Leland Harden and Bob Heyman created their first online agency together, Cybernautics, in 1993 at the very genesis of the World Wide Web as we know it. At Cybernautics, the duo set about putting together the online methodologies for traditional "analog" marketing activities. Their work was successful enough that they were able to land many of the Web's earliest power house brands as clients. As word spread about their innovative work they were approached by a division of Macmillan Publishing to write a book. This effort became "Net Results: Web Marketing that Works" and was published under the byline of their company, USWeb, which had acquired Cybernautics. This book was very successful and became the online marketing curriculum for many of the country's best business schools like Stamford, Wharton, and others. This success led to the team subsequently publishing "Net Results: Best Practices in Web Marketing," "The Auction-App: How Companies Tap the Power of Online Auctions to Maximize Revenue Growth," and now, "Digital Engagement." “Digital Engagement” is the culmination of their more than 30 years of combined experience in online marketing. A deeper base of experience can’t be found in any online marketing book.

Leland Harden is currently the vice president of institutional advancement at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. This means that he is in charge of all marketing and money-raising for the university. The youth market is most digitally engaged demographic segment on the planet. Leland is responsible for staying on top of the latest trends in Web 2.0 tools and developing messaging and communications techniques to penetrate the digital clutter students experience. His team has led the way in using online video, YouTube, iTunes, blogging, and social networking to market to their target audience.

Harden began his career in the online business in 1985 as an account executive with DataTimes. In his second year with the company, he became the top salesman in the country. He then was recruited to help launch Medialink in New York City. Here he helped build the start-up into the world’s largest distributor of video public relations materials. Next, he moved to San Francisco to set out on his own and launched Digital Conference Television, a national video conferencing firm. He then co-founded Cybernautics. After successfully merging Cybernautics with USWeb and participating their IPO, he co-founded GiftCertificates.com.

Mr. Harden is an internationally recognized authority on online marketing and promotion. He is regularly featured as a speaker or chair of national conferences. Past engagements have included:

Development Conference, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM – Speaker

Comdex, Chicago, IL – Speaker

eBiz Solutions, Scottsdale, AZ – Speaker

Direct Marketing Association International Conference, San Francisco, CA – Speaker

Comdex, Las Vegas, NV – Speaker

Software Marketing Camp, Monterrey, CA – Workshop Leader

Software Marketing Perspectives, Colorado Springs, CO – Speaker

Ad:Tech, Los Angeles, CA – Speaker

Sixth Conference on Interactive Marketing, Scottsdale, AZ – Speaker

Online Strategies for Cable & Broadcasting, New York City – Chair

Online Strategies for Magazine Publishers, New York City – Speaker

Interactive Marketing for the Travel Industry, San Francisco – Speaker

Ad:Tech, “Branding Established Properties Online”, Los Angeles – Speaker

In March 2001, Mr. Harden agreed to join the New Economy Council, which advised the President of the United States on issues relating to online business.
  

Bob Heyman is Chief Search Officer at Mediasmith. He is credited with having pioneered the agency side of Search Engine Marketing as a co-founder of early full service web agency Cybernautics which was acquired by USWeb in 1997. His next company, eMarketing Partners, was acquired by the Catenas Corp. in 2000. He is the co-author of Net Result.2 (New Riders) and The Auction App (McGraw Hill). He also co-founded CybeReps, acquired by Interep. His clients have included IBM, NEC, Ask Jeeves, Netscape, Intel, SGI, Avon, Bristol Myers Squibb, REI, Time Warner, Sony, Macromedia and ABC.

Bob has spoken at AMA events, Internet World, Ad-Tech and many other venues. His articles have appeared in Digitrends and iMedia Connection. He was 2000 Commencement Speaker at Golden Gate University and was honored when then Mayor Willie Brown declared “Bob Heyman Day” in San Francisco.

He earned a Masters in Education from Harvard and a law degree from Hastings College of Law (U. of California) where he was founding Review Editor of Comm/Ent, the Communications and Entertainment Law Journal.

His Rock Opera, “Rock Justice”, co-written with Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane/Starship, is in the Book of Rock Lists as one of the top ten most obscure rock operas. As an entertainment lawyer, he represented Maria Muldaur, Jefferson Starship and the New Riders of The Purple Sage.

He is credited with having coined the phrases “edutainment” and “search engine optimization”.