MENLO PARK, Calif., June 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Wikia, Inc., the leading
site for developing and hosting community-based wikis, today announced that
Gil Penchina, an eight-year veteran of eBay, has agreed to join the company
as chief executive officer, to help Wikia build the richest guides and
content around topics in which internet users are passionately interested.
Currently Wikia's guides cover areas as diverse as technology product
reviews, movie guides, pet care and popular video game content.
"Gil brings to Wikia a deep understanding of consumer internet business
and respect for the power of human online communities," said Jimmy Wales,
founder of Wikipedia and chairman of Wikia. "We look forward to working
with Gil as we expand the company, enhance our online community offerings,
and guide Wikia through this explosive growth phase."
Mr. Penchina comes to Wikia from eBay where he served in a number of
executive positions, including regional VP roles in Europe and Asia and as
a general manager in the US. A native of Amherst, Massachusetts, Penchina
holds a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and an
M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Business.
"Gil's experience from the early days of eBay, one of the world's most
thriving Internet communities, gives him a unique understanding of the key
ingredients for online community success," said Jeremy Levine, Wikia's
board member from Bessemer Venture Partners. "We are excited about the
leadership and vision he brings to Wikia, its employees, customers and
online communities."
About Wikia, Inc.
Since the site's launch in November 2004, over 1,200 Wikia have been
created and edited by over 20,000 registered users. Wikia are already
available in over 40 languages. A list of Wikia can be seen at
http://www.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Wikia. Wikia already hosts some of the
world's largest wikis outside of Wikipedia including:
http://lost.wikia.com, a fan site for the Lost TV show;
http://starwars.wikia.com, a community devoted to Star Wars fans, and
hundreds more including topics ranging from politics to pets.
Wikia enables groups to share information, news, stories, media and
opinions that fall outside the scope of an encyclopedia. Jimmy Wales and
Angela Beesley launched Wikia in 2004 to provide community-based wikis
inspired by the model of Wikipedia -- the free, open source encyclopedia
founded by Jimmy Wales.
Wikia is committed to openness, inviting anyone to contribute web
content. Authors retain their own copyrights and allow others to freely
reuse their content under the GNU Free Documentation License, allowing
widespread distribution of knowledge and ideas.
SOURCE Wikia, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Wikia
CONTACT:
Angela Beesley of Wikia, Inc.,
angela@wikia.com
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