Jim Louderback

Inside the Creator Economy

Detailed Bio

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With more than 20 years experience in consulting, technology, computers and media, Jim Louderback has pioneered many significant new innovations.

Photo by Thomas Hawk

While building computer systems for Fortune 100 companies in the ’80s, Jim developed innovative client-server computing models, implementing some of the first successful LAN-based client-server systems. He also created a highly successful iterative development methodology uniquely suited to this new systems architecture.

As Lab Director at PC Week, Jim developed and refined the product review as an essential news story. He expanded the lab to California, and created significant competitive advantage for the leading IT weekly.

When he became editor-in-chief of Windows Sources in 1995, he turned the publication around, and refocused it entirely on the new Windows 95. Newsstand sales tripled, and his magazine won industry awards for excellence of design and content.

In 1997, Jim launched TechTV’s content, creating and nurturing a highly successful mix of help, product information, news and entertainment. He appeared in numerous segments on the network, and hosted the enormously popular Fresh Gear show for three years.

In 1999, he developed the “Best of CES” awards program in partnership with CEA, the parent company of the CES trade show. This innovative program, where new products were judged directly on the trade show floor, was a resounding success, and continues today.

In 2000, Jim developed a daily, live, 8 hour TechTV news program called TechLive. Called “the CNBC of Technology,” TechLive delivered a daily day-long dose of market news, product information, technology reporting and CEO interviews. After its highly successful launch in April of 2001, Jim managed the entire organization, along with setting editorial direction for the balance of TechTV.

In 2002 Jim became Editor-In-Chief for Ziff Davis Media‘s internet properties, where he managed sites including ExtremeTech, PCMag.com, eWeek and Microsoft Watch.

After launching a wide range of sites, including podcasts and the innovative DL.TV internet TV show, and more than doubling traffic and unique visitors, he was promoted to Senior Vice President and Editor in Chief of PC Magazine in the fall of 2005.

Jim Louderback joined Revision3 as the CEO in July 2007, and guided the company to a 20-fold increase in viewers, a 12x increase in revenue, 39 new distribution partners and 9 prestigious company and show awards. In 2012 he sold the company to Discovery Communications and spent more than two years building out the Digital Networks business for Discovery – of which Revision3 was a part. After the acquisition Jim launched or acquired 6 new networks, including TestTube, Animalist and The DeFranco Networks.

Jim runs VidCon VidCon, the world’s largest online video conference with annual events in Anaheim, London and Australia. He previously built the industry track of VidCon into the dominant summit for the online video industry, and took over as CEO of VidCon in 2017. In early 2018 he led and closed the sale of VidCon to Viacom, where he still works – as SVP and GM of VidCon.

Jim is a regular speaker at industry conferences and events. He’s particularly skilled at moderating panels of CEOs and other luminaries — and moderates a number of high-profile panels each year.

Jim is regularly voted into the top 20 of Technology Marketing‘s annual list of most influential technology journalists.

Jim graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BS degree in Mathematics from the University of Vermont, and Beta Gamma Sigma with an MBA from the Stern School at New York University.

Want to know more about Jim’s experience? Take a look at his profile on LinkedIn!

Selected Articles, Books and Segments

Jim has written hundreds of opinion pieces and reviews for many, many magazines and websites. He currently writes a monthly technology essay for USA Weekend magazine, with a circulation of 22 million readers, as well as on TechTV’s website. He also writes computer help books for Que.