Gary Frenkel Named Senior Vice President, Digital Products & Communities for Participant Media’s TakePart

Gary Frenkel has been appointed Senior Vice President, Digital Products & Communities for TakePart, the digital arm of Participant Media, it was announced today by Christopher Gebhardt, Participant’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of TakePart. In this newly-created position, Gary will oversee product development, user experience, and community formation and activation activities. “Gary has a unique set of skills at the confluence of social media and digital content, which is at the heart of sustained social engagement. Our goal for TakePart is to turn content into action and action into sustained engagement,” said Gebhardt. Prior to TakePart, Gary spent five years at Fox Interactive Media (FIM.) Gary was the primary program manager for launching Google’s search and text advertising services across FIM’s network of properties (including MySpace), as well as the integration of all display advertising products for FAN’s network of 800+ digital publishers. He eventually rose to SVP in FAN’s product and technology division, and added leadership of the user experience and quality assurance teams to his responsibilities. From 2002-2005, Gary was Executive Producer of College Sports Television’s digital properties where he managed the technical team and launched the first March Madness On Demand subscription video product. Gary began his digital career with the San Francisco Giants, where he created and managed the team’s website for five seasons. Gary is originally from New York City, a graduate of Oberlin College, and a former Teach For America corps member. TakePart (TakePart.com) is the digital division and online Social Action Network of Participant Media, an entertainment company that focuses on documentary and narrative feature films, television, publishing and digital content about the real issues that shape our lives. For each of its projects, Participant creates social action and advocacy programs to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Founded by Chairman Jeff Skoll in 2004, Jim Berk serves as CEO and Ricky Strauss as President. Participant’s films include The Kite Runner, Charlie Wilson’s War, An Inconvenient Truth, Good Night, and Good Luck, The Visitor, Food, Inc., The Cove, The Crazies, Countdown to Zero, Waiting for “Superman,” Fair Game, PAGE ONE: Inside The New York Times, The Help andContagion.