Leila Boujnane is Co–Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Idée Inc. Leila has been instrumental in making Idée the leader in visual search and image recognition technologies for the digital imaging, media and entertainment industries. She is responsible for all aspects of the company’s strategy and operations.
Leila brings over a decade of experience in the technology sector to her CEO role. Leila is characterized by her peers and colleagues as a passionate and determined entrepreneur with exceptional leadership skills. She regularly speaks at industry conferences and is an active mentor for young women in technology. Leila can be found blogging at hyperbio.net and she is also an avid long distance runner.
Philip de Vellis is the creator of the “Vote Different” ad, which he posted online under the pseudonym ParkRidge47. The ad, which mashed up Apple’s iconic “1984” spot with footage from Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign website, has received more than 3 million views on YouTube and was featured on every major US television network, cable news channel, newspaper, and political blog. The San Francisco Chronicle called it “a watershed moment in 21st century media and political advertising.”
De Vellis previously worked as a senior strategist at Blue State Digital, a progressive internet consulting firm. He was director of Internet communications for Sherrod Brown’s successful 2006 U.S. Senate race in Ohio, deputy internet communications director for Wal-Mart Watch, and was deputy field director for Cuyahoga County, Ohio on the Kerry-Edwards presidential campaign. Prior to his full-time work in politics, he was a freelance video editor and motion graphics designer in his home town of Los Angeles. De Vellis graduated from UCLA with a BA in history.