Christopher Gebhardt joined Participant Media in September 2008 as Executive Vice President and General Manager – TakePart.

Prior to joining Participant, Gebhardt ran his own start-up media firms, beginning in 2003 with Integrated Entertainment Partners, a branded content consultancy that was later acquired by The Firm, where he handled such clients as Toyota and Motorola. Two years later, he launched 2 Degrees, an early stage venture and marketing consultancy and Brand Artifact, an emerging media, technology, brand and marketing strategy consultancy, with clients such as Ogilvy & Mather, Gap, Cisco, Mattel, Conservation International, LeBron James, Live Earth, and Voce.

From 1999 to 2003, Gebhardt was based at Oglivy North America’s flagship New York offices, where he served as VP, Client Services Director before being promoted to SVP, Executive Director of Emerging Technology and Innovation. From 1996 to 1999, he served as a brand manager at Pepsi Cola, after relocating to New York from Southern California, where he served as VP of Marketing and General Manager for the auto insurance company, The General. He began his business career in 1989 as a consultant to Coopers and Lybrand in Cleveland.

He has an MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management.