Approximately 75 business and community leaders got an insider’s look on Thursday, June 4, 2009, at a Naples-based software company that is on the leading edge of what most believe is the future of marketing – social networking.
Neighborhood America was founded in 1999 by Kim Patrick Kobza, President and Chief Executive Officer, and David Bankston, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. The company’s business strategy is based on Kobza’s understanding of the devastating effects that polarization can have on the ability to make effective decisions.
As a land use attorney, Kobza watched a lack of communication between developers and the community turn into costly, frustrating problems and vowed to find a way to open lines of communication to enhance understanding, collaboration and problem-solving. As Bankston explained, “we do Facebook (a popular social networking site) for businesses.”
Neighborhood America started in the public sector, bringing together virtual town halls for such efforts as reconstruction of the World Trade Center in New York City, Memorial for Flight 93 in Pennsylvania and the Statue of Liberty’s General Management Plan. These social networks promote online collaboration, public comment and mobile alerts.
The company later expanded into the media industry, assisting such organizations as CNN, ABC News, Fox News and HGTV in reaching new audiences and monetizing user-generated content. Today, the company also serves such well-known corporate clients as Adidas, Kodak, Yum Brands, providing them with the means for engaging their customers, enhancing their experience and gaining intelligence.
The company’s newest service, REVEAL, enables corporate or government entities to invite their customers to not only share their ideas, but also help determine which ones are the best. By involving consumer input in these decisions, they are more likely to create successful products and make better decisions more aligned with market demand.
Such innovation in the field of social networking has garnered Neighborhood America several prestigious awards, including its second consecutive CODiE Award for “Best Social Networking Solution” for enterprises. The award was presented just last month at the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) Summit in San Francisco, Calif.
Starting with just three employees in a small office in The Village on Venetian Bay, Neighborhood America today employs 94 people, including 85 in the Naples community.
Lori Burke, Director of Human Resources for Neighborhood America, stated that Naples/Collier County offers many advantages for growing businesses. These include a high quality of life, solid local infrastructure and transportation services, and a deep pool of executive leadership. These all have contributed to the company’s rapid expansion.
The tour and presentation of Neighborhood America was the sixth and final in a series of “Champions of Innovation” programs hosted by the Economic Development Council of Collier County (EDC). Champions of Innovation is a component of “Project Innovation,” an exploration into the innovation economy and how to develop a sustainable economy.
“Champions of Innovation offers the public a first-hand look at local companies that are innovation pioneers,” said Bill O’Neill, EDC Board Chairman. “We believe that there are important lessons to be learned about innovation right here within our own community.”
Previous Champions of Innovation programs included site visits to such innovative local companies as 4what interactive, Parker Aerospace, Air Technology Group, Airflyte Inc., and Arthrex Corporation. For more information on Project Innovation and its components, visit www.projectinnovation.cc or by calling the EDC at 239-263-8989.