Technology initiatives and budgets for the Department of Homeland Security (and dozens of related local, state and Federal agencies and departments) have ushered in extraordinary new opportunities for entrepreneurs and established companies.
Our guest for the evening is Dean DeBiase, who in addition to being a successful entrepreneur has worked closely with the Federal government as a member of the Department of Homeland Security SRI Technology Council, the Secret Service Electronic Crimes Taskforce in Silicon Valley and the CEO Cyber Security Task Force, which advises the President’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board.
This discussion is VERY LIMITED in space. ITA will sponsor a larger, less exclusive discussion later this year on the same topic with additional guest speakers from DHS.
Our Guest for the Evening...
Dean DeBiase has built leading consumer and business services companies, operated Fortune 500 subsidiaries, and led public and private companies through key operating stages, including expansion, realignment, turnaround, M&A and IPO. He is cofounder and Chairman of Startup Partners, which helps CEO’s and boards tackle their most challenging market issues and provides interim management services, most recently, the CEO of Freedrive, a file sharing media services provider, which he repositioned and sold to Xdrive.
Previously, as Chairman and CEO of Autoweb, DeBiase grew the company into one of the most popular consumer Internet brands and technology service providers. He led the company’s rapid growth, IPO and merger with Autobytel, creating the largest Internet automotive marketing services company, which generates over $1 billion in monthly partner sales. As President and CEO of Imagination Network, the largest online games service, he led an aggressive expansion strategy, orchestrated the acquisition by AOL, earned the top industry rankings by Media Metrix and helped create the mainstream online entertainment market.
In a dual role, he was Chief Marketing Officer for Zenith LG Consumer Electronics and head of its Network Systems Division, where he led the turnaround of the global business unit and his team was credited the introduction of cable modems and helping to create the new broadband media services industry. DeBiase headed business development and marketing at Antec, where he built new business units, and was President of the International Distribution Group and ONI – which received the industry’s prestigious Vanguard award for transforming the Cable TV market to fiber networks. As a managing director at FedEx, he was a founding team member of the Electronic Products Division and ran one of FedEx’s largest operating regions developing and delivering supply chain services.
DeBiase is active in innovation, education, civic and government organizations, and has helped create numerous award winning products, services, brands, trademarks, media, programming, patents, technologies, software and IP. He is a board member of various private and public corporations, including Excelligence Learning Corporation, The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneurial Center, The NIU Foundation, The DHS-SRI Technology Council, The United States Secret Service Electronic Crimes Taskforce in Silicon Valley, TechNet and the CEO Cyber Security Task Force, which advises the President’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board.
A frequent speaker, media guest and industry spokesperson, DeBiase is a coauthor of an upcoming book, The Big Moo, with Seth Godin, and is developing a new book, Reboot Your Organization! Dean received a MBA from Keller Graduate School, a BS in Marketing from Northern Illinois University, and attended the Directors’ College at Stanford University and the MBA Plus Program at the University of Chicago.
Space is very limited for this dinner discussion, and ITA members are given priority. Cost to attend is $40 which covers the cost of your meal.