Media Industry Veterans Mike Kelly and Tom Newman Join Forces to Launch Kelly Newman Ventures

NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital media veterans, Mike Kelly and Tom Newman are announcing the launch of Kelly Newman Ventures (KNV), an advisory and investment firm. KNV works with media and tech companies, helping to drive transformation. Kelly and Newman each have a proven track record in the industry, having created billions of dollars in shareholder value as seasoned operators and investors.

Companies interested in digital transformation and accelerated growth can access tailored, strategic and hands-on advisory services. KNV also sources, executes and oversees investments and acquisitions in best-in-breed digital media companies for a diverse base of investors and strategic partners.

"We focus on those catalyst companies that help drive transformation in our industry. It is not just about picking great companies and entrepreneurs, it is about our day-to-day commitment to help get these companies to the next level," said Mike Kelly, CEO of Kelly Newman Ventures and former CEO of The Weather Channel, President of AOL Media Networks, and President Global Marketing at Time Warner.

Most recently, Kelly was an investor and chairman of the board of video ad platform, Unruly, which was acquired by News Corp. Kelly is also a non-executive board director at Bankrate, which has entered into definitive agreement to be acquired by Red Ventures for $1.4 Billion. Additionally, Kelly served as lead investor and chairman for media planning software company, ColSpace and is a board director at Quantcast as well as an advisor at Celtra. KNV served as strategic advisor when ColSpace was acquired by Mediaocean, a portfolio company of Vista Equity Partners.

"Mike and Tom gave us great strategic advice and capital to grow faster. They also acted like partners and dug into the business, providing us with the guidance needed for a successful outcome," said Matthew Greenhouse, the Founder and CEO of ColSpace. "Their deep-rooted history and experience in the media space is second to none which propelled us to where we are today."

Tom Newman was formerly President of Interactive One, head of strategy for AOL Media Networks, corporate strategy for Time Warner, and investment banker at Goldman Sachs. He is an operator and dealmaker with over 15 years of experience launching, transforming, and operating media companies. "We play at the intersection of media and technology," added Tom Newman, Co-Founder of Kelly Newman Ventures. "People talk about media having been disrupted, but we think we are still very early in this cycle. The ability to reach audiences in new ways – these trends create tremendous opportunities both for traditional media companies and for newer, digitally focused companies."

The announcement comes as Kelly prepares to speak at this year's &THEN, The DMA Annual Event in New Orleans. On Monday October 9, Kelly will moderate a panel titled, What Will Data Drive Next?: Future-Proofing Your Business, discussing marketing's future.

For more information about Kelly Newman Ventures, visit: kellynewmanventures.com.

About Kelly Newman Ventures

Started in 2017 by Mike Kelly and Tom Newman, Kelly Newman Ventures advises and invests in entrepreneurial companies driving this transformation. We focus on a handful of companies for our portfolio, partnering not just investing. We think of ourselves as fellow-operators and work with them to accelerate growth and best serve their customers across the media landscape.

SOURCE Kelly Newman Ventures

Related Links

http://kellynewmanventures.com