Karen Zelina, Founder and Managing Partner Karen Zelina is a recognized and seasoned marketing, public relations, and advertising professional with proven ability to generate the kind of results required in today’s business environments. Karen brings over 26 years experience with a successful record of results. During her tenure as a former marketing executive with several entrepreneurial and Fortune 500 companies, including QuestLink Technology, Specialty Software Development Corporation, IIT, AMD, and California Devices, she was responsible for directing and managing millions of marketing and advertising dollars, always with a focus on measurement, results, and efficiency. Her creative programs gained market share, built corporate brand and awareness, and gained and retained customers while winning awards. She has developed and executed complex marketing, positioning, branding, media, and public relations plans leveraging awareness and acceptance of industry, business media, and industry analysts achieving highly visible industry and market recognition for companies and their executives. Her ability to develop award-winning communication, advertising, and direct marketing campaigns has gained her recognition among her peers. Karen is actively involved in local and national organizations. She served three terms on the board of directors of the American Marketing Association, Austin chapter, two years as vice president of membership retention, and one year as vice president of marketing awards, and on the advisory board for Austin Smiles. She was co-chairperson of the Austin Board for Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (FWE) from 2001 through 2003. She is a member of Women in Communication, Public Relations Society of America, International Association of Business Communicators, American Marketing Association, Women in Technology, and the Technical Business Network, and serves on the marketing council for WCIT 2006. Karen was the founder and director of Wired for Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the Internet to children K-12 in under privilege areas. She was also chairperson and founder of the Silicon Hills Charity Ball, a successful fundraising event supporting Wired for Kids. In February 2004, she chaired the successful kick-off for the World Congress on Information Technology 2006 in Austin. She is frequently invited to teach courses or participate at conferences and seminars where she can share her expertise in the marketing profession. Julie Garcia, Director of Account Services Julie Garcia is a highly accomplished marketing professional with over fourteen years experience creating and directing results-driven public relations and marketing campaigns and teams. Her experience includes public relations and strategic communications, program measurement and evaluation, branding and corporate identity, writing and editing, Internet marketing and promotions, lead generation and sales support, and direct marketing. Prior to BIG, Julie was a director of corporate marketing for QuestLink Technology, an e-Commerce site for design engineers, where she planned and implemented a member acquisition campaign which resulted in an over 100% increase in registered users in two quarters. She was also part of cross-departmental team responsible for a total web site overhaul including infrastructure, navigation, and look and feel. Previously, she held marketing positions with Power Computing, the City of Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department, the Shapiro Small Agency, and American Marketing & Events. Julie is on the board of The Association for Women in Communications, serving as the vice president of membership retention. She has also served on the board of the Theatre Action Project (TAP) and is currently a volunteer for TAP and serves on the public relations committee for GENaustin (Girls Empowerment Network Austin). She has received numerous awards for her work including a League of American Communications Professionals 2002 Inspire Gold Award for Employee Communications and a 2001 Addy Award for Print Advertising Campaign.