18(a) Describe the mission/purpose of your proposed gTLD

Prototypical answer:

Dot-Golf LLC
Question 18A

Dot-Golf (.Golf) is a new top-level domain for the global game of golf. Dot-Golf LLC’s mission is to provide a meaningful domain name alternative and to develop, promote and support valuable services and initiatives for golf businesses, organizations, players and fans around the world. The integrity and spirit of golf is of great importance to us, and we intend to promote innovation in the .Golf domain, while developing the space in a way that is respectful and consistent with the tradition of the game of golf, one that has been built for over 500 years.

In that spirit, Dot-Golf LLC is uniquely positioned to create partnerships with the governing bodies of the amateur and professional games. CEO David V. Smith has long-standing relationships with the governing bodies of golf in both the amateur and professional arenas, and intends to utilize these relationships in a constructive way that benefits the existing golf world and the development of the .Golf TLD.

In addition, Dot-Golf LLC is committed to developing .Golf globally, not only in traditional markets such as the U.S. and Western Europe, but in developing golf marketplaces that would include Asia, Eastern Europe and more. We also plan to use our knowledge and expertise, while working with established golf organizations to develop technology, services and programs in the spirit and tradition of golf.

Dot-Golf LLC has developed a strong, diverse and well-rounded team to operate the .Golf registry. Descriptions of our core team are given below. Additional information on our team, partners, consultants and service providers can be found in Question 18B.

.GOLF TEAM

David V. Smith is the CEO of Dot-Golf LLC. Mr. Smith has served a lifetime in various aspects of the Golf Industry. His career began in 1976 in England when he was admitted to the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) and pursued a successful career with tournament victories in the United Kingdom, Greece, France and Africa. In 1981, Mr. Smith emigrated to the United States and focused his talents in the business of golf. Over a ten year period he served in management positions at some of the most prestigious Country Clubs in the United States and coached the UCLA Golf Team to a National Championship in 1988.

Mr. Smith also launched Golf Projects International (GPI) in 1990. GPI is a renowned Golf Course Development, Marketing and Management Company with offices in Los Angeles, London and Seoul. Over the past twenty years GPI has developed more than 40 projects in 11 countries. Dot-Golf LLC will also benefit from Mr. Smith’s ongoing professional relationships with Golf.com, Golf Magazine, Golf Digest and the Golf Channel. GPI has a worldwide client base, and looks to utilize the network and resources gathered for over 30 years in the industry to optimize the potential of .Golf.

Junseong Hwang is the CEO of Dot-Golf Asia and Managing Director Asia Pacific for Dot-Golf LLC. Mr. Hwang is the founder and CEO of Claire Corporation, producing environmentally friendly mobile energy solutions, and is a leader in energy saving business. He has a proven executive management track record and over 25 years of experience driving sales growth in technology industries.

Prior to founding Claire Corporation, Mr. Hwang was Chief Executive Officer of Total Technology Company Limited, a joint venture company of Thomson Multimedia, responsible for all business activities in Korea and became the first Executive Entrepreneur of the company in Asia. Mr. Hwang earned a BS degree at Ajou University in Industrial Engineering, and participated in the Advanced Management Program at Yonsei University and the Executive Management Program in Seoul National University.

Edward L. White is the CFO of Dot-Golf LLC. Mr. White is the founding and Senior Partner of Edward White & Co., LLP, Certified Public Accountants. He is a CPA in the state of California, member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, has a Certification in Financial Forensics and a MBA from the University of Southern California.

Edward White & Co., LLP has practiced in the Los Angeles area since 1976, and provides a full range of services to a multinational client base. The Firm is peer reviewed and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Clients are in the technology, real estate, entertainment, manufacturing, distribution, oil and gas, service, government and not- for-profit industries. The Firm’s personnel have also acquired experience while functioning as partners or in other senior positions at Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte & Touche, and Arthur Andersen LLP.

Shane Naughton is the CTO of Dot-Golf LLC. Mr. Naughton is a seasoned technology entrepreneur based in New York City. He has founded a number of technology companies over the past decade, and advises various technology start-up initiatives. Most notably, Shane co-founded and became CTO of TaxStream LLC in 2000. The company rapidly grew to become the #1 software provider in the space, and in 2008, Shane and his partners sold TaxStream to Thomson Reuters. Shane is also a co-founder of ARMTech, a company focused on building solutions to improve upon financial disclosure processes of publicly traded companies. Shane earned his B.A. and M.A. in Computer Science from Trinity College Dublin, and was awarded a gold medal for academic excellence.

Jaeyul You is an Asia Pacific Director for Dot-Golf LLC. Mr. You founded Joil Engineering & Construction in 2003 and currently serves as Chairman. He has extensive experience constructing clubhouses in the most prestigious Country Clubs in Korea. Previously, Mr. You was the CEO of Sansung Country Club, which is now Castlex-Seoul Country Club in Seoul, Korea. Mr. You also served as Chairman of the Korea Gymnastic Association from 2005-2009 and as Honorary Counsel of the Republic of Peru to Korea from 1996-1998. He holds a PhD from Trinity College in Indiana and has a certification from the Wharton-KMA CEO Institute.

Dr. Dennis Jennings is a Member of the Board of Directors for Dot-Golf LLC. Dr. Jennings is the former Vice-Chairman of the ICANN Board of Directors, where he also has contributed to board governance and the IDN Variant Issues Project. He has priorly served on the boards of a number of startup and venture capital companies. Dr. Jennings oversaw the startup and management of the .IE top level domain while at University College Dublin in the 1990s, where he earlier received Ph.D. and B.Sc degrees. Dr. Jennings was an integral part of a team of Internet pioneers in the 1980s, working for the US National Science Foundation on the NSFnet, which would later evolve into the Internet. He currently resides with his family in Dublin.

John Toland is the Director of New Business for Dot-Golf LLC. Mr. Toland is the co-founder and CEO of TLD Assets LLC and has conducted research and development on new gTLDs for over 5 years. He has also developed and supported businesses in real estate technology for over 20 years. His efforts include the provision of housing and support services to statutory agencies, property development, web development, media production and research. He supports approximately 50 staff across these businesses.

Edward A. White is the Director of Operations for Dot-Golf LLC. Mr. White is the co-founder of TLD Assets LLC and has participated in the domain industry for over two years. He has priorly engaged in a range of vocational and research oriented activities spanning media, technology, finance, and energy. Mr. White is a graduate of Yale University, where he received a B.A. in Political Science and actively participated in the Entrepreneurial Institute. He currently resides in New York City.

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