Key Executives is pleased to announce The Top 25 Executives of Washington, D.C. for 2025. While the nation’s capital is often defined by its proximity to federal power, it is equally a hub for sectors that demand precision, trust, and long-range thinking—from national security software and biotechnology to financial infrastructure, healthcare, and advanced analytics. The leaders featured on this year’s list are operating at the intersection of technology and mission, helping shape systems that impact everything from patient data and cyber defense to public health and capital markets.
These executives bring deep expertise in areas critical to the D.C. region’s evolving economy. Some are leading AI- and data-powered platforms for defense and intelligence agencies. Others are building enterprise software for hospitals, franchise systems, or financial operations, or are advancing gene therapy and glucose monitoring technologies. Across these domains, they are driving progress in industries where regulatory complexity, technical risk, and public interest are deeply intertwined.
Among this year’s awardees, Claire Matthews, Senior Vice President at WMC Global, is recognized for her work in mobile threat intelligence, where she leads global operations and has redesigned compliance strategies to better target high-risk consumer experiences. Richard Chart, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist of ScienceLogic, brings a systems engineer’s precision to IT operations, helping enterprises manage complex hybrid-cloud environments through automation and real-time insights. At Brightspot, Kyle Sigmund serves as Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis, applying a decade of experience in tech and media to guide strategic planning and support major fundraising and exits, while also advising D.C.-based startups and accelerator programs.
This year’s awardees were selected through a methodical process and careful consideration of each candidate’s career track record and industry contributions. Please join us in celebrating The Top 25 Executives of Washington, D.C. for 2025.
1. Young Hahn
Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, Mapbox
Young Hahn is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Mapbox, where he leads engineers, designers, and product leaders across the U.S. and Europe to deliver all visual aspects of the platform. Mapbox is a real-time location platform that provides tools for powering navigation and location-based services across people, packages, and vehicles. With over 3.5 million registered developers, Mapbox supports organizations through its data, SDKs, APIs, and applications, enabling the creation of customized, privacy-compliant location experiences.
Under Hahn's leadership, Mapbox has advanced its proprietary rendering technology, expanded into 3D capabilities for automotive and navigation, and launched a data processing platform that enables custom mapmaking across its customer base. Before joining Mapbox, Hahn was a designer and engineer at Development Seed. He earned a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Williams College.
2. Ikenna Okezie
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Somatus
Ikenna Okezie is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Somatus, a leader in value-based kidney care. Somatus is accelerating health equity one patient at a time by delivering no-cost, high-quality kidney and heart care to eligible members. The organization specializes in population health and renal care management, offering comprehensive services including hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, conservative care, and transition support.
Under Okezie’s leadership, Somatus has grown to provide high-quality and customized care to 275,000 patients in 2025 and establish innovative, value-based partnerships with leading health plans, health systems, and providers, ultimately reducing hospital admissions by 31%.
Prior to founding Somatus, Okezie was group vice president at DaVita Kidney Care, where he led all aspects of the strategic, operational, and financial management of a $1 billion business unit with over 4,000 employees and 600 contracted nephrologists in the Mid-Atlantic region. Before that, he worked as a managing director at The Advisory Board Company and as an engagement manager at McKinsey & Company.
Okezie currently serves as a board member for the Kidney Health Initiative and is a fellow in the Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellowship Program. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Yale University, an MD from Harvard Medical School, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
3. Hugh Barrett
Chief Product Officer, Telos Corporation
Hugh Barrett is Chief Product Officer of Xacta for Telos Corporation, a provider of solutions for continuous security assurance across individuals, systems, and information, supporting organizations with complex and high-security requirements. The company offers cybersecurity solutions for IT risk management and information security, cloud security services to protect cloud-based assets and ensure compliance with industry and government standards, and enterprise security tools for identity and access management, secure mobility, organizational messaging, and network defense.
As CPO of Xacta, Barrett oversees cybersecurity solutions at Telos for federal, defense, and intelligence agencies. A cybersecurity expert with over 30 years of experience in software engineering and product development, he joined the company in 1999 as vice president of product development. He co-founded and is the architect of Xacta, Telos’ IT governance, risk, and compliance (IT-GRC) platform, and holds five patents for technologies widely used across government and commercial sectors. In his role, he leads product strategy and implementation, shaping capabilities and working closely with clients to address evolving security challenges.
Earlier in his career, Barrett served as senior product manager at Information Builders. Barrett earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the State University of New York College at Brockport. He is also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and a Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP).
4. Tamara Kinney
Chief Revenue Officer, Lovelytics
Tamara Kinney is the Chief Revenue Officer of Lovelytics, a data and analytics consulting and services company. Lovelytics helps many of the world’s leading organizations accelerate, optimize, and modernize their data ecosystems. Through self-sufficiency and hands-on enablement, the company designs its solutions in partnership with its clients to drive business outcomes and create sustainable value.
Kinney is a highly impactful sales, partnerships, account management, and people leader with a strong track record in building revenue engines for global technology companies and digital agencies. As a skilled communicator, she is a global public speaker, certified performance coach, respected thought leader, and cross-functional people manager committed to building a people-first culture.
Previously, Kinney was a principal, strategic sales director & GTMS (L7) at Amazon Web Services and, before that, a strategic alliances and partner sales director for the Americas at Tealium. Earlier in her career, she worked with TMP Worldwide as a digital program manager. Kinney earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations and marketing from James Madison University.
5. Curran Simpson
President & Chief Executive Officer, REGENXBIO
Curran Simpson is the President and Chief Executive Officer of REGENXBIO, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on harnessing the curative potential of gene therapy. Founded in 2009, the company has been a pioneer in the development of AAV therapeutics—an innovative class of gene therapy medicines. REGENXBIO is advancing a pipeline of treatments targeting retinal and rare diseases. Additionally, its AAV Therapeutic platform has been used to treat thousands of patients.
Simpson previously served as the company’s chief operating officer. As COO, he led key business functions across research and clinical development, corporate strategy, manufacturing and quality, regulatory, and commercial operations. Simpson joined REGENXBIO in 2015 with extensive leadership experience across biopharmaceutical operations and served as the company’s chief technology and operations officer before becoming COO.
Prior to joining REGENXBIO, Simpson served as the regional supply chain head for North America and interim COO at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). He was previously interim CEO of Human Genome Sciences (HGS), where he oversaw its integration into GSK, and earlier held senior roles there as senior vice president of operations and vice president of manufacturing operations. Before HGS, he was director of manufacturing sciences at Biogen. Earlier in his career, Simpson worked at Genentech in senior engineering and development roles supporting products such as Herceptin and Avastin, and also held an overseas assignment at Novo-Nordisk Biochem in Denmark. Simpson holds a master’s degree in surface and colloid science from Clarkson University and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Clarkson College of Technology.
6. Joseph DiCarlo
Chief People Officer, Clarest Health
Joseph DiCarlo is the Chief People Officer of Clarest, where he is responsible for setting and executing the organization’s overall people strategy. He helps ensure the organization hires, retains, develops, and engages the best talent possible in the communities in which Clarest operates. Clarest Health is a personalized medication management provider serving the post-acute care continuum. Headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, the company aims to transform medication management by integrating advanced technology, clinical expertise, and streamlined processes.
DiCarlo has long tenured incumbencies in "Big 4" consulting, marketing communications, and the healthcare industries, and has led three different organizations through successful organizational transformations, culminating in a total of 8 consecutive national "Certified Great Place to Work" awards earned between 2015 and 2022.
Before joining Clarest, DiCarlo served as chief people officer at Health Monitor Network. Before that, he was the chief talent and engagement officer at WESTMED Practice Partners and vice president of corporate human resources at Porter Novelli, Inc. DiCarlo graduated from Alfred University with an MBA in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in political science.
7. Gabby Wong
Chief Executive Officer, FranConnect
Gabby Wong is the Chief Executive Officer of FranConnect. FranConnect is an enterprise cloud platform used by over 1,500 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 for the franchise market. With over 30 years of experience in the private equity-backed software industry, Wong is an accomplished industry veteran with extensive experience in positioning SaaS businesses for high-growth, customer success, and product innovation.
Wong has deep experience in all aspects of growing technology businesses, including M&A, corporate strategy, product innovation, customer success, marketing, and sales. She has held successive leadership roles within FranConnect, joining first in 2016 as EVP of Operations and taking the helm as CEO in 2018.
Under her leadership, FranConnect’s revenue has grown by 5X and continues to lead the market in providing best-in-class sales, operations, and marketing solutions for franchise and multi-location businesses. After completing three acquisitions in four years, FranConnect has over 300 employees globally across the U.S., Canada, India, and Australia. Previously, Wong was a senior VP of global services and support at Clarabridge and, before that, a VP of professional services, VOC solutions at Verint. Earlier in her career, she worked with PwC as a senior consultant. Wong earned a bachelor’s degree in English and political science from Creighton University.
8. Ben Shupe
Chief Operating Officer, C&R Software
Ben Shupe is the Chief Operating Officer of C&R Software, a provider of advanced solutions for the entire credit risk lifecycle, aiming to transform how organizations manage credit risk. The company offers automated workflows, AI-native insights, and data-driven decision engines that improve operational efficiency and customer engagement.
Before joining C&R Software, Shupe spent eight years at FICO in roles including senior director and practice lead, director of professional services, and senior manager of program management. He led teams responsible for the design and delivery of collections and recovery solutions, including the implementation of the Debt Manager platform for major financial institutions. Earlier, he was a founding partner at The VENG Group, where he led the technology practice, which provided outsourced CIO services to nonprofit and advocacy organizations.
Earlier in his career, Shupe worked in program management at Fannie Mae, served as an independent consultant at Angel.com (later acquired by Genesys), and was an engagement manager at PRTM, where he supported the delivery of engagements across the electronics, energy, manufacturing, IT, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications industries. He holds a bachelor's degree in management information systems from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
9. Benjamin Miller
Co-Founder & CEO, Fundrise
Benjamin Miller is the Co-Founder and CEO of Fundrise, a direct-to-consumer private markets manager that provides individual investors with access to private assets such as real estate and venture capital. Through proprietary software and in-house investment management, Fundrise aims to offer scalable exposure to private investments without relying on traditional institutional infrastructure.
Miller’s responsibilities involve strategic partnerships, deal underwriting, real estate development, and PR, as well as setting the long-term strategy and goals for the company. Previously, Miller co-founded Popularise and, before that, he served as a managing partner at WestMill Capital. Earlier in his career, he worked with Lubert Adler as a junior analyst. Miller earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
10. Neeta Jain
Chief Technology Officer, Vibrent Health
Neeta Jain is the Chief Technology Officer of Vibrent Health, a company developing wireless and mobile medical software solutions that enhance patient care and provider efficiency. Operating at the intersection of medical, information, and communication technologies, the Vibrent platform supports a wide range of devices to enable diagnostics, wellness monitoring, disease management, mobile surveys, and medication adherence. Trusted by medical device manufacturers, body sensor companies, payers, and government agencies, Vibrent enables patients to extend their care beyond clinical settings.
Since joining the company in 2012, Jain has spearheaded research and development efforts and helped Vibrent achieve critical certifications like FISMA, ISO 13485, ISO 9001, and SSAE 16. Her work was foundational in the creation of the Vibrent Research Platform, and she has contributed to the company’s rapid domestic and international expansion, helping to grow Vibrent’s workforce by five times its original size in her first five years as CTO. She is also a principal investigator of the National Institutes of Health’s Precision Medicine Initiative/All of Us Research Program.
Prior to joining Vibrent, Jain architected large and mission-critical systems at the Internal Revenue Service and Honeywell, applying her expertise in dot.net, Java, and Web development. Jain is a member of Mindshare, an organization of C-suite executives from high-tech emerging growth companies supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. An advocate for STEM education, Jain helped launch a nonprofit called FIDA to help underprivileged children attend college in India and is passionate about advancing women in the technology field. She studied at Savitribai Phule Pune University.
11. Amit Garg
Co-Founder & CEO, HiLabs
Amit Garg is the Co-Founder and CEO of HiLabs. HiLabs provides advanced data refinement technology that makes provider directories more accurate, closes gaps in clinical data, and improves payment accuracy. The company enables health plans to enhance member experiences, boost operational efficiency, and drive healthcare transformation. By unlocking hidden insights within complex data, HiLabs delivers a measurable Return on Intelligence (ROI) essential for modern healthcare systems.
Garg brings 25 years of experience to his current role. As CEO, Garg leverages his professional experience in business development, product development, operations, consulting, and financial analysis. With a background in engineering, the foundation of his experience has been based on data, mathematics, technology, and practical implementations to solve challenging business problems.
Prior to HiLabs, Garg helped lead two companies from startup to acquisition. At Northrop Grumman, he led the implementation of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Encounters Data Processing System, created to help health plans calculate $200 billion in risk-adjusted capitated payments. Garg holds an MBA in economics from the Yale University School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee.
12. Divyaanshu Makkar
Co-Founder & CEO, WizCommerce
Divyaanshu Makkar is the Co-Founder and CEO of WizCommerce, an all-in-one AI-powered platform that empowers B2B wholesalers, distributors, and manufacturers to digitize their end-to-end sales, right from recording new leads to taking orders, processing payments, inventory, invoices, and more.
Makkar brings 12 years of experience to his current role. He is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor with extensive experience in the technology and education sectors. In his current role, he leads initiatives in B2B commerce, enhancing technology solutions for manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors.
Before joining WizCommerce, Makkar was a technology venture investor at Bessemer Venture Partners and a consultant at EY-Parthenon, where he was responsible for business development and end-to-end case execution for edtech. Makkar graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, with a bachelor’s degree in technology.
13. Katherine Lew
Chief Data Officer, BAO Systems
Katherine Lew is the Chief Data Officer of BAO Systems, a leading provider of digital data solutions for global health and development. The company partners with organizations to implement scalable, sustainable systems that generate data-driven insights. With a multidisciplinary team of public health practitioners, information systems experts, software and systems engineers, M&E advisors, and data scientists, the company delivers comprehensive solutions for data collection, management, integration, and interoperability.
Lew has over 15 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation, health information systems strengthening, and data analytics, visualization, and use. Throughout her tenure at BAO Systems, Lew has held key positions, most recently serving as senior director of analytics prior to becoming CDO. Now in her current role, Lew oversees the strategic direction of data management, governance, and analytics. Her responsibilities include enhancing data-driven decision-making processes, optimizing data governance frameworks, and expanding the use of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence across the BAO Systems portfolio.
Before joining BAO Systems, Lew was a technical advisor for strategic information and monitoring & evaluation at FHI 360 and, before that, a consultant at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Lew holds a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from UC San Diego and a master’s degree in international public health from Boston University, where she also contributes as an instructor.
14. Ken Auspaker
Chief Business Officer, IntraFi
Ken Auspaker is the Chief Business Officer of IntraFi, a provider of deposit placement services and the originator of reciprocal deposits. Its network includes more than 3,000 financial institutions, ranging from community and regional banks to minority depository institutions and large money-center banks. The platform supports access to large-dollar funding and offers high per-depositor and per-bank capacity. IntraFi’s services are used by a wide range of depositors, including businesses, nonprofits, government entities, and high-net-worth individuals.
Previously, Auspaker served as IntraFi's senior vice president of corporate development and sales operations. Before joining Intrafi, he was a managing director at Evercore Partners. At Evercore, he was a member of the fintech team and executed transactions across a variety of industry sub-sectors. Prior to Evercore, Ken was an analyst in M&A at Putnam Lovell. Auspaker holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.
15. Vadym Shyshchuk
Chief Operating Officer, Synergetica
Vadym Shyshchuk is the Chief Operating Officer of Synergetica, a software development company providing tailored IT solutions to businesses worldwide. Founded in 2000, Synergetica operates as a global community of software R&D professionals, delivering custom software projects that support millions of end users.
As a seasoned Chief Operating Officer with over 15 years of experience in the IT industry, Shyshchuk specializes in building high-performing teams, optimizing operations, and driving scalable growth across startups, SMBs, and corporations. His background spans product development, outstaffing, and outsourcing models.
Previously, Shyshchuk was the site manager for StuccoMedia at LabsTech and a chief operating officer at Livestream. Earlier in his career, Shyshchuk was a software developer at Ukrtelecom. He graduated from Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University with a master’s degree in accounting and audit and a master’s degree in software engineering.
Vadym Shyshchuk's Insight
"What drives me as a leader is creating environments where people grow, systems support progress, and strategy turns into meaningful results. I've learned that sustainable success comes from clarity, trust, and a strong, shared culture. I'm proud of building engaged, distributed teams that not only scaled products and operations globally but also empowered each team member's personal and professional growth. I believe in leadership grounded in people-first thinking and operational excellence as a foundation for lasting impact."
16. Nancy Van Balen
Chief Growth Officer, 9th Way Insignia
Nancy Van Balen is the Chief Growth Officer of 9th Way Insignia. 9th Way Insignia is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) that provides results-oriented technical solutions to the federal government. Led by experienced industry leaders, the company brings software development, enterprise architecture, cybersecurity, enterprise IT, and data analytics capabilities to its customer base within the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, Transportation, Commerce, and State.
Van Balen has over 30 years of federal experience directing organizations in all phases of business development, capture management, proposal management, and project execution. As Chief Growth Officer at 9th Way Insignia, she is responsible for all corporate growth, solution architecture, and technical proposal resources—all focused on demonstrating an understanding of customer needs and missions. The teams she assembles build sustainable, impactful solutions for research challenges and deliver exceptional IT and digital services for critical Government programs.
Previously, Van Balen was a Director of Business Development at AvantGarde, LLC, and a Director of Business Development at Pro-Sphere Tek, Inc. She also served as the Director of Business Development for Information Innovators Inc. (Triple-i) and was a Business Account Manager at SRA International.
Nancy Van Balen's Insight
“One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as an executive is that success isn’t about having all the answers—it's about empowering others, staying curious, and having the courage to adapt when the path forward changes.”
17. John Kilmer
Founder, Managing Member, VP of Strategic Partnerships, Valicor US™
John Kilmer is the Founder, Managing Member, and VP of Strategic Partnerships at Valicor US™. In his role, Kilmer has led the company's evolution from concept to a globally recognized force in emotional intelligence (EI) and human behavior analytics. ValiCor US uses advanced AI to thoroughly analyze one's psychological makeup in order to provide reliable, objective information that informs their future actions.
Previously, Kilmer was the founder, chairman, and CEO at Future Life™ and, before that, an ASO at Chenega Security SBU. Earlier in his career, he worked with Guardsmark as a security officer. Kilmer earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Frostburg State University.
18. Dana Morris
Senior Vice President, Product and Engineering, Virtru
Dana Morris is the Senior Vice President of Product and Engineering of Virtru. Virtru is a global leader in data privacy and protection and offers end-to-end encryption for Google, Microsoft, and other data-sharing platforms, helping organizations control how their information is accessed and shared.
Before joining Virtru, Morris was a senior vice president at MicroStrategy and a business leader at IBM. Earlier in his career, he worked with IBM as a senior software engineer. Morris graduated from George Mason University with a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
19. Claire Matthews
Senior Vice President, Strategy and Operations, WMC Global
Claire Matthews is Senior Vice President of Global Operations at WMC Global. WMC Global is a leader in cyber threat intelligence, with particular expertise in mobile security. The company supports Tier 1 mobile carriers, financial institutions, large brands, and government agencies through services that include phishing disruption, threat takedown, mobile compliance, and proprietary data feeds drawn from active phishing kits.
Matthews brings deep expertise in threat intelligence, which she applies to keeping WMC Global’s product suite and service contracts continually updated. She previously served in other operational, threat intelligence, innovation, and marketing roles.
Before joining WMC Global, Matthews held various positions within the executive branch of the U.S. government. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history and politics from Mount Holyoke College, in addition to a certificate in International Relations from the Five College Consortium. In 2020, she earned a certificate from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford for the Executive Leadership Program. More recently, she earned a certificate from IMD Switzerland in Digital Business Transformation. Claire received her Executive MBA degree from the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, in 2025.
Claire Matthews' Insight
“Across all interactions, I aim to lead through the lens of authentic leadership and compassionate management, and I strive to build the psychological safety across teams that is requisite for others to feel both comfortable and confident in bringing the human touch to the workplace. This is essential to building high performing teams that are aligned to a company’s mission, vision, and values. At WMC Global, it is both an honor and an incredible privilege to lead a group of immensely talented individuals dedicated to fighting fraud and to empower those of all levels and functions to proactively seek out meaningful opportunities in their day-to-day to connect with and fuel the company’s vision.”
20. Mike Kilian
Executive Vice President, Mvix Digital Signage
Mike Kilian is the Executive Vice President at Mvix. Founded in 2005, Mvix is known as the market leader in visual communications software. Mvix has been first-to-market with dozens of innovative platform integrations and UI/UX workflows. The team's primary focus is enhancing communication-driven outcomes for internal and external audiences. Mvix serves 12 verticals, including healthcare, education, corporate communications, retail, government, and more.
For over 12 years, Mike has driven top line revenue growth and increased EBITDA at Mvix. Formerly serving as Director of Business Development, Mike currently leads six of eight teams, including global revenue capture via direct and channel sales. Mike has a passion for client success; in recent years he has redesigned the client journey across all client segments, prioritizing strong client outcomes and client retention. Mike has designed and launched many products and services within Mvix's portfolio, including several recurring subscription offerings.
Mike is expecting to complete an MBA from Boston University later this year, and holds a Bachelor's of Science from Virginia Tech. He has completed numerous industry certifications, and has served on various Committees and Boards, including as an Advisory Board Member for the University of Richmond's Executive Client Experience program. A lifelong DC-area native, he enjoys adding value for young professionals through continued coaching and mentorship.
Mike Kilian's Insight
“The tech sector can be an ultra-fast-paced environment, and I'm fortunate to be driving change in the most competitive IT-centric job market in the U.S. One of our roles as leaders is to grow people - not just our firms and our ideas. It's a privilege to scale the people I work with and the communities we serve together - in addition to the brands we empower. In the tech environment, the fun part is reminding people that there are opportunities everywhere to add value, and guiding people towards doing so.”
21. Kyle Sigmund
VP, Financial Planning & Analysis, Brightspot
Kyle Sigmund, the VP, FP&A at Brightspot, has spent the last 10+ years working at fast-growing organizations in technology and media. At Brightspot, Kyle focuses on strategic planning, financial modeling, budgeting, and cash forecasting. Kyle is also an advisor to GoPursue, a local D.C. startup, as well as the Finance & Strategy advisor to the D.C. accelerator program, Halcyon House. He has been a part of successful nine-figure exits at Fullscreen Media & EVERFI, along with a Series B fundraising round at HighRadius valued at $1 billion. Kyle graduated from the University of Oklahoma, majoring in finance, as well as completing his master’s degree in finance at Loyola University of Chicago.
22. Chris Wykoff
Vice President, Product, Optoro
Chris Wykoff is the Vice President of Product at Optoro. Optoro's Returns Management System optimizes the reverse supply chain at each step of a return's lifecycle. This allows retailers and 3PLs to simplify their returns process and retain revenue from returns, all while reducing waste and supporting circularity. Wykoff is an experienced supply chain software leader with a proven track record of designing, implementing, and supporting complex enterprise-level solutions across multiple business verticals.
At Optoro, Wykoff has been able to excel in roles across all aspects of the customer journey, from pre-contract solutions to implementation and integration design to ongoing technical account support. In his role, Wykoff uses his customer-focused approach to build world-class solutions to optimize the reverse supply chain for customers.
Prior to working at Optoro, Wykoff worked at Manhattan Associates, designing and implementing warehouse and order management software for some of the top Fortune 500 retail and consumer electronics companies. He earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Clemson University.
Chris Wykoff's Insight
“I thought the problems being solved with supply chain software such as Order Management and Warehouse Management were big until I shifted focus to the reverse supply chain. Returns and reverse inventory is complex and chaotic and building products to tackle these massive problems is a challenge to say the least. But that is why I love it so much, every day is different and there is no better feeling than releasing a product or a feature that drives value for our customers in ways they never thought possible.”
23. Brian Morgenstern
Head of Public Policy, Riot Platforms
Brian Morgenstern is the Head of Public Policy at Riot, a Bitcoin-driven infrastructure platform. He is primarily responsible for leading Riot’s advocacy efforts at the state and federal levels regarding legislative and regulatory issues in the areas of energy, environment, financial services, tax, and national security. Morgenstern also represents the company on the executive committee of the Chamber of Digital Commerce and the board of directors of the Texas Blockchain Council.
Prior to Riot, Morgenstern served as White House deputy press secretary, deputy communications director, and special assistant to the President of the United States. Prior to that, he served at the U.S. Treasury Department as senior advisor, deputy assistant secretary, and chief speechwriter to the secretary. Morgenstern played an instrumental role in the implementation of landmark legislation, including the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, CARES Act, and FIRRMA. Morgenstern also practiced law at a large global firm in New York, handling litigation as well as white collar and regulatory investigations. Earlier in his career, he worked on Capitol Hill for Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen and the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Morgenstern earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Georgetown University and a JD from Columbia Law School.
Brian Morgenstern's Insight
“Our team has been successful because of our culture. We focus on individual empowerment, radical transparency, accountability, and most of all, improving the lives of the people in the communities where we operate. It is an honor to work on the leading edge of finance and energy with the best team in the business. Our work here in Washington serves to ensure America’s continued leadership in innovation for generations to come.”
24. Adib Chowdhury
Director of Capture & Proposals, ACI Federal
Adib Chowdhury is the Director of Capture and Proposals at ACI Federal. ACI Federal specializes in healthcare transformation solutions for both public and private sectors, including hospitals and healthcare groups. The company’s experienced team of clinicians excels in medical staffing and hospital program management, catering to diverse healthcare requirements with efficiency and expertise.
Previously, Chowdhury was the director of business development (Office 365 Solutions) at Chiron LLC and a business development specialist at Axle Informatics. Chowdhury earned a bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of Maryland.
Adib Chowdhury's Insight
"The key to success is execution. Most people are apprehensive and stuck strategically planning, while successful people are already 3 mistakes deep and have found a better process."
25. Hasan Mukati
Head of Product, PolyUno
Hasan Mukati is the Head of Product at PolyUno, where he manages an up-skill team of engineers, designers, sales, and product and marketing personnel. PolyUno conducts business in the realms of software technology, web server management, graphic design, and content management systems. The company currently manages software and websites for large and small businesses, medical doctors, and other healthcare professionals, as well as for university systems.
Before joining PolyUno, Mukati was a growth product manager at Match Group and, before that, an associate product manager at Salesforce. Earlier in his career, he co-founded and led product design and development at OEVO. Mukati graduated from the University of Oxford with a master’s degree in nanotechnology and from the University of Virginia with a bachelor's degree in computer science and entrepreneurship.
Hasan Mukati's Insight
"If I've learned anything from my personal and professional experiences, it's the importance of having freedom of mind and doing things that create a broader impact. Looking back, I realize some choices may seem small in the moment but end up shaping our lives forever. I've been fortunate to say "yes" more often than "no" and to take risks that led to incredible adventures. I hope more people dare to experience life, whether by leading a technology company to leave a mark on the world or simply by taking life by the horns."