MEET OUR BOARD OF ADVISORS
John Loew
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Jon serves as the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Donovan & Bank Foundation, the leading organization helping special operations veterans transition to the private sector following retirement from military service.
Professionally, Jon serves as Chairman of Big Media Holdings, the company he co-founded in 2009. Big Media produces original documentary series for broadcasters around the globe, including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, A+E Networks, Discovery Channel, Fox, Tokyo Broadcasting System, DirecTV, National Geographic Channels, and hundreds of others across the globe, and operates multiple FAST/AVOD channels in territories around the world.
Jon is a partner in Five Eyes Group, a global advisory firm that specializes in identifying and evaluating technologies and capabilities for use by the U.S. Intelligence and Special Operations communities, and the intelligence and military services of the Five Eyes allied nations.
Jon serves on multiple corporate boards, and is an active investor in national security oriented technology and service providers working with the U.S. government, and Fortune 500 companies. He holds a patent on a specialized secure communication technology, and has built and sold multiple companies over the past two decades.
In addition to his service to the Donovan & Bank Foundation, Jon serves as a volunteer firefighter at Empire Hose Co 3 in New York, is the founder of the Fuel For Truth Israel Advocacy organization, the founder of the Legion Self Defense organization training civilians in self defense and counter terrorism skills, is the co-founder and board member of Holywood Furniture builders, building furniture for houses of worship and other non profits, has been volunteer counsel for NYC Second Chance Pitbull rescue since 2010, and served as Co-Chairman of the interfaith board of the Eagles Wings evangelical ministries.
Jon has a bachelors degree from the University of Buffalo, and a Juris Doctorate from Brooklyn Law School. Jon has been married for 22 years, lives in the suburbs of New York, and has two children, three dogs, and 48 plants and trees.
Vivek Mehra
Vivek Mehra is a venture investor and technology entrepreneur based in Silicon Valley with extensive experience in company building and scaling. Previously, he was a General Partner at August Capital, a technology-focused venture capital firm based in San Francisco, managing over $3 billion. Vivek has been actively involved with over forty startups and public companies. Before joining August Capital, Vivek co-founded Cobalt Networks. The company had a successful IPO (NASDAQ: COBT). Sun Microsystems later acquired the company for $2 billion. Vivek is a Computer Engineer by training and is an avid landscape and nature photographer in his spare time. He lives with his wife near San Francisco, California.
Julia Munro
Julia Munro is the CEO of MUNRO Enterprises, a consulting firm specializing in helping companies fulfill Defense, Intel, Homeland Security, and Healthcare requirements for the U.S. federal government more effectively.
Julia and her team have helped their clients win more than $100 billion in competitive contracts in the last 14 years. They have been instrumental in helping some of their small business clients to become large businesses with one client having been purchased by a mid-tier company on the Fortune 500 list. She brings more than 30 years of business development and operations experience as well as 14 years of P&L experience to the Donovan and Bank Advisory Board.
More importantly, Julia comes from a family with a tradition of military service and has a passion for supporting U.S. Special Operations Forces as they make the transition from military to civilian life. Julia currently lives in Michigan with her husband, Andy, and their dog, Lacey.
Keith Bertolino
Keith is a mediocre software engineer with an insatiable desire to support only the most impactful areas of Defense work…a dangerous combination! Thankfully he made the decision as a sophomore in college to start a company out of his Boston, MA based dorm room with (a much smarter) fellow Northeastern University engineer.
With a stroke of pure luck, they were able to fool a team of true engineering prodigies into working for them. 15 years later, and to little credit of its co-founders, Cipher Tech has become one of the most selective private Defense firms, maintaining an unblemished reputation as a leader in digital forensics, targeted digital forensic software development, and reverse engineering.
As the CEO of Cipher Tech that just cannot let go of writing C# code from time to time, he has a lived vicariously through SOF operators for years, providing direct and indirect support to the DOMEX mission space from the cowardly comfort of his state-side keyboard. His journey has galvanized a deep appreciation for the sacrifices our nation’s active duty defenders make year after year and the burdens they carry thereafter, which ultimately led him to Donovan and Bank.
Keith spends his limited free time goofing off with his wife and kids, creating bringing down the house-esque statistical gambling simulations, skiing at irresponsible speeds, and seeking out tactical driving and firearms training whenever possible.
Dave Alfonso
Dave’s parents fled socialist Cuba in 1961 and immigrated to the United States in search of a better life and the American dream. He is a self-made American entrepreneur, investor and producer.
For over twenty years, Dave has focused on private equity investing in complex situations. His key investment strategy is acquiring attractively valued and under managed non-core business units from global corporations that can benefit from a hands-on operational approach.
Dave was the executive producer and instrumental partner with the World War II Foundation in the establishment of the “Major Dick Winters Monument” located at St. Marie du Mont, France, dedicated and unveiled on June 6, 2012. He was Executive Producer for eight movies and two music festivals.
Dave earned a bachelor’s degree from Florida International University and an M.B.A. from the University of Miami. IN 2009, FIU recognized Dave as the first ever double Living Scholar donor, providing scholarships to four FIU student athletes. In 2011, FIU’s Athletic Department announced exclusive 5-year naming rights for the Panther Football team’s home field called “Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium.”
Dave Justman
Dave Justman is Managing Director of UBS Wealth Management. He’s spent his entire career in the securities and investment industry, starting in 1976. His team focus is estate planning and generational wealth transfer.
Dave not only serves as member of the Advisory Board of The Donovan & Bank Foundation, but also served as past President of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA), based in Washington, D.C.; and a member of the Advisory Board of CAMERA in Los Angeles. Along with his professional career, Dave spent 25 years as an Adjunct Professor at UCLA teaching investments and finance.
Dave’s other non-profit affiliations include serving as past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Boys Town of Southern California; a member of Nellis Support Team, Las Vegas; and Honorary Commander, 31st TES, a USAF squadron based at Edwards AFB.
Jai Saboo
Jai Saboo is a lifelong entrepreneur with a unique understanding of technology as well as business and strategic issues and a solid track record of building and operating successful technology and technology related services companies. He started his entrepreneurial career in 1993, launching Concept Software, a software services firm that specialized in large high-end client-server systems for Fortune 500 clients. He sold Concept Software in 1999 and subsequently co-founded Installation Included Inc., serving as its Chief Technology Officer and directing the developing of its state-of-the-art IT systems for logistics support, and helping the company raise more than $20M in funding.
Rob Schneider
Rob is the President of the Lexipol Media Group, leading all aspects of the company’s media businesses—Police1, FireRescue1, EMS1, Corrections1 and Gov1—as well as the Grant Services division. Leveraging a highly engaged audience and product portfolio, the Lexipol Media Group is the largest digital technology platform serving first responders and local government.
Prior to joining Lexipol, Rob served as the Chief Strategy, Development and Content Officer for Learfield, the largest media and technology company in college athletics, where he led their direct-to-consumer efforts across content development/distribution, data/analytics, and digital marketing/technology.
He has also held senior leadership positions in media, advertising and technology with GroupM, Xaxis, 24/7 Media and NBCUniversal. In these roles, Rob led strategy, partnerships, product management and corporate development. He serves as an advisor to several media investment firms and startups as well.
Rob graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as a Ranger Qualified Infantry Officer in the 82nd Airborne Division. He also holds an MBA in media management from Columbia Business School. Rob and his family live in Frisco, Texas.
Jonathan Moneymaker
Jonathan Moneymaker has spent his entire career successfully growing and executing diverse portfolios of business, from start-up to Fortune 50, focused on value creation and delivering innovative solutions across the dynamic National Security market. He has been honored to directly serve the US Intelligence and Special Operations Communities throughout his career.
At BlueHalo, Jonathan is responsible for overall business strategy and performance, customer success, and oversight of ensuring all its employees are cared for.
Prior to joining AEgis and going on to build BlueHalo, Jonathan served as President of Altamira Technologies, a mid-market National Security player in the space superiority, cyberspace, and battlespace awareness markets, where he led the organization through a period of transformational growth over his 5-year tenure culminating in its acquisition by the ClearSky private equity firm.
Prior to joining Altamira, Jonathan served as General Manager of Boeing’s ~$.5B, 1,000 employee Intelligence Systems Group business unit with responsibilities focused on overall leadership, business strategy and growth, program execution, and operational effectiveness of the organization, its 7 acquisitions, and its global footprint.
Prior to his position with Boeing, Jonathan served as head of Operations at Anonymizer, Inc. and led their merger with Abraxas Corporation. While at Anonymizer, his core focus was driving business growth by aligning the company with the intelligence community and ensuring critical program and cross-organizational execution. Jonathan also served in Ocean Systems Engineering Corp’s SMART division, where he managed a C4ISR and Anti-Terrorism Force Protection portfolio and participated in the acquisition of the company to Apogen Technologies.
Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Southern California, is a graduate of senior executive programs from Wharton, Kellogg School of Management, Rady School of Management and Harvard Law School and serves as a Board Member for the University of Southern California’s Engineering School and the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce.
Birken Olson
Birken Olson is the Co-founder and CEO of CommunityMed Urgent Care. CommunityMed owns/operates urgent care clinics as the largest independent urgent care system in North Texas, and one of the top 50 largest urgent care systems in the US.
Prior to CommunityMed, Olson was CFO of First Choice Emergency Rooms from 2009 to 2013. Under Olson the company recapitalized, implemented a growth strategy, developed financial and revenue cycle systems/process, and executed a nine-figure exit transaction at double the valuation from offers 18 months prior.
Prior to First Choice, Olson co-founded Neos Geosolutions in 2004. Neos is an oil exploration company, and Olson’s role from 2004 to 2009 included the financing and execution of the business operations. Prior to Neos, Olson worked with Pivotal Technologies (fabless semiconductor startup), Contrado (software spin-out form the Feld Group), and Sequoia Unlimited (Specialty hosting for internet infrastructure).
As an Engagement Manager with McKinsey & Company from 1998 to 2001, Olson garnered experience in developing growth strategy, M&A, and operations.
Olson has participated in the acquisition/startup, growth, and sale of 5 business all capitalized with external investor funding. His background in technology allows him to leverage using industry-changing innovation to improve business operations and customer acquisition in companies he operates.
Olson has raised over $800mm in private equity and debt financing for numerous ventures. Olson received a BS EE from NMSU, and an MBA with concentrations in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
MEET OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORS
Jared Nichols
STRATEGIC ADVISOR
Donovan & Bank emulates the SOF Truths - most importantly “most Special Operations require non-SOF support.” Jared Nichols is the only civilian who has earned a place on the Donovan & Bank team. As The Foundation’s Strategic Advisor, Jared provides critical insight into the private sector, business cultures and corporate work environments. His 20+ years of experience as an entrepreneur, business owner, and husband and father helps transitioning SOF understand the nuances, intricacies, and challenges of reintegrating into life as a civilian.
Jared Nichols is the founder and creator of the NU FUTURIST and The Foresight Academy, a groundbreaking program that teaches leaders and teams the same skills that innovators, industry disruptors, and change makers, use to guide and make the future they want to see.
He is a futurist, advisor, and professor of Strategic Foresight at the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business, in Graduate and Executive Education.
Jared is also a musician, composer, competitive cyclist, and trail runner living in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and their two sons.
Dr. Eugene Lipov
MEDICAL ADVISOR
Eugene G. Lipov, M.D. is a physician researcher and board-certified anesthesiologist who specializes in intervention-based pain management in the Chicago area. He is best known for his treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using the stellate ganglion block (SGB) and his innovation to the SGB known as the dual sympathetic reset (DSR). The injection-based technique reboots the body's sympathetic system and helps to reset a PTSD patient's overreaction to stimuli - their 'fight or flight' response - by resetting the sympathetic nervous system and central nervous system to the pre trauma state.
As the Donovan & Bank Foundation Medical Advisor, Dr. Lipov provides expertise to help evaluate, assess and communicate important medical / scientific information related to The Foundation’s wellness efforts and programs. He also provides authoritative opinions regarding medical and scientific based questions, as well as legal and regulatory matters enabling The Foundation to comply with required statutory requirements.
