A team that has built companies, advanced AI research, and managed capital through market cycles.
Mr. Sanderford, a serial entrepreneur, founded his first company in 1976. He most recently exited AMDS, a utility-automation leader that returned 13.5× to investors; the buyer later sold for $1.8B. The company focused on big data collected from millions of meters in real time to achieve utility cost reductions, which required the creation of state-of-the-art DSP-based digital radio communications. His prior venture, Axonn LLC, developed spread-spectrum communications — the first US company to be granted FCC Part 15 approval — and 18 companies licensed patents from Axonn. Axonn designed satellite communications for SPOT (Globalstar), winning Time Magazine’s Top 100 Product award.
Dr. Hutson’s dissertation focused on non-linear, adaptive filtering algorithms for noisy sensor integration and state estimation in virtual-reality body tracking, including a practical implementation in hardware. Today his focus is artificial intelligence inspired by the neuroscience of the human brain and its efficient implementation in GPUs. Malcolm oversees the funds and the FAE team responsible for back-testing and deploying the firm’s investment strategies.
Mr. Jakubiec has a background in both computer science and cognitive science, with a long history of creating enterprise-scale software across multiple industries. His areas of technological focus have included machine learning, digital security, communications systems, analytics, big data, financial technology, and smart grid. At Focus Automated Equities, Mr. Jakubiec leads research, development, and operations management related to automated trading using biologic neuron models and other machine-learning methods.
Mr. Hansel has over a decade of experience in portfolio management, strategy, and financial technology. His expertise is in portfolio and risk management across US equities, options, and other derivative products. At FAE, Mr. Hansel oversees many aspects of the investment process, including the application of artificial-intelligence and machine-learning-based technologies. He works closely with institutional, family-office, and high-net-worth investors seeking alpha generation while preserving capital and compressing volatility as FAE invents next-generation software and technology.
Guiding strategy and investment oversight.
As Chairman and co-founder of LongueVue Capital, a leading middle-market private equity firm, Rick currently serves as Chairman of the firm’s Investment Committee. From the firm’s founding in 2001 until 2023, he served as a General Partner of LVC and Co-Chair of its Investment and Executive Committees. Rick currently sits on the Board of Directors of LVC portfolio companies Jackson Offshore Holdings, ECA Medical Instruments, Pod Pack International, Associated MetalCast, and Summit Plastics.
Tripp Friedler is CEO and founder of FreeGulliver, LLC, an RIA and multi-family office advising both corporate and individual clients on ways to maximize their abilities and achieve desired results. A born adventurer, Tripp has weathered his share of storms, found himself tied down by little things, cut plenty of knots, and now helps others chart their journeys around the jagged obstacles of unforeseen disasters and the whirlpools of complacency. He is the author of Free Gulliver: Six Lessons in Life Planning (Trost Publishing) and a memoir, The Tunnel. Tripp also sits on the board of Politan Row, a food-hall company.
Jay Monroe is Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Globalstar, Inc. He has held the Chairman position since Thermo Capital Partners purchased the assets of Globalstar in April 2004. He was the Company’s CEO from January 2005 until July 2009 and reassumed that position from July 2011 until September 2018.
Mr. Monroe has been the majority owner of Thermo Companies since their founding in 1984. He has overseen operations in a wide variety of businesses at all phases of growth from startup through maturity. Under his direction, Thermo Companies founded or acquired companies in diverse industries including power generation, natural gas exploration and production, industrial equipment distribution, real estate, telecommunications, financial services, and leasing services. Mr. Monroe is on the Board of Directors of Thermo Capital Partners and several of its portfolio companies.
Kyle, CFA, is a partner at Thermo Companies, a private holding company based in Denver, Colorado, where he directs the investment activities in public, venture, and fixed-income portfolios. Thermo is an active investor across a range of sectors.
Mr. Pickens serves on the Boards of several Thermo companies including Pivotal Commware (Telecom), ARES North America (Renewables), SeQure (Cybersecurity), Global Telecom (Telecom), Recon Dynamics (IoT), and Western Investments of Canada (Insurance). In an operational capacity, he serves as Vice President of Strategy at Thermo-controlled Globalstar, with the responsibility of driving the company’s growth initiatives, most notably commercialization efforts for its global terrestrial spectrum assets.
Kyle joined Globalstar from Steelhead Partners, a Seattle-based hedge fund. Mr. Pickens joined Steelhead as an analyst at the end of 2009 and was promoted to Partner of the Navigator funds in 2015. At Steelhead, his responsibilities included coverage of the Telecom, Media, and Technology space. Previously, Mr. Pickens was with New York-based Cadogan Management LLC, where he was a Director and an investment committee member. He interned at Cadogan while an undergraduate student, then joined full time as an analyst upon graduating in 2002.
Kyle holds a B.S. in Finance and Information Systems from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
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