for Sun Microsystems, Inc and Storage Tek, Inc. Prior to joining StorageTek, Ms. Gatesman was in private practice with the firm of Holland & Hart, LLP in Denver, CO. She began her career as an attorney in private practice with the firm of K&L Gates in Pittsburgh, PA.
April holds a B.A. degree from West Virginia University and a J.D. degree from Cornell Law School.
Jen Greene
VP Finance
Jen is a veteran of multiple successful startups in business intelligence software and information content businesses. As a member of the management teams of entrepreneurial, market-defining companies she has lead many aspects of early stage businesses with a primary focus on finance, growth planning and mergers and acquisitions. Jen was VP of Finance and Planning for Global Energy Decisions and CFO of Financial Times Energy/Resource Data International. She has an MBA from the University of Colorado and a BA from Colgate University.
Tina Scala
VP Sales
Tina Scala is a seasoned business development leader who has tenure in both start up companies as well as Fortune 500 companies, such as Hughes and GE Capital, where she played a pivotal part of innovative, entrepreneurial teams that required her to utilize her ability to develop markets and drive significant revenue.
The breadth of Tina's experience is developing markets through complex technical solution sales globally. Tina's specialty is mentoring and developing teams, creating alliances and making profitability fun. While at GE Capital Europe she received Jack Welch's President's Circle award twice.
Tina has lived and worked extensively throughout the world seeding new marketplaces and exceeding revenue goals. From Boulder, CO, Nairobi, Moscow, Almaty, Kazakhstan and London her global approach illustrates her versatility and innovative approach to business. When not working she can be found enjoying the mountains of Colorado with her energetic five year old son.
Tina holds a BS in English and Sociology from the University of Colorado and an associates degree from the School For International Training.
Emily Friedberg
VP Product Marketing
Emily Friedberg has proven she can drive development in the product marketing arena utilizing a macro-level systems approach that is coupled with the ability to translate complex concepts into their micro-level details with the result being sustainable/systemic and effective programs.
Emily has found that by utilizing her talents and expertise, she is able to successfully help organizations leverage their ability to market and increase brand awareness; through harnessing the power of technology. Through building strong partnerships she continues to refine her expertise in product marketing, with an acute focus on data driven results and efficiencies.
Prior to moving her focus into smaller technology start-ups, Emily was the VP in the Content Markets Group at Level 3 Communications for over 3 years, where she was responsible for a $300 MM portfolio of products, driving a significant increase in volume and revenue, while reducing incremental costs by as much as 30%. In her 14 years of working in large technology companies, she has been dedicated to creating excellent customer experiences and to exceeding customers’ expectations.
Emily holds a BS in Information Systems and a MS in Telecommunications from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Jackie Noel
VP Support & Client Services
Ms. Noel has over 20 years experience in marketing / media research, software support, and strategic consulting. She is driven to deliver actionable solutions that drive customers’ ROI and automate processes. Ms. Noel has an impressive career managing high performance teams and helping customers drive their revenue. Her work to implement innovative solutions and strategically build brands spans a variety of sectors including CPG, automotive, media, entertainment, technology, finance, and retail categories. Always one to embrace new technology, Ms. Noel has helped customers bridge the gap of translating large amounts of data into actionable offerings. She has formerly served as a Vice President at Arbitron working with multinational corporations, advertising agencies, and media companies. Noel has also held management positions at Western International Media Agency, Simmons Market Research Bureau, and Clear Channel as well as has been a thought leader and speaker presenting cutting edge ROI metrics at national conventions for the Advertising Research Foundation, American Association of Advertising Agencies and Association of National Advertisers.
The Board of Directors
Dawn Hudson
Dawn Hudson, CEO of Pepsi-Cola North America from 2002-2007 and Chief Marketing Officer from 1998-2002, has over 20 years of experience in strategic brand building within consumer packaged goods and foodservice. Hudson created the Lipton Green Tea franchise, Sierra Mist lemon-lime trademark, and Amp energy drink to appeal to the evolving market. Dawn led Frito-Lay International as Executive V.P. of Sales and Marketing, helping to launch Doritos in 20 countries. Hudson also spent nine years at Omnicom working with clients such as Johnson and Johnson, Helene Curtis, Maybelline Cosmetics, Anheuser Busch and Frito Lay. Hudson has served as the Vice Chair of the American Beverage Association and in addition to Collective Intellect, she serves on the Board of Directors of Lowes, Allergan, The American Film Institute, and is Chairman of the Board of the LPGA. Hudson was named to Fortune's “50 Most Powerful Women in Business” and was recognized as a “Forbes 100 Most Powerful Global Women”. In 2002, she was named “Advertising Woman of the Year” by Advertising Women of New York. Hudson has been named twice to Advertising Age's list of “Top 50 Marketers” and was inducted into the American Advertising Federation's Advertising Hall of Achievement.
Robert Perkins
Bob Perkins is President of Consensus Research Group, a marketing research and consulting company that works with large corporations on communication and business strategies in the United States and Europe. Consensus clients include Pfizer, the Financial Times, the Center for Bio-Security, the Hospital for Special Surgery and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He served on the Board of 24/7 Real Media from 2001 to the sale of the company to WPP for $650 million. He also serves on the Board of two venture funded companies: Transpera, focusing on video advertising on mobile phones and Sportgenic, a technology company for cross-platform media sales. Before joining Consensus, Bob's experiences include three years as Senior Vice President of Marketing for Pizza Hut, President of the New York office of Chiat/Day advertising, and head of Global Marketing and Licensing for Calvin Klein. Bob started his marketing career in politics, as head of the Republican National Committee's finance operation and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Bob has a Masters in Economics from Texas Tech University, was a jet instructor pilot during his Air Force tour of duty, and serves on the Board of the non-profit American Health Initiatives. He lives in New York City.
Joe Zell
Mr. Zell has an extensive, 20-year operating background in communications and data networking. Currently at Grotech Ventures, Mr. Zell focuses on investment opportunities in the communications, networking, software and outsourcing sectors. Mr. Zell has held a variety of management positions at Convergent Communications, US WEST, WilTel, LDXNet, United Technologies Communications, MCI Communications and Xerox Corporation. Mr. Zell graduated Magna Cum Laude f rom Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is an active member of the Washington DC metro chapter of the YPO (Young Presidents Organization).
Martha Crawley Tracey
Martha Tracey is Vice President of Crawley Ventures, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Crawley Petroleum Corporation. Martha joined Crawley and opened its Denver office in 1995 in order to diversify Crawley’s assets through direct investments in private companies and investments in venture funds and hedge funds. Since that time Crawley Ventures has invested in a broad range of industries including high tech optics, financial services, manufacturing, wireless technologies, and software. Martha is on the Board of Directors of Crawley Petroleum Corporation, CenterStone Technologies, First Western Financial, and Collective Intellect. Prior to joining Crawley, Martha worked in the Syndications Group at Dresdner Bank, New York Branch and in financial management at Random House. Martha earned an MBA from Yale University and an Economics degree from Williams College.
Don Parsons
Mr. Parsons is a founding member of Appian and serves on its investment committee. He currently represents Appian on the boards of Oxlo Systems and Collective Intellect. He is responsible for Appian's investments in Univa and LeftHand Networks. Previously, Don served as a general partner of Centennial Ventures, a Denver-based firm specializing in telecom services and communications technologies, where he served as a board and investment team member for several IT/Communications companies, including HighGround Systems (acquired by Sun Microsystems), Raindance Communications (NASDAQ: RNDC, acquired by West Media), Ecrix (acquired by Exabyte/Tandberg), Verio (acquired by NTT) and Pluto Technologies (acquired by NASDAQ:Avid). Prior to his career in venture capital, Don was a design engineer with IBM's Personal Computer Division in Boca Raton, Florida. Don is a founding board member of Colorado's chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors. He is also a current member and the former president and chairman of the Colorado Venture Capital Association. Don is on the Board of Trustees of the Graland Country Day School. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan Business School.