Real Estate & Architecture

Experts in the design, construction, and management of buildings and structures, as well as professionals involved in the buying, selling, and development of real estate properties

Robb Stein

Robb Stein

Robb Stein is an entrepreneur and business leader who owns and operates several companies and has been a real estate investor for more than 20 years. Raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, he has remained closely connected to the community where he grew up. Over the years, he has built his professional career while also dedicating time and resources to community initiatives, nonprofit organizations, and volunteer work that support people across the region.

Robb is the principal owner of the Cincinnati Byrider location, which is part of a national dealership network that sells inspected and reconditioned vehicles. The dealership focuses on helping customers obtain reliable transportation and offers in-house financing programs. These financing options are designed to assist individuals who may not qualify for traditional auto loans, while also helping them build or repair their credit through reporting to the major credit bureaus. Across the United States, more than one million customers have trusted Byrider as their dealership when purchasing a vehicle.

In addition to this role, Robert Stein serves as President of Derojo, Inc., a Cincinnati-based company that operates across several industries. The organization manages auto dealerships, subprime finance companies, a real estate development group, and a reinsurance company. The company often looks for opportunities within specialized markets where businesses may benefit from additional investment and operational restructuring. By focusing on these opportunities, the organization works to improve performance and create long-term value.

He also serves as Chairman of Card Sound Reinsurance Group, a company that focuses on specific high-risk insurance exposures that may produce higher returns under favorable tax structures. Alongside these responsibilities, he also leads another major automotive venture. Robert Stein, of Cincinnati, is the President and owner of Alford Motors, Inc., the largest subprime auto dealer group. The business combines vehicle sales with financing options designed for customers who may not qualify for loans from banks or traditional auto lenders, providing access to both transportation and financial rebuilding opportunities.

Outside of business, Robb Stein has been actively involved in philanthropy and community service throughout Cincinnati. For nearly a decade, he served on the Board of Directors of the StarShine Hospice program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. The hospice program provides palliative care to children and young adults whose life expectancy is limited, focusing on comfort, dignity, and meaningful time with family.
He also served on the board of Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled (LADD) for four years. The organization supports adults with developmental disabilities by helping them live independently, develop job skills, and participate more fully in their communities.

His community involvement also includes long-standing volunteer work with the American Heart Association. Stein helped establish the organization’s Young Professional committee and has participated in leadership and fundraising efforts that support heart health education and research.

In addition, Robb Stein served as a former co-chair of Fall Feast Cincinnati and spent more than a decade on its steering committee. The annual Thanksgiving event organizes over a thousand volunteers to provide meals, clothing, and services to thousands of people in need.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University in Bloomington. Outside of work and service, he enjoys golf, skiing, boating, and outdoor endurance challenges, including completing the 29029 Everesting Challenge in Jackson Hole and later summiting Mount Rainier.

Robb Stein is an entrepreneur and business leader who owns and operates several companies and has been a real estate investor for more than 20 years. Raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, he has remained closely connected to the community where he grew up. Ove... Show more

Akarsh Sahlot

Akarsh Sahlot

I am an open-source developer and Maintainer at the Hyphae project under LF Energy (Linux Foundation). I previously contributed as a mentee and now work on improving the APIS ecosystem and developer onboarding. In 2025, I was selected for Code for GovTech (C4GT), where I worked on production-grade decentralized applications for Indian government systems. I am also building Stelltron, a decentralized solar energy trading platform integrating IoT hardware with blockchain infrastructure.

I am an open-source developer and Maintainer at the Hyphae project under LF Energy (Linux Foundation). I previously contributed as a mentee and now work on improving the APIS ecosystem and developer onboarding. In 2025, I was selected for Code for Go... Show more

Mariana Lima

Mariana Lima

Mariana Lima is a Software Engineer, and a two-time WomenTech Global Mentor of the Year (2024 & 2025, Community Award), also recognized among the Top 30 Women in Tech in Portugal.
Originally a music festival producer, she transitioned into software engineering and moved into technical project leadership as project manager, now contributing to AI engineering initiatives.
A Brazilian based in Portugal, she brings a human-centered perspective to technology and leadership in the AI era. She is currently mentoring through GMI and She Code Africa, while also participating in the tech community as a speaker.
Recent speaking engagements include:
- March 22, 2026 — Rebuilding Trust in Tech in the Era of AI, She Code Africa (Greater Accra Chapter)
- April 18, 2026 — Code Like a Mentor: Why "Clean Code" is an Act of Empathy, Geek Girls Portugal Conference
- May 8, 2026 — Code Like a Mentor: Why "Clean Code" is an Act of Empathy, Braga Drupal Iberia 2026

Mariana Lima is a Software Engineer, and a two-time WomenTech Global Mentor of the Year (2024 & 2025, Community Award), also recognized among the Top 30 Women in Tech in Portugal. Originally a music festival producer, she transitioned into software ... Show more

Dada Pey

Dada Pey

Dada Pey is a strategist, entrepreneur, and educator known for his ability to simplify complex ideas into practical guidance. His professional work is built on disciplined thinking, structured analysis, and clear communication across several growing industries. He focuses on helping individuals approach challenges with preparation, consistency, and long-term perspective while connecting with both new learners and experienced professionals.

Dada's career began in sales, where he developed a strong understanding of communication, timing, and client behavior. Those experiences continue to influence how he evaluates opportunities and approaches decision-making today. Working closely with clients also strengthened his ability to explain complex concepts clearly and concisely.

Dada Saghdoshpey later moved into the field of artificial intelligence, founding a company focused on practical AI solutions. His company develops tools designed to improve workflows, support decision-making, and make advanced technology easier for people to use. His approach to AI is guided by the belief that technology should assist human judgment rather than replace it.

In addition to technology, Dada is involved in real estate investment with a focus on the Middle East. He studies opportunities by analyzing infrastructure growth, economic development, demographic changes, and long-term market trends. His background in business strategy, education, and technology enables him to evaluate investments with a balanced, careful perspective.

Although Dada values artificial intelligence, data analysis, and modern systems, he believes that practical experience and disciplined thinking remain essential. In his view, technology is most effective when combined with sound judgment and real-world understanding. His methods combine modern tools with practical principles that can adapt to changing industries while remaining focused on meaningful results.

Consistency is an important part of his professional approach. Dada focuses on preparation, process, and transparency rather than reacting emotionally to uncertain situations. His steady and analytical mindset has helped him maintain stability and identify opportunities in competitive environments.

Dada Pey continues to work across technology, investment, and education while remaining committed to helping others navigate complex industries with greater clarity, structure, and confidence.

Dada Pey is a strategist, entrepreneur, and educator known for his ability to simplify complex ideas into practical guidance. His professional work is built on disciplined thinking, structured analysis, and clear communication across several growing ... Show more

Angel Lopez Morales

Angel Lopez Morales

Ángel López Morales is the founder of VoicePowered.ai, a generative AI company focused on voice, audio experiences, synthetic speech, podcasts and conversational media. He has more than 22 years of experience in telecommunications and full-stack development, with a strong background in voice systems, Node.js, Python, AI-powered products and cloud-based platforms.

He is currently working on VRI — Voice Rights Infrastructure — an open protocol designed to make recorded and AI-generated audio verifiable through provenance metadata, signed proof packages, cryptographic verification and robust watermarking.

Ángel López Morales is the founder of VoicePowered.ai, a generative AI company focused on voice, audio experiences, synthetic speech, podcasts and conversational media. He has more than 22 years of experience in telecommunications and full-stack deve... Show more

Matt Nunn

Matt Nunn

Matt Nunn is a technology leader specializing in AI, developer platforms, and product innovation, with experience at Microsoft, Amazon, Snowflake, Dell and Borland. He has built applications ranging from Mortgage Systems to Helicopter flight scheduling software. He led go-to-market strategy for developer-focused products and contributed to major keynotes at global conferences. Matt is known for delivering engaging talks that translate complex technical concepts into clear, actionable insights for developers and technical leaders. In his spare time you can find him helping his wife run their art gallery in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle or freelancing as a network technician and installation engineer specializing in Unifi products.

Matt Nunn is a technology leader specializing in AI, developer platforms, and product innovation, with experience at Microsoft, Amazon, Snowflake, Dell and Borland. He has built applications ranging from Mortgage Systems to Helicopter flight scheduli... Show more

Alfonso Andrés López Molina

Alfonso Andrés López Molina

Software Engineer, Architect, and open-source contributor with over 11 years of experience in Angular, React, and full-stack development. Creator of Limitless Angular, a library that simplifies Angular-Sanity CMS integration. Passionate about clean architecture, performance, and AI-driven automation, I actively share my knowledge through talks, workshops, and open-source contributions. 🚀

Software Engineer, Architect, and open-source contributor with over 11 years of experience in Angular, React, and full-stack development. Creator of Limitless Angular, a library that simplifies Angular-Sanity CMS integration. Passionate about clean a... Show more

Promise Mmanta

Promise Mmanta

Promise Mmanta is a Product Manager with over 4 years of experience building payment, logistics, and fulfillment systems that power real-world operations. She has led the design of platforms spanning driver apps, partner onboarding and KYC workflows, warehousing and fulfillment systems, and transaction and settlement flows.

Her work centers on translating complex operational and financial processes into structured, scalable systems. She has driven improvements in partner activation, automated key workflows, and contributed to revenue growth through the relaunch of a warehousing and fulfillment business line.

More recently, her focus has expanded into API design, payments infrastructure, and AI-driven systems, with a particular interest in how autonomous agents interact with APIs, exposing hidden assumptions in authorization, data governance, and system control.

Promise Mmanta is a Product Manager with over 4 years of experience building payment, logistics, and fulfillment systems that power real-world operations. She has led the design of platforms spanning driver apps, partner onboarding and KYC workflows,... Show more

Tom Shemesh

Tom Shemesh

Tom Shemesh is a founder and systems operator with over a decade of experience working at the intersection of revenue, product, and engineering on customer-facing software. In revenue and operations leadership roles, Tom collaborated closely with engineering teams on product launches and go-to-market execution, while working directly with sales and customer success to understand real customer needs. Today, Tom builds AI-powered products and focuses on closing the gap between technical decisions and customer outcomes.

Tom Shemesh is a founder and systems operator with over a decade of experience working at the intersection of revenue, product, and engineering on customer-facing software. In revenue and operations leadership roles, Tom collaborated closely with eng... Show more

Ashish Krishnan

Ashish Krishnan

As a Principal Engineer at Gojek, I drive the architectural vision and technical strategy for our mobile platform. Over the past 7 years, I have focused on scaling our engineering culture and improving cross-team development practices. My primary effort in cross-platform frameworks steers our development towards unified, efficient solutions and breaking platform boundaries. A key part of my role is to continuously enhance app performance by guiding the development of tooling for core mobile health metrics.

As a Principal Engineer at Gojek, I drive the architectural vision and technical strategy for our mobile platform. Over the past 7 years, I have focused on scaling our engineering culture and improving cross-team development practices. My primary eff... Show more

Christine Pinto

Christine Pinto

Christine is a Berlin-based Automation Engineer with over 18 years in the tech industry. She has been at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technologies into software testing. Taking her passion for innovation to the next level, Christine recently co-founded Epic Test Quest as CPTO, an AI-powered SaaS startup aimed at democratizing and gamifying software testing.

Christine is a Berlin-based Automation Engineer with over 18 years in the tech industry. She has been at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technologies into software testing. Taking her passion for innovation to the next level, Christine rece... Show more

Mårten Rånge

Mårten Rånge

Mårten Rånge is a consultant, developer, and software architect with nearly 30 years of experience building applications. He has worked at Microsoft, WCOM, and Ericsson, and now works at Contracting Works AS.

Mårten Rånge is a consultant, developer, and software architect with nearly 30 years of experience building applications. He has worked at Microsoft, WCOM, and Ericsson, and now works at Contracting Works AS. Show more

Michael Forness New Smyrna

Michael Forness New Smyrna

Michael W. Forness is a design-build landscaping specialist whose career is characterized by technical discipline and a strong connection to the coastal environment he serves. Also known informally as “Mike” or “Michael Forness”, the New Smyrna Beach-based landscape contractor focuses primarily on high-end residential landscaping, where he has more than two decades of hands-on experience.

Mike Forness attended the University of Central Florida and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business before pursuing a career in landscaping and residential construction. In 2005, he earned a certified state building contractor license from the Florida State Construction Licensing Board. His education and years of field experience have helped shape a practical approach to project management, planning, and outdoor design.

In 2001, he founded Coastal Landscapes of Volusia, a company focused on residential landscaping projects throughout the New Smyrna Beach area. Since establishing the Business, he has worked primarily with homeowners seeking outdoor environments that balance functionality with the natural coastal setting. Many of his projects involve waterfront and oceanfront homes where drainage, soil conditions, and environmental exposure require careful planning and long-term consideration.

His work is built around a design-build process that integrates planning, engineering, scheduling, and construction into a single, organized system. By remaining involved from the beginning of a project through completion, Michael W. Forness oversees client communication, site coordination, scheduling, and project management. This direct involvement allows him to maintain consistency throughout every stage of development.

His landscaping projects frequently include irrigation systems, hardscape installation, outdoor living layouts, and plant selection designed for Florida’s coastal conditions. Rather than treating landscaping as a separate decorative feature, Michael Forness views outdoor spaces as an extension of the home itself. This perspective has remained an important part of his professional philosophy over the years.

Working in coastal Florida also requires experience with changing weather conditions, salt air, and exposure to moisture. Through years of practical work, he has developed methods designed to support durability and long-term functionality in outdoor spaces. In the market associated with Michael Forness New Smyrna, his projects reflect a steady focus on organization, usability, and dependable project execution.

In addition to overseeing construction and landscaping work, he also manages many operational responsibilities connected to running the company. Estimating project costs, organizing schedules, coordinating resources, and maintaining communication with homeowners are all important parts of his daily responsibilities. His background in Business has helped him balance field operations with administrative management.

Outside of work, Mike enjoys activities connected to Florida’s coastal lifestyle, especially offshore fishing and surfing along the east coast. Family life also remains important to him. His wife contributes to the company as office manager and marketing director, supporting daily operations and long-term planning for the Business.

Together, they have three daughters pursuing different educational and career paths. One is continuing her education in nursing, another is preparing for a career in accounting, and their youngest daughter remains active in academics and competitive soccer while attending high school.

He has also remained connected to the local community through support for youth athletics and school sports programs. Through continued sponsorships and local involvement, Michael Forness New Smyrna continues to contribute to the New Smyrna Beach community while maintaining his commitment to thoughtful landscaping and dependable residential project management.

Michael W. Forness is a design-build landscaping specialist whose career is characterized by technical discipline and a strong connection to the coastal environment he serves. Also known informally as “Mike” or “Michael Forness”, the New Smyrna Beach... Show more

Faith Sycaoyao

Faith Sycaoyao

Faith Sycaoyao is an emerging entrepreneur, artist, and researcher with 10+ speaking engagements across academic and international spaces. She is the Boston Marathon Founding Muralist and founder of NCLS Holdings, where she has built a global audience of 70,000+ across 40 countries. Her work spans 15+ years in visual art and has been featured or presented through institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley, and the University of Texas at Austin, as well as outlets and platforms including UNESCO, NBC 10 WJAR, CBS Boston, and international art fairs. She has also received recognition from critic Anthony Fawcett (University of Oxford).

Her academic and research work includes collaborations and contributions with institutions such as Stanford University, the University of Texas at Austin, UCLA, and the University of Kentucky, with a focus on environmental studies, finance, and real estate. She has also contributed to youth-led and UN-affiliated initiatives, including UNICEF, UNESCO, and the WHO Youth Council, and has participated in global climate policy spaces such as COP and YOUNGO. She is a Vital Voices Visionaries Fellow with The Estée Lauder Companies and has worked with Climate Cardinals on climate education and communication projects.

Faith Sycaoyao is an emerging entrepreneur, artist, and researcher with 10+ speaking engagements across academic and international spaces. She is the Boston Marathon Founding Muralist and founder of NCLS Holdings, where she has built a global audienc... Show more

John Dennison

John Dennison

John Dennison is a senior Cloud and DevOps architect at Sogeti Engage, part of Capgemini. He has worked for over 20 years in the IT Industry and has a range of experience from IoT & data to being an application architect and DevOps expert. He is passionate about automation and improving developer experiences by allowing them to focus on producing value for their customers. He has followed the Dapr project for many years and is involved in implementing solutions based on Dapr for our customers.

John Dennison is a senior Cloud and DevOps architect at Sogeti Engage, part of Capgemini. He has worked for over 20 years in the IT Industry and has a range of experience from IoT & data to being an application architect and DevOps expert. He is pass... Show more

Nandipa Sozoyi

Nandipa Sozoyi

Nandipa Sozoyi is a PhD candidate, transdisciplinary researcher, and systems thinker working at the intersection of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, digital infrastructure, spatial governance, and emerging technologies. Her research explores how knowledge systems function as adaptive infrastructures that inform contemporary challenges in AI, sustainability, governance, and technology design.

She is the founder of Noncedo Development Collective, a South African systems design and research initiative focused on ethical development architectures, knowledge infrastructures, and innovation ecosystems. Her work spans academic research, community innovation, and applied platform development, including community-based initiatives through Zithulele Development Collective and IKS SoMbo Connect, an emerging initiative exploring how Indigenous knowledge can be translated into digital and institutional systems.

Nandipa’s work has received innovation funding, featured in innovation showcases and collaborative initiatives, and increasingly bridges architecture, systems thinking, and technology futures. She also contributes to higher education through research mentorship and studio teaching while building models that connect research, communities, and emerging technologies.

Nandipa Sozoyi is a PhD candidate, transdisciplinary researcher, and systems thinker working at the intersection of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, digital infrastructure, spatial governance, and emerging technologies. Her research explores how knowled... Show more

Rich Allen

Rich Allen

Rich Allen is a sociotechnical architect and independent consultant who helps organizations achieve sustainable fast flow by optimizing team design, reducing cognitive load, and aligning around user needs.

With over two decades of hands-on experience as a developer, tech lead, architect, and CTO, Rich brings a deep technical foundation to his work at the intersection of software delivery and organizational design. As one of the longest-serving Team Topologies Valued Practitioners (https://teamtopologies.com/all-ttvp/rich-allen-ttvp), Rich has supported a wide range of organizations in applying Team Topologies patterns and principles in real-world contexts.

He is the author of the book "User Needs Mapping: Aligning Teams Around What Matters" (https://userneedsmapping.com/book) and the creator of several widely used tools and practices, including the Fast Flow Toolkit (https://fastflowtoolkit.com/), Flow Decision Records (https://flowdecisionrecords.com/), and User Needs Mapping (https://userneedsmapping.com/).

Rich co-founded the Developer South Coast technology user group and holds a BEng in Microelectronics and Computing from Bournemouth University.

Rich Allen is a sociotechnical architect and independent consultant who helps organizations achieve sustainable fast flow by optimizing team design, reducing cognitive load, and aligning around user needs. With over two decades of hands-on experie... Show more

Stefan Baumgartner

Stefan Baumgartner

Stefan Baumgartner is an architect and developer based in Austria. He is the author of "TypeScript in 50 Lessons" (Smashing Magazine, 2020) and "The TypeScript Cookbook" (O'Reilly, 2023). In his spare time, he organizes ScriptConf and Rust Linz. Stefan enjoys Italian food, Belgian beer, and British vinyl records.

Stefan Baumgartner is an architect and developer based in Austria. He is the author of "TypeScript in 50 Lessons" (Smashing Magazine, 2020) and "The TypeScript Cookbook" (O'Reilly, 2023). In his spare time, he organizes ScriptConf and Rust Linz. Stef... Show more

Abin Antony

Abin Antony

Passionate problem solver and results-driven Architect with 18 years of experience in designing and delivering scalable, innovative solutions across multimillion-dollar projects for global, multibillion-dollar organizations.

Passionate problem solver and results-driven Architect with 18 years of experience in designing and delivering scalable, innovative solutions across multimillion-dollar projects for global, multibillion-dollar organizations. Show more

Manoj Jaggavarapu

Manoj Jaggavarapu

Manoj Reddy Jaggavarapu is a seasoned technology executive with over 20 years of experience in architecting, developing, and leading the delivery of scalable, reliable, and intelligent enterprise software solutions. Currently serving as Senior Director of Software Engineering at Progress Residential, Manoj has played a pivotal role in leveraging AI and automation to transform customer experience, operational efficiency, and fraud prevention in the real estate technology space.
At Progress Residential, Manoj led the development and pilot of an AI-driven leasing solution that nurtures over 20,000 leads per month across multiple channels email, text, and voice with plans for national expansion to manage over 2 million leads annually. His leadership in integrating Salesforce Voice Cloud with AWS Connect, along with AI-powered call quality analysis systems, contributed to a 30% reduction in lost cases and a 28% cut in call center costs. He also spearheaded initiatives such as a redesigned customer portal, advanced case handling workflows, and the automation of over 6,000 types of HOA notices using OCR and generative AI resulting in the elimination of 10 person-days of manual effort and drastically reduced error rates.
Previously, at 7-Eleven, Manoj led the RIS 2.0 cloud migration, handling over 10 million POS transactions daily across 10,000+ stores, and modernized cashierless store operations using computer vision. He played a critical role in launching the 7NOW delivery platform, now a billion-dollar line of business, and spearheaded innovations in contactless retail, including the U.S.'s first facial recognition-based payment and loyalty system in partnership with Caliburger while at NEC Corporation.
Manoj’s earlier experience includes technical leadership roles at NEC India and Wipro, where he built and optimized mission-critical systems in retail, telecom, and pharmacy domains. He has consistently demonstrated the ability to lead large engineering teams, drive complex cloud migrations, develop AI-first applications, and bring innovative solutions to market with measurable business outcomes.
With deep hands-on expertise in full-stack development, AI/ML, RPA, and cloud architecture (AWS), Manoj continues to drive digital transformation through technical innovation and strategic leadership.

Manoj Reddy Jaggavarapu is a seasoned technology executive with over 20 years of experience in architecting, developing, and leading the delivery of scalable, reliable, and intelligent enterprise software solutions. Currently serving as Senior Direct... Show more

Matthew Flanagan

Matthew Flanagan

Matthew Flanagan is the Director and Principal Cyber Security Consultant at Cybliminal, a security consultancy he founded in 2022. With 30+ years of IT experience, including 25 years specialising in cyber security, he applies adversarial and offensive techniques to help organisations build stronger, more resilient defences.

Matthew Flanagan is the Director and Principal Cyber Security Consultant at Cybliminal, a security consultancy he founded in 2022. With 30+ years of IT experience, including 25 years specialising in cyber security, he applies adversarial and offensiv... Show more

Tim Biedenkapp

Tim Biedenkapp

As the Director of Information and AI at adorsys, Tim brings a visionary approach to enterprise architecture and data governance. His expertise lies in designing strategic frameworks that enable organizations to unlock the full potential of their data assets. Tim’s leadership is rooted in a deep understanding of the symbiotic relationship between information and innovation.

As the Director of Information and AI at adorsys, Tim brings a visionary approach to enterprise architecture and data governance. His expertise lies in designing strategic frameworks that enable organizations to unlock the full potential of their dat... Show more

Mitanshu Bhasin

Mitanshu Bhasin

Founder of **Explyra**, a modern productivity and developer platform designed to unify multiple business tools into one ecosystem.

Explyra focuses on building powerful, lightweight web tools including video meetings, booking systems, attendance management, CRM utilities and developer tools.

Key things I am working on:

• Building scalable SaaS products using modern web technologies
• Creating real-time communication tools (similar to modern meeting platforms)
• Designing developer-friendly utilities and automation tools
• Developing productivity systems for companies, schools and individuals

Products currently in development within the Explyra suite include:

• Explyra Meet – real-time video meetings
• Explyra Booking – personal scheduling system
• Explyra Attendance – attendance and analytics platform
• Explyra CRM – customer relationship management tools
• Explyra Utilities – productivity utilities for developers

Goal:
Build a unified platform where individuals, teams and organizations can manage work, communication and productivity from a single place.

Founder of **Explyra**, a modern productivity and developer platform designed to unify multiple business tools into one ecosystem. Explyra focuses on building powerful, lightweight web tools including video meetings, booking systems, attendance ma... Show more

Jonathan Pasternak

Jonathan Pasternak

Jonathan Pasternak is a seasoned bankruptcy and restructuring attorney who has built one of the largest debtor bankruptcy practices in the nation by volume. With more than three decades of experience, he has guided clients through complex financial transactions in both legal and advisory roles. Throughout his career, he has developed strong working relationships with companies, lenders, investors, fiduciaries, and other professionals. He has focused his work on helping clients stabilize operations, restructure debt, and move forward during periods of financial distress.

For 36 years, Jonathan has represented parties across a wide range of industries. His primary focus has been the reorganization and restructuring of private and public companies. Over the course of his career, he has advised hundreds of individual and corporate clients on debtor and creditor representation, workouts, recapitalizations, asset sales, and complex Chapter 11 proceedings.

In addition to insolvency matters, Pasternak has handled commercial real estate and finance transactions tied to distressed assets. His work has included resolving property-related debt issues, restructuring business asset portfolios, and guiding transaction-driven reorganizations. In each case, he has applied careful financial analysis and practical legal strategy. He remains focused on achieving business objectives, whether through negotiated solutions or court-supervised proceedings.

For more than 20 years, Jonathan managed his own boutique bankruptcy law firm. Under his leadership, the firm became one of the leading Chapter 11 debtor practices in the country by case volume. He oversaw daily operations while maintaining an active caseload, working directly with clients and coordinating with courts and other stakeholders.

His work has earned recognition from peers and professional organizations. In 2017, Jonathan was named YJP Professional of the Year for his contributions to restructuring and insolvency efforts. He was also consistently ranked among the top 20 bankruptcy lawyers in the nation by volume and was recognized as a Super Lawyer for more than 15 consecutive years. He has lectured at insolvency conferences and has been interviewed on radio and television regarding large-scale bankruptcies.

Education has played an important role in his life. Pasternak graduated cum laude from The Pingry School in 1981 and later from Brown University in 1985, where he studied American History and Literature. He has served as a class representative and remains active in alumni initiatives. His family also maintains close ties to Brown University.

Jonathan has supported charitable and community initiatives, including food and clothing drives and educational organizations. For 11 years, he served on the Board of Trustees of Temple Sinai of Bergen County, where he helped oversee governance and fiduciary matters. He has also provided pro bono legal services to individuals, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations.

Outside of his legal career, Pasternak is an accomplished musician and performer. Music remains an active interest, and he is known for his dedication to preparation and technical skill. He is also a field recorder and archivist of live music. In his local community, he has coached youth sports and participated in community events.

Throughout his career, Jonathan Pasternak has focused on helping clients navigate financially distressed situations with steady judgment and practical solutions. His work in bankruptcy, commercial real estate, and corporate restructuring reflects a long-standing commitment to professional responsibility and service, hallmarks that continue to define him.

Jonathan Pasternak is a seasoned bankruptcy and restructuring attorney who has built one of the largest debtor bankruptcy practices in the nation by volume. With more than three decades of experience, he has guided clients through complex financial t... Show more

Jay Manley

Jay Manley

When he’s not helping finance teams untangle their payments messes, Jay is usually strapped into something loud, fast, or airborne—sometimes all three in the same week.

In the office, he’s a visionary and a natural leader for Accounts Payable teams: the kind of operator who doesn’t just “optimize a process,” but rethinks how AP should work end-to-end—simplifying the chaos, modernizing the tech stack, and rallying teams around a clear path from manual grind to automated control.

He’s also a multi-rated pilot (powered, glider, and unmanned—rotor and fixed-wing) who puts those skills to work with the Civil Air Patrol on search-and-rescue missions, logging real cockpit time when it actually counts.

Back on the ground, he’s a lifelong motorsports addict: a season points champion who’s finished 3rd out of 330 cars in divisional competition—and then decided that wasn’t chaotic enough, so he went all-in on the art (and smoke) of drift driving.

And when things “slow down,” it’s only by Jay’s standards: playing guitar in a band, disappearing off-grid in the mountains, or sending a snowmobile through deep powder like it personally offended him. If it runs on fuel, flies, or makes your heart rate question your life choices, there’s a decent chance Jay’s either done it… or is already planning the next stunt.

When he’s not helping finance teams untangle their payments messes, Jay is usually strapped into something loud, fast, or airborne—sometimes all three in the same week. In the office, he’s a visionary and a natural leader for Accounts Payable team... Show more

William Timlen

William Timlen

William Timlen, CPA, has three decades of experience in tax, accounting, and management. He focuses on partnership taxation and passive activity loss rules, with solid experience in profit-and-loss allocations and distributions. He advises borrowers on the tax implications of debt restructurings and distressed real estate transactions, including foreclosures, deeds-in-lieu, and bankruptcy. He also works with real estate owners and developers on tax planning. He provides advisory support to high-net-worth individuals and families, including guidance during complex federal and state tax examinations.

He joined a New York-based firm in 2016 as a Tax Partner in its Real Estate Group, part of a top-15 international tax advisory firm. Over the past 10 years, William has generated more than $2 million in new business, including $1 million in 2018, while working with major participants in the NYC real estate market. He strengthened the group by recruiting experienced professionals across tax and audit practices. As a member of the leadership committee, he helps guide the real estate practice's direction, including thought leadership, business development, education, and branding. He is also a member of a national accounting organization.

He began his career in 1993 at a CPA firm in Princeton, New Jersey, where he worked for four years. He prepared tax workpapers and federal and state tax returns for partnerships, individuals, corporations, and trusts. He also reviewed financial statements, researched tax matters, and supported client communication. In 1998, Timlen joined a global firm as a Supervising Senior, where he prepared audit workpapers for Fortune 100 companies in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries.

He later founded his own accounting firm in Princeton, New Jersey, focusing on tax consulting for high-net-worth individuals, real estate partnerships, and corporations. Within the first three years, he built a business generating more than $600K annually. After 10 years, he joined a New York firm as a Tax Manager, where he reviewed complex returns, advised on like-kind exchanges, and represented clients before tax authorities. William then served for seven years as a Tax Principal at another firm, managing client relationships, leading engagements, and supporting business development and operational improvements.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from a college in Rhode Island, where he played Division 1 baseball for four years. He attended high school in New Jersey and was an All-State baseball player for two years.

William Timlen was born and raised in New Jersey and lives in New Canaan, Connecticut, with his family. He is married and has two sons in college. One is a senior at a university in Connecticut, and the other is a junior at a university in Miami. He enjoys golf, is a member of a country club in Greenwich, and likes traveling across the U.S. and abroad. He will be celebrating his 55th birthday this May.

William Timlen, CPA, has three decades of experience in tax, accounting, and management. He focuses on partnership taxation and passive activity loss rules, with solid experience in profit-and-loss allocations and distributions. He advises borrowers ... Show more

Jose Manuel Navarro

Jose Manuel Navarro

"JM" is an industry old-schooler, with more than 25 years of experience as software engineer, architect, and CTO in startups, last 10 years mangling and crunching data for ML use cases, now at Adobe. In his career he has developed NLP systems, developer tools, cryptographic cards, mobile video games, and big-data pipelines, among others. He also helped the young generations as associated professor in his local university, for more than 15 years.

"JM" is an industry old-schooler, with more than 25 years of experience as software engineer, architect, and CTO in startups, last 10 years mangling and crunching data for ML use cases, now at Adobe. In his career he has developed NLP systems, develo... Show more

Priya Ranjan Sahoo

Priya Ranjan Sahoo

Priya Ranjan is a seasoned software and cloud developer with over two decades of experience designing distributed systems and scalable multicloud solutions. At Oracle, he leads initiatives that integrate Oracle Databases with AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud — enabling seamless data movement and application interoperability. His current focus is helping developers and architects design efficient, secure, and cost-optimized multicloud architectures that turn complexity into opportunity. He is a seasoned speaker and has spoken at multiple IEEE conferences and meetups in the past.

Priya Ranjan is a seasoned software and cloud developer with over two decades of experience designing distributed systems and scalable multicloud solutions. At Oracle, he leads initiatives that integrate Oracle Databases with AWS, Azure, and Google C... Show more

David Schmitz

David Schmitz

I am a consulting architect, programmer, coach, building applications for various rather large financial institutes and insurance companies for more than 15 years. Since greenfield projects are rare and precious, I have been using various tech stacks ranging from WS-* with EJBs to HapiJS on Node.

Currently I am focusing on cloud architectures, serverless computing, conversational user interfaces and any good reason to use Elixir.

I am a consulting architect, programmer, coach, building applications for various rather large financial institutes and insurance companies for more than 15 years. Since greenfield projects are rare and precious, I have been using various tech stacks... Show more

Kamal Aliyu

Kamal Aliyu

Kamal Aliyu is a passionate AI Engineer and tech advocate with extensive experience in machine learning, prompt engineering, and data science. As the Chief Operating Officer at Bravpuls Technologies, a nonprofit startup focused on promoting technology education among students, especially girls in underrepresented regions, Kamal has been instrumental in shaping initiatives that bridge the gender and regional gaps in the tech ecosystem. He is also the GDSC Lead at Ahmadu Bello University, where he empowers students to harness the power of technology. Kamal has a proven track record of developing AI-driven solutions, including CogniEdify, and is dedicated to leveraging AI to solve real-world challenges.

Kamal Aliyu is a passionate AI Engineer and tech advocate with extensive experience in machine learning, prompt engineering, and data science. As the Chief Operating Officer at Bravpuls Technologies, a nonprofit startup focused on promoting technolog... Show more

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