My first person bio is below. Or see the linked in bio – for Kim Patrick Kobza.
Hello, my name is Kim Patrick Kobza. Today, together with a uber talented team, we have tackled “the next big thing” – Water Intelligence. As CEO of True Elements, I am blessed to work with team members dedicated to making a difference by building transparency for water quality, quantity, and localized climate risks.
We have collectively built on many years of experience in science, the social sciences, military intelligence, networks, scaling technology solutions to market, entrepreneurship and leadership.
Personally, I have had a fairly eclectic life journey. Discovery and a search for truth, has always been an important organizing principle. My business and life experience has afforded the privilege of unique insights across many disciplines (which is a way of saying that I know a little about a lot of things). And along the way I have acquired helpful experience, credentials, and most importantly wonderful business relationships.
Like most of us there is so much more that I don’t know and would love to learn. I work hard to be an active listener always.
I am both a student and teacher. My strength is to synthesize the science of social communication into practical business strategy. This is what I have been doing for my entire career which has included 30 years of success in technology, law, business and finance, having been named as 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year by Florida’s Tech America amongst many other recognitions.
As a community and business leader in Naples, Florida, I was an early pioneer in recognizing the power of networks Based on that practical experience I co-founded and served as CEO of Ingage Networks a recognized leader in the technology industry from 1999-2012. I was privileged to have co-architected award winning global networks, Imagine New York (World Trade Center), Statue of Liberty, and Flight 93 Memorial.
I also co-architected social networks for the Department of Defense procurement (DAPA), the National Health Care Study, and user generated content initiatives for national media properties at CNN, Fox News, CBS, Scripps Interactive, and ABC. I also was a significant contributor to the award winning American Express Open Forum.
A little unconventional – but always passionate and effective- I am dedicated to helping businesses and people navigate the next wave of business transformation.
My experience
For the last 30 years I have built a diverse background in business, law, technology and community leadership.
Today, I am the co-founder of Sparksfly Technologies – a mobile application platform designed to simplify social communication. Sparksfly was founded in early 2013. My partner is David Bankston, an experienced inventor and pretty good guy.
I also sit on boards and/or advise various companies in many sub-industries related to social communication and the Internet of Things. I do my best to align with excellent management teams where I can add meaningful value.
Before the present, I had the privilege to serve as CEO of Ingage Networks, one of the enterprise social network industry’s most innovative and successful companies. I co-founded Ingage Networks in 1999 with technologist David Bankston. David and I were pioneers in the enterprise social network market.
We architected globally recognized network solutions for Imagine New York (World Trade Center), Flight 93 Memorial (National Park Service), the Statute of Liberty (General Management Plan), and the Department of Defense, (DAPA) procurement planning in the public sector. We also co-architected well known solutions in both media and commerce. These included Rate My Space for Scripps Interactive, CNN Katrina safe list, Fox U-Report, ABC Good Morning America, and most recently the well known American Express Open Forum.
David and I personally led Ingage Networks to recognition as the SIIA Codie winner in 2008 and 2009, and runner up in 2010 for the best social networking platform. We have won numerous other awards. I was named as the Tech Entrepreneur of the Year by Tech America Florida in 2010. To build Ingage Networks I raised substantial financing and had responsibility for operations, finance and sales.
I do my best to stay current in network science and applied behavioral sciences related to the use of network communications by business. I served as an adjunct professor at Michigan State University in 2010. Building upon our many years of experience I have developed an executive business framework called SoPhy that helps executives to understand how to best architect network solutions.
Before Ingage Networks, I had an accomplished career in business, law and community leadership. I actively advised many of the country’s top executives in their personal planning needs. I also worked with many businesses in typical business issues including merger and acquisitions, intellectual property issues, human resources, and land use planning and governmental affairs. I became well known for community leadership in Naples, Florida, having led county wide comprehensive planning, parks planning, tourist development council, neighborhood associations and many others. This combination of business and community leadership gave me early insights into the potential of enterprise networks and the factors necessary for success.
Authorship
I have written over 150 blog articles and contributions to traditional publications, designed to provide practical advice on the use of enterprise social networks. Representative titles include, Attention Economics and Network Design, Business Service Networks – a New Transformational Paradigm, Can and Will Networks Transform Government? Citizen Networks and What We Can Learn from the Science of Epigenetics, Content and the Butterfly, Do You Have a Network Perspective?, Engagement Models – What is Yours? Flexibly Inflexible? Networks-the Next Generation, Persona and the Social Perspective, Persuasive Networks, Social Production as a Market Strategy, The Paradox of Pilots, The Value Chain, Value Creation and the Social Web, Two Frogs – One Fly, Value Conversion, What Does it Mean? Vision, How Networks are Changing Everything and many others. In 1997, I also authored There Goes the Neighborhood, distributed through the University of South Carolina Press, a book to help communities strategically organize for effective, thoughtful change.
Speaking
Similarly, I have had many public speaking engagements throughout my career. Most recently, my speaking has been focused on building practical strategy for business use and leadership of cooperative systems. As an example, most recently I have been working with executive teams for the General Services Administration, and gave a full day seminar with 12 other industry leaders for over 150 corporate executives at Michigan State University, and industry seminars for private executive teams under non-disclosure agreements. I have also spoken at seminars for Microsoft and IBM.
Education
I have a juris doctorate degree from Wayne State University (1983) and a B.S. degree from Central Michigan University in Economics, Mathematics and Earth Sciences. I also frequently attend executive continuing education courses and receive certifications, for instance Harvard’s series on Cross Boundary Collaboration.
Personal
Married to Amy Kobza (a pilates instructor) and we have a thirteen year old daughter – Kai who is a constant source of joy and amazement. She is an accomplished equestrian. I live in Naples, Florida but travel frequently. I spend a great deal of time in New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and the Valley. I enjoy running, and activities that support good health. I also strive to achieve life long learning.
