I am first and foremost a husband a father. Then I run some of the computer labs on A&M’s campus as well as host several internal websites. In this capacity, I hope that I can inspire students to do big things in their lives. In addition to that, I am the manager of a local CrossFit Gym. I have helped them improve their marketing strategy for our diverse population as well as help to install procedures and processes that allow the business to flow efficiently. I thrive at putting people in the right position to be successful and let them grow into the position. I love the puzzle that is the business world and enjoy working with fresh ideas and people that have a passion for what they are doing.
David Sica is extremely well versed in all things finance tech (FinTech). He is an investor, serial entrepreneur, and advisor/mentor.
Formerly a director at VISA, David is now running a Fund that is targeting the FinTech space out of New York City.
From Seed Sumo:“Mr. Sica is an influencer and extremely well connected. He quickly can analyze your business and make extremely potent recommendations especially in initial strategy.”
Inventor, Entrepreneur, Investor, Mentor and former corporate attorney, Reece’s background is diverse and full of success.
From 2008 to 2012, Reece served as the president of Innovative Infusions, LLC, a multi-site healthcare service company based in Texas. During his tenure, Innovative Infusions experienced exponential revenue growth after he led a company-wide restructuring and business model transition.
In late 2012, Innovative Infusions was successfully sold to a strategic buyer, and Reece remains actively involved in day-to-day operations. Reece also co-founded DripSync, a fully-integrated software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution for the infusion industry. The software company was successfully sold in December 2012, and he maintains an advisory role with the business.
Prior to his experience in healthcare and software development, Reece was a corporate attorney at Thompson & Knight LLP in their Dallas, Texas office. Before joining Thompson & Knight LLP, Reece clerked for United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade. Reece received his BBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Baylor University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas Law School. Reece resides in Dallas, Texas with his wife, Katie.
From Seed Sumo:“Reece loves startups. His passion and history of success allows him to bring an enormous amount of value to Seed Sumo. He is great at pointing out huge blind spots that most startups fail to see on their own.”
Randy Roberts understands human resources probably more than anyone you know. As you run down the list of the HR and administrative functions in your company you’ll find many key areas where you are lacking the support of quality personnel. Maybe you’re doing some of these tasks yourself and are feeling overwhelmed and pressured due to wearing multiple hats.
What if a prospective candidate walked in, who happens to be an expert in all those areas, could implement time-saving technologies, is certified in all those HR and administrative areas and could show you how his or her process has vastly improved the efficiency as well as reduced costs of previous employers?
From Seed Sumo:“Most startups do not think about this part of the equation, but Randy can show you how to avoid the enormous expense that is Human Resources..”
Dustin’s background includes online merchandising, category management, procurement, negotiating, product branding, and e-commerce.
Dustin has quickly moved his way up in the ranks of the sports nutrition world and is now Chief Operating Officer for the fastest growing sports nutrition company in the world.
From Seed Sumo:“Dustin is a problem solver and an excellent negotiator. He is excellent at understanding your business model quickly and making you aware of some possible pitfalls that may appear and how to defend yourself against them.”
An entrepreneur, investor, and mentor with an array of talents. Trey has started, bootstrapped and sold several business from scratch.
As a founding member and managing partner of several startups in everything from construction to software I know what its like to be in the trenches doing the busy work while trying to keep the big picture in mind and working toward a long term goal. Going from $0 in revenue with 0 employees to $20 million in revenue with hundreds of employees; my many successes as well as many failures provide me a unique personal history to draw inspiration and perspective from.
From Seed Sumo:“Trey brings a lot of energy and excitement anytime he is in the room. Probably one of the hardest workers you will ever meet, and he instills this in each of our startups. He will challenge you in various ways to constantly be improving your business model.”
Matthew started deviantART at the age of 18 and has been involved in startups ever since. He is an experienced designer and entrepreneur living in Austin, Texas.
In his spare time, Matthew created a vast collection of graphic/web design & development tutorials, which led to the creation of deviantART.com, where he discovered that creating meaningful online experiences was his passion. In his time at deviantART, a site consisting of over 25 million members, he gained valuable insight on how to run a successful, bootstrapped Internet company.
These days, Matthew focuses on helping early-stage startups through the early stages of the lifecycle. Specifically through the process of ideation, prototyping, design (my specialty), and ultimately implementation.
From Seed Sumo:“Matthew helps founders understand the importance of not just the look of your website or brand, but the experience your customer experiences throughout the entire customer process. With his experience managing over 25 million users, the credibility and experience is there.”
Jon is a strategic thinker, marketing guru, and a brass tacks specialist. He has been in the financial services since 1996 and has been helping startups to shorten their sales cycle since 2009. As a Senior Portfolio Consultant at Barclays he helps clients achieve their ambitions, in the right way.
Prior roles at hedge funds and wealth management firms included product and competitor research, investment selection, and channel marketing distribution.
His breath of startup knowledge spans product development, operational due diligence, small business management organization, and income generation. He has a passion for seeing entrepreneurial dreams come to fruition through planning and execution. In his spare time, he likes to travel to faraway destinations, run marathons with his wife, and support charitable organization such as the NYC Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Prospect Park Alliance, and The Joyce Theater.
From Seed Sumo:“Jon has the ability to help startups think strategic about a lot of their early decisions. His vast marketing expertise is extremely valuable and allows our startups to see results quicker then they would have ever imagined. Jon has a passion for entrepreneurship and truly enjoys seeing startups succeed way beyond they ever dreamed possible.”
Todd is the President and CEO of Research Valley Partnership, which helps grow, expand and attract business to the Research Valley through planning, services and support. He creates value for the taxpayers of the region through a unique partnership approach to economic development and by serving as the catalyst for economic growth.
The RVP works tirelessly connecting and facilitating innovation and rapid go-to-market strategies. This is done by facilitating strong businesses through innovation, our friendly environment and by building upon the foundation of Texas A&M University’s global expertise in engineering, energy, and biosciences.
From Seed Sumo:“Todd has been a huge supporter of what we are doing at Seed Sumo and we would not be where we are today without him.”
Mason Herring attended Texas A&M and South Texas College of Law after which he went to work in the Chambers of the Honorable S. Maurice Hicks Jr. in United States Federal Court for the Western District of Louisiana – Shreveport Division.
Mr. Herring then went into private practice and is currently a shareholder in De Leon Herring. Mr. Herring has been designated a Rising Star by Texas Monthly magazine, a distinction given to the top 2.5% of lawyers under 40 in the State of Texas.
From Seed Sumo:“Mason is going to be a great addition to our team. We always like teaming up with attorneys that can keep our startups clean.”
He has been instrumental in the execution of projects with clients ranging from real estate industry leader Coldwell Banker, important telecommunications projects with Verizon and MetroPCS, and fashion industry projects with Fossil.
Ron LeonGuerrero is Partner and Technical Director at The Old State House of Design and Development. At an early age, Ron taught himself software programming languages and methodologies, which led him to a career in the tech industry. Prior to moving to Dallas in 2007, LeonGuerrero served as Chief Technology Officer of NDR, Inc., a software company specializing in Interactive Digital Signage. While at NDR, Inc., LeonGuerrero played an instrumental role in landing their largest client, The Washington State Convention and Trade Center.
LeonGuerrero is notable for garnering highly effective results on some of the most diverse and complex projects anywhere. LeonGuerrero’s experience with a broad and diverse client base has enabled him to enjoy his current reputation as the go-to for important clients expecting glitch-free, immediate and unparalleled results.
From Seed Sumo:“Most startups don’t think about Growth. What happens if your startup actually works? Ron is great at preparing your processes and automations for WHEN this happens.”
Uri Geva is the CEO of infinityVIP, a Texas based digital agency that has helped such brands as the Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys, World Poker Tour, Zig Ziglar, Larry Fitzgerald, Greg Jennings, Cal Ripken Jr, the Florida Panthers, Harlem Globetrotters, CJ Wilson, Deron Williams and hundreds of others via web solutions & social media creativity and integration.
Geva is also the proud owner of the Brazos Valley Bombers, a summer collegiate baseball team that has been ranked in the top 30 for attendance six years running and has won the Summer Ball Conference 2010 largest attendance growth. The Bombers have had great successes on the field including making the making playoff for seven consecutive seasons and winning the 2013 National Championship. Geva has been serving as the President of the Texas Collegiate League since 2008 and has provided leadership in providing expansion and stability to the owners in the league and national exposure via a Television deal with Fox College Sports.
Infinity’s rapid growth has not gone unnoticed. The company appeared three times on the Aggie 100 List of fastest growing Aggie owned or managed businesses in the world, and four times on the Newman 10 Fastest Growing Business Award for the Brazos Valley area.
Geva is the proud father of two magnificent daughters (Maya & Ella) and a husband to the love of his life Gali.
From Seed Sumo:“Uri is an influencer and is extremely well connected. He has an amazing knack for connecting you with the perfect person to take your company to the next level. His Social Media Expertise is extremely powerful and can make you part of the conversation rather quickly.”
Dr. Justin Reid is currently the Vice President of Business Development for SKYTEXUS International and supports companies with Government Business Development services.
SKYTEXUS professionals are located throughout the United States and are all former government top level executives and deck-plate level operators with the knowledge and networks that your company needs. SKYTEXUS facilitates the affairs between the client and the Government by putting their unique combination of business development strategies, market intelligence, capture management, proposal development, “red team” reviews and program execution expertise to work for its clients.
Examples of ongoing projects include: the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, the global effort to combat Ebola through Electrostatic Technology, International Fugitive Tracking Operations, Expeditionary Oxygen systems for Mass Casualty Events (MCEs), etc.
Dr. Reid separated from the active duty U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) in 2012 where he supervised 100 federal law enforcement officers and 23 Defender Class boats in support of Military Outload (MOL) operations. Additional operations included Ports, Waterways and Coastal Security (PWCS) along with targeted multi-mission patrols of Maritime Critical Infrastructures and Key Resources designated by Department of Homeland Security. Dr. Reid was directly engaged in anti-terrorism, force protection, physical security and disaster relief operations both overseas and within the United States.
He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration and has over 15 years of government-related operations and program management, with emphasis on business development and execution in the defense and logistics industries. SKYTEXUS International is headquartered in Gun Barrel City, Texas.
From Seed Sumo:“Justin opens all the military and governmental doors for our startups, which typically are almost impossible to open.”
Ross is an entrepreneur and software consulting professional with successful background in Agile delivery, quality assurance and software product strategy for startup companies in the Fortune 500.
Ross founded his first software development company after graduating from Texas A&M in 2010. He now leads a software development and consulting company, FrogSlayer, based in College Station, TX.
FrogSlayer has built a reputation as one of the most proven software product development partners in Texas, uniquely combining a deep technical expertise in Microsoft technologies with Agile deliver philosophies and a strong focus on creating revenue opportunities for their clients.
From Seed Sumo:“Ross is in tune with a lot of the current online strategies that really work. His experience with agile delivery and software product strategies really help our companies once product market fit has been reached.”
Joshua Baer helps people quit their jobs and become entrepreneurs. In 2008 he founded Capital Factory, a tech startup incubator and co-working space in Austin, Texas. Josh founded his first startup in 1996 in his college dormitory at CMU and now teaches a class at the University of Texas for student entrepreneurs. Josh is the Chief Innovation Officer of Return Path and was recently recognized as the 2013 Austin Community Leader of the Year and a 2013 Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute.
Joshua spends all day worrying about email so that you don’t have to. He is an email marketing pioneer and the Founder of SKYLIST, UnsubCentral and OtherInbox. He has founded or invested in a dozen email startups and you can see his mark on about half of the email messages in your Inbox.
Joshua received Computer Science and Information Decision Systems degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and lives in Austin, TX with his wife and three children.
From Seed Sumo:“Josh has been extremely successful in helping startups out of Capital Factory in Austin. He is an amazing addition to the team and we look forward to him mentoring at Seed Sumo this Summer.”
Ryan is an author, investor, and entrepreneur. In 2005, Ryan left the banking industry and followed his passion to be an entrepreneur.
He was one of the early pioneers in leveraging technology, social media, and search engine marketing to build a multi-million turn-key real estate investment company known as Investor Nation. Today, Investor Nation has grown into a secured opportunity fund that provides structured liquidity to local real estate entrepreneurs. He has been quoted by the Wall Street Journal and many other publications as a thought leader in the space. Ryan co-authored the book Forget Wall Street: Invest in Blue-chip Real Estate.
Ryan is also a co-founder of RealYields, an online property analysis and marketing application built for the investment community. In his spare time, he actively contributes and speaks in local technology meet-ups, BARCamps, and blog-fests.
From Seed Sumo:“Ryan has a passion for startups beyond compare. He’s typically the smartest guy in the room and has a knack for being ahead of the curve. His connections and reputation speak for himself, but without a doubt one of the most valuable mentors we have.”
Entrepreneur, Strategist, Developer, and Architect of powerful websites, intranets, and apps for many notable clients including ConocoPhillips Energy, American Way Magazine, Dr. Pepper/7up, Texas Christian University, Peterbilt, Northpark Center, The Dallas Arboretum, PaperCity Magazine, Mockingbird Station, Pollo Campero, the Fort Worth Stockyards, and the now internationally recognized Woodall Rogers Park Foundation
Travis McElroy is the Managing Partner and Creative Director of The Old State House of Design and Development, LLC, a Dallas-based interactive and branding firm with a diverse and notable client base. A Design and Communications graduate from Texas Tech University in 2003, McElroy’s passion for design and technology has earned him a reputation for marrying cutting edge visuals with game-changing functionality throughout his career. It is for this reason that he enjoys a client base including some of the most important names in fashion, interior design, retail brands, technology, philanthropy, and business.
With a reputation for delivering measurable results now firmly established, McElroy formed The Old State House of Design and Development in Dallas, Texas in November 2007. His passion and drive quickly led him to the short list of innovators for major brands everywhere.
McElroy is active in the design and arts communities, and is a devoted husband to his wife Stephanie. He is the father of two clever young daughters, Ireland and London.
From Seed Sumo:“Travis is extremely creative and has a knack for completely changing your presence online. He is extremely visual and his branding advice is potent.”
Michael obtains 30,000 new members a day for jobdiagnosis.com. Is it magic? No, but most people in the world would say it is.
He is extremely well versed in real SEO for organic rankings, buying & selling on all platforms from direct response affiliate networks to google/ bing ppc to flash banner ad exchanges, & email marketing. Monetization of display and “sign up/ login path”, internal monetization of email newsletters, internationally “low hanging fruit” growth.
From Seed Sumo:“Mr. Derikrava understands how to find, implement and use big data analytics. His expertise is deep but to put it very simply, he understands how to get millions of unique visitors a month & making a ton of PROFIT not just revenue.”
Manish is a serial entrepreneur with a deep understanding of brand development, viral marketing, business development, application development and social entrepreneurship.
Manish Patel is Co-Owner and President of Nutrabolt International. Nutrabolt is a leading nutritional life sciences company focused on sports nutrition and lifestyle wellness products. Nutrabolt’s products are sold in more than 10,000 retail locations domestically and more than 40 countries around the world including GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, Vitamin World, 24 Hour Fitness, and Costco. Woodbolt has been a proud member of the Inc. 1000 | 5000 since 2011, with an annual compound growth rate of 86%.
Manish is involved in many areas throughout the company, but formally oversees Nutrabolt’s Human Capital Division, Real Estate Group, Service Excellence Group, Quality and Compliance Group, Web Technology Group and the company’s legal affairs.
Manish recently co-founded SeedSumo, a mentor-driven seed fund accelerator that helps startup companies achieve Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and raise follow-on financing. Seed Sumo is focused on mobile first technologies and niche based consumer product companies.
Before joining Nutrabolt, Manish served as a consultant, educator, and investor within the residential and commercial sectors of the real estate industry. He has significant financial modeling and due diligence experience, with over $5 billion in real estate acquisition, development, and portfolio assignments completed since 2005.
Manish has conducted advanced level real estate feasibility training workshops at top business schools around the country. He has also advised and trained analyst teams at private equity firms, development groups, and fortune 50 banks. He has developed real estate analysis technologies used by businesses across the country. Clients Include: Babson College, Harvard University, UCLA, Georgia Tech, NYC Economic Development Corporation, Bank of Scotland, DDRS, ING clarion, SchaunBraun MCann Group, Thor Equities, Triland Properties, The Booth Companies, Infinity Capital Management
Manish is currently developing a mixed-use project in downtown Austin stacked with retail, office, co-working, and residential uses. The focus of the development is to provide a destination for entrepreneurs and freelancers to collaborate, create, and receive funding.
Manish holds a Bachelors degree in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin. When Manish is not working he is golfing, playing basketball, or traveling with his wife Seema.
From Seed Sumo: “Manish typically will understand your business model on a deeper level than you do in a matter of minutes. His advice is potent and typically triggers game changing concepts or ideas for your business.”
Due to the nature of Mark’s diverse background, he has entered into trust dialogues and developed relationships with many high profile people in Silicon Valley, UK/U.S. governments, to include 10 Downing and the White House, global media influencers, prominent CEOs and foreign governments.
Mark began his professional career in Washington DC, during this time, he served at The Pentagon, under then Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who was a mentor for him during one of the most dynamic and trying times for the U.S. military and our national security.
In 2012 he was asked to join Osborne & Partners a London and Hong Kong based international strategic advisory firm providing prominent Silicon Valley companies with discreet strategies designed to enhance their reputation and credibility.
He now advises and consults international political campaigns and various tech startups on matters of international affairs.
Mark’s career has brought him to over 120 countries. He’s a graduate of Texas Tech University with duel degrees in Architecture and Business Administration. He currently resides in London, UK.
From Seed Sumo:“Mark is extremely well connected and has one of the most diverse backgrounds of any person you will most likely meet. The speed at which Mark can connect our startups with key global influencers brings value beyond compare.”