Cinsay Inc.
"Cinsay Inc." is an American-based company with offices in Los Angeles, Dallas, Austin and New York City, that integrates video on demand with e-commerce, merchandising and marketing for its various clients across numerous industries, from energy to entertainment.
History
Cinsay was founded in 2007 by Chairman Christian Briggs, Heath McBurnett and CCO Delfino Galindo.
Its software platform consists of a video player that is accessible through most web browsers, featuring original video content that is syndicated and spread virally over the internet, viewable on any PC and most mobile devices, including smartphones, tablet computers and iPads. The player allows customers to email links of the video, post the videos in a single player that contains multiple videos and an entire e-commerce store within the player in popular social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as well as foreign services such as China based-Baidu. Customers and fans are also able to embed the video through HTML into their personal blogs and websites with the same functionality as the original player.
Customers can browse and place orders through an integrated and fully functional e-commerce site through the video player. Cinsay seeks to convert the viewers of its clients' video channels into customers, while reaching a wider audience by making the clips available on social networking sites. Customers can earn also discounts and earn credits to view video content. Through this model, Cinsay intends to allow its clients to reach a wider audience, as well as freeing resources from web traffic efforts and allowing the client to concentrate on promotions like discounts, free merchandise and free video content.
Cinsay offers an end-to-end online entertainment and shopping solution for its clients by accounting for and fulfilling orders placed through ITS Platform.
Cinsay received a commitment from Pepperwood Partners LLC of up to $40 million in debt or equity financing by Dallas-based in early February 2011 a boutique investment firm based in Dallas, Texas.
Executive Team and Board Members
Members of the company's board of directors and its executives are a varied group of tech, finance, big retail, and entertainment industry veterans. CEO Matthew Papish worked with companies like P&G, Hasbro, Sears, Purina and eBay in AOL's branded entertainment division. He was also instrumental in the formation of Network Live, a $30 million joint venture between Internet and communications company AOL, entertainment company AEG Live and XM Satellite Radio. He was also executive vice president for media and entertainment partnerships for Live Universe Inc., as well as overseeing 35 website brands with 50 million visitors for Broadweb Asia. He championed cross-media partnerships while CEO of Pipeline Entertainment in 2001 with online companies MySpace, IAC, Excite@Home, AOL, RealNetworks and Spark Networks.
Heath McBurnett, co-founder, was creative director at MetroSplash Systems, heading branded rewards and cross-promotional programs before co-founding Cinsay. Prior to that he was Comstock Data Mining Inc.'s vice president directing marketing and software development for its clients, including Sony Entertainment Television, Universal Television and Clear Channel Communications. He also lead a creative team at Matchmaker.com early in his career. He was a key part of its sale to Terra Networks (then Lycos) in 1999.
Prior to joining Cinsay, COO Patrick Seaman was CTO of WhichBox Media, a cloud-based content creation, management and social media platform named one of the top 100 disruptive online media companies in the OnMedia 100 in 2010. Seaman also was the first employee and former director of technology at AudioNet/Broadcast.com, then owned by Mark Cuban, which was later sold to Yahoo! for more than $5 billion. During his time at Broadcast.com Seaman served as director of technology and later as vice president of special projects and international development. He produced internet broadcast events at Broadcast.com with audiences of at least a million viewers including the Super Bowl and the World Series, as well as live events for Intel Corporation from all over the world. Prior to Broadcast.com's buyout by Yahoo! Seaman launched and served on the board of Broadcast.com Japan.
Cinsay founder Christian Briggs not only sits as the company's chairman, but also is chairman and CEO of BMC Capital. He has more than 25 years of hard asset management experience specializing in rare antiquities such as coins, books, and classic cars. Briggs also made previous investments in other technology and entertainment start-ups in the past.
Former HBO, Warner Bros. and United Artists executive Michael Jay Solomon now serves on the company's board. Solomon started his career with United Artists, loading films on trucks at age 18. He sold films to Central America from Panama and later from Colombia and Peru, becoming vice president for MCA/Universal at age 30 and was responsible for the company's international interests. He co-founded Telepictures, one of the US's largest TV syndicators, one of the largest international TV content distributors and owner and operator of American television stations. Solomon, CEO and chairman of Telepictures, took the company public in 14 months. As president and board member of Lorimar-Telepictures, the company became one of the largest producers and distributors of TV entertainment in the world. Dallas, Falcon Crest and Knot's Landing were produced during Solomon's tenure.
Board member Stephen O. Rossetti is president of Markquest, a defense and national security industry-focused governmental affairs and lobbying firm. He was a former senior staff member of the United States House Committee on Armed Services from 1987 to 1996 and lead staffer of the readiness subcommittee where he oversaw the infrastructure of the United States Department Of Defense and combat readiness with $100 billion in annual spending.
Board member and co-founder Delfino Galindo was a freelance image and brand consultant to Fortune 500 companies. His clients include Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Volkswagen, Jeep and DDB Needham. Galindo has also worked directly with entertainment figure Erykah Badu, entertainment company Def Jam Recordings and NASCAR have also utilized his services.
Vice Chairman of the board of directors Leslie Ball was most recently the CEO and president of Corral West Ranchwear. Under his guidance, the company is one of the largest retailers of western and workware and grew to 140 locations in the US. At Montgomery Ward Corporation, Ball was President of Softgoods and Foreign Offices as well as Executive Vice President, where he headed its apparel business. His retail experience also encompasses another 22 years in various executive roles at R.H. Macy, Inc, including President of Macy’s East, President of Macy’s Wholesale, President of Macy’s South, and Chairman and CEO of Macy’s Midwest.
Jim Roundtree is Cinsay's CFO and sits on its board of directors. He was recently on the board of managers for Capital Lending Strategies, LLC (a web-based automobile loan company serving credit union clients nationwide) and its CFO. He also served as CFO and as a director for FirstPlus Financial Group, Inc (FirstPlus). Prior to working with Capital Lending Strategies, LLC, Roundtree was self-employed as a consultant. He also worked in public accounting with Ernst & Young providing attestation services to financial institutions before consulting.
Board member Tim Rothwell is IMG's former executive vice president and co-managing director of worldwide licensing and consumer products. Prior to that, he was president of worldwide consumer products for comic book publisher Marvel Entertainment, leading the licensing and merchandising of its most recognizable characters — Spider-Man, The Hulk, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Iron Man and others, totaling more than $5 billion in sales. He was instrumental in deals with Hasbro, Activision and Microsoft. Rothwell also was consumer products group senior vice president for Universal Studios.
"Red" McCombs is a self-made billionaire, making his fortune in is the founder of the Red McCombs Automotive Group, a co-founder of Clear Channel Communications and listed as one of Forbes magazine's top 400 richest Americans in 2005. He is an alum of Southwestern University and the University of Texas at Austin. The McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin bears his name. McCombs is also active in bringing Formula One auto racing to Austin. The San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and the Minnesota Vikings were formerly owned by McCombs. He is also a former National Football League Owner of the Year. McComb's other awards include San Antonio Business Hall of Famer, Texas Business Hall of Famer and National College Football Hall of Famer. He joined the board of Cinsay following the "strategic investment" of the McCombs in the company. McComb's family foundation gives over 300 monetary gifts each year to community, education, and health-oriented charities. Total contributions from the foundation are about $100 million. In addition to the The McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, McComb contributed $30 million to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, founding The Red and Charline McCombs Institute for the Early Detection and Treatment of Cancer in 2005.
Clients
Cinsay Inc,'s video player and e-commerce platform, and IMG's licensees—made up of name brand companies and entertainment personalities—came together in a deal completed on February 2011 .
Clients that Cinsay now servers through the IMG deal include Chevron/Texaco, World Series of Poker, talk show host Montel Williams, TV personality Elisabeth Hasselbeck's skincare products, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Kim Alexis's skincare collection, All-American Soapbox Derby, and Health Essist among others.
Artist Thomas Kinkade is also the company's clients. Philanthropic organization Elevation Nation is also serviced by the company.
AOiTV, the 2009 American Music Awards, Swisa Beauty, MilitaryShoppingChannel.com, First Collectables, Europa Sports Products, Cinsaytions, and Regenica also use Cinsay's e-commerce, video on demand and media player platform.