Girl Ambition, a division of Gabo Media

Girl Ambition is a division of Gabo Media.  Gabo Media is the first technology company to develop a suite of tween-centric, COPPA and CAN-SPAM compliant social tools and services.  Gabo Media's first vertical product is "Girl Ambition," an online social community specifically designed to meet the needs of the modern tween girl demographic, ages 8 to 13.   The second product from Gabo Media will be "GabX," a COPPA compliant, boy-targeted online site.

Girl Ambition will offer tween girls parent-approved access to the most in-demand features that tech-savvy tween users desire from leading social network and utility providers - most of which are only sanctioned for users 14 years of age and older -- including: Facebook, YouTube, Blogger, Twitter, Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch and more.

Our motto: Girl Ambition:  Friends. Sharing. Fun.

Our tagline: Empowering tweens one click at a time.

Why Girl Ambition is right for girls:  

• Provides girls with parent-approved - "Mom and Dad say it's OK" - access to the hottest social media tools and services available on the market today.
• Allows girls to have fun customizing their own user experience.
• Supports real-time communications for girls and their friends.
• Offers girls access to fun groups, exciting games, entertaining videos, unique activities and more.
• Delivers inspiring content for promoting real and virtual world experiences.
• Girl Ambition is a really fun, highly engaging, interactive online space where me and my friends can hang out!
• Because girls don't want to be on the same social network as their parents.

Why Girl Ambition is right for parents:

• Girl Ambition is a community specifically created for tween girls and their trusted friends.
• Provides parental "in-sight tools" which allows parents to easily and effectively manage their daughters online social community experience giving peace of mind
• Ensures confidence that all interactive content is pre-screened and age appropriate.
• Provides the required COPPA and CAN-SPAM compliancy that should be implicit in all tween media products.
• Provides security-based protection of their child's PII (Personally Identifiable Information).
• Serves as a resource for relevant advice and information that is contextual to how a tween girl lives today.
• Provides parents with a fun, age-appropriate alternative from Facebook, MySpace or just saying "No" - Girl Ambition is a family "win / win" solution.
• Girl Ambition will give girls the unexpected freedom they crave and parents will get peace of mind.
• Because parents don't want to be on the same social network as their kids.

Hilary DeCesare, Cofounder and CEO

Hilary guides the company's business vision and day-to-day operations.  She is an accomplished entrepreneur, experienced in all aspects of launching and growing a business.

Prior to Girl Ambition, Hilary co-founded White Space Ink, a management-consulting firm that specializes in working with start-up technology companies.  During her five-year tenure at White Space, Hilary counseled company executives on all areas of strategic planning and corporate development.

Hilary also spent ten years working at Oracle Corporation in various sales management positions, winning over 100 sales awards.  She garnered Top Worldwide Account Manager, Top Worldwide Sales Representative, Presidents Club, SWAT Team and was a Member of President Task Force and Review Committee.

Hilary keeps active outside of work as the director of the West Coast chapter of Tweenangels and WiredSafety. She recently participated in a Cyber safety panel at the WiredSafety Cybersafety Conference in New York with top-industry leaders, such as the Chief Security Officers of Oracle, MySpace and Facebook. She is also an active member of the Parent Teacher Association with the important role of Internet Safety Coordinator.

Hilary graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.

Tim Donovan, Chief Strategy Officer

A creative visionary, successful entrepreneur and nationally recognized kids media expert, Tim provides strategic guidance to the executive team with specific areas of focus including:  market analysis, product development, strategic partnerships, subscriber acquisition and monetization.

Prior to Gabo Media, Tim was the founder of Otium Digital, a boutique management consulting firm specializing in the design, development and launch of social  / collaborative Web 2.0 platforms for kids and tweens.  In addition, Tim also co-founded Industrious Kid, a technology media company which launched the first secure social networking platform designed specifically for kids called imbee.

Prior to Industrious Kid, Tim spent over 15 years leading corporate communications, public relations and international marketing organizations for public and private companies including Ascend Communications, Zhone, UTStarcom, Copithorne & Bellows and Rourke & Company.

Tim received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Ithaca College

Jon Morse, Vice President, Product Development

Jon brings over 15 years experience in technology to the team, with over 10 of those years in Internet and E-commerce businesses. 

He has held a variety of roles at several successful start-ups, and been involved with many mergers and acquisitions, highlighted by the sale of his web 1.0 company LiveToPlay, Inc.  LiveToPlay, Inc., was one of the first online retailers to private label its engine to virally and exponentially expands its user base through major online partnerships. 

Morse has extensive experience as an Internet executive and brings a wealth of expertise in scaling and growing consumer focused Internet companies from inception to top-tier vertical web properties.

Dana Long, Vice President, Marketing & Business Development

Dana oversees the marketing and development for Girl Ambition. She has deep experience in the digital arena, spanning product development, marketing and business development.

Prior to Girl Ambition, Dana oversaw Global Brand Marketing and Original IP Product Development at Disney Interactive Media Group. Prior to Disney she was Vice President, Marketing and Product Development at Universal Studios New Media group, and has consulted for a variety of companies, including Disney/ABC Cable Networks Group, Leapfrog, PBS, Porchlight Entertainment and the UCLA Center for Digital Innovation, among others.

Dana graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Marketing.

Paige McCullough, Cofounder and Vice President of Production, Gab Live TV Productions

Paige develops the Gab Live Webisodes for Girl Ambition.  She drives the creative vision and site appearance for Girl Ambition.  Paige brings significant broadcast media production and affinity marketing experience to this task.

Prior to Girl Ambition, Paige was the CEO and co-founder of wholesale bakery City Baking Company, distributing baked goods throughout Northern California to clients such as Peet's Coffee & Tea, Tulley's Coffee and Spinelli Coffee Company.  In just four years, Paige grew City Baking Company sales to more than $3.5 million.

After selling City Baking, Paige founded and operated a successful consulting firm focused on project management and design for residential and commercial property remodeling.

Paige worked on the premier season of the Martha Stewart Living television show, where she handled various aspects of production, including wardrobe, set design and segment development.  She also wrote the model for the "show guide" that ran inside Martha Stewart Living magazine.  Prior to Martha Stewart Living, Paige was the West Coast Director of Sales and PR for Adrienne Vittadini, where she developed the golf and tennis divisions.

Paige has held board seats and chaired multiple committees in her community. 

Paige graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film.  She also attended the Culinary Academy of Los Angeles where she was graduated with top honors.

Kim Bruce, Cofounder and Director, Website Development and Content

Kim oversees the creation of content for Girl Ambition.  Kim brings to this task a degree in communications, extensive work in large corporations, and multiple board positions with children's sports and educational organizations.

Prior to Girl Ambition, Kim was a top-producing real estate agent for Re/Max Accord. During a seven-year stint at MCI Communications, she was a top performing sales representative. After moving into customer service at MCI, she increased billings for the Silicon Graphics account by more than 320%.

Kim is a top-ranked tri-athlete who has qualified for the Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3, and is ranked 12th out of 1,869 women in her age group by USA Triathlon. She is a member of Synergy Racing and the Forward Motion Race Club.  Kim is also active in her community sitting on a board at Blackhawk Country Club. 

Kim was graduated from the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Studies and a minor in Rhetoric and Communications.

Gabo Media Advisory Board

David Min, Personal Advisor and Partner, Steamboat Ventures

David is a Personal Advisor to Girl Ambition and a Principal at Steamboat Ventures. He has been with Steamboat since its founding in 2000, and has over 16 years of experience in media and entertainment and technology.

Prior to Steamboat, David worked for over 5 years in various capacities in corporate strategic planning at The Walt Disney Company. Earlier in his career, David worked as a producer and screenwriter in television and motion pictures for Warner Brothers and as a Creative Executive in motion picture development for Imagine Entertainment.

Throughout his career, David has worked with all of the major Hollywood Studios including CBS, Miramax, Sony Pictures, Universal and his past experience also includes working with the industry leading pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline.

David received a BS in Biology and a BA in Telecommunications from Indiana University, and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Business. David currently serves on the board of directors of Scrapblog and Voodoovox.

Tsan Abrahamson, Partner Colbalt LLP

Tsan Abrahamson's practice focuses on strategic counseling in the areas of sweepstakes, intellectual property, advertising, trademark clearance, trademark and copyright prosecution, licensing, and other business transactions.

Tsan has an extensive practice in the area of marketing promotions, including gift card and gift certificate marketing, print and online sweepstakes, contests, give-aways, warranties, rebates, and coupon promotions.

Tsan's advertising practice includes working with regulatory agencies to comply with federal guidelines, including the CAN-SPAM Act and the Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act. She also advises on ad campaigns, including script review, storyboard clearance, and network media placement. She has extensive experience in major network ad clearance. Tsan has special expertise in children's marketing issues, including promotions and claim substantiation, COPPA compliance, and advertising to children in print and television media.

Linda Criddle - Founder and CEO of LOOKBOTHWAYS, Inc.,

Linda is a tireless advocate for consumers. Her passion and talent for teaching Internet safety principles has benefited youth, parents, and educators. She is author of the award-winning consumer-oriented book, Look Both Ways: Help Protect Your Family on the Internet, and Using the Internet Safely for Seniors For Dummies to be published by Wiley Publishing in the spring of 2009.

Before establishing her company, Criddle spent 13 years at Microsoft where she was a pioneer in online safety. She was a valuable asset to the MSN division and more broadly to the entire company because of her deep understanding of online predatory behavior and her ability to create practical technical and policy-based solutions. The depth and breadth of Linda's online safety expertise is reflected in her direct participation in the creation and filing of numerous patents on behalf of Microsoft in the areas of emerging technologies and online safety.

Linda has collaborated with several international law enforcement agencies, helping with investigations into the online activities of child predators. She has worked with many government organizations in the U.S. and around the world to prepare online safety regulations and legislation. In addition, Linda has offered online safety training and design expertise to executives and product teams across the technology industry. She is at work on a second book that aims to teach the industry how to build safer software and services. LOOKBOTHWAYS also provides product design, safety reviews, and other consulting services to leading technology companies.

For Washington State University, Criddle wrote "Internet Safety for Educators," a distance learning course that she'll begin teaching in July 2007. Utah State University also offers her course. For schools across the U.S., Criddle is currently building a fully integrated K-12 curriculum.

Linda is an active single mother of four who grew up in California and then lived and worked in Kristiansand, Norway, for 15 years. In Norway, she was active in city politics and a member of the Kristiansand City Council. There, she began her advocacy for women and children's rights, using both her political position and her journalist background to raise awareness and call for the funding of abuse hotlines and crisis shelters. This work inspired her research into predatory behavior, methods, and mindsets, an interest she has pursued for more than 25 years.

Alex Black -Founder and CEO of Turing Studio

Alex is a product development expert with more than 15 years experience in nearly every specialization associated with film and web application design, development deployment and testing including: think Project Management, Software Architecture, Graphic Design, UI, UX, Network Infrastructure, Post Production, Cinematography, Archiving, etc.

Other Members of Girl Ambition's Expert Team

Internet Safety Experts:

• Parry Aftab - Founder of WiredSafety, Internationally renowned child advocate, Internet privacy & security lawyer, author, award-winning columnist, consultant and public speaker
• Debbie Johnston - President, SaferSchools.org and Cyber crime activist

Medical Experts:

• Dr. Michelle Borba, Ed.D. - Internationally renowned educator and award-winning author
• Zach Oelerich, MFT - Marriage and Family Therapist
• Kara Oettinger - Behaviorist and educational specialist working with children

Academic Experts:

• Luann Dugan - Principal of Tassajara Hills Elementary School
• Beth Summers - Elementary School Teacher

Technology and Business Experts:

• Michael DeCesare - Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales for McAfee, Inc.
• Greg McCarty - Financial Advisor, specializing in venture-funded start-up environments
• Paul Tabet - Founder Nsite, Prior CIO Northface Creative and Media
• Diane Dwyer - NBC
• Lela Rose - Fashion Designer

Legal Environment

Girl Ambition has selected Dorsey & Whitney based on their significant experience counseling web-based start-ups in a cost- effective manner.

They helped fund Stardolls and Bratz Girls.  In addition to this top firm, Girl Ambition has been working with Parry Aftab, a renowned expert in Internet safety.  We are conforming to all areas of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires that Websites directed to children, and general audience sites that knowingly collect personal information from children, post privacy policies and obtain parental consent.

Kolisch Hartwell, PC has advised Girl Ambition in the area of intellectual property.  To date, we have trademarked Girl Ambition and Gabbi.