bMighty Heroes: Smaller Businesses Use Tech Tools to Take on Large-Size Competitors and Win

At first glance, Cyndee Sugra's evolution from indie rock musician -- she spent her late teens as part of Baby Alive, an all-girl rock band signed to an indie label -- to CEO of Studio 7 Media, a 15-employee tech development and design firm, wouldn't seem to make much sense. Especially when you consider that, despite her day job, she's still rocking with her current band, ElectroSonic.

But a closer look at how Sugra developed her business -- from her creative approach to Web design to the risky decision to develop a DVD technology at the request, but not the financial support, of a major movie studio to her ability to perceive the cutting edge in the tech world -- makes it all make a little more sense.

Today, Studio 7's 30 clients include 20th Century Fox, Fisher-Price, Nike, and Disney. Perhaps more significantly, revenue went from $1.1 million just two years ago to a projected $8 million in 2008. Plans are under way to double the staff within the next three months.

"We set ourselves apart by focusing on creative technology projects that no one knows what to do with," says Sugra. "There is a risk factor in taking these projects on, but we say failure is not an option." Studio 7's most spectacular risk, and most profitable venture yet, was developing a DRM application to power Fox Digital Copy; Fox has included the application on eight movie titles so far including Live Free or Die Hard, Juno, and Alien vs. Predator. For a smaller business like Studio 7 to develop and maintain a relationship with this major movie studio is complicated but the relationship's -- and Studio 7's -- success is reflective of what Sugra learned in her journey from rock musician to tech CEO.

Don't Miss: The Rest of Studio 7 Media's Story