From the Founder
With today’s astounding digital technology, it’s easier and more convenient than ever before to enjoy and share digital media. Personal media entertainment is everywhere—on your TV, your computer, your mobile phone—and tomorrow on devices that haven’t even been dreamt of yet.
The experience that fueled the birth of iMemories was over ten years ago when I saw first-hand the power of combining video and pictures and the deeply personal memories contained within them. Armed with tools that by today’s standards would be the equivalent of using a typewriter vs. an iMac, I created a movie to celebrate our business’ success with all employees. Transferring pictures and video to digital, editing each frame by hand, then assembling the right moments in order and combining with a soundtrack took months. The ten minutes of sharing this movie and watching everyone’s reaction though, was worth the investment fifty times over.
Ten years later, the desire to preserve the precious memories and priceless moments people love is still a family goal, but is seen as an intimidating and arduous task. The fact that Mother Nature has compounded the problems of deteriorating film and video over that same time has heighted the need take action, but many are still confused on where to start. That’s why iMemories has stepped forward to create a solution while making the process hassle-free, safe and fun! Armed with this knowledge, plus feedback and insight from over 5,000 families we’ve had the privilege to work with, iMemories launched the first-of-its-kind Online Home Movie Experience that will help you connect with your loved ones and share your most precious moments.
Success begins with a dream. Walt Disney dreamt big and made his dreams come true. But he cautioned, it’s more than just “wishing upon a star,” rather, it’s a combination of vision, planning and the hard work of those you trust to join the cause. The entire iMemories team shares a dream of becoming the world’s most recognized and trusted company for “online video sharing of family memories” and is dedicated to making this dream come true.
Some might assume that video conversion is purely a technology business, but like Disney, we rely on people that understand customer service and entertainment. iMemories has the film and video industry knowledge, customer centric savvy people who are in the business of making people happy, and the right amount of technology assembled to address this massive market need. Everyone at iMemories is dedicated to the vision of preserving memories and allowing our customers to cherish life’s most precious moments. And we all agree with Walt’s assessment of chasing a dream. Walt said, “Everybody can make their dreams come true. First it takes a dream… unwavering faith in it… and hard work. But that’s not quite true because the best dreams are so much fun you hardly realize it’s work.”
iMemories believes your family videos and photos, both old and new, should be the biggest part of the modern digital media entertainment experience. After all, there’s nothing more fun and nostalgic than watching family videos or photo slideshows, where you and your loved ones are the star of the show.
Our whole business is built around helping you share wonderful moments and connect with the people you love. It’s a mission that makes us feel great and drives us to do everything we do better—from the perfect blend of technology and creativity to personalized customer service. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or a long-standing customer, we’re glad you’re here. We look forward to helping you transform your memories into moments you can treasure for a lifetime!
Sincerely,
Mark Rukavina
Founder & CEO
iMemories
About Mark Rukavina
Mark Rukavina, founder and chief executive officer of iMemories, is a veteran entrepreneur with a knack for figuring out what customers want and how to give it to them. Since 1992, Mark has created three high-growth technology companies from the ground up. And in each enterprise, he developed fresh, unique solutions to longstanding challenges.
Mark’s business acumen enables him to organically create brands that customers love and trust. He’s a business strategist and technology innovator with an impressive track record in attracting high-profile partners and investors.
In his first entrepreneurial venture, Mark was co-owner and chief operating officer of Mastering Computers. Formed in 1992, the company grew to become the nation’s largest provider of training seminars on Microsoft’s Windows operating system. Publicly traded on NASDAQ, Mastering Computers had 750 employees when it was sold to Platinum Technology in 1998.
KnowledgeNet, Mark’s second technology startup grew to become the third largest e-learning provider in the world when it was sold to Thomson Corp. in 2004. With 350 employees, KnowledgeNet provided innovative online corporate IT and business skills training. As co-founder and chief operating officer, Mark led the company’s successful effort to raise more than $84 million in venture funding. High-profile investors included blue-chip venture capital firms Sierra Ventures, Morgenthaler Ventures and Trinity Ventures, as well as Cisco Systems and General Motors.
Early in 2006, Mark’s entrepreneurial journey brought him to the creation of iMemories, a new media social entertainment company. iMemories is the leader in online home movie sharing for families, transforming the way people connect and experience personal motion picture memories. iMemories provides high quality products and world class services that make it easy, convenient and fun for consumers to preserve their home videos digitally - allowing them to enjoy and share home videos online, on DVD and on mobile devices.
In 2001, Ernst & Young recognized Mark as Arizona Entrepreneur of the Year for e-business. He holds a bachelor of science degree in marketing from Arizona State University, which awarded him its Spirit of Enterprise award in 2001.