Lisa M. Maki Interview – BeliefNetworks

Recently, I was fortunate enough to conduct an interview with Lisa M. Maki, the President of BeliefNetworks, Inc. During the interview, she discusses the past, current and future of BeliefNetworks, Inc., the startup company that was recently named as a Top 10 finalist for Startup 2009 and also made TechJournal South’s 2009 list of the top 50 technology and biotechnology companies.

BeliefNetworks, Inc. (Image: BeliefNetworks.net)

Stephen Kersey: Can you tell the StartupSpark.com community some more about BeliefNetworks, Inc.? What makes your startup better than the competition?

Lisa M. Maki: BeliefNetworks, Inc. is a high-tech startup based in Charleston, SC. We have built a disruptive technology applying semantic intelligence and predictive analytics to provide Web Publishers with greater ad and site performance.

BeliefNetworks is a team of scientists and experienced industry veterans who have built everything from successful startups to audio and media system support for OS X and Vista. We bring startup know-how and years of innovating in the areas of real-time content optimization.

SK: Are you excited about your chances of winning the grand prize on June 3rd? What has your experience been like with Startup 2009 so far?

LMM: We are psyched to represent the southeast in this year’s Startup 2009 and we think our technology, team and ability to execute—particularly in the current economic environment—makes us a great contender for the prize!

SK: What has been the most difficult obstacle to date in the startup process?

LMM: For us, the most difficult obstacle has been our location. We have had to dispel doubts that a team and company like BeliefNetworks can come from the South.

We have succeeded by consistently attracting and keeping top talent from around the country in some of the most marketable fields such as; machine learning, semantic intelligence and software engineering—and executing on our vision (as evidenced by our inclusion in the Startup 2009 Top 10!)

SK: Speaking of the startup process, what do you enjoy the most about it?

LMM: Creating something from nothing that can change the world with some of the finest professionals in the industry.

SK: For entrepreneurs who are thinking about creating a startup business, what is your best advice?

LMM: Do it now. And, if you do, never give up.

SK: What are the short-term and long-term goals for BeliefNetworks, Inc.?

LMM: Short term, we are in discussions with premium Web publishers to begin our first customer deployments. Longer term, we expect to become a forerunner over the next 3-5 years as the reference in semantic intelligence and predictive analytics for premium content and ad placement.