July 23, 2008
Knowledge Adventure® Appoints David Lord CEO; Company Transitions from Traditional Software to Adventure-Based 3D Virtual Worlds
Former RazorGator Exec Leads Company in New Direction
TORRANCE, CA. – July 23, 2008 – Knowledge Adventure®, the leader in adventure-based 3D virtual worlds for 3-to-10 year olds, today announced the appointment of David Lord as its president & chief executive officer. Lord brings 10+ years of leadership experience and expertise in building a multi-faceted growth strategy for online businesses and brand development. Lord’s appointment is the next step in evolving Knowledge Adventure—a company with a rich history for creating learning products—to a multi-faceted kids entertainment company with both retail and online virtual world components. This new strategy will focus on solidifying Knowledge Adventure’s leadership position in the 3D virtual world market for 3-to-10 year olds through its leading brands JumpStart® and MathBlaster®.
“We were looking for a dynamic leader with a proven track record in bringing companies to the next level,” said Knowledge Adventure Board member Mike Kwatinetz, a General Partner at Azure Capital. “David Lord possesses all of these attributes and we are confident he will exceed our expectations of successfully expanding Knowledge Adventure’s market presence.”
A recognized and respected leader, Lord was awarded the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2006 Award in the Emerging Growth category in the Greater Los Angeles area.
Most recently, Lord served for four years as president and CEO of RazorGator Interactive Group (RIG), a leading full-service event experience company for premiere sports and entertainment events worldwide, which he grew over 100% per year to well over $100 million dollars in revenue. While at RazorGator Lord spearheaded the growth of the RazorGator brand and raised Series A and B financing. Prior to RazorGator, Lord served as chief executive officer and chairman of the board for Toysmart.com, a venture-backed catalog company for educational, ecommerce, and retail products. During his time there, Lord established the company as the #1 brand in “Good Toys”, building brand awareness from zero to 45% in less than four months while increasing revenue over 500% each year.
“The virtual world/online gaming market is exploding and we believe there is a tremendous opportunity to bring adventure-based learning into this marketplace,” said president & CEO David Lord. “JumpStart has a rich history as the leading brand in delivering learning games to kids over the last 20 years. We will leverage that trusted brand with parents to deliver a rich, safe, and fun virtual world experience while we innovate next-generation games and content for kids 3 to 10.”
Board member and founder & managing partner of Telesoft Partners, Arjun Gupta, agrees there is a very significant opportunity to grow market share. “I believe the combination of Knowledge Adventure’s technology platform, its intimate understanding of this unique demographic and David Lord’s strategic expertise will undoubtedly make them a leading contender in this growing market.”
For more information on Knowledge Adventure visit www.knowledgeadventure.com.
About Knowledge Adventure
Knowledge Adventure® is the leader in adventure-based 3D virtual worlds for 3-to-10 year old kids. With its JumpStart® and MathBlaster® products, kids learn through endless gaming adventures in 3D virtual worlds. By blending learning and entertainment, Knowledge Adventure’s adventure-based learning inspires kids’ minds through immersed play. For more than 15 years, Knowledge Adventure has set the standard in kids’ software by creating the finest educational products for use in the home and the classroom. The company is internationally renowned for its award-winning products. A subsidiary of Knowledge Holdings, Inc., the company is privately-held and based in Torrance, California. For more information, go to www.knowledgeadventure.com or call 310-533-3400.
For more information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
