about

who we are

Jesyca Durchin
CEO/Board Member

Jesyca has been a leading developer of interactive and filmed entertainment for girls since 1994. As a producer, Jesyca has created and produced games, films and rides for leading brands such as Mattel Entertainment, Buena Vista Games, Walt Disney Imagineering, Walt Disney Home Video and Mattel Interactive. She has consulted with LimeLife, Inc., the only global publisher of mobile game and content downloads focused exclusively on the women's market.

Some of her interactive titles include, Eco East Africa (1995 Four Star Award of Excellence from Home PC Magazine) and Barbie Fashion Designer (Fastest selling children's CD-ROM title in 1996, inclusion in the Smithsonian Institution's Permanent Research Collection in 1998). She has produced over 20 interactive software titles across multiple platforms for the girls’ market. Since 2000 Jesyca has also led the production of six feature length 3D animated Barbie DVD movies which have sold more than 25 million units worldwide.

Jesyca has a degree in Business Management and Media from Loyola Marymount University and the spelling of her first name is not her doing

David M. Schnepp
COO/Board Member

David has over 12 years' experience specializing in business development, marketing and operations for early-stage and emerging growth companies in the internet, film/TV, financial services and e-business industries. Most recently David has been advising a series of new ventures that are focused on the on-line games and social networking markets. David is currently the Chair of the Development Committee of Women In Games International. Since 2000, David has provided his services to a select client base of companies, including PreCash, LegalZoom.com, 1-800-Free411, Nena Media, NearU Search, and RKO Pictures. In addition to his business consulting services, David has spent over 18 years advising numerous local, state and federal government agencies on low-income asset development policies, small business financing, electronic commerce and technology transfer from university research centers. David received a Masters of Management from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, with an emphasis in marketing, strategy information technology.

Mark Rowland
Strategic Advisor/Board Member

Mark is the founder and CEO of the Indie Media Group - with diverse interests in TV, Music and interactive media. Virtual Indie Ltd, sources finance and offers strategy and management to emerging virtual world businesses.

Mark also has first hand experience in family and child-oriented entertainment - he is an executive producer the ABC prime time hit Supernanny, now entering its 5th successful season. Indie TV was instrumental in bringing the show to the US market.

Mark was also responsible for building the hugely successful brand, Robot Wars which between 1998 and 2003 was produced for both Nickelodeon in the USA and the BBC in the UK – it reached over 50 countries as a TV show, website and successful toy franchise.

Amy McPoland
VP of Marketing and Brand Development Consultant

Amy has over 15 years expertise in consumer marketing, brand strategy and interactive content. Her extensive professional background combines classic marketing with entrepreneurial ingenuity. She has worked with leading companies such as Mattel, Discovery Communications, MaMaMedia, Viacom, Scholastic and Jim Henson Productions. Amy’s expertise focuses on kids’ brands, and she has pioneered such leading kids’ interactive titles as Barbie, Nickelodeon, Nancy Drew, Discovery Kids, Clueless and Hot Wheels. Amy currently is the head of marketing of a leading and award-winning publisher of PC, online and downloadable games for girls and women.

Vanessa Chapman
Strategic Advisor - International Marketing and Creative Development

A highly respected figure on the international broadcasting stage, Vanessa is the Managing Director of UK-based media and rights-owning company Create Media Ventures. With a formidable reputation for creating and developing high quality children's and family intellectual properties, Create produces, manages and commercially exploits them across all platforms, including TV, film, web, publishing and licensing. Create Media Ventures is the parent company of Create TV & Film, producers of the hit pre-school BBC show "Little Robots" and "Bionicle" for the Lego Company. Before setting up Create, Vanessa was Controller of Children's & Youth Programming for leading UK broadcaster ITV.