History

The Social Kinetics technology was developed as part of DARPA's PAL program, history's largest AI/Machine Learning project. The foundational research was conducted by members of the Social Computing Group at SRI International's Artificial Intelligence Center. The early versions of our smart push and machine learning technologies proved to dramatically change information sharing behavior in command-critical collaboration networks in the military.

First commercialized in early 2008, this technology was rapidly recognized by experts in healthcare IT as potentially catalytic in improving engagement strategies for employer, provider and health finance companies.

Management

  • Joseph Villa Chief Executive Officer Joseph brings extensive experience as a senior executive in health engagement markets, most recently as the COO for the Employer Division of Revolution Health - bringing leading-edge health and well-being programs to the employer and carrier marketplaces. Prior experience included senior positions with HealthNet, and Accenture's Consumer Directed Healthcare practice. Joseph earned his BA at Stanford University in Human Biology and Fine Arts - Photography and has an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
  • David Gutelius, Ph.D. Business Development David brings thirteen years of experience in web-based technologies, persuasive social media, and social information production, and is an active leader in a wide variety of open source and Web 2.0 projects globally. Most recently, David was key part of the team at SRI that developed and deployed the early versions of what is now part of Social Kinetics' foundational technology. Previously, he founded two companies, PlanetQuest, a massively parallel computing network, and Ishtirak, an economic development consultancy. David's Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins University) is in Economics, and he recently served as a Visiting Professor at Stanford University.
  • Zaz Harris Sr. Technical Product Specialist Zaz began her career as a software engineer, but quickly became a jill-of-all-trades, exploring interface design, user experience, and product and project management, especially for online communities and complex systems. She was part of the iLink team at SRI that founded Social Kinetics and led the design, development and installation of all production deployments. Previously, she was a major technical contributor at SRI's Center for Technology and Learning, reimplementing Tapped In, one of the first online communities for K-12 teachers. Zaz has an M.S. in Computer Science and a B.S. in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University, both with a focus in Human Computer Interaction.
  • Shirley Pao Director of Product Marketing Shirley brings ten years of experience in the healthcare industry. Most recently, Shirley held the position of Director Wellness Customer Programs in the Strategy & Implementation Group at Health Net of California, where she supervised a worksite wellness team, implemented pilot member incentive programs for select CA employers, and was key part of the team that developed and implemented an online consumer tools strategy. Shirley earned her BA from the University of Chicago and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
  • Jonathan Stemmle Director of Engineering Jonathan brings considerable experience in software and systems development, project management, and senior-level leadership to the Social Kinetics team. He has worked at several Bay Area start-up companies and has progressed from positions as a Software Developer, where he was responsible for writing code, to a Senior Engineering Manager, responsible for overseeing teams of engineers. In his position as a Software Engineer at Sportvision, Inc., Jonathan was part of the team that developed the K-Zone (a virtual strike zone and pitch tracker); for his instrumental work on this product, Jonathan received an Emmy Award (2001). Most recently, Jonathan was a manager at mSpot Inc. where he led teams of front and back-end engineers. He was responsible for the scoping, design, and execution of project deliverables to deliver cutting-edge mobile applications to millions of users. Jonathan received his B.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University, where his outstanding programming abilities were recognized by the Stanford Learning Lab Innovators Award and the Electronic Arts Creativity Award.
  • Scott Van Buskirk Operations & Finance Scott brings twenty years of experience managing technology-driven businesses including software, healthcare technologies and related professional services. Most recently Scott was CFO of Lipomics Technologies, a biotechnology research services business concurrently with operating Strategic Analytics, a boutique consulting firm supporting emerging companies. Scott is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara and holds an MBA from the St. Mary's College Executive program.

Advisors

  • Jeffrey Davitz, Ph.D. Founder, Head of the Scientific Advisory Board Jeffrey has over fifteen years of experience in positions of senior management in research and software development. Most recently, at SRI, International, he was on the senior management team of the CALO project, the largest artificial intelligence project in history. Previously, he was CEO of a venture-backed natural language company. His Ph.D. (Columbia University) is in Statistics.
  • David Israel, Ph.D. Scientific Advisor David Israel is the Program Director of the Natural Language Group at SRI's Artificial Intelligence Center. David is an international leader in AI research and a major contributor to the foundations of agent systems.
  • John W. Van Dyke, Jr. Member, Board of Directors John Van Dyke has invested in over 100 Silicon Valley startups over the past 15 years. He is a member of the Band of Angels and has invested often alongside of Hambrecht & Quist. He is currently also on the boards of Fiberlite, Airkast, and Zephyr-Tec. He was president and owner of Dakota Water Systems, a seawater and brackish water purification company headquartered in San Mateo, California. John's previous experience includes managing a group of midwestern community banks for 19 years and serving as Mayor of his hometown, Sioux City, Iowa. He earned a BA with high distinction in Economics at Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Chicago Graduate School of Business.
  • Benjamin Van Voorhees, M.D., M.P.H. Scientific Advisor Benjamin Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, is currently an Assistant Professor Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Chicago. He received is BA in History from Dartmouth College, his Doctor of Medicine from Vanderbilt University, and his Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins. He completed a Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency at Vanderbilt University Hospital and a General Internal Medicine Fellowship at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Van Voorhees research focuses on the development and evaluation of primary care-based depression prevention interventions for adolescents and emerging adults. This work has been supported by the Centers for Disease Control, NARSAD and RWJ Foundations and the National Institutes of Mental Health.
  • Brant Wenegrat, M.D. Scientific Advisor Brant Wenegrat is Professor Emeritus of Behavioral Science and Medicine at Stanford University. Brant is an international figure in evolutionary behavioral science and has published numerous books and papers on behavior change and influence mechanisms.