New York: Digital Media Mecca – A Conversation with Chip Austin, founder of i-Hatch Ventures

Producers Guild of America
New Media Council East

Presents the
2007-2008 Panel and Salon Series

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

New York: Digital Media Mecca – A Conversation with Chip Austin, founder of i-Hatch Ventures

Though memories of Silicon Alley and the 1990s are receding, the role of digital media in the New York economy continues to gain strength. Even as the recent Wall Street crisis continues to unfold, entrepreneurs and major media companies are creating new businesses, new means of digital media delivery and transaction, and venture capitalists are contributing to this evolving ecosystem of content-driven plays.

One such long-standing New York digital media investment stalwart is Chip Austin, founder and partner of New York-based venture capital fund i-Hatch Ventures. Chip has been an active agent in the growth of both the first wave of online ventures, as well as the current landscape of New York-based ventures. Since founding i-Hatch in 1999, Chip has invested in such successful ventures as Vindigo, Dotcast, M:Metrics, and Thumbplay. Previously, in addition to founding Bertelsmann's E-commerce division, Chip was a member of the senior executive team leading the buyout and restructuring of Prodigy Communications and was a co-founder of McKinsey’s & Co.’s interactive practice, where he spent seven years advising Fortune 500 companies on their technology and media strategies. Prior to that, Chip worked at Morgan Stanley and IBM's PC division.

Moderator: Chris Pfaff, President, Chris Pfaff Tech/Media LLC; board delegate, PGA New Media Council
A board delegate of the PGA New Media Council since 2006, and a PGA NMC member since 2004, Chris Pfaff leads a consultancy – Chris Pfaff Tech/Media LLC – that represents some of the leading service providers, audio/video technology firms, networking vendors, and media companies in the world, from PRIMEDIA and Eastman Kodak to Cantor Telecom. A veteran of the venture world, Chris helped launch more than 20 ventures from the Lucent New Ventures Group, including iBiquity Digital; Flarion; Lucent Digital Video, and GeoVideo Networks, among others. In addition, he has helped launch AT&T’s Internet strategy; the Viacom New Media division of Viacom, Inc.; Sony Electronics’ Digital Betacam format, and Sharp Electronics’ LCD product division.

A wine and cheese networking reception will precede the conversation programming.

This event takes place at the Screening Room at The Core Club.

YOU MUST BE A MEMBER OF THE PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA TO ATTEND THIS EVENT.

Previous events from our 2005-2008 event series can be accessed in both webcast and podcast format at: http://www.scribemedia.org/pga

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