About

Jumpwire Media builds and executes revenue generating strategies leveraging expertise in emerging media.

Our background is media content creation, distribution and production across all platforms including: mobile, webvideo, television, radio, online, print, gaming, etc.

We deliver innovative and effective media and marketing strategies to both Fortune 500 and SME clients from countries all over the world including: USA, Russia, India, South Africa, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, and others.

Our Team

Gavin McGarry	Founder
Jennifer Harkness	Founder
Mark Prasuhn	Operations
Matthew Stern	Brand & Business Strategy
Caroline McCarthy	Research & Analysis
Meredith Simpson	Business & Legal Affairs
Jean-Marie Heimrath	Business Development
Micol Marotti	Executive Producer
Dylan Dubeau	YouTube Specialist
Alessandra Cannito	Crossmedia Coordinator
Frederik Lesage	Crossmedia Research

Our Team

Gavin McGarry

Founder

Before founding Jumpwire Media in 2009 Gavin worked for online video start up Joost and was the Head of Cross Platform Business Development at global television production company Endemol.

Gavin has been working in media space for over 20 years. His past experience includes positions at major television networks as well as owning and operating a television production company and a boutique advertising agency. His company created some of the first cross media TV content and worked with major networks including NBC, Discovery, CTV, and Global Television. The full service ad agency serviced two national clients and explored integrating brands into television and online properties. In 2004 he moved from his native Canada to the UK to better understand the rapidly emerging mobile phone space. Through his position at Endemol he worked closely with the UK’s largest mobile operator O2 and helped develop leading edge content for multiple platform release. In 2007 he moved into the web video arena based out of the Joost’s New York office. He has spent time in Japan, Africa, Europe and China exploring and understanding the global digital media content market place. He is invited to speak at media industry conferences on a regular basis including: MIPCOM, International Institute of Communications, Harvard Business Club of New York, Ryerson University, NAPTE, Xmedia Lab, etc.

 

Jennifer Harkness

Founder

Jennifer Harkness has more than 18 years of experience in the film and television industry.  Most recently, as Head of Development Factual Entertainment for Temple Street, Jennifer spearheaded the development of non-scripted programs including Temple Street’s highly-rated competitive food program Recipe to Riches (Food Network Canada, Global) and the competitive music show Cover Me Canada (CBC).

Prior to joining Temple Street, Jennifer held the position of Executive Director for the Banff World Television Festival where she grew the attendance and prestige of the annual Industry event and attracted keynote speakers such as Ben Silverman (Electus), and Dawn Airey (BSkyB) as well as some of televisions’ most successful showrunners, David Shore (House), Chuck Lorre (Two and ½ Men, Big Bang Theory) and Doug Ellin (Entourage) among others.   Previously,  Jennifer was an Executive in Charge of Production, at the Global Television Network where she oversaw a number of factual and reality programs including Popstars, Supermodels, No Boundaries and Train 48.

Jennifer is a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre’s Producer Lab where she successfully produced several short films which screened in festivals around the world.

 

Mark Prasuhn

Operations

Mark Prasuhn has worked in a variety of executive roles in media companies for over twenty-five years, primarily at the C-level. Most recently he was Chief Operating and Content Officer for Zoomer Media’s television division and its predecessor, S-Vox. During his decade-long tenure with S-Vox, he drove a doubling of organizational revenues, the launch of two national digital linear channels and various broadband and VOD initiatives. He was a key player in M&A activity including the acquisition of two OTA stations from Rogers Media, divestiture of diginet Grace TV and the sale of S-Vox broadcast assets to publicly traded Zoomer Media. He also tripled audience ratings on the flagship television property, specialty channel VisionTV, in a three year period.

Mark was also C.O.O. at Minds Eye Pictures, one of Western Canada’s leading independent film and television producers; GM at provincial funding agency SaskFilm (where he co-founded Canada’s first provincial digital media fund) and Manager Business Affairs at TVO. His diverse experience includes content production and licensing, advertising and program sales, technical operations, finance, human resources, marketing and promotion, regulatory affairs, contracting and legal affairs, stakeholder relations, new business development and corporate strategy/business planning. Mark has served on various industry Boards including the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and has a strong track record in team leadership, fostering diversity, customer relations, and driving profits, innovation and growth. Mark holds an M.B.A. from the Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto and a Film/Television Production B.F.A. from York University.

Matthew Stern

Brand & Business Strategy

Matthew has built and expanded corporate and entrepreneurial media companies in Canada, Europe and the United States for the past 20 years.

His experiences range from launching the first multi-media division of an ad agency in the early 1990s to running and expanding McCann-Erickson offices in Moscow, Prague and New York over a 10-year period.  During that time he opened new service divisions beyond traditional advertising, launched brands for Fortune 500 companies into new markets, achieved top creative and performance rankings for the offices, and was acknowledged as a “40 under 40” by Media and Marketing Europe.

After McCann, Matthew joined SpiralFrog in New York in 2006, North America’s first free and legal music downloading service that grew to become the second  largest site for legal downloads.

Moving back to his hometown Toronto, Matthew joined Jumpwire Media and advises new and established companies on how to craft their ideas into sustainable commercial enterprises.  Matthew holds an M.B.A. from York University, with a Diploma in Arts and Media Management.

 

Caroline McCarthy

Research & Analysis

Caroline recently graduated on the dean’s list of the MBA program of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business where her independent study included working on applying causal models in valuing start-ups. In 2009, she completed a Bachelor of Finance at the University of New Hampshire, graduating with Summa Cum Laude University Honors.

She is a small business advisor with the Toronto Business Development Center and has helped more than 50 entrepreneurs in a variety of industries develop business models and plans. Her pilot program workshop on business plan development with the Toronto Public Libraries was recently expanded.

An accomplished equestrian, Caroline led the University of New Hampshire dressage team to win three regional championships and three top 10 national finishes. She has also worked as a volunteer in Equador at the Santa Martha Animal Rescue, helping rehabilitate rescued animals for release.

At Jumpwire Media, Caroline assists in business and data analysis, as well as implementation research, application, and monitoring.

Meredith Simpson

Business & Legal Affairs

Meredith has extensive business and legal affairs experience with a focus on digital media, entertainment and technology. Before joining Jumpwire Media, Meredith was the Director of Business and Legal Affairs at Joost. She has also held positions with Sidley Austin LLP, Pseudo Programs, Comedy Central, Playboy Enterprises, and Sirius Satellite Radio. Throughout her roles with these companies, Meredith has provided innovative legal and business counseling and transactional support playing an active role in implementing multi media business strategies.

Meredith is a Member of the American Bar Association and New York State Bar Association. She lives in New York.

 

Jean-Marie Heimrath

Business Development – Radio

Jean-Marie Heimrath is best known in boardrooms for his leadership as President, General Manager and Executive Producer of Standard Broadcasting’s Sound Source Networks. It was Mr. Heimrath’s guidance and innovation that built and led radio’s entry into the Canadian syndication business as we know it today. He understood and demonstrated the new maturity of the electronic media market in North America and his innovative acquisition and licensing strategies earned him a reputation as the forerunner in setting new market trends for radio in national brand development.

His insight into “new” media as President and General Manager of the broadcasting conglomerate Astral Radio GP’s Orbyt Media has allowed Jean- Marie to most recently launch and build the division into Canada’s largest radio, web and mobile provider and increase sales of program content by 22 percent within the first year.

He is the architect of Astral Media’s exclusive expansion into web, mobile and other emerging technologies for big brand programs and internationally acclaimed and original award- winning productions. He introduced such celebrity content as Ryan Seacrest, David Letterman, Perez Hilton, John Tesh and Jay Leno to radio stations throughout Canada.

He has served on the Board of Iceberg Media and is very active within the community. He also sits on the Advisory Board of The War Child Foundation.

 

Alessandra Cannito

Crossmedia Coordinator

Alessandra is a recent graduate of Ryerson School of Media’s RTA Program where she specialised in audio production and media business management.

With over a decade of experience in the Toronto entertainment industry as an actor, singer, and performer, Alessandra also loves supporting her Toronto sports teams and has had the honour of performing the national anthem at Toronto Blue Jays games, for the National Women’s Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies & Maple Leafs! As well, Alessandra takes great pride in all her charity events including the Easter Seals Foundation, Breast Cancer Foundation, Future Possibilities, The Wings of Hope Foundation, Voices 2012 benefitting MusiCounts, and Habitat for Humanity.

When she’s not performing, Alessandra enjoys engaging audiences to new businesses as a social media manager for multiple startups. She also enjoys coordinating events and has also had involvement in events including the Canadian Walk of Fame, Starwalkers: A Celebrity Tribute to MusiCounts, and Crossmedia Toronto.

Frederik Lesage

Crossmedia Research

Dr Frederik Lesage is a Lecturer in Cultural and Creative Industries
and Digital Humanities at King’s College London and a Visiting
Lecturer at the University of Cambridge in the Screen Media & Cultures
programme. His research specialises in investigating how small to
medium size organizations develop scalable platforms and co-creative
practices for delivering online content. Frederik has presented in
numerous international conferences and his work has been published
widely.