Mark Potts Email & Phone Number

Providing strategy, product and business consulting to publishers, online media companies, start-ups and VCs. Projects and clients have included:• Advisor to Lawrence Times news site, Lawrence, KS.• Strategic, product and editorial consulting and training for LNP Newspapers, Lancaster, PA.• Organizing and programming annual America East conference for Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association• Strategic and redesign plan for relaunch of Connecticut Mirror (ctmirror.org).• Strategic plan for merger of Newspaper Association of America and American Press Institute.• Strategic plan for Fora.tv.• Editing for San Simeon Press.• Site architecture, editing and content for "Genocide in Iraq" website for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.• New products strategy consulting for the Los Angeles Times.• Strategic and product plan for AllVoices.com.• New strategy and redesign consulting for HealthCentral.com.• Strategic plan for Examiner.com.• Strategic and product plan for Kudzu.com, Cox Communications' local directory site.• Strategic, business and product plans for Washington Post Digital.• Business and product plan for real estate classified advertising site for newspaper-industry consortium Classified Ventures.• Strategic, business and product planning for New Century Network, a consortium of major newspaper companies.• Developed and wrote business plans for several Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers ventures.• Developed and wrote business and product plans for several independent companies and startups.• Advisor to startups including Thunder (PaperG) and SquareOffs (board member).

I serve as a volunteer mentor for startups and developing companies in the Kansas City area, advising them on operations, strategy, structure, finances and other issues.

Founding editor, Journal of Alta California (Alta), a smart, literate quarterly about all things California: people, issues, places, culture, arts, lifestyle, history. www.altaonline.com - Finalist, 2018 and 2019 for Folio Magazine Ozzie Award for Longform Feature Writing

Creator of Newspeg.com, a startup that built a "Pinterest for news" to help people collect and curate news of interest to them and share it with others.

Lawrence, Ks, Us

Oversaw digital and print news operations of the Lawrence Journal-World daily newspaper and websites. Created strategies and products to increase audience and advertising revenue and to take advantage of mobile, social and digital platforms.* Named one of "Ten Newspapers That Do It Right" by Editor & Publisher, 2013* Winner, Best Local Newspaper Website, Local Media Association, 2013

College Park, Md, Us

Taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Media Entrepreneurship

Us

• Led team that created company to provide tools, services and training to monetize and professionalize local Web sites and create local ad networks.• First significant effort to make a business out of the burgeoning number of local sites and blogs.• Worked with media companies, including Los Angeles Times, TBD.com and Journal Register to support their hyperlocal efforts, including formation and operation of local ad networks.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Us

• Seven-month consulting assignment to oversee and completely revamp the Philly.com site (website for Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News).• Created strategy for Philly.com, including groundbreaking approaches to site presentation, user-generated content, video and content partnerships.• Oversaw complete redesign of the Philly.com site, reflecting new strategy.• Worked closely with Inquirer and Daily News senior editorial management on new initiatives, daily operations and collaborative projects between the newspapers and Philly.com.• Managed daily operation of Philly.com, overseeing editorial team.

• Created concept, business plan and product plan for pioneering hyperlocal citizens media company. Sites launched in May 2005; the company raised $3 million in Series A financing from SAS Investors and Omidyar Network in October 2005.• Responsible for ongoing strategic and product development of company and its sites in three major U.S. markets.• Directed development, launch and ongoing development and day-to-day operation of Backfence.com technology platform and sites, managing technical, design and content teams.

Oversaw all online publishing activities for nation's largest trade-magazine publisher, including strategy, development and management of 120-plus magazine web sites and 180-plus email newsletters, for brands including Variety, Publishers Weekly and many others.

Acted as de facto COO of ecommerce startup offering online access to well-known print newsletters. Oversaw all product development, corporate web site, document-conversion operation and liaison with publishers, and was deeply involved in overall corporate strategy and management.

Member of founding team of pioneering provider of consumer broadband content and services. Oversaw initial development of the @Home customer experience and managed partnerships with major content providers.

Co-founder of Digital Ink (later WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive), the Washington Post Co.'s online division. Developed first electronic newspaper prototype for Washington Post; developed numerous other innovative electronic prototypes and products; worked with technology partners such as Apple Computer, IBM, Oracle and others on joint projects.

Washington, Dc, Us

Reporter and editor for Washington Post business section, covering technology, retailing, markets, M&A, corporate strategy and many other topics; oversaw weekly local business section and associated staff.

San Francisco, California, Us

Chicago, Illinois, Us