Kevin M. O'Donnell
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Kevin M. O'Donnell was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. O'Donnell, an Internet Pioneer and Film Entrepreneur is perhaps best known as Co-Founder of Earthlink ISP. O'Donnell is also the second oldest son of Kenneth O'Donnell, Special Assistant to President John F. Kennedy, as well as the grandson of famed Holy Cross football coach and athletic director, Cleo O'Donnell.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Government Technology Services, Founder
In 1982, Kevin O'Donnell recognized the need for a conduit that could carefully navigate the exploding Personal Computer Software and Hardware needs of Federal, State and Local Governments. He convinced the founders of database software giant, Ashton Tate, Hal Lashllee & George Tate to invest $48,000 in a start up in Washington, D.C that would, as he envisioned it, "Act as a conduit between the burgeoning pc software community and the initial Federal Government demand for personal computer products" - An ambitious goal with a mere original investment of $48,000.
The initial contract was negotiated with the General Service Administration and included exclusive contracts with all of the top tier software creators, Lotus Development Corp., Microsoft, Ashton Tate, Word Perfect, all in all some 500 exclusive contracts eventually including some 2500 to 3000 products during his tenure as Founder, CEO and President of the GTSI Corporation.
From 1983 through 1989 Government Technology Services grew from an employment staff of one to 500.
In 1987 and 1988, Government Technology Services was the largest supplier of software in all categories in the World. Somewhat understandable after having captured the attention of the largest consumer in the World, the U.S Federal Government.
As Founder, CEO, Mr. O'Donnell was recognized in the "Who's Who" in the personal Computer World. In 1988, he was awarded the prestigious "Computer Executive of the Year", by Government Computer News, the Washington Post of the federal computer industry.
In 1989, like Steve Jobs, Mr. O'Donnell, "retired" as CEO, after the company had received Inc, 500" magazines honor as the 5th fastest growing private company in the United States.
GTSI had already expanded into hardware (exclusive IBM contract) and clients such as Dell Computer and many others.
In 1988 he made a strategic decision to invest in the Government arena focusing on large-scale contracts. This decision eventually catapulted into annual sales topping a Billion Dollars a year.
GTSI became a publicly NASDAQ traded company under the symbol (GTSI)
Soon after his departure from GTSI, Mr. O'Donnell moved to Los Angeles pursuit of his interests both in the Digital Video Game explosion as well as the Digital implications in the Motion Picture Industry.
[edit] Earthlink, Co-Founder[1]
Soon after his departure from GTSI, Mr. O'Donnell moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of his interests both in the Digital Video Game explosion as well as the Digital implications in the Motion Picture Industry. He also took interest in the Internet communication industry.
America Online was located only a few miles from Chantilly, Virginia, headquarters of Government Technology Services. AOL's early Founders were creating a proprietary system that was the by-product of Federal Government efforts revolving around packet technology. This technology was developed in an effort by the Federal government to ensure secure communication between coordinated American Nuclear Military sites. These efforts resulted in the packet technology we know today which ensures our communications can be delivered with little disruption across our myriad of communication devices.
In 1994, the "Internet" experience was not only scarce but also relegated mainly to AOL's proprietary deliverance method. It was then, in 1994 that Mr. O'Donnell, as he likes to say, was introduced to a young, ambitious, 23 year old entrepreneur, Sky Dayton. Sky Dayton had honed his entrepreneurial skills engaged in a partnership in an advertising company and a series of Coffee Shops in Los Angeles. Upon his son's persistent urging, O'Donnell agreed to meet with Dayton. Sky was interested in acquiring not only venture capital, but more importantly, finding someone who was keenly familiar with most of the movers and shakers in the PC Industry.
A meeting was arranged in Los Feliz, a small suburb of L.A. Mr. Dayton's frustration with the Internet formulated his original plan, as presented to Mr. O'Donnell, and he outlined a funding plan to produce a simple internet communication system in L.A that could attract and garner 5,000 subscribers in the L.A market within two years. Intrigued by the idea and the energy expressed by Dayton about his vision, O'Donnell invested and arranged for the initial financing of the fledgling enterprise. O'Donnell worked regularly with Sky, organizing the structure of the organization and providing expert consultants to direct the future strategy of the Earthlink start up. O'Donnell often remarks about two watershed events that, as often occurs in may startups, would have resulted in the success or failure in the then fragile internet space. The first was from a brilliant consultant hired by O'Donnell, six months after the inception of Earthlink..
The target was to determine the viability of the Earthlink enterprise considering the emergence of:
1) The Baby Bells
2) Long Distance carriers (AT&T/Sprint etc..)
3) And most important of all; MICROSOFT
Accordingly, the consultant recommended that the overwhelming emergence of all these players in the Internet space in magnitude, dwarfed the underfinanced Earthlink and chances were slim to none. This was exactly the same scenario that confronted O'Donnell when he conceived and implemented the formation of Government Technology Services. O'Donnell recalls, "It was the perfect storm in a positive way. Large corporations have a tendency to move slowly and disregard the guerilla fast moving entrepreneurs and it is always a good sign when the big boys, with their cumbersome-approval systems, remark upon a market they eventually enter".
O'Donnell finds it as amusing when reading untold reports in the print and television media that AOL Chairman & CEO, Steve Case is credited with the most consumer friendly proposition in the Internet connectivity space. Quite to the contrary, the seminal event in the history of inexpensive use of internet communication technology was devised by EarthLink.
While companies such as AOL charged $21.95 for the first 20 hours of consumer usage, and similar high prices from prodigy.
Earthlink offered the unprecedented value of:
$19.95 per month UNLIMITED ACCESS.
O'Donnel in various interviews recalls,"AOL, Prodigy, Netcom were all stunned and while they had to re-adjust, Earthlink exploded with new subscribers.
O'Donnell then raised capital for the exploding communication venture and urged a number of significant old friends from his Government Technology days to join the Board. His enthusiasm garnered the recruitment of numerous Vice Presidents in the company, as well as, and more significant, the hiring of CEO Garry Betty.
As a result of his entrance upon the scene, Mr. O'Donnell then helped recruit several additional directors to the EathLink board.
Former CEO Ingram Industries, Linwood Lacy Former CFO AT&T, Robert Kavner Earthlink CEO, Gary Betty George Soros Associate Mr. Paul McNulty
O'Donnell arranged the initial investment from George Soros with the help of initial Earthlink venture investors, Gregory Abbott and Steve Ledger, a well known and successful Fund manager hailing from San Francisco.
Vice President Strategic Planning, Brinton Young Vice President of Sales, Robert Johnson Vice President Business sales, Julie Mantis
Government Technology Services and Earthlink became huge success stories, employing thousands of employees and ancillary employment in their communities, still to this day, while they both deliver services often-reporting sales and services above a Billion Dollars annually.
[edit] Beacon Pictures
In 1999, O'Donnell bought a major interest in the Independent Film Company, Beacon Pictures producing Box Office hits such as:
"The Hurricane" - Denzel Washington "For Love of the Game" - Kevin Costner, "End of Days" - Arnold Schwarzenegger "Air Force One" - Harrison Ford "Bring It On" - Kirsten Dunst "Thirteen Days" - Kevin Costner "Spy Game" - Robert Redford, Brad Pitt "Family Man" - Nicholas Cage
O'Donnell often stated that he was inspired by his award winning Producer partner, Armyan Bernstein, Show West 2000 Producer of the Year. "Armyan has a passion for making film, entertaining people often with thought provoking social issues intertwined with terrific dialogue used either with drama or comedy, but always intended to convey issues important to him. There are an infinitesimal number of successful film producers and Armyan exemplified the fierce desire and constant unrelenting passion to create movies. For those unfamiliar with the extraordinary difficulty involved in finding, financing, directing, and producing a quality film, as an entrepreneur myself, these constant re-creations of what is in fact, a highly financed startup year after year, often more than one startup film a year, boggles the mind, and all producers who endeavor to do so should be highly admired by the movie-going public to whom they serve."
- see links to Show West /January 1999' Variety/Hollywood Reporter
Mr. O'Donnell considers his most significant impact within his participation in the Film Industry was his passionate, hands on production of "Thirteen Days".
When asked to discuss the film, Mr. O'Donnell stated, "I grew up in a very political family. I worked for many years as a young man immersed in politics. My father, was a team player and unassuming World War 11 Hero. After enlisting in the War at the age of seventeen, he (Kenneth O'Donnell) experienced the ravages of war, having been shot down in his B-17 bomber, after losing his entire squadron the day after he was re-assigned as Squadron Leader to a new unit. He was quiet about his war time heroics and the impact it had on his future passion to prevent war at all costs."
After the war, he entered Harvard University as a war hero and became the star quarterback and captain of the Harvard Football Squad..O'Donnell goes on to say, "It was his inner strength that I so admired about him. His loyalty and his honor was foremost in his mind through his life in politics."
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Kevin M. O'Donnell Website: http://kevinmodonnell.com
