Visionary – Deena Suffin

President, Post Modern Inc.

Site Staff Vision

Photo by Ethan Kaminsky

 

When Deena Suffin wanted to launch her company, Post Modern Inc., she turned to local resources for help — with resounding success. “We had read about the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership and the iHub, and a friend set up a meeting with them,” Suffin says. Instantly, it was a meeting of the minds.

“They have a great program that fosters companies like ours that are just getting started, and it gives us a place to call home base,” she continues. “A lot of the iHub companies rely on each other for services and brainstorming, and they help each other up the ladder. We also have access to their marketing team here, and teams who advise us on finances, the legal side of the business, contracts, and more. They’re helping us by providing space, and a lot of the other nuts-and-bolts things we need to build the business.”

Post Modern Inc. created ilyk, a social media interface that enables corporate marketers to connect with consumers, largely at special events. “Our product, ilyk, uses social media so that attendees at events can be creative and do photo ops and things like that,” she says. “Ultimately the marketer — our client — gets valuable analytics about the attendees.”

She praises the valley’s focus on creating jobs, saying, “The iHub is a great collaboration between local governments and local businesses that understand it’s so important to build the economy here and to provide high-tech jobs that have value.”

Suffin notes that the desert also offers good work-life balance within a supportive community. “I’ve lived in Southern California and Northern California, and being in the Coachella Valley has been such a good fit,” she says. “I like the people and I enjoy the climate. And when I call up somebody local as a business contact, I don’t have to spend three months trying to get a meeting. People here are happy to help and to network with you,” she says.

“Our experience has been incredibly positive. We feel that we have opportunities here that we wouldn’t get in L.A. or even in Phoenix. For us, it’s been absolutely the right move.”