Thirty years of building on the internet — from one of the web's first newsletters to one of its first podcasts, and everything in between.
Founded in Portland, Oregon · A time capsule from the early web to today
Kleinman.com Inc. was founded in Portland, Oregon in 1995 by Geoffrey and Heather Kleinman — at a time when most people had never heard of email, let alone built a business on the internet. The Kleinmans built a portfolio of online properties that helped define what it meant to create independent, quality content on the web.
It started with The Kleinman Report, one of the earliest internet newsletters, which chronicled and evangelized the business potential of the web when Yahoo was still being run out of a Stanford dorm room. From there came Cosmetic Connection, the first online cosmetics and beauty magazine; DVD Talk, one of the most influential home entertainment sites of its era; DVD Talk Radio, among the first podcasts ever produced; Drink Spirits, an acclaimed spirits publication; and more.
This site is a record of that work.
In mid-1995, while working at One World Internetworking — an early internet service provider in Portland, Oregon — Geoffrey Kleinman started what was initially called The Bi-Weekly Business Internet Report. After a few issues, it became The Kleinman Report: one of the first online newsletters dedicated to evangelizing the business use of the internet.
Starting with just 100 subscribers — 50 by email, 50 by fax — the report grew to over 14,000 monthly readers. It was recognized by the Internet Scout Project at the University of Wisconsin, and its early issues read like dispatches from a world being built in real time: covering the debut of Yahoo when David Filo and Jerry Yang were still students at Stanford, reviewing Netscape before it was a household name, explaining RealAudio streaming, and documenting the first online shopping ventures.
In 1995, Geoffrey covered Internet World '95 in San Jose — where Netscape won best software product without even having a booth, IBM gave out squishy globe stress balls, and Microsoft crashed a Windows 95 demo live on the show floor. His dispatch from the conference captured a moment when the internet was still new enough that a reporter could watch the entire industry walk past a single convention hall.
The Kleinman Report ran weekly from 1995 through early 1999, covering the rise of Amazon, Ask Jeeves, Hotmail, ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger, Drudge Report, and countless sites that shaped — or were swept away by — the early web.
When Heather Kleinman launched Cosmetic Connection in 1995, the internet was almost entirely devoid of content relevant to women. Cosmetic Connection was one of the first independent woman-focused sites online and the first online cosmetics and beauty magazine — a space where women could find unbiased reviews, expert advice, and beauty information that wasn't controlled by the cosmetics industry.
The site quickly resonated with a global audience. Cosmetic Connection was featured across an extraordinary range of major media: People, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, Women's Wear Daily, Allure, Self, Shape, YM, Seventeen, Woman's Day, Mode, and was covered by ABC and NBC News. Heather was widely considered the foremost expert on makeup and cosmetics online.
Her weekly Cosmetic Report newsletter grew to over 55,000 subscribers. The site's most popular section — Ask The Makeup Diva — became so beloved that Heather spun it off into its own destination at MakeupDiva.com, creating a global Q&A resource for makeup enthusiasts. Heather has been regularly consulted by major cosmetic companies on product development and market trends.
In January 1999, after leaving Intel, Geoffrey Kleinman founded DVD Talk in Beaverton, Oregon — a dedicated online resource for the nascent DVD format at a time when DVD players were just beginning to gain traction in American households.
Over nine years, DVD Talk grew from a one-person operation into one of the internet's most influential home entertainment platforms — with a staff of over 60 writers, more than 20,000 reviews, a newsletter reaching over 83,000 subscribers, and forums with thousands of active daily users. The site featured specialized columns including DVD Savant for classic film analysis, Anime Talk, Horror DVDs, HD Talk for format war coverage, Silent DVD for early cinema, and an Easter Egg Database cataloging hidden disc features.
DVD Talk wasn't just a review site — it changed things. In 2000, Geoffrey collected thousands of signatures and personally presented them at the Video Software Dealer's Association Meeting to force Disney to add the Japanese language track to the US release of Princess Mononoke. That same year, DVD Talk forum posts exposed Amazon's dynamic pricing practices, leading the company to end the practice. During the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD format wars, DVD Talk maintained impartial coverage that was regularly cited by CNN, USA Today, Fox News, the Wall Street Journal, and industry trade publications.
In early 2005, Geoffrey launched DVD Talk Radio — among the first genre-specific podcasts — and in late 2007 successfully sold DVD Talk to Internet Brands, Inc. The site continued publishing through January 2023, and its forums remain active today.
In early 2004 — before Apple added podcast support to iTunes, before the word "podcast" was widely known — Geoffrey posted an audio interview about Blu-Ray and High-Definition on DVD Talk. That recording became the seed of something larger.
In January 2005, DVD Talk Radio officially launched with its premiere episode: an interview with Henry Rollins. It was among the first genre-specific podcasts ever produced — dedicated to home entertainment, film, and the emerging HD format wars at a time when most people still had to have the concept of a "podcast" explained to them.
DVD Talk Radio's RSS feed became one of the first third-party feeds added to the default page of MyYahoo.com. The show featured interviews with filmmakers, actors, musicians, and industry figures, and helped establish podcasting as a viable medium for niche enthusiast communities well before the format's explosion in the 2010s.
The term "podcast" was coined by journalist Ben Hammersley in February 2004. Adam Curry's "Daily Source Code" launched in August 2004. Apple didn't add podcast support to iTunes until June 2005. DVD Talk Radio's audio experiments in early 2004 and formal launch in January 2005 place it among the earliest wave of podcasts — predating iTunes integration by six months.
In 2010, Geoffrey launched Drink Spirits — an online magazine covering the rebirth of the classic cocktail scene and the American micro-distillery movement. The site provided in-depth coverage of all aspects of distilled spirits including whisky, bourbon, vodka, rum, gin and more, alongside cocktail culture, distillery profiles, and industry analysis.
Geoffrey brought serious credentials to spirits journalism. He holds BAR Certification from the Beverage Alcohol Resource Group — among the highest certifications available for spirits professionals — and was named a Certified Cognac Educator (Gold Certification) by the BNIC. He was honored as a Kentucky Colonel by Governor Steve Beshear, and was nominated for the Spirited Award for Best Cocktail Writing at Tales of the Cocktail in 2013.
He served as a judge for the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2011–2013) and the Ultimate Spirits Challenge (2015). His "Drink Spirits Happy Hour" segment aired on KPAM and the Terry Boyd Show.
Alongside Drink Spirits, Geoffrey was a Contributing Reviewer on staff at Whisky Advocate Magazine (2014–2016), where he served as a whiskey reviewer, and contributed writing to Playboy and Tasting Panel Magazine.
After graduating from Ithaca College with a B.S. in Cinema and Photography in 1992 (Alpha Epsilon Rho, Honor Society Staff Photographer for The Ithacan), Geoffrey moved to Los Angeles, where he worked as an Agent Assistant at CAA (Creative Artists Agency) and served as Mark Pariser's assistant on TV Movie of the Week packaging. From there he worked as an assistant editor on The Last Shot.
He relocated to Portland, Oregon, joining Vulcan's Forge — one of the city's first web design companies — as a Web Developer. He then moved to One World Internetworking as a Lead Account Manager, gaining experience in business hosting, sales, advocacy and development at what was Portland's first business-focused ISP.
In 1995 he launched The Kleinman Report. He was then recruited by Intel as an Internet Marketing Manager, where he managed the Intel Internet Connection Wizard (integrated into Windows 98) and built what became Intel's most shipped software product. He also developed the Intel Owner's Club, predecessor to the multi-million dollar Intel Web Outfitters Service.
In January 1999, after leaving Intel, he founded DVD Talk in Beaverton, Oregon — building it over nine years into one of the web's premier home entertainment destinations with a staff of over 60 writers and over 20,000 reviews. During this period, he also contributed to independent film projects as a post-production and distribution adviser on The Puffy Chair (2005), Film Geek (2005), and 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama (2006). He served on selection committees and juries for film festivals including BendFilm and Pine Film, and participated in panels like "So You Made a Film, Now What?" He launched DVD Talk Radio, among the first podcasts. He successfully sold DVD Talk to Internet Brands in late 2007.
He launched On Portland (OnPDX.com) in 2008, covering arts, entertainment, culture, food, and living in Portland. In 2010 he launched Drink Spirits, and served as a judge for the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2011–2013) and Ultimate Spirits Challenge (2015). He holds BAR Certification, was named a Certified Cognac Educator by the BNIC, received the honor of Kentucky Colonel, and was a Contributing Reviewer for Whisky Advocate Magazine (2014–2016). His writing has also appeared in Playboy and Tasting Panel Magazine. He covered the Sundance Film Festival for Air America Radio, appeared weekly on KNRK with "Alternative Movie Picks," and his one-act play Love Connect was produced in Portland.
Heather launched Cosmetic Connection in 1995 to fill a gap that seems unthinkable today: there was almost no content relevant to women on the early internet. Cosmetic Connection was one of the first independent woman-focused sites online and the first online cosmetics and beauty magazine. The site quickly resonated with women worldwide and became one of the most trusted resources for unbiased cosmetics information and advice.
Cosmetic Connection was featured across an extraordinary range of major media: People, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, Women's Wear Daily, Allure, Self, Shape, YM, Seventeen, Woman's Day, Mode, and was covered by ABC and NBC News. Heather was widely considered the foremost expert on makeup and cosmetics online, and her weekly Cosmetic Report newsletter grew to over 55,000 subscribers.
She spun off the popular Ask The Makeup Diva section into its own site at MakeupDiva.com, creating a destination for makeup enthusiasts around the world. She has been regularly consulted by major cosmetic companies on product development and market trends.
One of the first internet business newsletters. Over 150 issues chronicling the commercial birth of the web. Grew from 100 subscribers (50 email, 50 fax) to 14,000+.
One of the first independent woman-focused sites online and the first online cosmetics and beauty magazine. Featured in People, NYT, LA Times, Allure, ABC, NBC News, and more. Over 55,000 newsletter subscribers.
One of the internet's premier home entertainment sites. Over 20,000 reviews, 60+ writers. Changed Disney's Princess Mononoke release, ended Amazon's dynamic pricing. Specialized columns included DVD Savant, Anime Talk, Horror DVDs, HD Talk, and an Easter Egg Database.
Spun off from Cosmetic Connection's most popular section. A global Q&A destination for makeup advice and beauty tips.
Among the first genre-specific podcasts ever produced, launching months before Apple added podcast support to iTunes. Premiered with an interview with Henry Rollins.
An online magazine dedicated to Portland arts, entertainment, culture, food and living. National recognition for reviews and local investigative coverage.
An acclaimed spirits publication covering the cocktail renaissance, micro-distillery movement, and all aspects of distilled spirits. Geoffrey also served as a Contributing Reviewer at Whisky Advocate and contributed to Playboy.
Awarded by Governor Steve Beshear, Commonwealth of Kentucky, 2012
Beverage Alcohol Resource Group — among the highest certifications for spirits professionals
Gold Certification, BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac)
Judge, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2011–2013
Selected judge, Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2015
Best Cocktail Writing — Author, Tales of the Cocktail, 2013
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