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For over 18 years, Mr. Laisure has been working as a strategic and financial advisor, senior level executive, producer and inventor. He has been a guiding force behind several major successes in technology, media and entertainment and currently operates as founding partner and executive producer of “LIFEChanges” a multimedia entertainment business producing products, which include talk radio, video, live events and merchandising that promote conscious evolution and self-realization. Mr. Laisure is also managing director of FairFirst Holdings, LLC, a venture catalyst and consultancy to socially aware, sustainable, clean and high technology businesses.
His early career started in securities brokerage and investment banking, having served as principal for both UBS Paine Webber and Shields & Company whilst consulting to Dillon Read & Co. In 1995, he realized success and helped to further enable the paradigm shift into the digital age as a member of the founding team of Inktomi Corporation, a leading provider of OEM web search, paid inclusion and traffic caching services. Inktomi was acquired by Yahoo!, after securing partnerships with companies like; Microsoft, Amazon, AOL, eBay, HotBot, and WalMart.com. Also during this period, Mr. Laisure partnered with marketing luminary Reno R. Rolle’, to found and grow Synergy Worldwide, a successful product development and direct marketing company which created, invented and launched several new consumer products into the retail market via television, direct marketing and conventional retail channels.
Beginning in 1999, Mr. Laisure was asked to join the team at Military Commercial Technologies, Inc. (MILCOM), a venture-backed company that conceives, creates and launches technology companies in partnership with defense contractors, commercial companies, federal laboratories and other leading-edge research and development sources. Working with MILCOM, he helped facilitate the launch and growth of several affiliate companies including Triton Network Systems (fixed wireless systems), Teranex (ultra high speed parallel video processing), Theseus Logic (clockless semi-conductor logic), Skycross (high performance antennae solutions), and Mesh Networks (mobile WiFi systems (now Motorola)). He continued to serve as a member of the Board of Directors until 2007. In addition to these endeavors, Mr. Laisure co-founded iNetNow, Inc., in 1999, which pioneered the enhanced information delivery space and established alliances with companies such as Lycos, Telefonica and i3Mobile. Mr. Laisure was also part of the acquisition group responsible for the, successful turnaround and revitalization of National Lampoon, the most recognized brand in comedy.
In 2004 Mr. Laisure joined and later assumed control of and turned around a distressed Zeros & Ones, Inc., launching a business plan focused on systems level solutions aimed at the intersection of media and technology. Mr. Laisure and his team successfully launched and built 3 subsidiaries in high speed internet video and file transfer, aviation broadband and white space wireless solutions, which together, went on to re-brand under new management as Voyant International and in 2009, sold Rocketstream Inc. to Prodginet Corporation.
Mr. Laisure and his companies have been the recipient of numerous distinguished awards, including the R&D 100 award for the Most Technologically Significant New Product (Synergy Worldwide), Business Week Magazine’s Wireless Product of the Year (iNetNow) and a Prime-Time Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development (Film and Television Processing (Teranex)). Mr. Laisure has a B.S. in Psychology from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.
Learn More About Mark Laisure at www.LifeChangesNetwork.com