Stephen Messer (entrepreneur)

Stephen Messer (born May 12, 1971) is an American Internet entrepreneur, inventor and investor who has founded several global businesses, most notably LinkShare (sold in 2005 for $425 million) and Collective[i].[1][2] Messer served as LinkShare's CEO and Chairman of the Board, helping to create the sector of online marketing commonly referred to as affiliate marketing.[3][4] Under his leadership, LinkShare expanded its network of websites to become one of the largest of its kind with its global reach extending from the United States to Japan, Canada and Europe.[5] Messer was a board member of both LinkShare and LinkShare Japan until 2006.[6]

Stephen Messer
Born (1971-05-12) May 12, 1971
Westchester County, New York
NationalityAmerican
Alma materLafayette College, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
OccupationInternet Entrepreneur

Early life

The second child of two entrepreneurs, Messer was born in Westchester, New York. He attended Horace Greely High School in Chappaqua, New York. From the time he was 14, he worked in the family real estate business.

College and law school

Messer earned a BA degree with dual majors in Government and Law as well as History from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania and was made a member of Phi Alpha Theta (the National History Honor Society). Messer earned a JD from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City.[7]

Career

Early career

Messer began his career as the Assistant Director of the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI) from 1995-1996 working with Columbia Business School Professor Eli Noam.[8] While at CITI, Messer covered Cybercommunications (the Internet), the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and other key mass media issues of the time.[9] Messer has remained an affiliated research fellow at CITI and is a regular speaker at Columbia Business School on topics ranging from electronic commerce to emerging technologies.[10]

LinkShare Corporation

In 1996, Messer recognized the Internet's enormous potential, and with his sister, Heidi Messer,[11] set out to create an online distribution network that would allow websites to monetize their traffic through performance based links.[12] Messer recruited Cheryl Ho and Horace Meng to help he and his sister create LinkShare Corporation.[13]

The company initially faltered, landing only 15 clients in its first year despite the Messers' extensive efforts. By year three, though, it regained its footing and took off, with 150 businesses signing up to take advantage of this new revenue concept.[14] Messer served as Chairman and CEO of LinkShare until its sale in 2005 to Rakuten Inc. for $425 million.[2] In 2006, Messer exited the company, which was later renamed Rakuten LinkShare.[6]

Messer was awarded patents around the concept of affiliate marketing.[15] The first of these patents, which covered a cookie-less way of tracking commission information, was covered in the NY Times.[16]

Collective[i]

In 2008, Messer co-founded Cross Commerce Media with his sister Heidi Messer and Tad Martin.[17][18] He currently serves on its board of directors as the company's Vice Chairman.[19]

In 2014, Messer was awarded three patents in conjunction with Collective[i]'s data analytics network. He is noted as a co-inventor for patent #8,713,076[20] and patent #8,825,716,[21] "Providing a Multi-Tenant Knowledge Network", as well as patent #8,825,618,[22] "Methods and Systems for Enhanced Data Unification, Access, and Analysis".

Angel investing and board affiliations

Messer is also co-founder of World Evolved,[23] a platform for global investment and expansion, an adviser to Industry Ventures,[24] Tribeca Venture Partners,[25] Massive Incorporated (acquired by Microsoft), Loyaltylab[26] (acquired by Tibco), and Netplenish.[27] Additionally, he is an investor in numerous start-up ventures such as DODOcase, the space satellite company Spire,[28] and Lifebooker.[29] He is a director with Edison Partners.[30] Messer has sat on or currently sits on the boards of Cross Commerce Media, d/b/a Collective[i], LifeBooker LLC, and Vente (acquired by Experian). Messer is active in the Silicon Alley start-up community and is an avid cyclist and yoga practitioner.[31]

Awards and honors

In 2004, Messer was named as a finalist for the American Business Awards.[32] In 2005, Messer was awarded the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the New York Region.[33] Messer was selected by the Silicon Alley Reporter as one of the top 100 executives in Silicon Alley in 2008.[34]

References
  1. "THE ANGEL 100: New York's Top Early Stage Investors". Business Insider. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  2. Fackler, Martin (7 September 2005). "Japan firm enters U.S. Net market". 7 September 2005. The New York Times. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  3. "Techonomy Biography for Stephen Messer". techonomy.com. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  4. "Stephen Messer and Heidi Messer: Stick to your Knitting, Success doesn't Come Overnight!!". 17 May 2012. Success Stories. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  5. "Stephen Messer, CEO Interview". 6 April 2004. twst.com. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  6. Peters, Kurt. "Founders Stephen Messer and Heidi Messer leave LinkShare". 9 February 2006. Internet Retailer. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  7. "Columbia Business School Biography for Stephen Messer". Columbia Business School. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  8. "Bloomberg Businesslike Executive Profile for Stephen D. Messer". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  9. Tibbling, Sarah. "An Angel in New York: Stephen Messer". 19 September 2013. Alley Watch. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  10. Romano, Francesca. "Stephen Messer of CCM to discuss analytics at Columbia Business School". 13 April 2011. Collective[i]. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  11. Kidder, David (2012). The Startup Playbook: Secrets of the Fastest-Growing Startups from Their Founding Entrepreneurs. Published 2012. Chronicle Books, LLC. ISBN 9781452105048. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  12. Rojas, Javier. "Return Leaders: Heidi Messer, Founder, LinkShare". 2 July 2013. Seeking Growth. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  13. Mendels, Pamela. "Brother-Sister Team a Rarity in Silicon Alley". 20 October 1997. The New York Times. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  14. Udhaw, Kumar. "Stephen Messer and Heidi Messer: Stick to your Knitting, Success doesn't Come Overnight!".
  15. "Data processing system for integrated tracking and management of commerce related activities on a public access network US 5991740 A". 23 November 1999. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  16. Hansell, Saul (11 December 1999). "As Patents Multiply, Web Sites Find Lawsuits Are a Click Away". 11 December 1999. The New York Times. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  17. "Founded by Business Leaders, Built by World Class Scientists and Developers". Collective[i]. Archived from the original on 10 February 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  18. "Big Brother: The Big Data Revolution Gets Personal". 19 March 2013. Bloomberg TV. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  19. "Collective[i] Leadership, Management Team Biography Listings". Collective[i]. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  20. "United States Patent, 8,713,076, Providing a multi-tenant knowledge network". US Patent & Trademark Office, Patent Full Text and Image Database. US Patent & Trademark Office, Patent Full Text and Image Database. April 29, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  21. "United States Patent, 8,825,716, Providing a multi-tenant knowledge network". US Patent & Trademark Office, Patent Full Text and Image Database. US Patent & Trademark Office, Patent Full Text and Image Database. September 2, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  22. "United States Patent, 8,825,618, Methods and systems for enhanced data unification, access and analysis". US Patent & Trademark Office, Patent Full Text and Image Database. US Patent & Trademark Office, Patent Full Text and Image Database. September 2, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  23. Levin, Robert. "Evolving as an Entrepreneur: Hiring, Getting Advice, and Finding Time". 20 September 2010. NY Report. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  24. "Entrepreneur Week Biography for Stephen Messer". Entrepreneur Week. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  25. "Tribeca Venture Partners Biography for Stephen Messer". Tribeca Venture Partners. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  26. "InsideView, Loyalty Lab, Inc. Company Listing". InsideView. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  27. "AngelList NetPlenish Company Listing". AngelList. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  28. Gage, Deborah (July 29, 2014). "Nanosatellite Company Spire Raises $25M, Rocket Lab Unveils New Rocket". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  29. Shontell, Alyson (3 October 2011). "The 30 Most Valuable Startups In New York". 3 October 2011. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  30. "Edison Director Bio for Stephen Messer". Edison Partners. Edison Partners. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  31. "TheBizDen 2012 BizSummit at New York Institute of Technology". Social Media News NY. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  32. "List of 2004 Individual Finalists". 2004. The American Business Awards. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  33. "Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Hall of Fame". Ernst & Young. Archived from the original on October 7, 2006. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  34. Kafka, Peter. "LAST CALL For Silicon Alley 100 Submissions". 23 September 2008. Business Insider. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
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