Startup founder, entrepreneur & author
J.D. Lasica is a startup founder, entrepreneur, author, public speaker and new media pioneer. He spoke at the United Nations in 2012 about how to use social media to combat global poverty, and he has given talks on four continents as well as Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Princeton and Cannes. He lives in Palmas del Mar, Puerto Rico.
- JD is co-founder of Amberfi, a new venture in the Web3 space.
- He is president of the Artists & Creatives Foundation, a Panama-based nonprofit seeking to support creatives’ livelihoods.
- JD is also co-founder of the tech startup Authors A.I., which uses artificial technology to help authors write better books. Its sister site, BingeBooks, is a new book recommendation engine and online community for book lovers.
- He writes both nonfiction and fiction. His book Beat the Coronavirus was released in May 2020, co-authored by an ER doctor with the Yale University School of Medicine.
- His high-tech thriller Biohack reached #1 in five Amazon categories (2018). Catch and Kill (March 2019) was a Hot New Release in 11 Amazon categories. Firefall, released in November 2023, has garnered mostly five-star reviews.
- He also co-founded Cruiseable, a cruise vacation startup that is bringing innovation to the travel industry.
- JD founded Inside Social Media (formerly Socialmedia.biz) for brands in 2004 and Socialbrite, a social media learning hub for nonprofits.
- His acclaimed book Darknet (John Wiley & Sons, 2005) explored emerging media, and he wrote three books for the Aspen Institute.
- He co-founded Ourmedia.org, the world’s first free video hosting and sharing site, in March 2005 — six weeks before YouTube debuted.
- As a columnist for several magazines, JD also wrote several early groundbreaking articles about citizen journalism.
JD Lasica’s thrillers Biohack, Catch and Kill and Firefall.
Business: BingeBooks & Authors A.I.
• BingeBooks is the community site for book lovers — built by authors.
• Marlowe, our artificial intelligence, will provide a full-color 26-page analysis of your manuscript in under 10 minutes.
JD’s drone capture of Windstar Cruises’ Wind Surf, March 2017.
Business: Cruiseable
Cruiseable is here to help people discover, plan and book the perfect cruise vacation.
Social networks
Speaking
- United Nations
- Cannes Film Festival
- Harvard’s Berkman Center
- Stanford University
- MIT
- Princeton University
- Institute for the Future
- Participatory Academy, Sweden
- International Citizen Reporters’ Forum, Seoul
- SXSW Interactive (3 times)
- Digital Hollywood (3 times)
- Digital Storytelling Festival
- see full list of appearances
Affiliations
- Aspen Institute (3 roundtables)
- Intel Advisors
- Traveling Geeks, organizer
- Tech for Engagement, MIT
- Judge, HULT SF Prize competition
- Macworld Faculty alumnus
- Instructor, Poynter Institute’s News University
- Instructor, Knight Digital Media Center
- Contributor, Huffington Post
- First guest blogger, Participant Media
- Senior fellow, SNCR.org
- Co-organizer, Internet Freedom international conference
- Co-founder, Social Media Breakfast – East Bay
- Presenter, CharityHowTo
- Fellow, Center for Social Media
- Alumnus, Squaw Valley Community of Writers
- Advisor, Center for Citizen Media
Accolades
- Named one of Top 40 Silicon Valley influencers
- Named to Top 100 Influencers in Social Media (#38)
- Named one of CNET Top 100 Media Bloggers
- Power Player in Technology Business Media, OnMobile
- Creative Commons Commoner of Month
- Open Media 100 (AlwaysOn)
- Winner, Knight News Challenge
Quoted in news media
- New York Times
- NPR: All Things Considered, Talk of the Nation & On the Media (guest twice)
- PBS.org’s Online NewsHour
- Washington Post
- TechCrunch
- Forbes
- Business Week
- Associated Press
- Minnesota Public Radio
- Le Monde
- Foreign Policy Magazine
- MSNBC (on-air appearance)
- “Attack of the Show” interview (2005)
- LA Times
- Christian Science Monitor
- Bloomberg Radio
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- La Nación (Argentina)
- countless blogs & podcasts
Get in touch
