TED LEONSIS JOINS BRIDGEVINE BOARD OF DIRECTORSAOL Vice Chairman Emeritus, Internet visionary underscores value of new consumer web site for bundled servicesATLANTA, Georgia and VERO BEACH, Florida — February 27, 2008 —
Bridgevine, Inc., the trusted source for consumers looking to conveniently compare and shop for the services that shape their lives, today announced the appointment of Ted Leonsis, AOL Vice Chairman Emeritus, to the Bridgevine board of directors. One of the nation’s most accomplished businessmen, Leonsis joins Bridgevine with a legendary background as an Internet visionary
, new media entrepreneur, professional sports team owner, filmmaker and respected leader.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ted as Bridgevine’s newest board member,” said Vinny Olmstead, president and CEO of Bridgevine. “Clearly, Ted brings incredible insight and knowledge to our team. His support and interest in Bridgevine underscores our company’s innovative value proposition and reinforces our vision as we set out to transform the way consumers shop for a broad array of services efficiently and cost effectively.”
Leonsis joins the Bridgevine board of directors just as the company has launched its Internet site enabling consumers to compare and shop for the best deals on services. From HDTV and VoIP to digital entertainment and home security, Bridgevine.com lets consumers choose individual services that are best for them or create personalized bundles from trusted providers resulting in saved time and money. Bridgevine’s partner network includes trusted brand name providers such as Comcast, AT&T, D-Link, Time Warner, Verizon, DIRECTV, RealNetworks, Panasonic and GameFly.
“I am impressed with Bridgevine’s leadership team, its scope of partnerships and its underlying technology,” said Leonsis. “Undoubtedly, there is a need for simplification in evaluating and selecting the services that we all depend on in our lives. Bridgevine is delivering on its promise to help consumers save time and money as they choose services from trusted providers, and I look forward to lending my insight and direction as the company embarks upon its next stage of growth.”
During Leonsis’ 15-year career with AOL, the company enjoyed its greatest periods of growth and financial success. Leonsis now serves as vice chairman emeritus, having stepped down from day-to-day management at AOL in 2006.
Ted currently also serves as Chairman of Revolution Money (formerly GratisCard, Inc.), an innovative Web 2.0 payment platform and credit-card service, and Clearspring Technologies, the leading provider of cross-platform widget services. Earlier in his career, Leonsis was the founder of several new media companies including Redgate Communications Corporation, a pioneering new media company that was the first company acquired by AOL. Leonsis was the founder of six personal computer magazines, authored four books, and worked on the introduction of the IBM PC and the Apple Macintosh.
Ted is also the founder, chairman and majority owner of Lincoln Holdings LLC, a sports and entertainment company that holds ownership rights in several Washington, DC entities including 100 percent of the NHL's Washington Capitals and the WNBA's Washington Mystics. Lincoln Holdings also owns approximately 44 percent of Washington Sports and Entertainment Limited Partnership (WSELP), which owns the NBA's Washington Wizards, DC's Verizon Center and the Baltimore-Washington Ticketmaster franchise. In addition to Lincoln Holdings LLC, Ted also has investments and/or sits on the board of directors for several companies including: Agents LLC; Animal Attraction; Beacon Capital Strategies LLC; Bridgevine, Inc; Capitol Acquisition Corp.; Geneva Acquisition Corp.; GridPoint; Lunchbox Digital; Mahalo.com; Mobile Posse; Object Video; Podshow and Qloud.
A major philanthropist, Leonsis is very involved with numerous charities, including Best Buddies, Hoop Dreams, See Forever Foundation, Youth Aids and others through the work of the Leonsis Foundation. Among his many honors, Leonsis has been named Washington's Businessman of the Year, a Washingtonian of the Year, one of the 20 most influential people in sports, one of America's most creative executives and a top 10 entrepreneur of the year.
About BridgevineFounded in 2003, Bridgevine, Inc. is headquartered in Vero Beach, FL with an office in Atlanta, GA. The company’s consumer-facing website, Bridgevine.com, is a trusted source for consumers to learn about, compare and shop for the services that shape their lives. From communications to entertainment to security, Bridgevine.com lets consumers choose individual services that are best for them, or create personalized bundles from trusted providers resulting in saved time and money. Unlike other “comparison” shopping websites, Bridgevine’s powerful technology offers a unified shopping cart, real-time pricing, order status and scheduling to deliver the best customer experience in the industry. Bridgevine’s deep integration with leading service providers from across the country — including Comcast, AT&T, D-Link, Time Warner Cable, Verizon, DIRECTV, RealNetworks, Panasonic, GameFly and more — enables Bridgevine to deliver the most accurate information on services, pricing and special promotions, adding even more value to the bundled services shopping experience. The company’s proprietary ecommerce platform is licensed by leading retailers, websites and Fortune 500 companies, making it possible for them to monetize online, call center and in-store traffic. Bridgevine was ranked 57 on the prestigious 2007 Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies. For more information, please visit
www.bridgevine.com.
