ANTHONY “TONY” PEREZ, Founder, Chairman and CEO
Tony Perez, a “serial entrepreneur,” has carved out a successful career building businesses around break-through products rooted in technology innovation. His initial start-up experience was with IMAGIC, a video gaming business, where he served as Vice President of Operations. He built the department from the ground up, overseeing manufacturing and quality assurance, and steered the company to $70 million in video games shipped worldwide in his first year. He later founded Safety Syringes, a suite of medical devices that received 10 U.S. patents and FDA approval. In 2012, the company was sold to Becton-Dickinson, a leading global medical technology company.
In 2014, Perez became intrigued with cyber-technology and the growing issues around security and privacy. In an online world where large-scale, devastating hacking incidences are becoming commonplace, Perez sought out a solution for impenetrable ways to securely store and share documents, and conduct private online messaging. His research showed that the biggest vulnerability point on the Internet is through the password system. If that problem could be solved, online users had the best chance of gaining security and privacy.
Working with another developer, he created a unique photo authentication technology, currently in the patent approval process, that replaced traditional passwords and a companion cyber “vault” – the Netlokr® – where documents could be stored and shared, and messaging could be conducted privately and securely. These two products became the foundation for the creation of Netlok in 2014 and today the company is poised to be the leading complement of cybersecurity solutions available today.
Perez received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Cal-State University in Los Angeles and dual Masters degrees in Public Administration and Healthcare Administration from the University of Southern California. He is a sought-after speaker on cyber-security and online privacy, and his TEDx talk entitled “Black Hats Rising” has gained an enthusiastic response. Perez lives in Santa Barbara, CA where Netlok is headquartered.
CHRIS SHERMAN, Chief Financial Officer
Chris Sherman is a business strategist who thrives on helping companies advance through smart, disciplined approaches. With 25 years of senior leadership and management experience in a range of industries, Sherman brings the kind of intuitive thinking and decisive action that a company like Netlok needs to move from promising start-up to successful enterprise.
Sherman brings directly relevant experience in the security industry through his work with Inter-Con Security Systems, one of the largest privately held security companies in the world. During his eight years with the company, he served as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer. He worked with clients at the federal and state government levels, including the Department of State and a number of foreign government embassies. In addition, he served a variety of publicly and privately-held companies across a number of different industries in eighteen countries.
He has worked in a number of corporate settings, including Pacific Enterprises (now Sempra Energy), which was the parent of the largest natural gas distribution company in the U.S. He spent 13 years with the company, serving in a variety of leadership roles including: President of Pacific Energy, an alternative energy company; President of Pacific Enterprises Leasing Company; and he co-founded and served as President of Pacific Enterprises International, an international energy development company, created to invest in natural gas distribution, transmission and storage, and related power projects.
Sherman also served as Executive Vice President of IndyMac Bank and was responsible for the Global Resources Group, which conducted the bank’s sizable offshoring programs, non-traditional workforce, and talent acquisition functions. From there, he joined InfrastructureWorld as Executive Vice President and Managing Director, where he led the company’s CleanTech business and financing and investment activities primarily outside the U.S. Sherman also spent 7 years at McKinsey & Company where he focused his work on corporate strategy.
Sherman holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Honors in Economics from Purdue University and his MBA from Harvard Business School. He has served on a number of corporate and non-profit boards. He is based in Los Angeles where Netlok has offices in Pasadena.
FELIPE CARINO, Chief Technology Officer
Felipe Carino brings more than 20 years of experience in hands-on technical management, innovation and new product development to Netlok. He has oversight responsibility for all technical aspects of the company, including: leading the company’s technical development and establishing its technical vision and policies; conducting research designed to improve the technological assets of the company; developing and directing systems risk mitigation strategies; and serving as an advisors to other senior managers on improving efficiency and effectiveness through technology.
His career has spanned the range of corporate settings, from startups and turnarounds to multi-billion dollar international corporations. He has served as CTO for such companies as Perscala, Winnol Corporation, XAP Corporation, and 4Medica. Carino also worked for two years as the Executive Director of Research and Development for MySpace, and the Director of Strategic New Business Development for FILETEK. Prior to those positions, he spent eleven years as the chief architect for Multimedia Object/Relational Databases and Intrapreneurial Laboratory Head and advisor to the Chief Scientist and CEO of NCR/Teradata.
Highlights of his professional experience include: founding and creating an elite R&D innovation group at MySpace which pioneered an R&D system, in collaboration with the University of Southern California, to reduce 50% of the 10,000 servers used for caching; conceiving and developing (and now patented) a break-through e-commerce system for monetizing any website without third-party permission; and securing more than 20 patents (eight of which were issued to Carino) for system technology at Teradata.
Carino earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from New York University (NYU), as well as his Master’s degree in Computer Science from NYU, and an Executive MBA from the University of Southern California.
Board of Advisors
SUNIL MADHU, Identity and Access Architect
Serial entrepreneur and computer architect with over 20 years of experience developing product, teams and selling innovative software solutions.As a team member, he has helped execute an IPO and exits over $100M. Has global experience and a broad range of expertise in hardware and software domains, stemming from an innate understanding of technology as an enabler to the business. Has the capacity to assimilate information quickly. Is passionate, focused and driven. Specialties: Information and Systems Security, Social Media Marketing, Platforms and Tools, Product Management, Identity & Access Management, Risk Management, Enterprise Architecture
Accomplishments: Two patents, including 1) Risk assessment using social media marketing and 2) Analyzing facial recognition data and social data for user authentication. Also, certified in Total Quality Management and currently working on social biometrics.
Sunil received his BSc, Computer Sciences at the University of Strathclyde and an MSc, Computer Information Systems from Glasgow Caledonian University.
JESSICA ROBINSON, Founder and CEO, PurePoint International
Jessica Robinson has completed safety & security trainings for nearly 500 people from 14 different countries and has created and consulted on cyber risk mitigation plans for international organizations. Her vision for a safe and empowered workplace became PurePoint International.
Founded by Ms. Robinson, PurePoint International, a holistic boutique security firm, is the #1 security company for women owned & women-led businesses globally. PurePoint International is a social enterprise that bridges the gap between physical and cyber security. With their unique business model and launch of their new innovative training, Safe Spaces Organizational and Leadership Training, PurePoint was recently awarded the JCI Philippines-New York ICON Award for International Affairs and Women’s Security.
As CEO of PurePoint International, Ms. Robinson helps people and companies to be safe, and helps companies protect their profitability and their reputation. As a security expert and outsourced CISO/CSO, she provides cyber technology solutions, conducts risk assessments and employee training on cyber and physical security, information protection, and threat prevention. PurePoint International provides affordable physical security and cybersecurity consulting services for financial services, law firms, health services, social enterprises, international non-profits, conscious business leaders in journalism, fashion, beauty, retail, luxury, and women founded, owned or led businesses. Through their program Security for Social Impact, PurePoint International provides no-cost services to organizations with an operating budget of $1.5M or less.
Ms. Robinson has spoken at the Social Venture Network Conference, United Nations, Microsoft, Filipino Press Club NYC, Tribeca Film Festival Anti-Summit, Kaplan International, William Patterson University, NAWBO-NYC, OWASP-Brooklyn, ACEDS Conference, Commission on the Status of Women Conference (CSW), Peace Conference at the United Nations, and numerous other organizations, has published articles with various publications including Security Director Magazine, and was selected as a 2015 Women of Distinction by Women of Distinction Magazine. Ms. Robinson has been featured in the BBC, CNN and interviewed by numerous talk shows, radio shows and podcasts and is a Women’s Media Center SheSource Expert.
Formerly, Ms. Robinson served on the Washington DC Police Foundation’s Women’s Committee and on the NYC Police Foundation’s Crime Stoppers Committee, and is involved with security industry organizations such as ASIS International, Women in International Security, Women in Technology, and the International organization of Black Security Executives, among other organizations.
Ms. Robinson was a 2014 Fellow with IMPACT Leadership 21, completed an Executive Education Certificate, with the Institute of Personal Leadership, at Columbia University Business School in 2013 and was a Fellow with the Impact Center in 2012. She received her Master’s in Public and International Affairs with a strong focus in Security & Intelligence Studies from the University of Pittsburgh and earned an East Asian Studies Certificate with a focus on China. She received a B.S. from Western Illinois University, in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, where she played Division I soccer and graduated with honors. She initially double majored in Law Enforcement and Computer Science in college until she quickly discovered what became one of her true loves: international affairs. Though Ms. Robinson left behind her Computer Science training, and eventually received her master’s in Public and International Affairs, her passion for IT and cyber related security issues continues now through her work.
Ms. Robinson is currently serving on the board of international non-profit World Pulse, and formerly part of the Emerging Global Leader Circle with Impact Leadership 21, and the United Nations Women Committee on Public/Private partnerships. In 2014, she was recognized as a Rising Leader by the African American Alumni Council at the University of Pittsburgh. Ms. Robinson is passionate about supporting people in living the most courageous and secure life possible at work and at home, human rights, women’s global leadership and ending violence against women and girls globally.
MICHELLE KATZ, MSN, LPN, Healthcare Advocate, Author, and Public Speaker in Washington, DC
Ms. Katz, MSN, LPN began her career as a trained nurse and has 5 years of clinical experience and 3 years as a FDA researcher reporting directly to the Chief of Economics. Today, Ms. Katz is one of the most well-known healthcare advocates.
For over 15 years, Ms. Katz has used the Healthcare for Less platform to make healthcare accessible to those who may not have thought they could afford the care they needed, as well as understandable to the general public, by addressing some of the most critical aspects of healthcare in a simpler way. She has used the power of the media to help deliver the message of hope and encourage others to become their own healthcare advocates through compelling stories about real people in a wide range of financial situations effecting their health from a physical to their emotional state. She empowers families and businesses to take control of their situations by introducing the tools they need to get out of medical debt and stay out of medical debt; all stemming from her own experiences with near death experiences and singlehandedly avoiding medical debt with and without health insurance. Michelle is well known for her work, helping families across the country get out of medical debt, by offering guidance and advise on the “Real Money” segments of ABC World News Tonight in addition to the “Doc on a Dime” segment on The Doctors Show. She has also been quoted and used as an expert by various media outlets including CBS, Fox News, NBC, CNN and MSNBC where she simplifies ACA/Obamacare while bringing facts to the listeners without political bias. In addition to being the lead resource for many media outlets on health and navigating through the healthcare system, Ms. Katz has published three books on saving money in healthcare: Healthcare Made Easy, Healthcare for Less and 101 Health Insurance Tips. These books are all one of a kind resources, helping businesses and families navigate through the healthcare system and avoid medical debt in a way that is understandable to all.
Recently, Ms. Katz has developed and implemented multiple preventive health campaigns and has interfaced between non-profits and pharma/biotech companies. As Executive Director, Preventive Health Programs & Compliance Officer, YMCA Metropolitan Los Angeles, she led the development of the evidence-based YMCA Diabetes Prevention program, assisted in the development of HIPAA, fraud and abuse policies and procedures while helping to foster strong relationships with healthcare professionals as well as corporate sponsors.
Ms. Katz sits on two Board of Directors: Chalant Health Inc. and Neulife. Today, Chalant Health is redefining how to manage medication compliance for improve patient outcomes; lower patient support costs through telehealth products and services; and, offering a seamless way for providers to conduct additional patient visits in a more cost-efficient manner. Neulife sells Sports Nutrition supplements where users also receive expert advice in the world of nutrition.
Ms. Katz holds her BS in Public Administration with a concentration in Communications from George Mason University. She obtained her MS in Integrated Health Systems Management from Georgetown University. She earned her LPN from Global Health Nurse Training Services in Alexandria, VA Nursing.
