Joi Podgorny, Director of Community Engagement, Smart Bomb Interactive

My professional experience is a patchwork of seemingly disparate projects, that when seen comprehensively create an impressive quilt of new media business expertise.  I am an Online Media Professional specializing in online community and children’s marketing, specifically the under-13-year-old demographics.

Professional Accomplishments include:
• Articulated corporate integrated digital marketing strategies for 6 children’s entertainment properties
• Designed team management and organizational structures for multiple Web Content and Web Marketing departments
• Led international remote teams, consisting of staff in US, UK and China
• Led development of a 3D multi-player virtual world based on repurposed and original assets
• Developed a business plan for scalable online community infrastructure for internal and external partners
• Participated in a thorough VC due diligence process
• Produced 12 animated 2 minute shorts for broadcast on television
• Developed initial animation production department workflow
• Developed audience research programs both on and offline
• Led 4 major website redesigns into include more fan interaction

I now work as Director of Community Engagement for Smart Bomb Interactive, where I architect and oversee all aspects of community management for National Geographic Animal Jam, an exciting online virtual world for kids where they can become the animals they love and learn about the natural world while having fun.  Our mission will be to create an online destination that is an industry leader in child safety, parental engagement, and pure fun.

I have been asked to speak at multiple conferences, including KidScreen, Digital Hollywood, Engage Expo and YPulse Mashup. I began championing and implementing COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) compliance and monitored networks at both Kidfu, a safe online community for children that I co-founded, and FreeZone, one of the first safe online communities for children.