Biography

Ok, before you go any further I just want to remind you that it was you who clicked on the link that brought you to this virtual introduction of, well, me. My guess is that you fall into one of three categories; you’re one of my friends looking for dirt on me, your an employer looking for my portfolio and/or resume, or your a complete stranger who has way too much time available for web surfing.

 

the basics

FULL NAME mark edward gonzales • HOME TOWN mammoth lakes, california • BIRTH DATE october 2, 1961 • BIRTH PLACE los angeles, california • GREW UP IN san diego, california • OTHER PLACES I’VE CALLED HOME cupertino, california; portola valley, california; boston, massachusetts • STATUS single • EYE COLOR brown • HAIR COLOR dark brown • HEIGHT 175cm (5′9″) • WEIGHT 70kg (about 155lbs) • TATTOOS uh, none • FAVORITE COLOR royal blue • FAVORITE FOOD asian • FAVORITE DRINK fruit water, or lacking that vitamin water• FAVORITE DRINK (ALCOHOLIC) vodka & tonic or whiskey • FAVORITE WINE simi reserve cabernet • SMOKING allergic • LAST GOOD BOOK READ supereconomics• LIST OF TOP BOOKS dune, good omens, microserfs, generations, generation x, supercapitalism • JEANS SIZE 31 waist 32 length (unless they are low rise, then 30 length as I wear them a little loose) • JEANS STYLE gap standard • BOXER OR BRIEFS (since it’s the basis of political discourse these days) boxer briefs • ORIENTATION kinsey 6 • FAVORTIE ELECTRONICS BRANDS apple, sony • SNOWBOARD LENGTH 159 to 163 • CURRENT BOARDS burton vapor 159 and burton Supermodel 159 • HOME MOUNTAIN mammoth mountain (duh) • OTHER FAVORITE MOUNTAINS jackson hole, blackcomb • FAVORITE QUOTES “For the last time. It’s not a lifestyle, it’s a life” and “You can’t get what you don’t ask for” • ANTHEM “Drive”, by Incubus

 

 

home town

I live in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada, in a town called Mammoth Lakes. It’s a small, growing community located next to Mammoth Mountain, one of the largest ski resorts in the North America. I moved here in 1997 after spending a bunch of time in the Silicon Valley/SF Bay Area and just burning out on suburbia and strip malls.

“Where is Mammoth Lakes?” is one of the most often asked questions I get. Many in California tend to think it’s closer to the southern end of the state. That would be wrong. Mammoth is located on the eastern side of the Sierra right next to Yosemite National Park. If you draw a line on the map almost directly east of San Jose, you’ll cross Mammoth. It’s three hours south of Reno, and about five hours north of Los Angeles.

I get two general reactions when I tell people where I live. The first is the “that’s cool” reaction. I live in a ski town and people just can’t get over that (unless they are from another ski town.) The other reaction is “Are you crazy?” I get this a lot from people who live in big cities. They just can’t get over the “isolation” (who do you date there?) or the fact that the nearest Pottery Barn or Restoration Furniture is 5 hours away. Every once and awhile, mainly when I’m trying to get to an airport, I’ll agree, but it’s not often.

I own a home here, near the new town center known as “The Village”. Shops, restaurants, and a gondola are a short walk from the house, and its proving to be a nice meeting place for the town. They are going to be working on this project for some time, it will only get better.

 

schools

The two colleges I attended couldn’t be more different. I got my B.A.s from the University of California, San Diego, where I was at Warren College. UCSD is located on the bluffs above the beaches of La Jolla and Del Mar. A public school on a sprawling suburban campus, it’s a laid back atmosphere that would be perfect if it wasn’t so much work. I hold degrees in Applied Mathematics and Management Science (theoretical economics.)

On the flip side, and the other coast, I got my masters at the Harvard Business School. A private college and an urban campus where there’s even a separate endowment for…planting flowers (I’m totally serious.) HBS can’t be called laid back by any stretch of the imagination. Living in Boston was a great change though – if I had to live on the right coast, Boston would be it. They say that the biggest benefit of HBS is the network of people you get to know, and I’ll attest to that – my section mates are all over the US and the world.

 

career

Since business school I’ve worked in a number of businesses, starting in large companies and moving towards things more entrepreneurial. An overview of my experience can be found on the portfolio page. I currently consult for a variety of organizations, mainly in dealing with marketing, product marketing, public relations and Internet strategies and implementation. It allows me to work with a wide range of companies (and government organizations) and keep my skills honed.

Of all the my experiences, two mean the most to me.

I helped found a company called Powered Inc., located in Austin, Texas. Powered served major corporations, helping them reach their online sales marketing goals through education-driven marketing (what we call eduCommerce.) A good example of a Powered client was Barnes & Noble, who offered courses in everything from financial matters to technical to Shakespeare. All for free. The results seen by client companies were unmatched by any other technology or offering – leading to increased sales and loyalty.

Powered is not the company it could be, however. If you want a long story of how inexperienced VCs and financial people can hurt a company, ask me sometime. I can also wax eloquent about the problems with taking too much capital (although we were peanuts compared to the deals being done at the time.) Needless to say, all of the founders have left the company and the dream been mutated into someone else’s concept. However, the experience provided me with a lot of knowledge amidst the pain.

After business school, I joined Apple Computer and was able to help in the company’s ascent from under $2 billion to $11 billion in size. It was a great experience at a company that let you take chances (even if sometimes the end result was not what was expected.) I overlapped basically with the tenure of John Sculley, and will make no bones about it – those were the golden years at Apple where a lot of innovative products were introduced and growth ruled. I left shortly after John, and luckily didn’t have to witness the destruction of the company under Mike Spindler and Gil Amelio (and now Jobs, though he at least set a direction and made decisions.) I’m mentioned in at least three books (that I know of) about the history of Apple. That’s pretty cool.

I cut my teeth on the Internet at a small company called Global Village Communications. I’ve also spent time at Be, Inc. and at MicronPC.