Friendly Experts
Minds + Machines is run by an experienced team of people who together have launched or helped launch over 20 top-level domains, with business models ranging from small community TLDs to large commercial enterprises. We’ve also owned and operated ICANN-accredited registrars, managed reseller channels, developed domain name systems software, overseen global DNS rollouts, and practically anything you could think of when it comes to domain names.
Antony Van Couvering, CEO
Antony Van Couvering has been working with domain names and Internet infrastructure since 1996. He has played a substantial role in Internet governance issues and acted as a consultant to many of the world’s top companies. He has founded and run several companies, beginning with NetNames USA, the first firm to handle the domain name needs of larger companies, which he sold in 1999 to Group NBT (AIM: NBT) after helping launch several country-code top-level domains and assisting many others. In 2000, Antony founded NameEngine, began working with many of America’s top companies and intellectual property law firms, and pioneered the corporate domain name services model still in use today. He sold NameEngine to VeriSign (NASDAQ: VRSN) in 2001, and helped VeriSign with strategy, marketing and software design until 2004. Until recently, he operated Names@Work, a consulting company specializing in domain names and the Internet-related areas of financial services and literary publishing. He helped found Minds + Machines in 2009 to provide a low-cost, full-service alternative to existing registry options. Originally from Los Angeles, Antony grew up in England and Kenya. He has a B.A. from Columbia in comparative literature and lives in New York City.
Elaine Pruis, VP of Client Services
Elaine Pruis has been working in the domain industry since 2001, when she began providing support for the .CX (Christmas Island) registry. Over the last seven years, she has worked with three iterations of registry systems for the Council of Country Code Administrators (CoCCA), moving into liaison and support services for 150 registrars and 20 ccTLDs using the CoCCA system. Elaine is a seasoned guest speaker at domain industry conferences: at ICANN and regional TLD meetings she has presented the CoCCA tool and model to TLD operators considering registry system options and has grown the CoCCA membership list to over 25 ccTLD members. Elaine is a veteran of TLD launches, sunrises, migrations and day-to-day registry operations. She specializes in teaching new users to manage their top-level domains using the Espresso registry system and providing ongoing support. Elaine lives near the Cascade Mountains in the state of Washington.
Clark Landry, VP of Business Development
Clark Landry has co-founded and provided seed capital for seven successful Internet companies including Flux (sold to Viacom), Adconion (voted top venture-backed company in Europe in 2008), Traffic Marketplace (sold to Vivendi Universal), and CityMommy. Clark is a co-founder of Dot Eco LLC, which will be applying for the .ECO top-level domain, which is dedicated to promoting positive environmental change, backed by Al Gore, the Alliance for Climate Protection, the Sierra Club, Surfrider, and the Scripps Oceanographic Institute. Originally from Virginia, Clark holds a BA in Economics from Yale University and makes his home in Los Angeles.
Minor Childers, Director of Business Development
Minor comes to Minds + Machines from a marketing background and a long and successful career as a producer in the movie industry. Minor put together the backing, resources, and community support for .ECO and other upcoming Minds + Machines clients. In addition to his business development work, Minor also manages all the video production for Minds + Machines. Minor began his career at Paramount Pictures as Executive Story Editor for Alan Ladd Jr.’s Braveheart. Subsequently, he moved to DreamWorks, where Spielberg’s office paired him with Director Brad Silberling for City of Angels. With Silberling, Minor worked intensively in development, TV, and feature production, and produced Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events. In recent years, Minor has turned his focus to producing impactful, socially-conscious films, such as the National Endowment for the Arts documentary Operation Homecoming — a revealing look at a creative writing program for U.S. troops and their families, which was placed in the Library of Congress; My Suicide, a teen suicide prevention film; and Morning, a feature film on the grief and healing of parents after the loss of a child. Minor hails from Kentucky and makes his home in in Los Angeles.
Robin Jonas, Director of Corporate Partnerships
Robin Jonas has been working in the film business for twenty years. Most recently, she oversaw business for the multimillion-dollar Tig Productions and Treehouse Films –- including development, production, film finance, acquisitions and marketing, as well as leading the development and production of television series and online/multiplatform content. Ms. Jonas has worked on over 300 feature films, in many capacities, at several major film companies, including Miramax Films, Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures. Robin grew up on the East Coast and attended school at Boston University. She has been a nationally-ranked ski racing champion in giant slalom, was named to the Who’s Who In America, is a member of the Women In Film Society, and serves on the board of The World Is Just a Book Away. Robin lives and works in Los Angeles.
Ilona Margolis, Director of International Business
Ilona Margolis has owned and operated nine companies, in a wide range of areas in different countries, including the popular Living Room Coffee Shop in Los Angeles (pre-Starbucks). Her ventures have led to deep contacts with international business leaders and government officials. Most recently, in Bangkok, Thailand, she co-developed and sold an international biotech company and a real estate development company. Ilona attended the University of Southern California and travels extensively. She is currently based in Los Angeles.
Caspar von Veltheim, Director of Minds + Machines Germany
Caspar von Veltheim studied film-production at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin. Prior to this he received a BA in Business Studies and Film & Television at Roehampton University in London. Caspar has worked for production companies in Germany, the UK and the United States. After working at NBC Universal Global Networks in Germany, he created his own Internet marketing and consultancy business. Caspar is based in Munich, in Bavaria.
Levente (Levi) Ferencz, Accounting Manager
Levi began working working in the domain name industry in 2000 when he started at NameEngine Inc. as an accountant. He continued his career at VeriSign as a financial analyst, project manager and most recently at Melbourne IT as registry relations manager. During his career he has managed several domain name related projects ranging from registry/registrar account consolidations to portfolio audits and new TLD (top level domain) launches. His experience includes: accounting, international payments, project management and digital brand (domain name) portfolio management. Originally hailing from Romanian Transylvania, Levi is fluent in Hungarian, Romanian, and photography. Levi is based in New York City.
