User:Mflynn12/Gunnar Larson

Gunnar Larson (born Lewiston, Idaho, in June 3, 1985) is an American journalist, entrepreneur and former executive producer of UN Webcast. He is theCEO and founder of NetworkGlobal [1] Companies. Early Life and Education

Larson was born in Lewiston, Idaho and raised in rural Culdesac, Idaho.It wasn’t until his teens that his family first got cable and he immediately fell in love with the world of broadcasting.In 2001, with dreams of becoming a journalist, Larson became a writer and editor of his school newspaper, The Wolves Domain. Known for his controversial writing style and forward thinking ideals, he quickly began to make a name for himself within the newspaper being delivered to every household in the Culdesac School, District #342.

To make extra money, Larson, like many teens, began mowing lawns. Showing an early passion for entrepreneurship he capitalized upon this venture, hiring two employees and growing his business to over 40 lawns while still in high school. In 2003, at the end of his senior year, Larson’s extracurricular and academic achievements earned him a college scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation [2] and the Al Neuharth Freedom Forum Scholarship [3] for journalistic excellence.

Prior to starting his freshman year at the College of Idaho [4], Larson worked as a state officer and reporter for the Idaho 4-H Association [5]. It was there that he met then-Congressman and former College of Idaho alum, C.L. “Butch” Otter [6], who offered him an internship opportunity in Washington D.C for the summer of 2003.

Upon arriving back to Idaho to begin his studies as a history major and journalism minor, Larson also began working as a production assistant at KIVI-TV [7], where he was able to climb the ranks from teleprompter operator to special assignment reporter.

In 2004, at the conclusion of his freshman year, Larson was awarded The International Radio and Television Society Minority Career Workshop Scholarship [8], which provided an all expense paid trip to New York City. It was at the workshop that he met a recruiter from NBC who offered him an internship with Vice President of NBC News Elena Nachmanoff and NGC’s then Vice President of Talent, Olivia Metzger.

in 2005 Larson applied to become a student on the Semester at Sea [9] program. With Metzker and the College of Idaho in his corner, he was able to take school camera and editing equipment with him on his trip and become an international contributor to MSNBC-TV and MSNBC.com.

One winter night in severe weather, the ship started to take on water off the coast of Alaska. As life vests were put on, and traditional Maritime Law started separating the men from the women, Larson videotaped and filed a first-hand news report that quickly drew worldwide attention on MSNBC.

After his first world-tour, he circumnavigated the globe two more times exploring every continent except Antarctica. In 2007 he finished his journalism degree at Australia’s prestigious Bond University [10] where he expanded his studies to include International Relations. Career

In 2006, Larson returned to New York City working as the nighttime assignment editor for Times Warner’s NY1 News [11]. A few months later, he left to study in Nacosia, Cyprus, where he developed a strong interest in the work of the United Nations. Larson returned to New York and began working as a volunteer for the UN, eventually becoming the executive producer of UN Webcast in 2007, working on creative development projects for the Global Body such as the Audio Visual Library of International Law. Larson left the UN after launching the online creative for Secretary-General Ban ki Moon’s international campaign on Human Resource Reform. In the summer of 2007, he launched NetworkGlobal.tv, an advertiser-supported online media company. Comprised of several different sites, including Broadway.tv, OZtralia.tv, Red Carpet Network (RCN.tv), Foods.tv, and BodyArchitect.tv, he quickly gathered a growing fan-base, drawing millions of video streams a month.

In 2009, Larson expanded his reach to the world of fashion, launching the Virtu fitness apparel line. The Shop at Equinox, was the first to carry Virtu. When Bloomingdale’s entered the fitness apparel market, Virtue became a charter brand at the company’s flagship store on 59th Street. Today, the clothing line has its own store in Herald Square and continues to manufacture all of its goods in the heart of Manhattan.

The success of Virtu as a retail operation inspired Larson to contact Jeff Baker, creator of Canine Caviar [12], the all-natural, holistic pet foods. While the company sold through veterinarians, in boutiques, and online, it had yet to expand into its own, fully branded retail presence. In 2010 when a coveted retail location, adjacent to the entrance of Whole Foods Market at New York’s Time Warner Center opened up, Larson added Canine Caviar as the newest member of the NetworkGlobal family.Philanthropy through NetworkGlobal, Larson recently announced what will become Australia’s most prestigious journalism scholarship program: a full-tuition to his alma mater, Bond University.

Links:

Gunnar Larson, CEO of NetworkGlobal Companies:

Finalist, Most Passionate CEO in the US, by Vistage, World's leading Chief Executive Organization http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vistage-announces-winners-of-2011-member-leadership-awards-133817383.html

BackStage.com - Hollywood Reporter Story http://blogstage.backstage.com/2009/07/broadway-now-with-more-famous-people.html

MSNBC, Freelance International Contributor http://video.app.msn.com/watch/video/students-scary-ship-ride/6cuzo9n

PressReleaseSpider.com http://www.pressreleasespider.com/feed15312.aspx

BroadwayWorld.com http://broadwayworld.com/people/Gunnar-Larson/

Getty Images http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/judges-gunnar-larson-duncan-stewart-and-arne-gunderson-news-photo/122956010

AP News Wire http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-72990734.html

Broadway's American Idol http://observer.com/2011/09/broadways-american-idol-in-search-of-the-next-broadway-star/

Ad Tech http://blog.openx.org/11/spreadin-the-openx-news-at-adtech-ny/

Gates Foundation http://www.gmsalumni.org/gunnar-larson.html

Vital Spy http://vitaljuice.com/agenda_detail/nyc/1818

LinkdIN http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=16896604&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=pBJA&locale=en_US&srchid=5c86a77b-a430-4e32-bf42-40b6680e8518-0&srchindex=1&srchtotal=9&goback=%2Efps_PBCK_*1_Gunnar_Larson_*1_*1_*1_*1_*2_*1_Y_*1_*1_*1_false_1_R_*1_*51_*1_*51_true_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2&pvs=ps&trk=pp_profile_name_link

"Media Moguls" by Bond University http://issuu.com/bonduniversity/docs/thearchsummer2010

BlogAbroad Correspondent (mentions MSNBC) http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/04/prweb375267.htm

Al Neuharth (founder of USA Today) Freedom Forum Scholar http://freespirit.org/2011/12/28/0203/

First Vote, Idaho Public Television (19 Years Old) http://idahoptv.org/elections/2004/firstvote/about.cfm

Mobileze.org Speaker http://mobilize.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Target-2020-Summit-Guide-Final.pdf

Leaving Cyprus For New York http://www.globalsemesters.com/gunnar-larson-blog.html

Go Ahead, Be Crazy http://www.globalsemesters.com/Go-Ahead.html

Bond University Notable Alumni http://everything.explained.at/Bond_University/

Bond Alumni Feature http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxVZk0MsAJI&list=PLA86547C2812F4FD9&index=15&feature=plpp_video

Bio: http://www.networkglobal.tv/About.html

RCN App Launch http://www.computeruser.com/pressreleases/networkglobal-rolls-out-hollywoods-red-carpet-to-the-iphone-and-ipad.html

Bond University, OZtralia.tv Launch http://enews.bond.edu.au/link/id/a1a209977abda953f4aa/page.html#3241112673b1357ddbf2

Launch of Broadway.tv http://enews.bond.edu.au/link/id/a1970d0d18731cf32f8dP51c3a933cec35cc952ec/page.html?extra=fe40f64ebe0d0a3d882f

NetworkGlobal, Streaming UN General Assembly for First Time http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/networkglobal-to-stream-the-2010-un-general-assembly-live-on-the-iphone-and-ipad-103269929.html