Bob Smith - Chairman

Bob recently sat on a panel discussing Tips on Managing Communities.  Read more about his topic and download his presentation here. 

Bob is Chairman of iBelong and has over 20 years of experience creating and managing interactive community-based businesses. He started his first directory publishing company in 1984. He became a member of the AOL management team in 1992 where his first assignment was helping large media companies such as the New York Times, Tribune Client and Hachette Filipacchi Magazines create their first online publishing ventures. He went on to serve as General Manager of all of AOL’s community programming operations. He was founder of AOL’s DigitalCity, the first nation-wide city guide service.

After leaving AOL, Bob started one of the first business incubators for Internet businesses in the nation, Vector Development, LLC. He has spent the last few years working directly with Internet-based startup companies as both a strategic advisor and investor. He helped found and guide companies in e-government (ezgov—US operations sold 2004), e-commerce (OneMade, where he served as Chairman—sold to AOL in 2003), identity monitoring/management (PromiseMark and Privista—sold to ConsumerInfo and Equifax respectively) and community-based mapping (The Map Network, where he served as Chairman—recently closed $3.5 million financing with Gannett).

In addition to his experience in the Internet, Bob also has extensive experience in print media encompassing directory, newsletter, magazine and wire syndication publishing, including over six years as a senior executive of Congressional Quarterly, Inc.

Bob has an MBA in Marketing from George Washington University and a BA in Political Science from the University of Southern California. Bob also served for six years as an officer in the US Navy.