Angie’s List Exec Joins TechPoint Board
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA vice president at Indianapolis-based Angie's List Inc. (Nasdaq: ANGI) has been appointed to the TechPoint board of directors. Shelly Towns is the online consumer review company's vice president of product. She previously served as marketing director and headed an Angie's List re-branding effort in 2010.
March 4, 2014
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – TechPoint, Indiana's technology growth initiative, has appointed Shelly Towns, vice president of product for Angie's List, to its board of directors.
TechPoint Chairman Mark Hill and President and CEO Mike Langellier announced the appointment today and praised Towns for her commitment to helping the nonprofit economic development group be a catalyst for growth and a powerful voice for talent attraction, technology and entrepreneurship in Indiana.
“In providing its service via the web and mobile to more than 2 million members nationwide, Angie’s List is increasingly focusing on technology and expanding its tech talent base. Shelly understands the importance of the IndyX Initiative for attracting, retaining and developing talent and has a passion for advancing our city and state,” Hill said. “Furthermore, we welcome her experience and successes with Angie's List on the national stage, as we strive to replicate those successes not only in TechPoint but also in dozens of other companies across the state.”
“Growing tech companies need talent, promotion and access to capital, mentors/influencers and customers. TechPoint is relentlessly focused on infusing more of those resources into the ecosystem here so that we can create more success stories like Angie's List,” said Langellier. “I look forward to having Shelly and Angie’s List involved.”
Late last year, TechPoint launched a new initiative focused on attracting, retaining and developing tech company talent called IndyX, and Towns served on the advisory committee for the initiative. Comprised of a one-of-a-kind summer internship experience (IndyXtern) and an events, jobs and news program for expats and out-of-towners (IndyXpat), IndyX complements the Orr Fellowship, an affiliated program for new grads which recruits and grooms the next generation of Indiana business leaders and entrepreneurs.
In addition to IndyX, TechPoint also manages the HALO Capital group, which has invested more than $20 million into startups. It also connects the industry together through digital and offline platforms, including the blog at techpoint.org, social media, media relations, and approximately 50 events annually. Lastly, TechPoint catalyzes industry micro-clusters like marketing technology and health IT.
As vice president of product for Angie’s List, Towns is charged with innovation and the end-to-end service experience for more than 2 million members, including mobile and web applications as well as the company’s data and content operations.
Before becoming vice president of product in April last year, Towns worked in marketing for Angie’s List for five years and is credited with the creation and scale of its SEO program, which experienced triple digit new member sales increases each year under her leadership. Towns earned TechPoint’s 2013 Marketing Tech Mira Award for her team’s achievements in this area. As a marketing director, Towns also lead the company’s rebranding effort in 2010, culminating in a national TV and print campaign which helped catapult Angie’s List into a household name.
Before joining the marketing department in 2007, Towns served as a Staff Writer for the Angie’s List Magazine from 2005-2006, where she earned multiple reporting awards from the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists.
Prior to joining Angie’s List, Towns was an editor for Midwest Parenting Publications and the North American Retail Hardware Association. She earned her bachelor of science degree in journalism from Indiana University. Towns lives in Indianapolis with her husband and two young daughters. She volunteers in the local community on behalf of several Angie’s List outreach programs and serves on the planning committee for the annual Jamie Blackwell Loveless golf outing, which raises money and awareness for H1N1.
About TechPoint
TechPoint is Indiana’s technology initiative focused on being a powerful voice for Indiana’s tech sector through marketing and thought leadership, and being a catalyst for strategic growth initiatives – specifically talent attraction, entrepreneurship, and marketing tech and health information technology (HIT) cluster development. For more information, please visit www.techpoint.org.
Source: TechPoint