Leadership

Under his leadership, Optoro has expanded from a scrappy start-up to a major industry player, helping the nation’s top retailers address the $500B market of returned and excess goods. Tobin has been recognized as a leading SaaS CEO through honors such as Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year and Washington Business Journal’s 40 under 40. Prior to launching Optoro in 2010, Tobin founded eSpot, one of the original eBay drop-off facilities, his first foray into the growing world of e-commerce. Tobin holds a B.A. from Brown University with a double major in Business Economics and American History.

While at eSpot, Vitarello meticulously designed, programmed, and implemented every feature of the proprietary software, systems and marketing algorithms that put eSpot at the forefront of its industry and created the core for Optoro’s software today. He provides an eye for streamlining the reverse logistics process and an uncompromising attitude always demanding excellence. Adam has been responsible for major design elements and implementation strategies of Optoro’s proprietary software and systems. As President, he manages corporate headquarters and remarketing solutions with a one-on-one approach that puts employees first with the goal of maintaining a small-business feel in a rapidly expanding environment. Adam utilizes that same personal interaction strategy with clients and partners in advancing the automation and remarketing technologies that serve as the driving force of Optoro’s service.

When he’s not pulling all the strings for Optoro and our partners, he can be found training for marathons, triathlons, or mountain climbing. Even atop Mt. Kilimanjaro, reverse logistics is never far from his thoughts. Adam holds a B.A. from Brown University.

Katy is currently the Chief Financial Officer at Optoro, the world’s leading returns optimization platform. She was previously the founder of Ten12 Consulting where she partnered with companies, funds and advisors to strengthen expertise and drive growth. She was the Chairman and CEO of Geeknet (GKNT), the publicly traded parent company of ThinkGeek.com where she partnered with the team to grow the eCommerce and direct to retail channels. She also served as Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of Geeknet and ThinkGeek.

Katy previously spent 18 years at GE where she was named a Company Officer in 2003. She was Vice-President and CFO of GE Healthcare in London and was Vice-President of the GE Audit Staff. She held several other financial leadership positions within different industries at GE.

Peter has held top leadership positions at multiple software technology companies. He founded and served as CTO at companies including iWant, SupplyScape, and TraceLink, and he’s served as CTO of companies such as INTTRA and Performaworks. Peter has a degree in Computer Science from Northeastern University and began his career at Microsoft in 1998. At Optoro, Peter will oversee the technology team in continuing to evolve, scale, and optimize Optoro’s product.

Prior to joining Optoro, he served as general counsel for Exodus Communications, Exclusive Resorts, and Starpoint Health. Adam began his career as a corporate and transactional attorney for leading law firms in Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C.

Adam earned his BA from the University of Pennsylvania and his JD from the Georgetown University Law Center. Outside of work, he loves spending time in Chatham, Cape Cod or elsewhere with his wife and two sons, enjoying sports, mountain and road biking, cooking, and exploring new cuisines all over the world.

Pankaj is passionate about building products that make a difference while delivering business outcomes; he specializes in developing and growing software product businesses focused on B2B and enterprise markets. Pankaj has a track record of delivering rapid revenue growth, increased profitability and business exits for venture and PE backed startups.

Prior to Optoro, Pankaj led product management, strategy and M&A for GetWellNetwork, a provider of patient engagement software. At GetWellNetwork Pankaj built up an enterprise grade product platform that won multiple Best in Category awards and executed multiple acquisitions that expanded the platform. He previously held product roles with multiple B2B companies including Siebel Systems.

Pankaj holds a Bachelor in Electronics Engineering and has a MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. Outside of work, Pankaj loves to read, travel, experience different cultures, meet new people, and spend time with his family, that includes a furry four-legged Goldendoodle.

With almost 20 years of professional experience guiding retailers and providing thought leadership, Casey owns accounts, revenues and client support at Optoro, focusing on client success and partnerships. Casey previously served as Managing Partner of Retail Strategic Ventures, an advisory services and venture firm within retail/wholesale, and EVP for the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), the trade association for the world’s largest and most successful retailers. Prior to RILA, Casey spent a decade at KPMG and its spin-off consulting division, BearingPoint, in their retail management and strategy consulting practices. He lived overseas for several years working for international retailers in Asia, South America and Europe.

Recognized as a leading retail authority, Casey has appeared in numerous media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, Fox News, ABC News, NBC News and National Public Radio. He received his B.A. in Economics from Denison University.

Away from Optoro, Casey is a human jungle gym for his two young boys and spends time with his amazing – and understanding – wife. He serves as a Trustee on the Board of his alma mater, Denison, and on the national Board for Meals on Wheels America.

Previously, she worked in legal and policy roles at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and as in-house counsel specializing in litigation at Sallie Mae, Inc. Earlier in her career, she practiced as a general litigator at the law firm Williams & Connolly LLP and served as a law clerk to Judge Sidney H. Stein of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.  

Zoe received her BA from Yale University, a JD from Stanford Law School, and a Masters in Accounting from American University. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a Member of the Bars of the District of Columbia and New York.

When off duty, Zoe teaches Business Law, Ethics and Governance at American University’s Kogod School as an adjunct, and serves as Chair of the Board of My Sister’s Place in D.C.

Ricardo has led teams that serviced successful fulfillment operations in a 3PL model for companies like Comcast, Sandisk as well as several OEM’s and software companies. With his insatiable drive for process improvements and lean operations, Ricardo is a key player managing our internal operations as well as the ones where we are co-located with clients and 3PL providers.

When not making sure all our orders ship on time in full and with no errors, he spends quality time with his two children, cooking and mountain biking. Ricardo has a BS in Industrial Engineering from ITESO in Guadalajara, MX.

He spent much of his time overseeing data management through the design and development of product catalogs and content management systems. His aversion to repetitive tasks and his passion for efficiency pushed him to adopt an “Automate All The Things” mantra, leading to expansive expertise in data modeling, integrations, and architecture. Prior to joining the Optoro team, Mike was instrumental in optimizing content management at Simplexity, dramatically reducing overhead for the company’s largest partners. At Optoro, Mike utilizes his data management and automation experience to ensure clients’ products are a part of our catalog with compelling content and optimal pricing, all with incredible efficiency. He is also leading the charge to further unlock Optoro’s expansive historical data for reporting and analysis. Mike lives with his family in a veritable menagerie complete with a coral reef aquarium and one adorable Jack Russell Terrier, Speck.

From conference calls with Fortune 500 retailers to working taco lunches with refurbishment technicians at warehouses south-of-the border, Ken has seen many layers and partnerships in reverse logistics, and he collaborates with our Business Development team to bring winning reverse logistics solutions to our clients.  Prior to Optoro, he spent six years at another reverse logistics company where he was responsible for an account portfolio of over $100M per year in addition to designing and managing more than $10M-worth of in-house and outsourced electronics refurbishment.  He began his early supply chain career at CEB’s Operations practice.

Ken received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Stanford University and his M.B.A. from Georgetown University. He traces his passion for the ways that business can support environmental responsibility to his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica and continues to support that work as the vice-chair of the non-profit Friends of Jamaica.  He spends his time as much as possible enjoying the woods with his wife and daughter or jogging the streets of Washington, D.C.

Tyler has over 15 years of experience driving customer-centric solutions. Tyler holds an MBA from Georgetown and comes to DC by way of California, where he grew up and received a bachelor’s degree from UC Davis.  Prior to Optoro, he was a Director of Business Development at an education technology company.

Tyler lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and two children. He is a huge San Francisco 49ers fan and is working on indoctrinating his kids.

Gene serves as Optoro’s Vice President of Sales, leading the team focused on growing business with omnichannel retailers. With over 20 years of industry experience, Gene joined Optoro from BMC Software where he led a global team of sales and marketing professionals with an annual revenue of $100M+. Gene’s passion for disruptive technology with practical, high ROI impact has led him to work in sales leadership roles in large companies like Sun Microsystems and retail tech giant NCR, as well as Silicon Valley startups.

Gene resides in Washington DC with his wife, four children and two overfed dogs. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Smith School of Business and enjoys drumming in an “old-guy” rock and blues band.

Laura brings a wealth of senior leadership experience at tech companies ranging from small and private to large and public. Since joining Optoro, she has revolutionized the accounting department by overhauling, streamlining, and automating financial processes to deliver meaningful, flexible, and robust reporting. Laura takes pride in creating efficiencies that extend beyond her team, being a value-added business partner who creates time and space for other departments to focus on their core missions. After earning her B.B.A in Accounting from the University of Hawaiʻi, she caught the tech bug at Ernst & Young where she made her mark on their tech-focused assurance team. When she’s not running down numbers, Laura loves hanging out with her husband and big kids who provide constant comic relief, and traveling with them anywhere they can put their toes in the sand.

Alex leads brand and experience design for Optoro, and is responsible for delivering an optimal end-to-end user experience for customers. Prior to Optoro, Alex was Creative Director at Capital One, where he created seamless product experiences for 10mm+ upmarket card customers and has also worked for various startups and growth stage companies across e-commerce, fin-tech, advertising, healthcare and kids entertainment.

Originally from South Africa, Alex launched his career as a creator and co-founder of Africa’s largest serialized kids entertainment media company — Strika Entertainment — and had a successful exit to Naspers (NPSNY) in 2010. Strika’s flagship product, Supa Strikas, can be seen on TV in over 160 countries through channels like Disney and Nickelodeon, with ~ 500 million comic books distributed around the world to date.

Alex graduated with a double major in Art Director and Graphic Design from the Red & Yellow Creative School of Business in Cape Town, South Africa.

Karen’s career in sales and sales management led her 8 years ago into the world of Reverse Logistics.   In 2012, Karen was hired by eRecycling Corps (now Hyla Mobile) as one of the first members of their newly established sales team, responsible for selling millions of used mobile phones generated by eRC’s innovative mobile device trade in programs with ATT, Verizon and Sprint.  Karen’s next move was to build and lead the team at Assurant Solutions, responsible for optimizing the value of millions of mobile phones and accessories acquired through T-Mobile’s trade in, upgrade, and buyer’s remorse programs. After a successful few years at Assurant, Karen moved to Optoro to build and lead the BULQ Enterprise team.

Outside of work, Karen enjoys the beach, biking, hiking, snowboarding and skiing, reading, and dining out.  Her passion is sharing adventures to places less traveled with her husband and two sons and spending quality time with family and friends in her beloved hometown of San Diego.   

Doug has co-founded and served as CTO for a variety of start-up endeavors including a video game development studio, a natural language processing company, and a machine learning research lab. This last company, Geometric Intelligence, was acquired by Uber in 2016 and became Uber AI Labs, a research-driven organization dedicated to developing and scaling machine learning solutions from innovation to implementation.

Under his leadership, Optoro has expanded from a scrappy start-up to a major industry player, helping the nation’s top retailers address the $500B market of returned and excess goods. Tobin has been recognized as a leading SaaS CEO through honors such as Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year and Washington Business Journal’s 40 under 40. Prior to launching Optoro in 2010, Tobin founded eSpot, one of the original eBay drop-off facilities, his first foray into the growing world of e-commerce. Tobin holds a B.A. from Brown University with a double major in Business Economics and American History.

While at eSpot, Vitarello meticulously designed, programmed, and implemented every feature of the proprietary software, systems and marketing algorithms that put eSpot at the forefront of its industry and created the core for Optoro’s software today. He provides an eye for streamlining the reverse logistics process and an uncompromising attitude always demanding excellence. Adam has been responsible for major design elements and implementation strategies of Optoro’s proprietary software and systems. As President, he manages corporate headquarters and remarketing solutions with a one-on-one approach that puts employees first with the goal of maintaining a small-business feel in a rapidly expanding environment. Adam utilizes that same personal interaction strategy with clients and partners in advancing the automation and remarketing technologies that serve as the driving force of Optoro’s service.

When he’s not pulling all the strings for Optoro and our partners, he can be found training for marathons, triathlons, or mountain climbing. Even atop Mt. Kilimanjaro, reverse logistics is never far from his thoughts. Adam holds a B.A. from Brown University.

He sits on the board of directors of several leading companies ranging from American Express to Groupon. Ted has been involved with Revolution Growth since its founding, as an investor in and Chairman of Revolution Money and AddThis (formerly Clearspring). (Mr. Leonsis has no financial stake in the other Revolution Growth I investments.) Ted is the founder, chairman, and majority owner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Washington Capitals (NHL), the Washington Wizards (NBA), the Washington Mystics and the Verizon Center. Leonsis retired from active management of AOL in 2006, where during the previous 13 years he was an inspirational leader and held a number of senior positions, including vice chairman and president, and worked closely with Steve Case for a decade to build AOL into the world’s leading internet company with a market value at its peak in excess of $100 billion.

Leonsis founded SnagFilms, the internet’s leading site for online audiences to find, watch, and share documentary films. Ted also has been an producer of award-winning documentary films such as Kicking It and Nanking, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and has won a Peabody Award and an Emmy Award. A third documentary produced by Leonsis, A Fighting Chance, aired on ESPN in fall 2010. Early in his career Leonsis was the founder of several technology-enabled consumer companies, including Redgate Communications, where Leonsis is crediting with coining the phrase “new media.” Leonsis has been named Washington’s Businessman of the Year, a Washingtonian of the Year, one of the 20 most influential people in sports, and one of the top 10 entrepreneurs of the year. Leonsis blogs daily at TedsTake.com

Since joining the GGF team, Dan’s primary focus has been on rapidly growing technology companies in the industrial, consumer, and financial services sectors. He is a board member at Kilowatt Financial, a board observer at Clean Power Finance and TAS Energy, and was a board member at Gen110 before its 2013 acquisition by Solar Universe. Before joining KPCB, Dan was a vice president in the Goldman Sachs Special Situations Group and a founding member of its alternative energy investing team, where he eventually led the team’s solar initiatives.

Dan had a direct role investing in First Solar and was a board observer at SunEdison from 2006-2009. Before joining the Special Situations Group, Dan was an FX trader at Goldman Sachs, making spot markets in the euro and Swiss franc. Dan holds a B.S. degree with distinction in management science and engineering from Stanford University, with a concentration in financial and decision engineering.

In 2006, he and his two partners founded SWaN Investors and, in 2012, they partnered with Legend Investors to form SWaN & Legend. The companies have over twenty widely diversified investments, including growth oriented companies, start-up ventures, and domestic and international real estate holdings. Nader is Vice Chairman at Asurion, a company that he successfully merged with his company, NEW, in 2008. Nader joined the upstart NEW in 1990 as Chief Operating Officer, was named President in 1999 and Chief Executive Officer in 2006. Under his leadership, NEW grew to be the largest global provider of extended service plans for the consumer electronics and appliance industry. For over twenty years, NEW grew at a compounded rate in excess of 20 percent. During his tenure, Nader focused the organization on delivering high quality customer care, developing innovation solutions, creating strong client partnerships, with emphasis on hiring, developing and retaining extraordinary people. NEW was recognized by JD Power for providing “Outstanding Customer Service Quality” and by both the Washington Business Journal and the Washingtonian Magazine as one of the top 50 places to work.

Before joining NEW, Nader was the Product Manager for extended service contracts at Progressive Corporation in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to Progressive, Nader served as a Retail Banking Officer for Ameritrust Company, N.A. Nader is involved in a number of philanthropic, business and community organizations. He is a partner in the Washington Nationals Baseball Club and a partner in Monumental Sports and Entertainment – which owns the Washington Capitals, Wizards, Mystics and Verizon Center. He currently serves as secretary of the Inova Health System Board of Trustees. He is the past chairman of the Inova Health System Foundation Board where he has served since 2001. He is a member of Venture Philanthropy Partners, The Economic Club of Washington, DC and the Young Presidents Organization.

Tenfore Holdings is an investment management firm that provides operational value-added to growth-stage companies where technology plays a transformative role. Tenfore focuses on commerce and Big Data equity/debt investments where they can apply their operating experience and strategic relationships to enhance value. They have extensive experience operating at scale, and understand how to build smaller enterprises to scale. By providing capital, strategic guidance at the board level, and operational support to talented managers, the firm helps companies realize their full revenue, profit and market-value potential for the long-term.

The managing partner is Dan Levine. Dan has 6+ years experience working with Eddie Lampert overseeing, developing, and operating core and startup businesses, particularly within Sears Holdings, concentrating on eCommerce, mobile, social, machine learning, and local spaces. He has focused on multichannel experiences that leverage and link online, store, supply chain, pricing, inventory, merchandising, and analytics systems. Dan holds an AB from Harvard and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

He has served as a CEO and board member for some of the DC area’s most dynamic technology companies, including Ignitio, Cirrus Seven, and Logi Analytics. He was founder and CEO of pioneering web analytics and optimization firm Visual Sciences, formerly WebSideStory, which he sold to industry-leader Omniture. Additionaly, he served as Chief of eCommerce Technology for GSI Commerce, which was acquired by eBay in 2011 and became eBay Enterprise. He is currently the CEO and Principal of McLean, VA – based Product Lab, LLC. Mr. MacIntyre holds a BA from the University of Vermont.

Lawson DeVries joined Grotech Ventures in 2005 and is a General Partner at the firm. He focuses primarily on investment opportunities in software, internet, digital media, networking and infrastructure. Lawson currently serves on the boards of 6fusion, AnyPresence, Optoro, RedPoint Global, TapInfluence, TaskEasy, UrbanBound and Zonoff. He was also the first investor in NexGen Storage and sat on the board until its acquisition by Fusion-io. Lawson also works closely with a number of other Grotech portfolio companies including Clarabridge, Hillcrest Labs, Logi Analytics and LogRhythm. He has also worked with prior Grotech portfolio companies Broadsoft (NASDAQ: BSFT), Collective Intellect (acquired by Oracle) and Aztek Networks (acquired by GenBand).

Prior to joining Grotech Ventures, Lawson was an Associate in the Institutional Equity Sales division of the Buckingham Research Group, a boutique independent research firm. Previously he was an Associate in the Equity Research division at Deutsche Bank where he rolled out coverage on a new division of the Industrials sector that included Caterpillar, Deere and Co. and AGCO. Prior to this, Lawson was an Associate in Deutsche Bank’s Health Care group covering Managed Care stocks.

Lawson has a BA in English Literature from Harvard University and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

His primary research coverage includes the automotive, airline and transportation industries, as well as the consumer electronics industry. His previous research coverage also included the cable/satellite industry. He is a member of the management team for Franklin Flex Cap Growth VIP Fund. Mr. Stevenson joined Franklin Templeton Investments in 2004. He holds a B.A. in economics from UCLA. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and a member of the Securities Analysts of San Francisco (SASF).