Word: alvelda
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...Alvelda's office resembles that of a physics prof: shelves stacked with books, galaxy screen saver on the desktop--even the whiteboard scrawl. Alvelda's excitable demeanor and wool sweater also serve the scene, as does his stellar résumé, which lists degrees from M.I.T. and jobs with NASA and the Defense Department. But signs of accomplishment--the Emmy on his desk, framed patents and a photo with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger--bespeak a former government technologist who isn't afraid to show off a little...
...Alvelda has so far figured out how to achieve his work goal: to grow MobiTV with the best people who can keep the company relevant. "Here we are," he says, "a tiny, clever mouse dancing between elephants." That's some rodent. Every new MobiTV product or service touches a multitude of partners and involves infrastructure, new technologies (for server, handset and network), testing, integration with carriers, marketing and sales support, business development and contract negotiations. "It's a real three-ring circus," he says. "You have to make sure that no one drops anything as they juggle...
Only after reading Jerry Kaplan's book on GO Corp.--a former tech high flyer that flamed out--did Alvelda realize the marketability of a concept contained in a chapter of his 1995 Ph.D. thesis. That concept begat MicroDisplay, his first start-up, that same year and united his twin passions: education and technology. "There is an aspect of education and communication that helps people to grow personally that I never anticipated as part of the corporate world," he says...
MobiTV has reinforced Alvelda's belief that "with the right people, you have a tremendous amount of flexibility." His priority, he says, is to find people who can navigate the rapidly changing landscape and deal with ambiguity in their industry and in their work. MobiTV has a so-called all-hands meeting every Friday, during which employees share "moments of greatness" or praise their colleagues. MobiTV's successes, however, cause Alvelda "a new nervousness," he says, about the responsibility that goes with being a public service and utility. He says the London bombings and Hurricane Katrina tested MobiTV's reliability...
Every technologist, says Alvelda, wonders what impact he will have on the world. "You start to realize that opportunity to leverage the economics of the First World to build a business and use it to change life in the Second and Third World," he says. "How many people have a chance to do that?" At least 219, and counting...