Our
Mission

Amir Husain is the Founder and CEO of SparkCognition. He has been named Austin’s Top Technology Entrepreneur of the Year, listed as an Onalytica Top 100 Artificial Intelligence Influencer, and received the Austin Under 40 Technology and Science Award, among several other accolades recognizing his work in artificial intelligence. Amir serves on the Board of Advisors for The University of Texas at Austin Department of Computer Science and on the NATO Maritime Unmanned Systems Innovation Advisory Board. Heis also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Amir has been awarded over 30 patents and has several pending applications. His work has been featured in world-leading outlets such as Foreign Policy, Fox Business News, and Proceedings from the U.S. Naval Institute. He is the author of the best-selling book “The Sentient Machine: The Coming Age of Artificial Intelligence” and a co-author of the compilation “Hyperwar: Conflict and Competition in the AI Century.”

Vijay Doradla brings over 20 years of diverse experience in innovation to his position as President at SparkCognition. He has previously served as an engineer, industry analyst, and investor in the field of technology, working with major corporations like Bell Labs. Previously, he was the Founder and CEO of SilverString Capital, a crossover fund focused on innovative technology investments in both the public and private sectors, with a focus on emerging technologies and startups. Before joining SparkCognition, he also led several successful investments as a Director at Verizon Ventures. In his former role as SparkCognition’s Chief Business Officer, Doradla utilized his multifaceted skill set to lead the company’s business strategy.

As CTO, Sridhar Sudarsan drives SparkCognition’s product and technology strategy, leveraging next-generation AI systems to secure and optimize assets across key industries. With over two decades of technology leadership experience, Sudarsan has been at the helm of complex products and projects, collaborating with global customers on cutting-edge technologies. Previously, Sudarsan was the CTO of IBM Watson Platform and Partnerships, where he led the technology strategy and architecture of the IBM Watson platform. Sudarsan is recognized as an expert on the business potential and application of advanced technologies. He provides thought leadership on AI solutions for clients, partners, academics, and R&D teams, and holds over 14 patents in the areas of AI and distributed computing.

Jeffrey R. Lass is the Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer of SparkCognition and in this role he provides leadership and direction in connection with our finance and operations efforts. Over the course of his 25+ year career, Jeff has held a number of executive leadership and advisory roles across the technology, energy and industrial sectors most recently serving as Chief Financial Officer of Chart Industries (Nasdaq: GTLS).  His experience includes executive level positions with CognitiveScale, Dover Corporation, GE, and Trilogy Software, and has focused on leveraging technology differentiation, disciplined execution and consistent financial performance to help build thriving businesses in all regions of the world.

A two-time Chair of the University of Texas Computer Science Department, Dr. Bruce Porter serves as SparkCognition’s Chief Science Officer, where he leads the company’s many R&D initiatives. As University Professor, Dr. Porter's research focused on machine reading, a technology that holds tremendous potential for capturing knowledge for automated inference, question answering, explanation generation, and other AI capabilities. Dr. Porter also directed UT’s Knowledge Systems Research Group, an AI organization with the goal to develop methods to build knowledgeable computers. He has won the Best Paper Award at the National Conference on Artificial Intelligence, the College of Natural Sciences Teaching Excellence Award, the National Science Foundation’s Presidential Young Investigator Award, and the President’s Associates Teaching Excellence Award.

Stephen Gold is the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at SparkCognition, a global AI solutions provider delivering enterprise-class solutions to solve the most critical business challenges. He brings over 30 years of experience to this role, including B2B application software development, AI and data science, and IoT services. 

He previously was the Chief Commercial Officer at HZO, a private-equity-backed nanotechnology company, and General Manager of Honeywell’s $2.5B IoT and software business, where he led the digital transformation of this century-old $40B manufacturer. As Group CMO of IBM Watson, Gold was one of the principal business architects that delivered next-generation AI technology, driving over 10,000 engagements. Prior positions included President of Aberdeen Group, President & CEO of Azerity, a SaaS-based software company, and Chief Marketing Officer for Digital Market, a software and service business. Gold has also served on various private and public boards.

He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois and graduated with distinction with an MBA from Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business. He has been featured on various media outlets, including CNN, CNBC, Today Show, Fox News, and has been a guest speaker at major industry events and universities.

Adrian Brown is an action-oriented leader who enjoys creating high performing teams and implementing fast paced change for high growth companies. Adrian has led Corporate IT for SparkCognition since 2019, and now serves as VP of Security, IT and Production Operations.

 With over 17 years of experience and a decade of leading global companies, Brown has held various technology and security leadership roles at Planview, Hanger Orthopedic Group, and Globe International Limited.

Brown holds a Bachelor’s  in IT Network Management from Westwood College, a Technology MBA from Western Governors University, and several industry recognized technical certifications.

Rob Budny is the VP of Sales for Renewable Energy at SparkCognition, where he leads the sales organization for SparkCognition’s Ensemble Asset Performance Management solution for renewable energy operators. Prior to joining SparkCognition, Budny was the COO and co-founder at Ensemble Energy, which was acquired by SparkCognition in May of 2021. He has held several executive positions in organizations including RBB Engineering and Clipper Windpower.
Budny has been honored as an Innovator of the Year by Windpower Engineering and Development magazine for his contributions to the wind industry. He has been an invited speaker at events such as the NREL Drivetrain Reliability Collaborative and the AWEA Operations, Maintenance, and Safety Conference.
Budny holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Susie Dvorak is the Vice President of Human Resources for SparkCognition. She is responsible for managing the company’s HR strategy initiatives focusing on the company’s culture and people initiatives, as well as overseeing recruiting, benefits, and compensation. Her prior experience includes human resources leadership roles with: Accruent, Wayne Fueling Systems, Dover Fueling Solutions, PPD, and Green Mountain Energy. Dvorak holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business & Psychology from the University of Nebraska and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco.

Sreenivasa Gorti is currently VP of Product Management at SparkCognition. He is responsible for AI product strategy and delivery across predictive analytics, automated model building, and the core AI operationalization fabric across SparkCognition solutions. 

Gorti's career path has taken him through a variety of technology leadership roles in different domains (automotive, oil & gas, mobile networks, television, advertising, and enterprise software). Through these roles, he has maintained active expertise and interest in AI-based innovation, distributed systems, and data-driven insights to drive key business decisions.

Gorti has a Bachelors in Civil Engineering from IIT Bombay, an MS from Johns Hopkins University and a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has several academic publications and over 50 granted patents.

Randy Groves is the Senior Vice President of Engineering at SparkCognition. In his role, Groves is responsible for overseeing the engineering organization, which includes Data Science and Software Engineering, and covers all SparkCognition products. Groves is an experienced technical executive, having held C-level and VP positions at some of the most prestigious technology companies in the world, including IBM and Dell. Groves holds a Masters of Electrical Engineering from University of Texas at Austin, a Masters in Management of Technology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Bachelors of Electrical Engineering from Kansas State University.

Philippe Herve is the Vice President of Energy at SparkCognition. He is a multilingual executive with U.S. and international success in operations, technology, business development, marketing, sales, and client relations. Herve started working with artificial intelligence in 1985. Herve’s comprehensive experience in oil and gas spans large-scale project leadership, IT, engineering, manufacturing, and operations. Herve holds multiple patents for the use of ultrasonic energy in well inspections, and has authored many technical papers. He is a member of professional organizations including the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Over the years, Herve has frequently been published in Bloomberg, Oil & Gas Journal, Journal of Petroleum Technology, World Oil, The Houston Chronicle, Drilling Contractor, and is a frequent speaker on diverse management and engineering subjects.

As Vice President of Services & Support, Mike Hubbard is responsible for the customer journey. The global Services and Support teams engage with our customers to deliver SparkCognition solutions and maintain a high level of support throughout the relationship to achieve value. Prior to joining SparkCognition, Hubbard led worldwide Services for eCommerce and merchandising at IBM, where he was responsible for the global delivery of software. Hubbard has significant experience leading both On Premise and SaaS software services at companies like DemandTec and SeeCommerce as well as Consulting leadership at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Supply Chain industry experience at Sara Lee Corporation.

Mike Hubik has served as SparkCognition’s VP, Finance, and Corporate Controller since 2019. Prior to joining SparkCognition, he has held various leadership roles in Finance, Accounting and SEC Reporting with Dover Corporation, Dell, Clear Channel, and American Airlines. Hubik is a Certified Public Accountant and previously held positions with KPMG’s audit practice.

Hubik holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Baylor University and a Finance MBA from University of Texas, Arlington.

Vice President, Solution Architecture

Dan Koellhofer is the Vice President, Solution Architecture at SparkCognition, where he oversees SparkCognition’s technical sales organization and leads development of vertical-based solutions.

Prior to joining SparkCognition, Koellhofer was EVP & Chief Innovation Officer at First Advantage, the largest provider in the background screening & verification space. He also served as SVP, Product Management at CallidusCloud, a leading SaaS provider for sales compensation and quote-to-cash management. 

Koellhofer has spoken at numerous conferences including Dreamforce, Marketplace Risk, and HR Tech. He has contributed to several different industry charities/events/organizations, including Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin.

Koellhofer holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree with honors from the University of Michigan. He enjoys spending time playing tennis as a family with his wife and twin boys.

Babur Ozden is a seasoned executive with over 2 decades of leadership experience. Recognized as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, Babur co-founded Maana and served as its CEO for eight years until its acquisition by SparkCognition. In his role, he oversees growth and expansion of business at SparkCognition's strategic customers. Prior to Maana, Babur held CMO, COO and CEO roles at tech startups. He holds an Executive MBA degree from Rice University and BA degree in Computer Science from University of Texas at Austin.

Cory Rhoads is a results-oriented sales executive and experienced business consultant, skilled in advising companies to help them achieve strategic initiatives with proven software capabilities. As Vice President of Sales, Rhoads leads the manufacturing industry sales team.  He helps many of the world’s top consumer brands successfully deploy and scale artificial intelligence solutions to achieve new levels of operational excellence, quality, and efficiency. This results in greater productivity and predictability across the enterprise.  

Prior to joining SparkCognition, Rhoads served as Strategic Sales Director for Medallia, VP of Sales for SAP, and Sr. Account Executive for CallidusCloud. He also held management and business consulting positions with Oracle and Accenture.

Rhoads holds a BBA in Accounting, with a minor in Information Technology, from Stetson University.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Circle Christian School and the Stetson University Business School.

Curt Richtermeyer brings more than three decades of experience in the software industry to his position as Executive Vice President (EVP) at SparkCognition. In his role, Curt oversees global sales with a focus on scaling the team to support accelerating growth and ensuring that customers realize intended benefits from SparkCognition’s innovative solutions.  

Prior to joining SparkCognition, Curt held positions such as SVP Global Sales and General Manager for Aurea and VP North America Sales for CallidusCloud (now SAP Sales Cloud).  He has also held senior management positions with Oracle, Trilogy, BDO, and Grant Thornton..

Curt holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and a Master of Business Administration degree, both from The University of Texas at Austin.