NewsNotes A lu m n i P ro f i l e
Jeffrey Hyman ’89 Social Game Changers
Jeffrey Hyman’ 89 has teamed up with legendary Silicon Valley investor Rick Thompson to found Idle Games. In the wake of popular Facebook games like Farmville, Jeff hopes to offer Internet users a better social game. According to Jeff, “Idle Games believes that Facebook games could and should be something more. More entertaining, actually social, better looking and most importantly...more fun.”
Kevin O’Hearn and his family are living in Hong Kong. He is the vice president of sales for FedEx Express in Asia.
1987 • Last May Sanjay Dholakia became CEO of Crowd Factory, a San Francisco-based social marketing company that powers brands like HBO, McAfee, Nielsen and Sony. Sanjay was also elected to Webb’s Board of Trustees in October. Ken-ryu Han and his wife, Michelle, have been in Phoenix since 2004 with their four children: Addison, 5, and triplet boys, Chayce, Evan, and Greyson, now 3 years old. Josh Saltman is excited about his new venture, Vodvil, an upscale entertainment concept in Los Angeles on Fairfax. Vodvil will open in May and features themed “game nights,” food, drinks, karaoke, and private party rooms. Find out more at www.vodvil-la.com, or email Josh at josh@vodvil-la.com.
66 James Sun passed the UCLA Theta Chi torch from one Webb ASB President to another, Matt Abrams ’10.
For the last two years, Idle Games has been busy creating its first title “Idle Worship.” Set in a fantasy world reminiscent of the works of Dr. Seuss, Idle Worship is a massively multiplayer, ‘polytheistic’ god game where all players are gods vying for the belief and worship of their minions, friends and strangers.
1989 • David Barra and his wife, Heather, welcomed Cole David Barra on May 25, 2010. The little bundle of joy was 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 21.5” long. He joins his sister, Keila, 9, and brother, Kai, 8.
Idle Games currently has 48 employees with team members coming from some of the most successful and innovative companies in the industry, including LucasArts, Dreamworks Interactive, Sony, Apple, Adobe, IMVU, Linden Labs, Netscape, BEA, Current TV, and many others. Jeff is co-founder, CEO and the executive creative director of Idle Games. Prior to co-founding Idle Games, he spent the last decade leading his own highly successful interactive advertising agency, where he produced numerous commercials and interactive campaigns. His work has been recognized more than 15 times by the CLIOS, Cannes Lions, One Show and National Addys.
1990 • In July, Raj Dayalan transferred to the New York office of UBS Investment Bank. As executive director of TMT Investment Banking, he travels extensively but enjoys the change. Raj was disappointed to miss the 20th reunion, but he caught up with Hewitt Pratt at the New York holiday mixer in December.