The Totally Wired Teen Superstars
Posted by anastasia on 04-13-2007When I was thinking about putting together a teen panel for the Mashup this July, I thought about many of the teen panels I've seen or read about at other events. While it's always nice to have an informal focus group on stage, they always feel a little bit like I felt when I visited the Gorilla exhibit several years ago at the Bronx Zoo. Peering through the glass, making funny faces and really feeling like we were somehow related. I know that's harsh, but my point is that the "real live teens!" way of including teens in a youth marketing conference wasn't the approach I wanted to take.
When we're talking about teens and technology, and especially social networking sites and the growing MySpace ecosystem, we must acknowledge that most of the growth has been fueled by young people and that many of these sites were launched by teens as well. So for the Mashup teen superstar panel, I invited teens who are entrepreneurs, media producers and who know what teens want in a website. I'm incredibly excited about this panel that includes:
Martina Butler, Host, PodShow's Emo Girl Talk
Martina Butler has been places most teenagers only hear about on MTV. With a rock star father, Martina's weekly show focuses on the Emo music scene, interviewing hot bands and the ever-changing production that is her life. Martina, a 15 year old dance student at San Francisco's School of the Arts, is the first teen podcaster to have secured corporate sponsorship with advertising giants like Johnson & Johnson. Not only is she the highest paid teen podcaster in the state, but Martina's success has been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal. Emo Girl Talk also is a feature on Adam Curry's PodShow, part of Sirius satellite radio channel 102.
Catherine Cook, President, MyYearbook.com
Seventeen-year-old Catherine Cook is a high school senior who leads a not-so-secret double life. Catherine is a co-founder of the fastest-growing social networking site on the Internet, MyYearbook.com. She and her brother Dave brainstormed the idea-a digital yearbook for the modern age-then persuaded their older brother Geoff to jump on board as their first investor. In just over a year, Catherine grew the site to 1.7 million members and achieved low 7-figure annual revenue through partnerships with companies like CliffsNotes, Paramount Pictures, and Procter & Gamble. She also just raised $4.1 million in venture capital and won early admission to Georgetown.
Ashley Qualls, President, Whateverlife
Hey everyone, I'm Ashley Qualls. I created Whateverlife.com. I have a passion for colors and design, and allowing others to be creative. Whateverlife.com is a place to express yourself, be it in myspace layouts, custom tutorials, and even more exciting graphics. I created Whateverlife.com back in 2004, but only in 2005 did I decide to add graphics and layouts for others to take. Soon, Whateverlife bloomed and I hope for it to continue its success and growth. :)
Robbie Trencheny, President and CEO, Teen Media Productions
TMP creates, hosts, and maintains the best teen media on the internet. From blogging to vidcasting, we are the source for all things teen media.
The panel will be moderated by the lovely Zadi Diaz, whose own vlog for teens, Jet Set Show, was just nominated for a People's Choice Webby Award. Go vote for her now!
The Totally Wired Teen Superstar panel is just one of the many unique offerings we're cooking up at the first Ypulse conference this July.
Check out the Mashup site and register now for the early adopter discount. There is also a discount for 501(c)3 organizations and yet another discount if your company (for profit company) sends three or more attendees. For agency people who work with big brands, this conference is the perfect opportunity for those brand managers to get "totally wired."
And finally, check out what our sponsor C&R Research is planning. Also Hearst Digital Media/eCrush just signed on as a sponsor as well!
