Cyndi Stivers is the managing editor of Entertainment Weekly's website, EW.com
 
Although I had known her casually for years, I first worked with Sunny when she recruited me for the launch of Time Out New York, starting in 1994. We were adapting a successful London franchise but were met with much skepticism. Given the surfeit of existing publications, most people did not think New York could support another weekly magazine, but we felt sure we could thrive if we targeted the then-neglected Generation X—young, bright kids who went out a lot. It wasn't easy, but what became "the obsessive guide to impulsive entertainment" became profitable just before its fifth anniversary.

Sunny provided crucial guidance as we solidified and adapted our positioning (continually revised as the market shifted). She was able to recruit candidates for our staff from unobvious places, always within our (low) startup salary range, and her vetting process was superb. Nearly every candidate she sent was someone who had a real shot at the job. Ten years later, she did it all again as we started Time Out Chicago. The editor-in-chief she recruited was so good, I hired him again for my current company.

In 2006, I asked Sunny to help with a Web startup I'd been recruited for (about which, the less said, the better). This time, her help was all strategic, most notably helping us draft a board of advisers—almost all of whom, in whatever sector, she seemed to know personally. She suggested investors no one else had thought of and always brought a fresh perspective to whatever problem we were wrestling with. No matter how dire the situation, Sunny is an utter pleasure to spend time with, bringing her warmth, energy, and positive spirit to even the dingiest foxhole.

If I could, I would have Sunny on permanent payroll. She's the best ally a new venture could have.