Women In Media – Dina Kaplan

Women in Media Project profiles influential, decision making and visionary women in the new media business. This time we profile Dina Kaplan, from blip.tv. Why is she on the list? Read to find out.

Who are you and what do you do? My name is Dina Kaplan and I am the  co-founder of blip.tv

Tell us a bit your history and background. Before blip.tv I worked in the White House, for MTV News, and as an on-air reporter for local NBC stations.

What is your current position and what is your day to day work? I currently work closely with the three markets that blip.tv serves: content creators, advertisers and distributors. In terms of content creators, I spend time with many of our show creators, whether that means the top Web studios in L.A. such as DECA, Tornante and 60 Frames, or independent producers throughout the country. It’s important that we listen to and learn about what is important to them so we can continue to build tools that serve their interests. I also spend a lot of time with advertisers, including brands and agencies, learning about how we can shift some TV dollars over to Web video. Right now advertisers are looking for additional metrics, such as proof of brand lift and purchase intent from Web advertising, so we are in the process of building and integrating into blip.tv the essential tools that will drive additional advertising revenue from both digital marketers and TV buyers. I also focus on distribution deals for blip.tv, both on the Web and to the TV set, such as TiVo and the Sony BIVL. In addition to nurturing those relationships I manage press for blip.tv and oversee the traditional COO duties such as accounting and our operating budget.

What do you love about your job? What I love about my job is that we are a platform play, and we very much exist in an ecosystem. We are pushing for success for everyone we do business with, and we hope the reverse is true as well. Our world is content creators, advertisers, and distributors, and each market is made up of people who are creative, innovative, and prescient . To spend time with people in each of these fields is a pleasure. Also at blip.tv all of the founders are really proud of the team we have built. We work incredibly hard, but we also encourage camaraderie across each department and at all levels of the company. But on a more macro level I really believe, in a fundamental way, in what we are creating. At its core we are building the first merit-based video network. We are enabling talented people to build up significant audiences for shows, and to have the opportunity to make some money in the process. Coming out of traditional media, this is something I really appreciate; calling up a content creator who has been working on a show for a year on his or her own and telling them we just found a sponsor for the show and are sending them a check is incredibly rewarding.

Why did you chose to focus on new media? I chose new media as a field because it is more merit based than traditional media, and because there is no one who can give you a “green” light or a “red” light for a project – it’s all about building value and proving yourself in the marketplace.

Who influenced you the most during your career? There are three people who changed my life when it comes to new media. The first is my co-founder and our CEO Mike Hudack, whom I continually learn from every day. Mike is not just engaged in all things blip.tv, but he is thinking five steps ahead on copyright and how Creative Commons can and should grow over the next several years; about how government can become more open thanks to the new media; and about how advertisers will buy media five or ten years from now. The second person is Auren Hoffman, who is probably the best connected young person in Silicon Valley. In the early days of blip.tv, Auren was instrumental in forging connections for us with angel investors and corporate partners and also offering valuable advice on both small and significant decisions. Finally, Geraldine Laybourne, when she was running Oxygen, gave blip.tv our first revenue deal. Walking out of the first pitch meeting for the project, Gerry pulled me aside and said: “The most important thing I can do is to enable the next generation of women leaders.” The deal closed soon after that conversation, and it was a turning point in the history of the company. I am forever grateful to Gerry and always looking for opportunities to help the next generation of women working in new media.

Where will you be in 5 years? I expect that I will be doing something interesting and also look forward to being in a position where I can help to support female entrepreneurs in the U.S.

How can our readers get in touch with you? Anyone can get in touch with me at dina@blip.tv. And right now at blip.tv we are hiring in sales, we are hiring programmers, and we are looking for a junior systems administrator.

Why is she on this list? Dina Kaplan is, in many aspects, the face of blip.tv in conferences and industry events. She is doing hell of a job in supporting creators. Besides that, blip.tv is the only company in the online video world that is focused on independent content creators and creating their ecosystem - an area that we believe will gain more and more traction in 2009 and 2010. As such, the importance of Dina's role in the industry will increase in the next couple of years.