Home: Huntsville, AL. Profession: Technology entrepreneur. Organization: Gradkell Systems, Inc. Title: CFO; former CEO. Alma mater: The University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Current project: Inspiring career-oriented young adults. Latest accomplishment: Leading the effort that achieved CMMC Level 2 certification for Gradkell Systems, Inc., a key Department of Defense cybersecurity requirement. What’s been your big (or biggest) leap? Stepping aside as CEO and entrusting the role to my younger sister, whose leadership has taken the company further than I could have. Hobbies: Hiking, chess, physical fitness and traveling. Recent travel or adventure: Experiencing the Kentucky Derby and its social traditions for the first time. Last book read: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari.
What one word would your closest friend use to describe you? Dependable. Moral compass: True virtue isn't about being harmless but about possessing the capacity for darkness and intentionally choosing to keep it under control. How do you define an ideal business relationship? A win-win relationship. Business is not a zero-sum game. What is your greatest fear? Anonymity. A man suffers three deaths; the third comes when his name is spoken for the last time. What ingredient is essential to your perfect vacation? Good company, whether old friends or new acquaintances.
What was your first paying job? Pulling weeds and potting plants at a nursery when I was twelve. What was your favorite college course? Logic. I was always a fan of Spock on Star Trek. What movie have you repeatedly watched? Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. What’s the best advice you received growing up? Neither a borrower nor a lender be. What’s the best advice you received in your career? Stick your hand in a bucket of water and pull it out. Does it leave a hole? No one is irreplaceable. Don't try to be.
What change would you like to see in the world?
Bringing enough online scammers and fraudsters to justice that others are discouraged from exploiting people.
What message do you want to send out into the world? Put down the phone and witness nature. What mega-trend most excites you? Digital currency and its potential to curb endless money printing. What mega-trend most concerns you? Digital currency and its enormous energy demands.
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? Navigating the Perfect Storm: A Programmer's Journey from Punch Cards to AI. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? A preacher—mostly because it was my grandmother's dream for me. What advice would you give your younger self? Cherish every moment with your loved ones. What period in your life would you do differently, if you could? The two years after my second divorce. I would grieve differently. Self-destructive behavior is never the answer.
Personal mission: To acknowledge my belief in a Creator openly rather than hide it for fear of ridicule. Favorite quote: "If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds... But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being" (Alexander Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago). Desired epitaph: See, I told you I was sick.
