Michelle P. Kraus, Ph.D.

Expert Witness on Social Media, User Generated Content, and Silicon Valley

Dr. Michelle Kraus is Managing Partner, Technology and Politics – a global strategic advisory and expert witness group specializing in technology, innovation, social media, user generated content, and digital analytics.

Dr. Kraus' tech clients include: Apple, APCO Worldwide, Compaq Computers (HP), Digital Campaigns, Facebook, Fisher-Price Toys, IBM, Maxis (EA), Pearltrees, Quarterdeck, Silicon Valley Bank, Tata Communications, and The Well, among many other tech companies. Her non-profit clients include: the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV), League of Cities, NOW, Planned Parenthood, Sierra Club, TEDx, and the Women's Media Center.

Dr. Kraus is Co-Founder and Board Member of US-ASIA Innovation Gateway that works with delegations from China's top Business Schools and Silicon Valley.

Contact Dr. Kraus by phone at +1(650) 218-5540 or via email at michelle at krausx.com.

Expert Witness Litigation and Digital Strategy Consulting

Dr. Kraus is an expert witness on cases of: defamation and libel over social networks; user generated content including the explosion of video over the Internet; venture capital formation, angel investing, and funding; Silicon Valley white collar crime; software and technology licensing; and copyright.

Dr. Kraus was an expert witness for the US Attorney's office on white collar crime specific to Silicon Valley venture financing and wire/mail fraud.

Working in the new areas of cyber law, Dr. Kraus served as an expert witness for a case of defamation over social networks – addressing the emerging issues of damages association with user-generated content.

She also has advised and worked with law firms on litigation strategy, mediation strategy, and negotiations for Silicon Valley companies.

Dr. Kraus also advises start-ups on IP strategy, protection and valuation.

She developed and taught courses on Open Source Licensing, and is featured in Open Magazine for her expertise.

Digital Media and Analytics

Dr. Kraus was CEO of MagicMaker, one of the earliest digital content studios in Silicon Valley in partnerships with Apple, NetPower, SONY and award winning science fiction writer, Alan Dean Foster.

She has worked with digital and social media efforts for APCO Worldwide involving crisis management and threat assessment.

Dr. Kraus developed the first online advertising programs used in a CA statewide election in 2006 (NOon90).

She also designed, developed and managed an independent expenditure for one of the first Presidential digital campaigns in the 2008 Presidential campaign that used early Google Ad Sense and Ad Words influencing Primary election results.

Dr. Kraus developed one of the first online cause-related campaigns (NotUndertheBus.com) employing again the first use of animation in coordination with the Women's Media Center based in NYC.

Software and Technology Licensing

Dr. Kraus is a software and technology expert in licensing for affiliate, open source and consumer electronics content licensing.

• Prior to 1988 Artificial Intelligence technology licensing in FinTech for Booz Allen Hamilton, Carnegie-Mellon University, Cogensys, Fannie Mae, MGIC, TRW, Wall Street, among others.
• 1988 Quarterdeck: technology licensing for diverse set of products from the Inference Corporation.
• 1988-1992 content licensing across platforms and devices.
• 1988-1992 decision-making software from academic institutions (CMU) funded by government (NSF and DARPA).
• 1992-1994 Apple: productivity apps; media apps; utility apps and children’s software. Multiple platforms and media. Feature analysis. Pricing.
• 1994-1996 Avantos: productivity apps; cross platforms; complex distribution.
• 1994-1996 Sony: entertainment products; new handheld devices; complex royalty sharing.
• 1994-1996 Compaq: entertainment products; new handheld devices; complex royalty sharing; foreign government licensing and funding.
• 1994-1996 Fisher Price: device and content licensing across new platforms.
• 1994 Norton: utility apps; multiple platforms; international subsidiaries.
• 1995-1996 Maxis: gaming products; multiple platforms; international subsidiaries.
• 1995-1997 MagicMaker: complex entertainment and media products; multiple platforms; royalty sharing.
• 1996-1997 licensing for former Microsoft Word developer to third parties.
• 1997-1999 SWMC: edutainment products; large franchise royalty sharing; distribution sharing; and one of the first content licenses for social network with the NFL.
• 1998-2005 OpenSales, VA Linux Systems, and others: source licensing.
• 2001-2008 complex data licensing for distribution on CRM applications platforms; handheld devices and multiple telecom carriers particularly T-Mobile and Nextel.
• 2011-2012 advisor to payment and social giving apps; handheld devices and multiple telecom carriers.
• 2010-2013 advisor on broad spectrum of mobile apps.
• 2013 advisor to public safety app across telecom carriers, consumer electronic devices yielding voice, photographs and video.

She was the CEO of Digital Campaigns, the first technology-based analytics and outreach platform for political and non-profit campaigns. She helped pioneer the development of standards for voter outreach and their underlying analytics. She then took both the national organizations of Planned Parenthood of America and the Sierra Club online, and developed their strategies for their first use of digital content.

Dr. Kraus was Co-Founder and CEO of Carbon Tracing providing real-time trusted data for the trading of carbon commodities, and endorsed by many of the leaders in the clean tech arena.

Dr. Kraus was CEO of OpenSales that developed Linux-based solutions for e-commerce and e-warehousing of goods and services modeled after a clean room version of the landmark company, e-Toys. Michelle developed partnerships with VA Linux Systems and Red Hat Software.

Dr. Kraus was public company turnaround CEO of Sanctuary Woods Multimedia Corporation (SWMC). She oversaw the integration of multiple companies in multiple countries and the transfer from the Canadian Stock Exchange to the NYSE. SWMC became the leader in educational software arena with partnerships with the NFL and MLB that launched one of the first social networks in the industry.

Dr. Kraus advises developers all over the world including those from Asia, Israel and Europe. She consulted at Apple to develop a worldwide developer portfolio yielding over thousand developers with over ten licensed affiliate label products published by their subsidiary Claris.

Dr. Kraus was strategic advisor for Chris Kelly's CA Attorney General race. Kelly was formerly the founding Chief Privacy Officer of Facebook for over 5 years.

Dr. Kraus is currently an advisor to Waywire, the video curation platform for user generated content and organizations like TEDx.

She was Chief Marketing Officer to BIA, a leader in the legal tech and eDiscovery arena where she advised the founders and management team on their new and innovative web-based eDiscovery solution, better known as TotalDiscovery.com.

Dr. Kraus currently serves on the Board of Directors of SheHeroes – a nonprofit dedicated to expanding career options for young girls (8 to 13 years old) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Dr. Kraus is a Member of the National Advisory Council on STEM at the request of Silicon Valley former Congressman Mike Honda.

Dr. Kraus advised on the creation of multiple TEDx programs in Silicon Valley. She also was an advisor to Singularity University in technology, privacy and social venture (2012) when the first social drone venture was launched – Matternet, and continues to add insight to the various start-ups, programs and tracks.

She has over 100 publications and has given many lectures at conferences and companies.

Education, Teaching and Publications

Michelle received her B.A. with honors from Douglass College, Rutgers University; her M.A. from the University of Michigan where she was a Horace Rackham Scholar; and her Ph.D. in from Carnegie-Mellon University where she was funded both by Carnegie and Rockefeller. She has taught at Rutgers University, the University of Michigan, and more recently at Singularity University.