About Us

Richard’s passion for early-stage technology has seen him launch successful ventures since his days at university in South Africa. He holds numerous patents and has several companies under his belt. Prior to launching Pypestream he served as Co-Founder and CRO of Genesis Media LLC, a multimedia, real-time video advertising platform.

Richard is a member of the Metro Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization and the founder of New York-based global equity and VC fund, SouthWinston, developing businesses in media, technology and entertainment.

An avid golfer and nature conservationist, when Richard is not on the clock, he is playing ‘World’s Best Uncle’ to his six adorable nieces and nephews.

Swanson is a technology industry leader who serves on the boards of Zoom, Otter.ai, Evolv.ai, and Impossible Foods Inc., as well as an Advisor to Horizons Ventures.

Swanson previously served on the boards of DeepMind, Summly and Onavo, acquired by Google, Yahoo and Facebook, respectively. During 2010 and 2011, Bart was Chief Operating Officer of Badoo, prior to which he spent three years as Managing Director at GSI Commerce International (later eBay Enterprise). Before joining GSI Commerce International, Bart held several roles, including General Manager, at Amazon.com.

Mike Nannizzi is a Director at WR Berkley Corporation, primarily focused on investments in emerging technology companies within the insurance space. Prior to joining Berkley, Mike was an equity analyst across the financial sector and spent the prior seven years as the lead insurance analyst at Goldman Sachs.

Mike held past positions in strategic, operating and financial roles within digital companies including Walmart.com. Mike is a graduate of the NYU Stern School of Business and a licensed CPA.

Mike Singer is a seasoned corporate executive and active angel investor with over 20 years experiences. In addition to his advisory role at Pypestream, he is the CEO and founder of Strategic Partners, Inc.

Richard’s passion for early-stage technology has seen him launch successful ventures since his days at university in South Africa. He holds numerous patents and has several companies under his belt. Prior to launching Pypestream he served as Co-Founder and CRO of Genesis Media LLC, a multimedia, real-time video advertising platform.

Richard is a member of the Metro Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization and the founder of New York-based global equity and VC fund, SouthWinston, developing businesses in media, technology and entertainment.

An avid golfer and nature conservationist, when Richard is not on the clock, he is playing ‘World’s Best Uncle’ to his six adorable nieces and nephews.

Sharma is a senior consultant with Spencer Stuart leading their IT Services Practice from Silicon Valley, working closely with CEOs, boards and management teams.

An operator turned advisor, Sharma has broad experience in the tech-enabled services space. His clients include large global companies, private equity and venture capital portfolio companies, and family-owned businesses. Prior to joining Spencer Stuart, Sharma spent 13 years at another international search firm, leading its global enterprise technology practice, and its Asia Pacific technology and communications practice. Earlier in his career, Sharma served as chief operating officer of London-based Active Private Equity, where he led growth and operating maturity at portfolio companies through people, technology, and operations interventions.

Mike Singer is a seasoned corporate executive and active angel investor with over 20 years experiences. In addition to his advisory role at Pypestream, he is the CEO and founder of Strategic Partners, Inc.

Helen Yu is Chief Customer Officer at Showpad. Helen brings more than 20 years of experience in SaaS-based businesses with a track record of transforming organizations. Helen was Chief Customer Officer at Sprinklr, the social suite, where she led a customer success team of more than 500 people spanning more than 10 countries. At Marketo, Helen led customer success as group vice president, achieving 28X services revenue growth and helping to grow Marketo Nation members by 10X. Earlier in her career, Helen led consulting practices at Adobe, Oracle and Hyperion.

Amitabh Sharma is based in Spencer Stuart’s Silicon Valley office and is a member of the firm’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications practice. He advises his clients on leadership succession, executive search, board composition and team effectiveness. Amitabh leverages his extensive global exposure to support companies across the technology sector, with a particular focus on CEO, board and technology officer roles. His clients range from smaller, privately funded businesses to large public entities.

Donna is an accomplished entrepreneur and senior corporate executive. She currently serves as SVP and Chief Client Officer at FIS, and previously served as Chief Customer Officer at AIG. Donna has successfully led customer-focused change initiatives, producing revenue-growing results in a series of complex industries.

She is also a distinguished board member of the Georgia Diversity Council, Chief Customer Officer Council, Customer Experience Professionals Association, and University of Georgia Executive Council for the Grady College of Public Relations and Communications.

Helen Yu is Chief Customer Officer at Showpad. Helen brings more than 20 years of experience in SaaS-based businesses with a track record of transforming organizations. Helen was Chief Customer Officer at Sprinklr, the social suite, where she led a customer success team of more than 500 people spanning more than 10 countries. At Marketo, Helen led customer success as group vice president, achieving 28X services revenue growth and helping to grow Marketo Nation members by 10X. Earlier in her career, Helen led consulting practices at Adobe, Oracle and Hyperion.