Patrick Gilbert has more than 20 years experience in information technology and telecommunications to his credit. He founded 4SmartPhone with the intent of offering enterprise-class mobile computing solutions to small and medium size businesses.
Before founding 4SmartPhone, Gilbert founded Presence IT, Inc. in 2001, a custom IT solutions company with a focus on mobility, which became the origin of 4SmartPhone. Prior to that, Gilbert was executive vice president of Isaac Newton Technologies, for which he raised more than $4.4 million and restructured it from a small R&D lab in Canada, to a more mature startup company. Under his watch, INT opened sales offices across the US and released its first wireless software radio product in 2000. Prior to Isaac Newton Technologies, Gilbert was the senior vice president and chief technology officer for the WAVO Corporation, where he spearheaded the partnership of WAVO and Virgin Entertainment Corporation to develop VirginJamCast, an Internet-based secure digital music distribution system and e-commerce service. As V-P Business Development of WAVO, Gilbert also established key strategic partnerships with Microsoft, Compaq, PBS and Intel, some including investments of more than $4 millions.
Gilbert is also credited with the development of WaveTop, the first nationwide data broadcasting consumer product included in Windows 98 Operating System. Prior to WAVO Corporation, Patrick co-founded BleuMont Telecom, which pioneered PC-based data broadcasting technology in 1992 and established in 1994 Canada’s first nationwide datacasting network. Gilbert and his partners sold BleuMont Telecom to WAVO Corporation in 1995.
Prior to BleuMont Telecom, Gilbert was project manager for DTI Telecom, an Engineering consulting firm based in Montreal, QC. Gilbert studied Electrical Engineering at the École Poytechnique, University of Montreal.
Bob Brilon established Golden Pegasus Capital in 2007 to invest in private and public entrepreneurial start up type ventures as well as performs financial and management consulting services.
Brilon was the Chief Executive Officer as well as President and Chief Financial Officer for InPlay Technologies, Inc., Nasdaq:NPLA, (fka Duraswitch), a developer and licensor of electronic switch technologies as well as developer and manufacturer of digital pen technologies for the PC Tablet industry. Brilon had been with the company since its inception 1997 (consultant for the first 18 months) and lead the management team in determining and executing on its direction and goals.
Brilon joined the company full time in late 1998 raising a private equity round of $1.2M to bridge the company to a $10MM public offering putting them on AMEX and negotiating the sale of 18% of the company to Delphi Corp. for $11.5MM as well as an exclusive licensing arrangement for an additional $16MM. NPLA’s market cap grew from $25MM to as high as $165MM over the next 2 years and the company moved to the Nasdaq: NMS. The bridge investors had purchased at $.75 and had the opportunity to capitalize on the greater than $17 stock value within just 2 years. Year 2000 and 2001 were tough years in the stock market but NPLA beat the odds through executing on deals.
Brilon brings 25 years of financial acumen. Before beginning his corporate career, Brilon accumulated four years of experience with public accounting firms in Iowa and Arizona, including McGladrey Pullen, Ernst and Young and Deloitte and Touche.
Brilon began his corporate career at Go-Video in July 1986, at the time of its initial public offering, until April 1993. During his tenure as CFO, four public offerings and several private offerings were successfully completed to finance the development of the company’s patented dual-deck VCR technology and rapid growth of its marketing and sales efforts.
Following Go-Video, Brilon took the position of CFO and VP of Operations and Administration at DataHand Systems, Inc., raising seed and angel capital for a development-stage ergonomic keyboard developer until April 1995. Brilon was then recruited by Rental Service Corp., (ACME Holdings) to hire an accounting and finance team to relocate the company headquarters from Irvine, Calif. to Scottsdale, Ariz. During his tenure RSC completed an initial stock offering in September 1996 for approximately $100 million.
In 1997, Brilon joined Gietz Master Builders, a luxury custom homebuilder in Scottsdale, Ariz., as the head of business operations and CFO. Here he incorporated systems to handle the custom and fast-paced nature of the company, achieving efficiencies to create substantial returns for the shareholders of the closely held company.
Brilon attended the University of Iowa on a full academic scholarship after graduating valedictorian of his Keokuk, IA high school class. Brilon graduated with a bachelor of science in business administration from the University of Iowa in 1982 and is a certified public accountant.
Simone S. Lopes - Vice President of Business Operations, brings a wide range of experience in marketing and communications to 4SmartPhone. Prior to joining the company, Lopes managed for 5 years marketing and communication efforts for Transys Networks, a fiber optics company. Before that, she was a Project Director for EDI World Institute, in Montreal, an organization dedicated to introducing and monitoring electronic data information.
Lopes began her career in 1990 as the Director of Corporate Communications for the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, in Ottawa, where she worked for over 6 years under the Prime Minister’s Office as well as with Canada’s Immigration Bureau as an interpreter/translator for highly sensitive cases.
Lopes is a board member and a member of several organizations, they are The Association for Intelligence Officers - Chapter of Arizona, the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, the World Affairs Council of Arizona, Phoenix Rotary 100 and the co-founder of the Tea Leaf Club of Arizona. She has received numerous awards for her dedication, passion and outstanding volunteerism towards each of these organizations.
Finally, Lopes is also a a Member of the Global Alliance for International Advancement (GAIA). GAIA is a non-profit organization providing a forum for professionals, academics, and politicians to make contacts, develop policies, and conduct business with members across the globe.
Andrew S. Bryant is President, Enterprise Computing Solutions, Arrow Electronics, Inc., with responsibility for providing enterprise and midrange computing products, services and solutions to value-added resellers, system integrators and independent software vendors.
Bryant has over 26 years of experience in the technology industry, and is a broad-based global executive with a track record of success in Europe, Asia and North America. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer for Jennings Strouss, a prominent law firm in the Phoenix area. Previously, Andy was President of Avnet Logistics, where he served as President of Avnet’s global operating groups and as Senior Vice President of Avnet, Inc. He was elected a corporate officer of Avnet in 1996 and became an executive officer in 1999. From 1999 to 2002, Andy held the position of President of Computer Marketing (now Avnet Technology Solutions).
Bryant serves on the board of 4SmartPhone and holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Maryland.