Smokeball competitors

Entrepreneur specializing in next-generation enterprise and datacenter infrastructure, particularly network storage, software, and compute platforms. Specialties: Startup creation, technical vision, software/hardware engineering, product and corporate marketing, major account development, and supply-chain operations. Thomas earned a B.A. with Honors from Stanford University.

Larry Hurtado joined Digital Defense as CEO in August of 2002. With over two decades of networking and security experience, he has been at the helm of Digital Defenses movement from a regional niche player to an industry leader with established global presence. Prior to Digital Defense, Larry was Co-Founder and President of International Operations for Elastic Networks, Incorporated. At Elastic Networks, he was responsible introducing EtherLoop DSL products, overall business growth, financing, an IPO, and the acquisition of the company by Paradyne Corporation. Prior to Elastic Networks, Hurtado held senior management positions at Nortel Networks, including VP of Business Line Management in Nortel Networks’ Access Networks Division. Hurtado holds a B.S.E.E. degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Mark Tacchi is the founder and CEO of Vendini, a company that builds software to provide an end-to-end ticketing solution that makes the business of live events simple. The company’s all-in-one ticketing solution is used by theaters, music and event venues, and music and art festivals across the country. Earning his degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manitoba in 1991, Mark began his career working for NeXT. After working for Apple following the NeXT acquisition in 1996, Tacchi decided to embrace his entrepreneurial side and co-founded Hipbone, a company that allowed users to co-navigate the web together in the earlier days of the Internet. While leading the company to its acquisition by CRM software company KANA in 2004, Tacchi was also building his next (and current) venture, a passion project called Vendini. Tacchi created Vendini as a way to give back to the theater and live event space, using his programming know-how to create a new and easier way for venues to simplify the business aspects behind live events. Founded in 2001, the company began as a solution directed towards theaters and playhouses, and has now expanded to over 1,800 venues across music and sports venues, nightclubs, non-profit organizations, art galleries and music and art festivals around the world. Mark lives in San Francisco with his wife, two kids and French Bulldog, and is an “across-the-board” art lover with a strong passion for the performing arts, live music and art galleries.

Walter Goodwin is a CEO at Terma Software Labs, Inc..

With over 25 years of experience in the private equity-backed software industry, Gabby Wong is an accomplished industry veteran with extensive experience in positioning SaaS businesses for high-growth, customer success and product innovation. Gabby is the CEO of FranConnect, an enterprise cloud platform used by over 700+ franchise brands globally to drive scaled growth, operational success, and improved unit-level performance across the franchise system. FranConnect is one of the leading providers of applications, solutions and technology to the franchise market. Prior to FranConnect, Gabby held executive leadership positions with worldwide operating roles at a number of successful private equity-backed ventures, including Primavera Systems (now Oracle), Trusted Computer Solutions (now ForcePoint), Verint Systems, and Clarabridge.

Chris Michalak is a Member Board Of Directors at GlideFast Consulting, Board Member at Virgin Pulse, and Senior Advisor at H.I.G. Capital Inc. and is based in Chicago, Illinois. He has worked as Director & Chief Executive Officer at Alight Solutions, Chief Executive Officer at ALIGHT INC. DELAWARE, and Chief Executive Officer at Buck. Chris attended Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University between 1995 and 1998 and Michigan State University between 1984 and 1988.

Experienced Executive Director with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. Skilled in Sales, Sales Operations, Sales Management, International Sales, and Management. Strong business development professional with a Masters Level Diploma focused in Organizational Leadership from Oxford University - Said Business School.