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WePOWER management
Marvin Winkler
Founder, Chairman & CEO
Mr. Winkler is the founder, chairman, and CEO of WePOWER, LLC.
Mr. Winkler founded Mashon.com in 2004 as an innovative entertainment software company with global partners in the entertainment industry, including: MGM, NFL, TIME, FX, Jim Henson, and others.
Mr. Winkler acquired Gotcha International in 1996, was the owner of Gotcha International, Inc. until he sold to Perry Ellis, Inc. in 2005. During this time span, Mr. Winkler created and produced original major events staged around the world in Action Sports & Entertainment including the Tahiti Pro, US Surfing competitions, the Huntington Beach Games, and the first on the internet to web cast live from Huntington Beach Games. He also created the first interactive extreme sports show with Gotcha TV and Bluetorch.
Mr. Winkler was Chairman of SSP Solutions, Inc. a leading security technology company with over 35 years of government security and online secured communications experience.
Before venturing into the technology field, Mr. Winkler was a key consumer products innovative marketing and product development leader and personally responsible in generating over $3.5 billion in licensed merchandise sales during his consumer products tenure and created, developed, marketed and built key licensed global consumer product brands for Disney, Warner Bros., Universal Studios, Bodyglove, Ocean Pacific, and the professional sports franchises including National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Basketball Association and Magic Johnson.
Mr. Winkler founded American Marketing Works, cited by INC. Magazine in 1989 as the fifteenth fastest-growing company in America.
In June 1999, Mr. Winkler partnered with Broadcom Corporation and co-founded Broadband Interactive Group and Bluetorch TV to demonstrate interactive television in a convergent broadband media industry.
Mr. Winkler's honors include: Cedars-Sinai Man of the Year, and the Fashion Industries Guild Designer of the Year. Mr. Winkler is currently a member of YPO, WPO and a member of Orange County and The State of Virginia Sheriff Reserves.
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Howard Makler
Founder, President
Mr. Makler brings to WePOWER a nearly-25 year track record of success in entrepreneurship, business development and niche marketing. Before joining WePOWER, Mr. Makler founded and sold two successful companies, each of which became the largest in its category due to innovative strategies and creative leadership.
Mr. Makler transformed experiential entertainment by pioneering a new video gaming environment called Howie's Game Shack, which quickly became the nation's largest technology-based interactive game centers. These 12,000 sq ft facilities allowed 250 gamers to simultaneously play PCs and XBOXs in a competitive manner similar to sports. He engineered groundbreaking partnerships for the venture including collaborations with Intel, nVIDIA, Monster Energy, and Electronic Arts.
Mr. Makler also founded and was Chairman and COO of Excess Space Retail Services, the largest national company specializing in surplus real estate disposition and lease renegotiation for major retail chains. Mr. Makler was instrumental in establishing and maintaining key relationships with senior level executives at noteworthy chains, including: Kroger, Albertsons, AMC Entertainment, Advanced Auto Parts, Walgreens, The Gap, SuperValu, Staples, Petco, Firestone, Burlington Coat, Baskin Robbins, McDonald’s and Payless Shoes. Under his leadership he increased revenues from 20-75%annually, and put $2.2 billion in capital back to work for retailers nationwide.
Mr. Makler is a recognized expert, in-demand speaker, and served as Senior Professor at the International Council of Shopping Centers' School of Leasing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania for over a decade. Mr. Makler’s opinion is sought after by the press and has been quoted by ABC News, Fox News, and The Wall Street Journal.
Mr. Makler currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Skyhook Foundation – a 501(c)(3) charity, founded by the legendary basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He previously served as the Vice Chairperson/Member Board of Directors for Athletes & Entertainers for Kids – a 501(c)(3) charity. He’s a lifetime member of the California Highway Patrol 11-99 Foundation, and 16-Year Honorary Member of the Long Beach Police Officers Association.
At WePOWER, Mr. Makler is responsible for spearheading key initiatives, overseeing major accounts, directing marketing and business development efforts, and providing hands-on investor relations. Mr. Makler’s efforts have been instrumental in establishing retail and wholesale distribution channels, strategic partnerships, and licensing agreements for all market segments including cell towers, outdoor advertising, and commercial and residential properties.
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James I. Valentine
Board of Managers
Mr. Valentine is the President and Chairman of Valentine & Company.
Mr. Valentine's expertise involves the organization and financing of emerging growth companies involved in infrastructure and services. He has served in a variety of key management positions as well as a financier and investor. His previous experience has included being the Chief Executive Officer of QoS Networks LTD, a company providing IP services on a global basis, being the Chief Executive Officer of North American Wireless Inc, a company engaged in the design, construction and operation of nationwide wireless infrastructure services. Mr. Valentine was a General Partner of Montgomery Securities, serving as Managing Director of the Corporate Finance Technology Group. Mr. Valentine serves on the boards of directors of Hi Tech Services, Inc., NextGen Technology Services, LLC, QoS Networks, Ltd., Tri Alpha Energy Inc., E3 Solutions, LLC and Wireless Project Development Corporation.
Mr. Valentine practiced law in San Francisco specializing in financial transactions. Mr. Valentine received his B.A. with High Honors from the University of Florida and his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.
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Bobby Grisham
Board of Managers
Bobby Grisham served at EDS, a Hewlett-Packard company, from 1978-2009 with career highlights including: chief sales officer, led the successful renegotiation of the US Navy Marine corps Intranet contract, President of US Southwest Operations Solutions, assumed responsibility for all EDS banking and securities business, President of US Information Solutions, managed all IT operations for six General Motors Electrical Component Divisions and was President of the Large Financial Institutions Strategic Business Unit.
Mr. Grisham is an active member of the Tartan Board of the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas and served as Tartan Board chairman. He is a founder of the Presidents Council of Dallas Theological Seminary and served on the EDS Foundation Board of Directors.
Mr. Grisham received a bachelor of science degree in accounting from the University of Mississippi and his master of business administration degree from the University of Texas.
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Tim Sarnoff
Board of Managers
Tim Sarnoff currently serves as President of Technicolor Digital Productions, a division of Thomson (NYSE: TMS).
Previously, Mr. Sarnoff was President of Sony Pictures Imageworks, an award winning visual effects and digital character animation company. In his twelve years of leadership at Imageworks, Mr. Sarnoff grew the company in size, marketshare and capability, including the award winning “Spiderman” franchise. His emphasis on character animation combined with visual effects, led to the establishment of Sony Pictures Animation.
Before Imageworks, Mr. Sarnoff was Senior Vice President of Warner Digital Studios after joining Warner Bros. Animation in 1989 to set up Steven Spieldberg’s animated series “Tiny Toon Adventures.” At Warner Bros. Animation, Mr. Sarnoff managed the production of over 400 episodes for such series as “Animanics”, “Batman”, and “Superman”.
Mr. Sarnoff is a graduate of Stanford University.
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Kevin Donovan
Board of Managers
Kevin Donovan is the Chief Executive Officer of Electronic Game Card, Inc. (EGMI.OB), a position he has held since February 2009. Currently, Mr. Donovan also serves as Chief Executive Officer of U4oria Discovery, Inc., a privately held branding and strategy company he formed in February 2003.
From November 2004 to January 2009, Mr. Donovan served as President and Senior Vice-President New Business Development of Planetwide Games, Inc. From May 2003 to February 2004, he served as Managing Director, Vice President Marketing for Fotoball, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of high quality collectible sports products, which was acquired by K2, Inc. (NYSE: KTO) in February 2004. From August 2000 to February 2003, Mr. Donovan served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Smoothie King Franchises, Inc.
From November 1998 to February 2002, Mr. Donovan served as the Director of Image for the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics under the direction of the Salt Lake 2002 Organizing Committee and as a Strategic Branding Consultant for the 2002 Winter Paralympics.
From February 1994 to November 1998, Mr. Donovan served as Senior Vice-President of Business Development and Marketing for the All-American SportPark on “The Strip” in Las Vegas and worked for St. Andrews Golf Corporation while assisting in taking the company public in 1994. From 1988 to February 1994, Mr. Donovan served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Donovan Design Agency, a company he founded in 1998.
From June 1986 to June 1988, Mr. Donovan worked at John Ryan & Co., Minneapolis, as Creative Director.
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