Jeremy Almond CEO PayStand, a business to business focused digital payment company. Jeremy started his career as an engineer at nanotech startup Digital Instruments, later acquired by Veeco (Nadaq: VECO). At Veeco he led the enterprise architecture, helping shrink massive computers down to devices that now fit in our pockets. Since then Jeremy has worked as an operator and investor at a number of startups & established companies to drive improvements in digital commerce, ERP, and payments. He holds a computer engineering degree from the University of California and masters from the University of Massachusetts, where he did his thesis on how technology can help drive positive change in a broken financial system.
Interviews
Jae Kwon, Tendermint #futurebitcoin
Jae Kwon, Tendermint is a blockchain software architect and cryptoeconomist. After graduating from Cornell in 2005 with a B.S. degree in computer science, he worked as a professional programmer in Silicon Valley, including at Alexa/Amazon, and at Yelp where he led the mobile application development team. After getting the Bitcoin bug, Jae created the Tendermint BFT consensus algorithm and Tendermint Core blockchain engine to create a provably secure proof-of-stake algorithm, to liberate blockchains from the costs and drawbacks of proof-of-work mining. In addition to Tendermint, Jae is creating Cosmos, the internet of blockchains.
Bruno de Martino, Head of Product Token #futurebitcoin
Bruno De Martino Head of Product, Token. Bruno aims to make moving money easy, instant, secure, and flexible. He mixes his computer science and design backgrounds to create innovative payment solutions that allow for delightful user experiences. Token is building a next generation payment network by creating a simple and secure open API. This API enables money transfer capabilities and access to bank account information, while keeping the banks in control and allowing them to generate new revenues.
Trevor Thomas, Partner CrossCultureVC #workingwithbanks
Trevor Thomas Partner Cross Culture Ventures. Before this he was Vice President at Gastronome Ventures. Earlier, he was a member of the investing team at Roll Global, a $3.2 billion diversified holding company and Family Office in Los Angeles. Before venture investing, Trevor was the Founder and CEO of The Third Space, an airport lounge startup that sought to reinvigorate the airport travel experience through art, entertainment, and local food options. Trevor began his career in management consulting at Accenture where he worked on supply chain strategy projects for clients such as Microsoft, Best Buy, Syngenta, and Centerbridge Partners. Trevor has an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, a MEng in logistics from MIT, and a BS in industrial engineering from Morgan State University. He is also a Kauffman Fellow (Class 17).