Lara Stein, a key Microsoft Corp executive based who spent the last couple of years investing in, and encouraging New York City’s Silicon Alley new media companies, has left the company to join an acquisitive digital content holding company, called iXL Inc. She ran Redmond’ M3P group in New York, which identified content and technology for five channels on Microsoft Network (MSN). Stein said she was attracted to iXL by the management team in particular the record of chairman, director and CEO of the holding company, Bert Ellis, who previously ran Atlanta-based media company Ellis Communications Inc. In particular Stein was impressed by his money-raising track record. However, Stein, who becomes president of iXL’s New York company, also said the MSN operation in New York, as elsewhere was winding down and she was offered numerous positions, including a stint on the west coast with WebTV Networks, but iXL represented more of a challenge, and it keeps her in the city. Stein was a prominent face in New York’s internet and media community and while first being welcomed, had to weather attacks from the local industry who felt Microsoft was cherry-picking the best content talent and demanding the ownership of the copyright as a pre-requisite for investing in companies, according to one senior New York media executive we spoke to. iXL this week bought Denver, Colorado-based CCG Online which develops web content for the travel industry. Last month it bought fellow Silicon Alley company Small World and bought has acquired San Francisco-based Green Room Productions. It’s bought 18 companies since 1996. The company says it will be looking for several more new York-based companies to complete its digital production facility. It runs sites such as permit.com, the Consumer Financial Network (www.shopcfn.com) and Siteman (www.siteman.net).
