The Team

Isaac Sims

Chief Financial Officer

Email Isaac your business proposition

Day Job:
Senior studying finance at USC’s Marshall School of Business.

Night + Weekends:
Juggling the responsibilities of being a Resident Advisor at USC’s premier social dorm and running an internet startup. This often entails many late nights.

Best Known For:
Staying goal focused, being efficient, and maintaining a high level of intensity.

Recent Work:
Deutsche Bank, Global Equities in Tokyo, Japan.

Origins:
I Grew up in Colorado, enjoying the beautiful outdoors.

Dedicated Causes:
Integrity among leaders, missionary work, helping young people, renewable resources.

Heroes:
My mother...for putting the needs of others ahead of herself

Likes:
Exotic foods, traveling around the world, elk hunting, well crafted automobiles, high-tech gadgets

Guilty Pleasure:
Chocolate chip cookie for breakfast

Doesn't:
Climb mountains that require bottled oxygen, stay up late at night just for fun, ride unbroken horses, eat unidentifiable cafeteria food

Dream Car
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing (silver)

Favorite Quote:
"Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise." - Solomon

Looking Forward To:
Eating tater tots on Sunday morning.

James Ravagni

Chief Technology Officer

Have a tech question? Email James

Full-Time Job:
I define Palopia's technology and feature roadmap--making our members' online experience as amazing and rewarding as possible.  I co-lead the company's strategic growth along with my partners Trent Bigelow and Isaac Sims. At any given moment I might be networking with developers or surfing the web for what's next in hopes to transform the way people rely on social software.

Best Known For:
Pure logic-driven realism, great computer skills, and aspiring to be more than an assistant manager at a fast food franchise.

Recent Work:
Total Consumer Experience (TCE) research at Hewlett-Packard's New Business Creation Unit.

Origins:
I'm from the secluded but beautiful central Oregon coast.

Dedicated Causes:
Innovation, Open-source software, taking over the world (peacefully of course...)

Heroes:
My family, the makers of Ubuntu, Debian GNU/Linux, Firefox, Thunderbird and other software I use daily

Likes:
I'm still deciding

Guilty Pleasure:
Nothing that I'd actually tell people about.

Doesn't:
Smoke, drink, do drugs, cheat, steal or anything else stupid.

Dream Computer:
AMD Athalon64 X2 4800+, 2GB of RAM, nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX SLI, Ubuntu 5.10

Favorite Quote:
"If something can go wrong, it will." - Murphy's Law

Looking Forward To:
Leaving Lincoln City, Sleeping...

Kevin Christ

Promotions Coordinator

Day Job:
Working with groups, businesses, and individuals to promote Palopia to the leading online social network. Coming up with creative solutions to improve your experience on Palopia. Business Student at The University of Southern California, Class of 2008. Navy ROTC. Developing leadership skills to motivate those who will be changing our nation, our world, and our future.

Night + Weekends:
Kicking back after a long day or week of work to enjoy the real reasons for living. Going running and working out to clear my mind. Fun can be anything from watching a movie at home with friends to going out and partying all night long. Some of my hobbies include Running, Scuba Diving, Martial Arts, Guitar.

Best Known For:
People skills and selfless attention to others' needs. Ready to drop most anything I'm doing to help a friend in need. Don't really associate with one "clique." I enjoy hanging out with everyone from the jocks to the nerds and have different personalities in many situations.

Recent Work:
Navy squad leader.

Origins:
Born on Andrew's Air Force Base, Maryland. Lived and traveled most of the country. Attended more schools than I can count on my hands.

Dedicated Causes:
Bettering the lives of everyone I meet. Seeing that the honest people in this world get their fair dues. Living my life with as much fun as possible while remaining a down to earth person.

Heroes:
Everyone who has sacrificed their lives and bodies for this country.

Likes:
Waking up in the middle of the night and realizing you still have hours of sleep before you have to get up.

Guilty Pleasure:
Halo

Doesn't:
Have a car...gotta fix this one soon!

Dream Car...Vacation...House
Lotus Elise...Australia and New Zealand...One I designed on a beachfront or tropical island

Favorite Quote:
"Now, we must all fear evil men. But there is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men." -- The Boondock Saints

Looking Forward To:
Completing my education so I can be out in the real world serving more of a purpose. Having a permanent home.

David Padilla

Viral Marketing

Day Job:
Freshman (with Sophmore standing goodness) at USC... of course I'm more awake in the morning than at daytime. I observe things around me and laugh to myself when someone does something and they think nobody saw them.

Night + Weekends:
On the computer, surfing the Internet, talking with friends, BBQing, hanging out, travelling... basically I do everything during the night and weekends.

Best Known For:
Friend 1: Being evil. Friend 2: Being an ass. That means that I'm known for my humor and being honest with people.

Recent Work:
Business Communication at GLOBE at Nestle HQ in Vevey, Switzerland. There are other things in there too, like designing logos for my high school and trying to publish a school newspaper.

Origins:
Two human cells. One Mexican, One American. I lived in Mexico until I was 11/12, moving around from city to city every four years or so, and then I ended up in LA, where I went to a French School and learnt to diss people in French and Russian.

Dedicated Causes:
Students with Lack of Sleep. I'm not an activist per se, but I do contribute to charity and if a man asks me for change I give him some, because after all, I'd want people to do the same for me.

Heroes:
People who keep true to their beliefs, people who can live happily.

Likes:
A lot of things, seriously, I can spend a long time describing stuff that I like, but you would grow old and tired. So let's see, video games, movies (the better kind, not chick flicks), cars, girls, my girlfriend, ranting, debating, making awkward situations by saying awkward things, when my girlfriend says awkward things, taking lots and lots of pictures, eating and cooking,and listening to music of all sorts.

Guilty Pleasure:
Singing while driving around the hills by my house, with the windows down, scaring the poor deer... and green tea ice cream or other sorts of desserts.

Doesn't:
Smoke (unless you count second hand smoke), drink to get drunk, wear miniskirts or other similar articles of clothing (not sure about kilts). I also dislike people with little tolerance, on both sides, the oversensitivecrowd and the ignorant.

Dream Car
One that I have designed... that, or a Vandenbrink Carver or... pretty much a garage full of 50 cars.

Favorite Quote:
"Don't try to create and analyze at the same time. They're different processes." - Richard Wanderman

Looking Forward To:
Running my own design company... or doing something involving design and art.

Ryan Jones

Idea Guy

Day Job:
Sophomore at the Marshall School of Business of the University of Southern California

Night + Weekends:
Taking advantage of all that Southern California has to offer. Trip planning for Globus, global business leaders. Working for Student Traveler magazine. Partying, beach, running, making Hamburger Helper, and biking.

Best Known For:
Pro-Colorado attitude. Spontaneity.

Recent Work:
Fall Intern at Student Traveler Magazine. Summer Intern at Legend Retail Group, a commercial real estate company based out of Denver, Colorado.

Origins:
Born in Kansas, followed by South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Texas, Colorado, and now California. Colorado is definitely home.

Dedicated Causes:
Respect for everyone.

Heroes:
My parents. Everyday heroes. Lance Armstrong. Erik Weihenmayer (climbed Everest blind).

Likes:
Colorado Rockies. Snowboarding. Biking. Laughing. Traveling.

Guilty Pleasure:
Cinnamon oatmeal cookie dough ice cream. Chipotle burritos on a regular basis.

Doesn't:
Half-ass. Eat seafood. Like apologies that end in “but”. Like Harry Potter (sorry!)

Dream Car...Vacation
Range Rover...A month (or more) in the Himalayas

Favorite Quote:
“Ooh baby, baby, it’s a wild world” - Cat Stevens

Looking Forward To:
The challenges and “impossibilities” that we are all likely to face as Palopia grows. The reward of overcoming them.

Andrew Skotzko

College Team Leader

Day Job:
Student at the University of Southern California, Class of 2008.

Night + Weekends:
I’m down for all things which matter and/or I enjoy. That includes hanging out with my friends, reading, writing, music, sports, and the many uses of “GOULET.”

Best Known For:
Spontaneity, having lots of ideas, being a leader, working hard, being a diverse person, and having fun.

Recent Work:
I'm Still deciding.

Origins:
Born in Macon, Georgia. Grew up all around the world (5 years in Africa, 2.5 in Asia), but Northern Virginia was always home base.

Dedicated Causes:
To sum it up, I’m about having fun, working hard, and doing good. I focus on being a leader, and making a positive difference in people’s lives, and enjoying the hell out of life.

Heroes:
Those who give back, sacrifice, and make this world a better place for all of us. Those who inspire others to realize the greatness within themselves. Those who keep smiling, dreaming, and driving on when the world’s got them down.

Likes:
Music. Sports. Travel. New experiences. People. Being a leader. Chilling out, having fun, and keeping it real. Food. Movies. Making a difference. Reading. Writing. Food.

Guilty Pleasure:
Roscoe’s, and Madden 2006 – interventions are sometimes necessary.

Doesn't:
Lie, cheat, or steal. Or play with yo-yos on a regular basis.

Dream Life
One where I live, love, laugh, and learn every day.

Favorite Quote:
“We must not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time.” - T.S. Eliot

Looking Forward To:
Too much to list, so I’ll sum it up with...“life.” Every day is its own adventure. And I like that.

Briauna Bergland

College Team

Day Job:
Sophomore Public Relations student at the Annenberg School of Journalism, Ticket Office Representative and entertainment writer for The Magazine, all at the University of Southern California

Night + Weekends:
Trying to balance 18 units, an active social life and a job that requires me to spend a large amount of time on the phone with people who are less-than-pleasant (Trent’s note: she’s definitely not referring to Palopia...).

Best Known For:
Being habitually absent-minded, writing with more ease than most, visual creativity, having curly hair (a feature which seems to have defined my existence.)

Recent Work:
Random things... Still working on building up my resume.

Origins:
I was born in the small town of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, but moved to an island in Texas (yes, there are islands in Texas) when I was five. I always dreamed of moving to California, and now here I am...

Dedicated Causes:
Civil rights and liberties, better understanding of the importance of diversity

Heroes:
My parents, of course, because where would I be without them?

Likes:
Music! As long as it’s not country...trashy celebrity gossip magazines, iced tea, gaudy jewelry, the idiotic genius of my circle of friends, college football, spending money that I don’t have, my iPod, Adult Swim and, of course, Scrabble

Guilty Pleasure:
Bad reality T.V - Laguna Beach, America’s Next Top Model; you name it, I’ve probably watched it at least once, if not often.

Doesn't:
Wake up at a decent hour unless it’s an absolute must, believe anything unless there are facts to back it up, enjoy doing math any more complicated than simple adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing

Dream Car
Either a Cadillac Escalade or a Volkswagen New Beetle...polar opposites, I know...

Favorite Quote:
”Life is what you make it.” - I don’t know who said it, but I think it’s a good statement to live by.

Looking Forward To:
Being able to work on something that I can actually feel passionate about, finishing all the classes that USC requires me to take that aren’t a part of my major or minor, finishing Annenberg’s infamous core curriculum.

Alex Chernavsky

Community College Team Leader

Day Job:
Junior at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.

Night + Weekends:
Working my second job as a professional sales person. Also, thinking of new ideas of Palopia and other organizations I’m a part of.

Best Known For:
leadership, forward future-thinking, humor, and being outgoing.

Recent Work:
Worked with Red Square to help them finish a Russian mainstream music video.

Origins:
Born in Moscow Russia, raised partly in Berlin, Germany and in Beverly Hills, California.

Dedicated Causes:
Helping my family and friends achieve greatness.

Heroes:
I do not have any heroes but I do have role model's: Shaquille O'neal for being a good person and never changing with fame; Arnold Schwarzenegger for achieving everything he wanted in life while people doubted him; and lastly, Tupac Shakur for always thinking ahead and never changing as we went through all the hardship in his life.

Likes:
Anything that puts a smile on my face.

Guilty Pleasure:
I take the 5th

Doesn't:
Cheat, steal, stab people in the back

Dream Life:
When I don't have to worry about my Family and friends

Favorite Quote:
"No one can separate what I create" - Tupac Shakur

Looking Forward To:
Palopia

Richard Wayland

Community College Team

Day Job:
Sophomore at USC

Night + Weekends:
Watching an excessive amount of TV – I’ve fallen back in love with cartoons of all types. Perhaps someday very soon, you’ll find me sitting on the floor in front of my TV, playing with Legos and watching Darkwing Duck like I did when I was 9 years old... better than studying for midterms.

Best Known For:
I’m the near-legendary high school student who turned into a total slacker after spending just a single year on the Business Floor of New/North.

Recent Work:
Interned over the summer at Pygmalion Inc. – transforming people into more persuasive and dynamic speakers.

Origins:
Born in Akron, Ohio. Raised in Southern California. Current hometown is Chino Hills.

Dedicated Causes:
An ongoing campaign against stupidity, laziness, inefficiency, and lack of communication skills.

Heroes:
Lisa Simpson, Brian Griffin, Kenny McCormick, Brock Samson, Samurai Jack, Professor Farnsworth, and of course, my parents.

Likes:
The first is Breanna Binder, my girlfriend of about four years. The second is a 4X4, medium rare, with no other vegetables except for double whole grilled onions.

Guilty Pleasure:
Sleeping in as often as I can, through any number of important classes, events, and plans.

Doesn't:
It’s not that I don’t like drinking, or that I have any problem with other people drinking. It just doesn’t really appeal to me.

Dream Car:
I would LOVE to build my own replica of a Ford GT40. Totally customized with a biblical sound system, an engine the size of Michael Moore, and a blazing orange paintjob with a Jolly Roger on the front.

Favorite Quote:
“The Tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” – Thomas Jefferson

Looking Forward To:
Getting out of school so I can do something USEFUL with my time and energy.

Heather Dowers

High School Team Leader

Day Job:
Junior at the Marshall School of Business at USC

Night + Weekends:
Busy with school and the never ending supply of homework. Otherwise I’m hanging with friends, playing pool, or reading.

Best Known For:
Being organized, getting things done on time, creative eye for design, and an unquenchable thirst for reading.

Recent Work:
Internship with MassMedia, a public relations and advertising firm in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Origins:
Born in Colorado but raised until 13 in California. From California we moved to Las Vegas, which is where I now call home.

Dedicated Causes:
Education, environment, and equality.

Heroes:
My family and friends most definitely.

Likes:
Skiing, reading, playing pool, listening to music (Jimmy Eat World, Mae, Frou Frou, Postal Service, John Mayer and lots more).

Guilty Pleasure:
Driving in my car, windows rolled down and singing along with whatever CD is in my car. Alone of course, I wouldn’t inflict that on anyone else.

Doesn't:
Like to be taken advantage of.

Dream Life
Good job, home with a view of the mountains and a nice big comfortable window seat.

Favorite Quote:
“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former” – Albert Einstein

Looking Forward To:
Living life to the fullest, whatever and wherever that may be.

Lee Hyman

High School Team

Day Job:
Sophomore in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.

Night + Weekends:
Playing catch up with my work most of the time or finding some hours for my promotions job. On weekends I love hanging out with friends. Whether that be going to the movies or finding some other thing to do I just really enjoy my free time to just chill out.

Best Known For:
I work really hard and put everything in to whatever I'm a part of. I would never be able to be a part to accept anything if I didn't give everything I could for it.

Recent Work:
Job as a member of the promotions team for KMPC radio, 1540 The Ticket Sporting News Radio.

Origins:
The coast of sunny Seal Beach, California.

Dedicated Causes:
Civil rights, equal trade, community service

Heroes:
My parents...always putting their family first.

Likes:
Traveling, music, all kinds of tasty foods, movies, reading occassionally, trying new things.

Guilty Pleasure:
Country music, and I wouldn't call it a guilty pleasure, but The OC is awesome.

Doesn't:
Cheat or steal, and I try not to procrastinate too often.

Dream Car
Aston Martin V12 Vanquish

Favorite Quote:
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Looking Forward To:
Making a difference.

Isaac Dudek

Creative Director

Day Job:
Senior studying business, entrepreneurship, and information technology at the University of Southern California.

Night + Weekends:
Interacting with the people I care about in any way we see fit, be it movies, music, or Monopoly.

Best Known For:
Unremitting charm, unparalleled intelligence, modesty, color-changing hair, being an aspiring ninja, and that my website can beat up your dad.

Recent Work:
Putting together a separate rather innovative online revenue generator. What is it? It's a secret. Though rest assured, my heart's in Palopia.

Origins:
Small-town east coast America, with changing leaves, snow, and all the rest.

Dedicated Causes:
Freedom, capitalism, innovation, passion, personal connections, cherished relationships, better living through technology.

Heroes:
Be your own hero.

Likes:
Friends (new and old), working out (lifting, running), martial arts (ninjitsu), philosophy (Rand, Nietzsche), design (web, graphic, pencil), music (metal/industrial, classical), food (everything under the sun).

Guilty Pleasure:
Harry Potter? No, that doesn't make me feel guilty. How about eating dim sum in L.A.'s Chinatown nearly every weekend for over a year? Yeah, that and cake.

Doesn't:
Stay up late if there's nothing to do, sleep in late if there's something to do, decline free food.

Dream
I can't even count how many times I've dreamt that I could do a backflip. One even involved me exclaiming, "Finally this time it's not a dream!" Maybe I should actually start practicing.

Favorite Quote:
Anything spoken in German--what a language! Someday I'll speak it and then I'll be able to quote myself.

Looking Forward To:
Graduating and making my expensive mark on the world.

Jason Cooper

Research & Development

Day Job:
Junior at the Viterbi School of Engineering of the University of Southern California

Night + Weekends:
Homework and plenty of it! I also try to budget some time for the occasional round of tennis (and Super Smash Bros.) with friends.

Best Known For:
My goofy sense of humor and relentless drive to find, then conquer, the next big thing.

Recent Work:
Analogue-to-digital media conversion for USC Language Center

Origins:
Born in Okinawa, Japan and raised in the searing West Texas heat.

Dedicated Causes:
Championing the development of clean, efficient alternative fuel sources, eliminating any and all forms of discrimination, the open-source movement

Heroes:
Steven P. Jobs, co-founder and iCEO of Apple Computer, Inc. and my mother who never doubted my potential or ability.

Likes:
M&M Minis, The Simpsons, Green Day, Taco Bell, Dr. Pepper, innovative technology firms that strive to better our world (notably Apple and Google)

Guilty Pleasure:
Listening to (and halfway enjoying) the music of Linkin Park

Doesn't:
Smoke, drink, do drugs, steal, or otherwise harm myself or others.

Dream Car
BMW 325Ci Coupe

Favorite Quote:
"There is no spoon."

Looking Forward To:
A happy and healthy adult life with a comfortable home, loving family, and lucrative career.