Our Mission: In a democracy the two-way free flow of information is vital to having an informed electorate able to properly govern itself. SocialChord will reunite local communities with online infrastructure and community programs that enable interconnection, communication, and collaboration between neighbors, local businesses, governments and institutions.

The Need: Our society has undergone a massive shift of lifestyle and priority during the 20th century. The rise of corporate-run mass media, national chain retailers, big box stores, and easy access to global markets via the Internet has weakened the bonds of our local U.S. economies and neighborhoods. The precipitous decline of good journalism and the institutions that support it across local and regional markets accelerates this community deterioration and threatens the fabric of our democracy by creating information vacuums at the local level. We intend to reverse those declines, while recognizing the need to embrace many of the technologies upon which our future will be based. What we need is a return to local focus and that is what SocialChord intends to do.

Management and Advisers

Michael Melillo – CEO – Background in history, anthropology, video production and business process engineering. Former business systems architect for www.mjm.com before founding SocialChord in July of 2007. Michael brings the vision of SocialChord together with technical, creative and business leadership.

Shanna Urgo – CTO – Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering from Steven’s Institute of Technology. Senior development positions at Hertz and LiveProcess. Experienced application architect, and tech operations and project manager.

Gary Melillo – Board of Advisors – VP of Business Development for www.mjm.com, former sales executive for Hewlett Packard and experienced business development consultant.

Jeffrey Randol – Board of Advisors - Former President of the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation, Director of the New York State Economic Development Council, Chairman of the New York State Economic Development Foundation and Director of the New York Business Development Corporation. Jeff is also a real estate and high tech entrepreneur.

Tara Agen – Board of Advisors – Former political campaign organizer and entrepreneur. Currently manages $6B Americas business for Hewlett Packard’s Imaging and Printing Group.

Tom Stites – Board of Advisors – former national news editor for NY Times, former managing editor for Chicago Tribune and Kansas City Times, current Director of www.banyanproject.com

Sergio Fernandez de Cordova – Board of Advisors – Founder and EVP of Real Estate and Government Affairs www.fueloutdoor.com, Director of Government Affairs NY Young Entrepreneurs Organization.