HELIXintel has added some of the nation’s leading voices in eCommerce, data science, facilities management and cleantech to its Board of Advisors, including James Finn, Cassandra John, Robert F. Parker, Jamel C. Perkins and Xiaoyan Zhang, Ph.D.
James Finn has experience in overseeing all aspects of digital transformation in omnichannel commerce/eBusiness, including digital procurement strategy, customer experience, design, product development, team building and supply chain. His expertise is most pronounced in supply side eCommerce in modern procure-to-pay technologies. He recently led the strategy, product and operational development teams responsible for two W.W. Grainger digital channels, ePro and KeepStock, which combined represent 43% of all Grainger orders. Before Grainger, Finn started his career in FinTech as an analyst developing early models for electronic trading strategies and technologies in the U.S. yield curve.
Cassandra John has worked across investment banking, asset management and clean energy for 16 years. She founded Sif Capital Advisors in 2019 to provide strategy and capital markets advisory services to early-stage climate technology companies. She is personally focused on developing novel approaches to accelerating investment into renewable energy and climate technology. Previously, John was the Senior Director of Finance & Strategy at Sparkfund where she led capital markets and structured finance. Prior to Sparkfund, she held senior positions at JP Morgan, Credit Suisse and Moody’s.
Robert F. Parker is a director at Sif Capital Advisors, a NYSERDA innovation advisor and an advisor to Prithi Ventures. He has 25 years of knowledge in leadership, management, capital markets and creating sustainable growth at public, private and non-profit companies. Since 2005, Parker has focused on the ClimateTech sector, working as an executive, banker, project developer, consultant and investor. He has advised more than 100 technology companies and raised more than $250 million for startups and Cleantech projects. He teaches ClimateTech, Renewable Energy Finance & Entrepreneurship as an Adjunct Professor at New York University.
Jamel C. Perkins is an experienced senior executive at Sodexo, a global leader in quality of life services. He also serves as a principal at StartUPstate Ventures; a managing partner of the Execision Group, a collection of boutique management-consulting and technology consulting firms servicing many Fortune 500 companies; and as an adjunct professor at Canisius College and the University at Buffalo in their Graduate Business programs. He previously has held senior level and executive positions at Delaware North Companies, Bank of America, Great Lakes Bancorp (Greater Buffalo Savings Bank), Hewlett Packard, Compaq and Corning.
Xiaoyan Zhang, Ph.D. is an entrepreneur, data scientist and business executive. He was the CEO of KIT Solutions for 18 years. Under his leadership, KIT Solutions worked with over 20 state prevention agencies to implement the company’s Performance Based Prevention System (PBPS), a cloud-based grantee performance management service. He also led the integration of 11 legacy data systems to develop a national data system for substance abuse prevention under a 5-year federal contract. He was appointed by the U.S. Secretary Health to serve on the National Advisory Council for NIDA between 2007 and 2010. Currently, he is leading a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant funded by CDC to develop a data-driven decision support tool for combating the Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) health crisis.
“The HELIXintel team is both humbled and excited to welcome such exceptional members to our Board of Advisors,” said HELIXintel Co-Founder and CEO Jon DeWald. “These national experts in eCommerce, data science, facilities management and cleantech will help us move as quickly as possible to help small businesses organize and care for their equipment.”
About HELIXintel:
HELIXintel makes it simpler than ever for small businesses to organize and care for their equipment, saving them cash, time and energy. HELIXintel’s free platform is the first of its kind to combine equipment maintenance tracking with maintenance plan optimization and the ability to seamlessly purchase service and parts from manufacturer-authorized suppliers. Learn more at www.helixintel.com.