Jan D'Alessandro

I founded Blue J Strategies with Jimmy Chamberlin, Smashing Pumpkins so that we could mobilize our vast experience and networks to help companies scale quickly and efficiently. We provide access, connectivity and strategic direction to companies across media, entertainment and technology sectors, creating opportunities that accelerate growth, time to market, and value. I have held senior leadership positions at Place, a mobile and web platform founded by Lady Gaga that empowers organizers to unite people around interests, affinities and movements. I cut my teeth doing music deals for AOL in the 90s, including the acquisitions of Spinner and Nullsoft, as well as launching the philanthropy portal, Network for Good. Before joining Backplane, I ran BD for Yahoo Sports, Entertainment and Lifestyles; and before that, I ran BD for Topspin Media (acquired by Apple) and The Find (acquired by facebook). I believe passionately in the power and responsibility of companies (and people) to do good in this world, not just make money (which, by the way, I believe is also good).

I've consulted for and served on the Boards of many Bay Area media and technology start ups and nonprofits, including Summer Search, the Just Think Foundation (merged into One Economy), the Baum Foundation, Making Of, Tunesmap, Walc, Gigmor, Gfycat, Branraiser and Preemadonna. Before the internet, I was in private practice at Brobeck, Phleger and Harrison in Palo Alto and San Francisco, CA, and White and Case in New York. I graduated with an AB from Brown University and cum laude with a JD from Georgetown University.

Passions include surfing, everything from the 70s, Sirius XMU, the NY and SF Giants, my polar lab puppy and a small island off the coast of Maine where I have spent all of my summers, but most of all my kids and husband.