Board of Directors
Darren Bonawitz, Co-Owner
1102 GRAND, LLC
Darren Bonawitz is the co-owner of 1102 Grand, LLC, a full service carrier hotel and facility that houses multiple data centers. With 13 years experience in technical business development and engineering, he has spent time as a Consultant, Sales Engineer, and Network Engineer for companies including Birch Telecom and Lucent Technologies. In addition, he founded and operated a computer and server systems integration company and has consulted for several companies including internet service providers and webhosting/collocation companies.
Keith Braman, Director of Technology Commercialization
Information and Telecommunications Technology Center
at the University of Kansas
Before joining ITTC in 2000, Keith Braman was a senior manager of information systems and regulatory affairs for the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitative Services-Division of Health Care Policy. He has been vice president of operations and general counsel for KVA Product Development Group, LLC, in Topeka, which provided engineering consulting services for the design and manufacture of medical devices. As a serial entrepreneur, in addition to operating his own law office, Mr. Braman has worked as an engineering consultant in the areas of flight-test research, software development, computer-aided design, and program management. He has also held founding positions in construction, real estate, and retail companies.
Matt Denney, Director of Human Resources
Tradebot Systems
Mr. Denney serves as the Director of Human Resources for Tradebot Ventures. He focuses on recruiting great technology players to join the Tradebot team. In 2004, after a ten year career in pharmaceutical sales, he founded Medical and Sales Recruiting LLC, a company focused on recruiting for the Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry. He then turned that business over to his wife in order to join BATS Trading and eventually Tradebot Systems. Mr. Denney holds a B.A. from the University of Missouri Kansas City and an M.A. in Management and Leadership from Webster University.
Gary Fish, President and CEO
FishNet Security
Gary Fish is the founder, president and CEO of FishNet Security Inc., headquartered in the Kansas City area. His career in the information security industry started over two decades ago, and his innovative style of leadership has earned him recognition as a pioneer in the industry. Since founding FishNet Security in 1996, he has set the company’s strategic direction and led it to become the largest independently owned information security solutions provider in the United States. In addition, Fish is a serial entrepreneur, involved in many new business endeavors such as FireMon, holds advisory board positions with a number of global technology companies, and is an active angel investor.
Lirel Holt, President/CEO
U, Incorporated
Lirel Holt is CEO of U, Inc. an Overland Park, Kansas based information technology company comprised of an e-learning division and an augmentation division located in Chennai, India. Early in his career, Mr. Holt helped architect and market business operations and financial software for the 3M Company. Mr. Holt is a former Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year who was recognized for founding and building the largest collision repair business in the world, CARSTAR. He is a graduate of UMKC.
Greg Kratofil, Attorney/Shareholder
Polsinelli Shughart PC
Mr. Kratofil provides legal counsel on a wide variety of matters for today’s technology companies, including startup formation, venture capital financing, and intellectual property based joint ventures. He also handles copyright and trademark protection, software development and licensing, as well as drafting and reviewing various hosting, consulting, procurement, network and systems development contracts. Mr. Kratofil’s experience includes complex technology and commercial contracting transactions, technology and software-based mergers and acquisitions, as well as compliance with GLB, HIPAA, state privacy breach notification laws and other privacy directives.
Bob Marcusse, President and CEO
Kansas City Area Development Council
Bob has over 30 years of economic development experience. He has an extensive background in domestic and international corporate attraction, business growth and retention, and regional marketing. He has spearheaded major growth initiatives in the region such as the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute and the KC Animal Health Corridor. He also created a focus on transportation and logistics – founding KC SmartPort – and a focus on IT companies through KCnext. Bob has a Master of Science degree from Purdue University. He leads a team of 20 at KCADC, which was just named the #2 regional development agency in the United States by its North American clients. He joined KCADC in 1991.
Keith Molzer, President and CEO
Balance Innovations
Keith Molzer is the founder and CEO of Balance Innovations, the leading developer of cash office software solutions for the retail industry. Mr. Molzer founded the company in April 2004 and has led the company through its growth from a staff of five and several hundred installs, to a multi-product company with over 60 team members and 7000 contracted installations in North America. Mr. Molzer has been an entrepreneur for over 20 years and has founded and invested in a variety of start-ups. Mr. Molzer attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, earned his BA from Baker University and MBA from Rockhurst University.
Perry Puccetti, President and CEO
Triple-I Corporation
Perry A. Puccetti is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Triple-I Corporation. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, with a Masters degree from Johns Hopkins University, Perry was commissioned in the United States Marine Corps and served in leadership roles around the world as an AH-1 attack helicopter pilot/Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI). He has held a number of positions in privately held and publicly traded companies – from Fortune 100s to startups – serving the government and commercial sectors. Perry has more than 26 years of military and executive leadership experience encompassing executive management, strategic planning, business development, enterprise application performance management, business process management and program/project management.
Dr. Joel Wiggins, President and CEO
Enterprise Center of Johnson County
Dr. Wiggins joined the Enterprise Center of Johnson County as President and CEO in 2005. He is a founding organizer and Executive Manager of Mid-America Angels Investments, LLC, and a member of the Information Technology Kansas City (ITKC) Advisory Board. Dr. Wiggins moved to Kansas from Texas where he was the Director of the Austin Technology Incubator (ATI), University of Texas at Austin from 2000-2005. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas in Communications Studies. Wiggins is a member and past Chair of the National Business Incubation Association Board of Directors. He has consulted on incubation and technology commercialization in more than a dozen countries.
