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TEXAS |
ALABAMA |
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FLORIDA |
VIRGINIA |
NEW YORK |
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| The Team |
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| Manoj Saxena, Driver & Racing Enthusiast |
 Manoj Saxena is a serial entrepreneur and an accomplished CEO with a passion for education, innovation, and automotive racing. He currently serves as Vice President and Global Solutions Leader for IBM Global Business Services (GBS) where he leads IBM's multi-billion dollar Global Solutions and Assets business. Born in Hyderabad, India, Manoj was always interested in finding out what made things tick and was drawn to the technology, speed, and innovation behind car racing. He believes that innovation through science and technology has a profound impact on all sections of society and sees the advanced technology behind car racing as an interactive and fun way to engage and excite children about building technical and scientific careers.
Professionally, Manoj has successfully founded, managed, and sold two venture-backed software companies within a five year span: Webify, an emerging leader in industry-specific SOA middleware, was acquired by IBM in 2006 and Commerce One bought Exterprise, a business process collaboration software company in 2001.
An active community leader, Manoj serves on the Board of Any Baby Can and Saxena Foundation and holds numerous other Advisory Board positions including Global Giving, St Edwards University Business School, and Michigan State University's Center for Venture Capital, Private Equity and Entrepreneurial Finance.
Manoj is the recipient of multiple awards including "Entrepreneur of the Year", "IT Technologist of the Year" and was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award by Michigan State University, from where he had received his MBA in 1989. He also holds a Masters in Management Studies Degree from the Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, India.
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| Richard Zimmermann, Co-Driver, Racing Coach |
 Richard Zimmermann is a professional racing drivers coach from Oceanside, CA. Richard has been coaching and instructing drivers for the past 14 years. He has been racing competitively for the past 21 years. Richard competed in Formula Ford 1600 and Formula Ford 2000 National Championship, as well as Vintage, NASA, Porsche Club, and SCCA events including the SCCA World Challenge. In addition, Richard also competed in Mexico for two years winning back to back championships while wining every race he competed in.
In 1996, Richard begun instructing for Track Attack Racing School owned by CEO of Just Marketing, Zak Brown. While he lived in Indianapolis, he also became Assistant Team Manager for RCM Motorsports a F2000 National Championship team. Later he became an instructor for the Skip Barber Racing School, instructing at Laguna Seca and Road America. At the same time be started a professional F2000 team with a partner, only to have his partner default on the funding. In 2001, Richard moved to Las Vegas where he accepted a position as an instructor at the Derek Daly Academy. In 2003 he was promoted to Chief Instructor. In 2005, Richard briefly worked for Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch as Chief Instructor of the Radical Racing School. Richard then accepted the position as Chief Instructor of American Racing Academy where he also became Director of Operations. In 2007 the American Racing Academy was purchased by the Mario Andretti Racing School where Richard became the Director of Operations for Road Course Division.
During Richard’s career he has coached or instructed top drivers such as Indy Racing League (IRL) drivers Sarah Fischer, Danica Patrick, and JR Hildebrand. In addition, he trained multi-time SCCA National Run-offs champion Wayland Joe. He also coached in the Ferrari Challenge series and Porsche Club of America.
Richard as appeared as a driving expert on several local news stations, as well as, on the Discovery Channel’s Man, Moment, Machine. Additionally, Richard coached celebrities such as Keanu Reeves and shared track and classroom time with Mario Andretti. Richard is currently pursuing his education degree in elementary education. |
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| Mark S Jacobs, Emmy Award Winning Film and Television Director |
 Mark Jacobs is an Emmy Award-winning American film and television director, writer, producer, and cinematographer. A native of Las Vegas, Nevada Mark Jacobs' unique style and demeanor are what makes his projects compelling, full of emotion, visually stunning and successful. Having worked over 30 years in the motion picture and television industries, he has tackled a variety of projects while working for major networks and motion picture companies. His in depth experience in producing, directing, cinematography, lighting direction, editing and development have earned the respected recognition from his peers with over fifty different industry awards: 28 NATAS Emmy’s, 3 Edward R. Murrow, UPI, AP, Golden Mike, Society of Professional Journalists, National Press Photographers Association and Festival awards.
Marks recent directing accomplishments have been The OCD Project (Vh1), Dad Camp (Vh1), Kitchen Nightmares (FOX), Obsessed (A&E), The Two Coreys (A&E), The Gift (NBC), I want to work for Diddy (Vh1), Rob and Big (MTV), Breaking Bonaduce (Vh1).
Over the course of Mark’s career as both a journalist and director he’s produced numerous documentaries centered on adolescent obstacles; obstacles that affect the educational and developmental aspects of becoming a responsible adult in today’s society. The targeted issues were comprised of drug and alcohol abuse, racism and stress.
His recent Feature Documentary "Jesse's Story" has been highly acclaimed throughout the 2009 & 2010 festival circuit. Jesse's Story to date has opened both the Malibu and Beverly Hills Film Festivals and picked up both Jury and Audience Prizes for Best Documentary at the Malibu and San Diego Film Festivals. Mark met Jesse in 2002 and captured his life story over the course of 7 years. During the formable years of Life Rolls On, which Jesse and his brother Josh created, Mark produced numerous short films about the organization and Jesse's accident. Films that shed light on the goals and mission statement as a non profit 501c organization. Life Rolls On is now one of the most respected non-profit organizations at the forefront of Spinal Cord Injury support and awareness. In August of 2009, Life Rolls On merged with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
In January of 2008, Mark created Zzyzx Films Incorporated. Zzyzx Films has built its reputation upon producing feature documentaries based on ethically driven journalism experience. Zzyzx Films proudly pride themselves to never take for granted the responsibility as storytellers, to become the public’s voice. Zzyzx Films also produces shows and films that target the extreme sports markets as well as scripted and hybrid projects.
Mark is always searching for that true, inspirational story to tell for his next feature documentary.
Mark is represented by
United Talent Agency
Mr. Feroz Taj
310.860.3758
Mark’s Corporation
www.zzyzxfilms.com
Jesse’s Story
www.jessesstory.com
Mark’s IMDB Page
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2015366 |
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| Shaku Selvakumar, Media, Sponsorship and Public Relations Director |
 Shaku Selvakumar is the World Wide Lead Strategist for Web and Social Media for IBM WebSphere. In this role, she is responsible for envisioning and implementing web and social media marketing strategies that favorably position, drive awareness and generate demand for the WebSphere brand. Prior to this, she was the World Wide Go To Market lead for SOA and Smart Work within the EBF program at IBM where she was responsible for translating broad messaging and marketing objectives into targeted, executable, recommendations to help geographies deliver on their revenue objectives. Shaku brings an ability to successfully highlight the USP and collaborate successfully with an extended ecosystem of stakeholders using high impact integrated marketing and social media tools to drive demand generation and impact corporate goals. Previously she handled the marketing integration for the Webify acquisition at IBM and covered product marketing and communications by brand and industry. Shaku was recognized by IBM as a top performer and selected to join the company’s exclusive Leadership Development Program.
Prior to IBM, she worked for Webify and played key role in the company’s acquisition by IBM in August 2006. At Webify, she handled the IBM Alliance marketing relationship and has successfully identified opportunities that aid awareness, credibility and lead generation.
Before her stint at Webify, she was a brand and corporate communications consultant and created, marketed and produced revenue generating programs for clients. Her consultancy services include strategic business development, investor and analyst relations and brand management.
She also worked for Royal Dutch/Shell, a Fortune 100 petroleum giant from 1990 to 2000, managing Brand and Corporate Communications and responsible for corporate and marketing communications, media relations, in-house communications and external community affairs. Her work included the rollout of the company’s marketing communications programs and their public affairs initiatives.
Shaku graduated from the University of Bradford, UK with a Masters in Business Administration. She is an alumni of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi specializing in advertising and public relations. She also received her Bachelor of Arts from Osmania University in India.
Shaku has been involved in various social and professional non profit groups such as TiE, ATC, ICC and AWTA.
Twitter: @shakus
LinkedIn: shakuselvakumar
Blog: www.browngirlinthering1.blogspot.com |
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| Suki Steinhauser, CEO of Communities In Schools of Central Texas |
 Suki Steinhauser is the Chief Executive Officer of Communities In Schools of Central Texas. As CEO, she empowers young people to stay in school and achieve at their highest potential by supporting the work of 150 staff, 100 AmeriCorps members and 1,000 volunteers, working in over 50 schools throughout Central Texas. Suki joined Communities In Schools in 1994 to start up the award-winning ASPIRE Family Literacy Project and has built numerous innovative programs to nurture the educational success of students facing tremendous personal barriers.
Suki is active in the nonprofit community where she has used her experience and business acumen to improve the lives of disenfranchised youth and families. She has worked in the area of community development, served as the President of the Board of Directors of Austin Habitat for Humanity and currently serves on the Advisory Committee of the Seedling Foundation, the Texas Cultural Trust Digital Media Project and Reading Rock Stars of the Texas Book Festival. She is an officer of One Voice Central Texas and the CIS of Texas Network and a graduate of the 2007 Leadership Austin Essential class. Suki has been featured in the Austin Business Journal’s annual Profiles in Power.
Suki has a B.A. from Syracuse University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.
Suki’s nonprofit career began after being inspired to serve others as a Peace Corps volunteer in Swaziland, Africa where she taught math for three years. This spirit of service is shared by her husband, Chester and their children, Annie and Nick.
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Total raised: $51,000 Goal: $100,000 |
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