Leaving IDC...Joining Mzinga

While it has been in the works for a bit, leaving IDC was difficult.  I am leaving behind some incredibly smart and interesting colleagues (and good friends) in IDC's Digital Marketplace team (Sue Feldman, Danielle Levitas, Karsten Weide, and Caroline Dangson).  I've also been fortunate enough to have covered the emerging market of enterprise social media which brought together my background as a management consultant, product manager, marketer, and a builder of an early online social network with the experience of watching my parents - both congregational ministers - expertly facilitate very challenging communities over decades. While at IDC I've gotten to meet more interesting people than I could mention here and see a huge array of technology and corporate innovation.  It has been a wonderful experience.

Alas, because of my operational experience, I am too antsy to remain on the sidelines as an analyst. I want to dig in a little more, work with companies to get their social media efforts off the ground successfully, and help develop hardened best practices and measurement guidelines.  As an analyst I can report on trends but I can't really understand the ins and outs what companies struggle with on a day to day basis.

Mzinga is one of the most interesting companies emerging in the social media market and there are some things that make them a particularly good fit for me:

• The Mzinga executive team (Rick, Barry, Karen, Dan, Aaron, and others) and I share a similar vision about how social media will transform business operations.
• The aforementioned team - and everyone else that I've met there - is wicked smarht (as we say in Boston), down to earth, and generally great individuals.  This is more difficult to come by in companies than might be imagined.
• Mzinga has the vision, resources, customers, employees, and executives to be *the* enterprise social media vendor.  No one can predict what will happen in the market but I'm excited to join a team that I believe has a shot at going big.
• Mzinga is giving me the opportunity to help start a strategic consulting group - one of the things I have seen as lacking across the market in a major way.  Individuals like Jake McKee and Sean O'Driscoll are doing valiant jobs in this regard but as individual consultants.  I think that having services ranging from implementation to community moderation to strategic services in this market is key to helping customers succeed and another smart move by Mzinga.

So - I am looking forward to the Thursday BBQs in Burlington and helping companies better understand how to approach social media, social networking, and developing communities.  And I'm really looking forward to working with the gang at Mzinga!

Comments

[Aaron Strout]

Rachel,

I'm sure it is difficult leaving a great group of folks at IDC (I felt the same way when I left Fidelity). We're thrilled, however, that you'll be joining the Mzinga team. In the spirit of full disclosure, I hate to tell you that you could have come to the Thursday BBQs without joining the company (just thought I'd mention that in case it was a deciding factor). ;)

Can't wait to see you in the offices next week!

Best,
Aaron | @astrout

[Rachel Happe]

Oh cr*p - you mean I could have come to the BBQs regardless!?!? :)

I am really looking forward to it!

[Mukund Mohan]

Hey Rachel
Congratulations. They are a great group and I'm glad you're going to be with friends.

[Chris Yeh]

Congratulations Rachel! Hope you enjoy life on the other side of the curtain.

[Doug Haslam]

Congratulations, Rachel! You are adding to a roster of great people there, as you already know. I have been known to make the occasional BBQ, so hope to see you there.

Doug

[sean]

Best of luck Rachel, I certainly thought when we met something new could be on the horizon for you.

Sean

[Rachel Happe]

Thanks for all the well wishes - looking forward to fun and exciting times ahead!

[Beth Dunn]

Congratulations Rachel! I am excited for you, and I also share your sense that Mzinga is something special. Good luck!

[Lionel Menchaca]

Wow Rachel... congratulations on the new opportunity with Mzinga. I owe Aaron already. This is a good reminder for me to get in touch with him.

Wish you continued success as you start your new role.

[Rachel Happe]

Thanks Beth & Lionel! It's been great so far.