Matthew York graduated from Rutger's University with a degree in Communications (TV and Film) and English in 1978. In 1986, he founded Videomaker Inc., which publishes the national magazine Videomaker. Matt has been the company's President and Publisher since its inception. With a magazine readership of over 64,000 and the web site's 400,000 monthly visitors, Videomaker Inc.'s mission is to empower people how to make video through its monthly magazine, its website, DVDs books, and hands-on workshops and conferences. Over the years, thousands of people have benefited from the knowledge provided by the Videomaker staff and the company's resource offerings. Videomaker's vision for the future is a world when common people use video cameras as regularly just as they use ink pens, typewriters, cameras, e-mail, printers and blogs to communicate thoughts, ideas and concept.

Matt York, as CEO of Videomaker Inc. has been at the forefront of researching and reporting about the video consumer electronics industry for over 2 decades. Through the development of his own patent for a consumer electronics device as well as his travels to the research and development labs in Japan, he is experienced in the details of electronics equipment development. His inside knowledge about consumer electronics gear, his tracking of up and coming technologies, and his seasoned relationships with many top decision makers of the major consumer electronics manufacturing firms attribute to his ability to fulfill the mission of OMPT.

Besides his knowledge and abilities, Matt's professional contacts will vouch for his honesty and integrity in their working relationship with him. He is a well-respected colleague in both the publishing and consumer electronics industry.

Far and above the rest, Matt York has a passion for helping the people in the developing world. He is honored to put his talents to use for those individuals with the greatest need. To this end, he is most fulfilled. One Media Player per Teacher (OMPT) is his current initiative that he has been working on to achieve these goals.

Stephen Awe brings more than 30 years of finance experience to OMPT. He has been the Chief Financial Officer at Videomaker for the past 7 years. Before joining Videomaker, Stephen Awe served as Vice President of Finances for Prowess Systems, a medical software company. Before his tenure at Prowess, he served as corporate controller for Pacific Stihl, a leading manufacturer in outdoor power equipment. His prior experience includes working for Ernst & Young, an international accounting firm. Stephen Awe has served on non-profit boards including the governing board at Feather River Hospital since 1991and more than 15 years service on Paradise Academy School board. He holds a B.S. in Accounting and an M.B.A. in Finance.

Andrew Lieberman is from San Francisco, and received a B.S. degree at U.C. Berkeley in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. He first visited Guatemala in 1990 to study Spanish and get a break from computer programming. He settled in the small mountainous town of Santa Cruz del Quiché, marrying in 1995. He earned the nickname of “Teacher Andy” by teaching numerous English and computer courses.

In 2000, he began the Enlace Quiché project with U.S.A.I.D. and Academy for Educational Development, pioneering efforts to bring educational technology to rural Guatemala and opening the first telecenters in the country. Students, teachers, and partner organizations were able to produce well-acclaimed digital, audio, and print content about Mayan languages and culture.

In 2003, he led the formation of the Ajb’atz’ Enlace Quiché NGO, a Guatemalan non-profit, which continues to help indigenous peoples reach their full potential through innovative applications of information and communications technologies.

In 2003, "A Destiny", one of the CDs produced by Enlace Quiché received a World Summit Award. In 2004, Andy was recognized as a Tech Museum Laureate. In 2005, he participated in Santa Clara University’s Global Social Benefit Incubator. Later that year, Ajb'atz' Enlace Quiché received a World Summit Award for its work in e-Inclusion.

Andy recently finished a Master's Degree in Education and is currently living in San Francisco with his wife and two children and continues to support Ajb'atz' Enlace Quiché as the Permanent General Advisor while offering a range of consulting services in technology, education, development, and NGO/NPO management.

Brian Pierce  is an inventor and entrepreneur whose notable genius is developing innovative, simple solutions to highly complex problems. His commitment to finding an environmentally safe and cost-effective alternative to pesticides has resulted in a new science, Applied Photo Mechanics. Mr. Pierce successfully sought and received one patent and has four patents pending to support Applied Photo Mechanics. 

Reinhold Steinbeck joined jointed Stanford University in 1990, and has worked as a Learning Designer with the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE - http://spice.stanford.edu/), and as Associate Director of the Learning Design with the Stanford Learning Laboratory and the Stanford Center for Innovators in Learning (SCIL). From 1996 - 1997 he was working with the Apple Classrooms of the Tomorrow Program (ACOT) at the Apple Computer Research Labs in Cupertino, California.

Most recently, Steinbeck founded and directed the Stanford University International Outreach Program (IOP - http://iop.stanford.edu), an academic start-up with the goal of supporting the extension and adaptation of the Stanford educational content and innovative teaching programs for the collaborative partnerships with tertiary institutions across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Steinbeck is the CEO of the EduAction.Net <http://EduAction.Net> (http://education.net), and international consulting network headquartered in San Francisco, California, USA, and a Research Affiliate with the Stanford Center for Design Research, He is currently working with universities in Latin America to design, implement and evaluate new multi-disciplinary learning and innovation programs that apply human-centered and team-based approaches to developing innovative solutions to a variety of real-world problems.

Steinbeck holds a Diplom in Europaische Betriebswirtschaft from Reutlingen University in Germany, a BA in European business administration from Middlesex Business School in London, and an MA in international and multicultural education from the University of San Francisco.

Jim Mikles is a journalist, entrepreneur and technologist who worked in the Northern California venture capital industry for 10 years before joining the OMPT board of directors and executive management team in 2010. From 2000 to 2010, Jim served as vice president and co-founder at Golden Capital Network (GCN), in charge of its nonprofit community initiative to help startup companies raise venture capital as a strategy for job creation and economic development in underserved markets in the U.S. Early stage companies served by GCN’s nonprofit programs raised over $1.3 billion in capital and created over 5,000 new jobs (www.goldencapital.net/go/alumni). At OMPT, Jim is a board member and currently serves as acting Associate Director, working primarily on programs and development. Jim has degrees in print journalism and English from California State University and post-graduate work in accounting, instructional technology and business administration from CSU and University of Phoenix. Jim has been nationally recognized for his work with startup technology companies seeking to solve the world's most challenging problems in medicine, transportation, energy and agriculture. He worked with Matt and Patrice York in the mid-1990s as senior editor for Smart TV and Videomaker Magazine, and was inspired by the vision of OMPT to join the team in 2010.

ADVISORY BOARD

Eric Hart has been working with OMPT in a fund raising capacity since late 2010.

Terry Ragan has been providing advice for our Messaging and Positioning.

Allen Oster has been conducting tests on various pieces of audio and video hardware.