Michael Jones (Internet entrepreneur)

Michael Jones

Michael is an Internet executive, investor and strategic advisor. A long-time entrepreneur, Michael founded his first successful Internet company in college and since then, has founded, built and sold numerous online and mobile businesses. His experience and expertise in both large and small companies focuses on strategy, growth, and operational efficiency resulting in over $500M in successful investor outcomes.

In November 2011, Jones launched technology studio Science Inc. in Los Angeles.^[1] Science initially received $10 million in backing from a number of well-known investors, including Eric Schmidt’s Tomorrow Ventures, Rustic Canyon, White Star Capital, The Social+Capital Partnership, Tomorrow Ventures, Jean-Marie Messier, Philippe Camus, Jonathan Miller and Dennis Phelps. Most recently, Science raised $30M in funding from Hearst Ventures, the investment arm of media giant Hearst Corporation. Privately held Hearst was the sole investor in the new funding.^[2]

Prior to Science Inc, Michael Jones served as the CEO of Myspace ^[3] and prior to that was co-president of the company along with Jason Hirschhorn.^[4] In this role, Michael oversaw global business strategy and operations for Myspace, Myspace Music, and Myspace Mobile, which included board and strategic roles with joint venture partners in Myspace China and Myspace Japan / Softbank.^[5] During his tenure, he was responsible for the relaunch of Myspace, one of the most high-profile turn-around challenges in the industry. ^[6]This included stabilizing a historically negative traffic and user trend, reducing the operational cost of the business by nearly 90 percent and pivoting the product from its legacy as a social network to a social entertainment destination, then selling the business on NewsCorp behalf to SpecificMedia. ^[7]

Michael has over 18 years of strategic, operational and senior management experience in businesses ranging from early stage start-ups to private equity backed assets and from mid-stage business to large turn-around operations. A serial Internet entrepreneur, Michael has founded, advised, invested and sold numerous businesses, including application platform Userplane, which he led from startup to its acquisition by AOL, Tsavo Media, Movoxx, PeopleMedia, Brizzly and Myspace. ^[8] Michael is actively involved with early-stage start-ups as an investor, advisor and board member. As an active early stage investor, Michael has personally invested in over 30 startup businesses including Maker Studios, Klout, ShoeDazzle and GoodReads, HomeHero, FameBit, DollarShaveClub and DogVacay to name a few. ^[9]

Michael earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Business and Marketing from the University of Oregon.

Media appearances

Most recently, Michael was featured on TechCrunch Cribs with Science Inc,^[10] Los Angeles Business Journal,^[11] The New York Times, among others.^[12]

In March 2010, Jones and fellow Co-President Jason Hirschhorn appeared in articles in USA Today,^[13] Financial Times,^[14] and Mashable,^[15] in which they discussed MySpace’s upcoming re-launch. Both executives appeared at TechCrunch Disrupt.^[16]

Jones made his first speaking appearance representing MySpace on June 10, 2009 at the Credit Suisse Global Media & Communications Convergence Conference. Since taking on the role of Co-President, he has participated in several industry other tradeshows and events including Le Web,^[17] Game Developers Conference^[18] and HORIZONT Digital Marketing Days.^[19]

He has been published by the Internet journal iMediaConnection.^[20] On June 5, 2009, Jones' entrepreneurial achievements were recognized with a TechFellow award in the field of General Management.^[21]

References

External links

• Personal Homepage
• UserPlane
• Michael Jones on Myspace