Hal Josephson is CEO and president of MediaSense, a San Francisco firm specializing in strategic marketing planning, international business development and special project management services for high-tech industries. MediaSense clients have included Apple, IDG, Motorola, The Electronic Industry Association, Reed-Midem, InternetWire, Australia Multimedia Enterprise, InfoTech Canada, Australasian Access, Hong Kong Cyberport and China Access — an economic development consultancy that specializes in building alliances and partnerships to do business in China. Hal is currently a Partner in Tynax, the leading technology trading exchange, as well as the annual chair and program director of Hong Kong’s Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum (DELF) and the Hong Kong Cyberport Venture Capital Forum (CVCF).
During the late nineties, Hal was executive director for the NewMedia INVISION Festival, the largest North American program honoring creators of digital content in all media, including video games, websites and other new media applications. During this same period, Hal also was the primary U.S. consultant and Silicon Valley liaison for Australian Multimedia Enterprise (AME), a $55 million AU new media venture fund based in Sydney, Australia.
Before this, Hal was vice president of Infotainment World, producers of the highly successful video gaming conference, Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Before this position, Hal spent two years as president and executive producer of the Motorola-sponsored Interactive Media Festival (IMF). This four-day $3.7 million corporate event showcased 35 of the best digital media projects from North America, Europe and Asia and included the West Coast premiere of New York’s cult-hit multimedia theatrical performance company, The Blue Man Group.
For four years, during the early nineties, Hal was the director of Worldwide Business Development for The 3DO Company. 3DO was a joint venture of Electronic Arts, Time-Warner and Matsushita. During the eighties, Hal was a Boulder, Colo., entrepreneur as co-founder of two IT-related public companies, TeleMedia — a teleconferencing production and human factors training business — and StarCom Inc., a satellite delivered entertainment company.
Hal has specific industry experience in interactive media, teleconferencing, satellite communications, software licensing and video production, with decades of experience doing international business development and strategic marketing.
What are you working on right now?
Helping New Zealand’s next wave of IP exporters find licensing and partnership deals in China and the USA.
Designing and organizing the Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum, the new media thought leadership event component of the Hong Kong Entertainment Expo.
3 Trends that excite you?
1. The rise of Asia Pacific economies
2. Born global niche entrepreneurs
3. An international commitment to sustainability
How do you bring ideas to life?
Give ideas away to those who are passionate enough to manifest them. Then move on to the next one or help others fast-track manifest their ideas.
What is one mistake you’ve made that our readers can learn from?
Try not to agonize over spilled milk. Tidy things up as quickly and to the best degree possible … and certainly replace the milk immediately …
When you make mistake(s), fix it the best you can and as quickly as you can … and move on.
What is one book and one tool (i.e., piece of software) that helps you bring ideas to life?
“48 Laws of Power” by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers.
Skype enables me to communicate and collaborate with my global network for free from anywhere.
What is one idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Build the best Mandarin-English near real-time translation business … eliminate horrific “Chinglish” on signs, brochures and translated websites.
What is the best way to do business?
Take pride in your reputation and use your professional networks. When it come downs to it, it’s not always who you know; however, people do business with people whom they trust.
How can one maintain a healthy life perspective?
When in doubt, be proactively positive. As the lyrics to Monty Python’s amusing ditty goes, “Always look on the bright side of life.”
Risk looking through rose-colored glasses often. Life is way too short to see too many half-empty glasses.
Connect:
www.mediasense.org
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.