The seventh annual Las Vegas Top Tech Exec Awards, a collaboration between Cox Business and VEGAS INC, recognize Southern Nevadans who are helping shape the future before our very eyes. These are people who are often on call 24-7, asked to solve problems that may never have happened in a rapidly evolving industry.
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LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Debbie Banko, CEO, Link Technologies
Ohio native Debbie Banko launched Link Technologies in 2000 with an old computer, a landline and a handful of clients, and has grown the company into a leading provider of professional services in information technology, engineering, business support, project management and cyber security/information assurance. Working with clients at the local, state and federal level, Link Technologies now has more than 125 employees and an office in Denver, with a presence in Reno, Phoenix, Philadelphia, New York City, Southern California, Utah and South Carolina.
With a knack for identifying opportunities, Banko recently established Link’s robust cybersecurity and audit and compliance arm just in time to ride the wave of elevated interest in this fast-growing market. Indeed, the company is one of the few vendors that can boast a PCI QSA (Payment Card Industry Qualified Security Assessor) certification.
“In a world of sophisticated cyberthreats and well-publicized attacks, having a strong security posture and CPI-compliant credit-card practices is only going to become more important,” said Banko, who holds a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in business from Ohio University. “Our goal is to be the go-to provider for this in Las Vegas and Denver, and we’re already off to a great start.”
Included on Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the nation for the past five years, Link Technologies’ client base includes the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration. But at a grassroots level, Banko is a committed champion of initiatives to improve STEM education and make the IT workforce more inclusive of women and minorities, and is an active supporter of SIM (Society for Information Management) Las Vegas.
“The IT needs of America’s businesses have become increasingly diverse and specialized over the last 15 years,” said Banko, who previously worked in various management capacities at BEST Consulting. “And while career IT generalists are still very much in demand, companies also need the support of esoteric experts, sometimes for a single project, sometimes for several years. Link has many of these experts in-house and can deploy them on a consulting or professional-services basis. We also have a proprietary database of over 100,000 technology professionals and an in-house recruiting team that can find the right resource on short notice.”
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COMMUNITY EXEMPLARY AWARD
Eric Mendelsohn, Co-founder/Director, Code Central
With more than 20 years of experience in teaching and education-management, Bay Area native Eric Mendelsohn is helping to grow Southern Nevada’s technology industry by training the computer programmers of tomorrow.
Eric Mendelsohn
Mendelsohn — who holds a master’s in English literature and a bachelor’s in English, both from San Jose State University — is co-founder and director of Code Central, founded in March 2016 as an after-school tech center, where kids ages 7 to 17 learn the fundamentals of coding, app development and computer science. The first of its kind in Nevada, Code Central focuses on enrichment and real-world skills, with personalized, self-paced learning and group projects that reveal the potential of coding.
“We want to expose as many kids as we can to the possibilities of coding,” said Mendelsohn, who moved to Southern Nevada in 2013 and manages day-to-day operations for the company, which offers memberships on a month-to-month basis, with children signing up for either one or two classes per week. “We don’t just teach coding; through coding, they learn to solve problems, overcome obstacles and develop critical-thinking skills and creativity. We want the learning be valuable, engaging and meaningful.”
According to code.org, only 40 percent of Nevada schools teach computer programming, yet 90 percent of parents want their children to learn computer science. Meanwhile, the STEM-related economy continues to grow, with new career opportunities emerging in the field. Code Central is helping to bridge the gap by providing a fun and collaborative space to teach kids some of the tools they will require for success.
The company is also striving to introduce more young ladies to coding, having held its first workshop for Southern Nevada Girl Scouts in September 2017, with two additional workshops in October.
“Every week we are reaching out to more students, and we hope to open another center, or possibly two, in the Vegas area in 2018,” said Mendelsohn, who previously worked in various capacities at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in San Francisco; as director of training and curriculum development for Advanced Global Connections in the Bay Area; and as director of business development for LasVegasTickets.com. “Technology is critical because it is essential now, and will be increasingly so in the future. With the rapid and constant developments in technology, I don’t think staying ahead of the curse is realistic. But we are striving to keep up by continuously implementing new learning technologies into our curriculum.”
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HEALTH CARE AWARD
Wonda Riner, Director of Information Technology, UNLV School of Medicine
Pennsylvania native Wonda Riner is a natural-born problem-solver who likes to find ways to make things work, a passion which unexpectedly shaped her career path.
Wonda Riner
“My interests have never truly been technology-focused, but during my college internship I discovered that I had a talent for software administration, and it was through developing that talent along with project management that I have grown into the professional I am today,” said Riner, who holds an master’s in business administration from Saint Francis University and a bachelor’s of science in health policy and administration from Pennsylvania State University.
Riner worked at Saint Francis University’s Center for Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas prior to relocating to Southern Nevada in 2003 to accept a position with UNLV’s Office of Information Technology, transitioning to the Office of Faculty Affairs in 2013. In April 2016, she was hired by the university’s new School of Medicine as director of academic and learning technologies, quickly slipping into the role of director of information technology in order to better utilize her skill set.
The School of Medicine was officially established in August 2014 in response to the need for more quality health care in the state when the Nevada System of Higher Education board of regents approved funding for the medical school’s start-up costs. NSHE, UNR, UNLV and the University of Nevada School of Medicine signed a memorandum of understanding to develop an independent, full-scale, allopathic medical school at UNLV in November 2013.
When Riner came on board with the medical school, she was tasked with transitioning all of UNR’s data circuits to UNLV, among other transitioning projects.
“With the support of the school’s leadership and the university’s Office of Information Technology, I coordinated over 5,000 man-hours in a three-week period to ensure that the transitioning UNR clinics would be able to continue seeing patients as scheduled,” she said. “We had two clinics that were open on July 1, 2017, just 12 hours after we were given access to the locations, and the rest opened on July 3.”
Riner said it’s imperative to stay aligned with or ahead of the curve tech-wise in order to meet the needs and expectations of students, clients, patients, faculty and staff.
“We need to stay current and innovative to remain competitive,” she said, adding that the medical school boasts technology that will greatly benefit students. “The virtual anatomy tables and accompanying software not only provide the ‘Wow’ factor when touring our academic facilities, but it is also amazing to realize how this technology will better prepare our students for practicing medicine.”
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PUBLIC BUSINESS AWARD
Sy Esfahani, Chief Information Officer & Senior Vice President, MGM Resorts International
The son of an electrical engineer, Sy Esfahani originally planned on following in his father’s footsteps as a student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Then reality intervened and his career path took a different direction.
Sy Esfahani
“After attending the first class in electrical engineering fundamentals, I knew I needed to pursue something more exciting,” said Esfahani, who was introduced to the university’s newly formed College of Computer Science by a friend. “And the rest is history.”
Esfahani obtained a bachelor’s of science in computer science from UNO, and went on to earn a master’s degree in administration from Central Michigan University prior to working in Omaha as vice president of IT for DMSi and then as vice president of back office products for ACI. From 2000 to 2009 he was chief information officer and executive vice president for GES Exposition Services in Las Vegas, then served a three-year stint as chief information officer for Fiserv EFT in New Jersey.
Now permanently at home in Las Vegas, Esfahani joined MGM Resorts International as senior vice president and chief information officer in July 2013, where he manages overall global technology strategy and execution, which includes more than 300 systems.
“Digital transformation and how we interact and serve our guests at every level are key to the overall MGM Resorts business strategy,” Esfahani said. “We have launched numerous technologies such as our website redesign, mobile check-in, Wi-Fi redesign and in-room technologies, and we have many other technologies that we will launch within the next few months. Technology has created a competitive edge for MGM Resorts and we will continue to lead our industry through digital transformation.”
He said 2018 will be a year when the industry will embrace technology as a way to digitize manual operational processes, interact in a more meaningful way with customers and use analytics to drive business decisions, all of which are made possible because of maturity in cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and internet of things (IoT).
Esfahani referenced the findings of IT research and advisory company Gartner Inc. in noting that every company is becoming a technology company, and it’s either sink or swim.
“Those that adopt digital transformation and the tsunami of technology changes that are reshaping all industries will survive and thrive, while others will vanish,” he said.
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NONPROFIT AWARD
Tim Stephens, Director of Information Technology, Three Square Food Bank
As a boy in suburban Michigan, Tim Stephens found an old book on operating systems and began learning how to maneuver through the basics, which sparked an interest in technology. He moved to Southern Nevada in 1998, and was accepted into the Community College High School program, which allowed students to take college courses alongside the standard curriculum.
Tim Stephens
“I began taking MCSE, Novell, Cisco and CompTIA classes to fill out my schedule, which drove my interest in technology and led me to obtain two AAS degrees in computer science from College of Southern Nevada,” said Stephens, who began his career as a support specialist at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and worked in IT capacities at Aliante Hotel and TopGolf before a message in his in-box changed the course of his career.
“One day, a particular opening caught my eye — Three Square Food Bank.”
Stephens joined Three Square — Southern Nevada’s only food bank — as director of information technology in December 2016, and set about revamping the organization’s IT, audio/video and security components, resulting in a drop in operating costs, including a 40 percent reduction in the cost of mobile devices. He was also instrumental in improving scalability and reliability, while eliminating costly capital expenditures, by moving the phone network to a managed VoIP solution provided by Cox Business.
He also extended the usability of old desktops by upgrading to solid state drives and Windows 10, minimizing the number of new PC purchases and increasing performance of existing hardware. He also overhauled the audio/video system in the training room and event spaces; incorporated a web-based help-desk solution to manage incidents, assets and approvals; and placed an emphasis on the utilization of internships and community partners to help reduce labor and technology costs.
As for the future, “I would like to move more of the infrastructure to the cloud in order to further reduce future capital expenditures,” Stephens said. “This also provides a reliable and scalable platform for systems as Three Square continues to grow. As a nonprofit, the ability to buy servers or other hardware is not always an option. It is key to know what different programs you can leverage to help your business grow, while keeping costs at a minimum.”
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PRIVATE BUSINESS AWARD
Piotr Tomasik, Chief Technology Officer & Co-founder, Influential
Bay Area native Piotr Tomasik has been tinkering in technology since childhood, when he learned to take a hands-on approach to satisfy his inherent inquisitiveness about how stuff works.
Piotr Tomasik
“When I was 10 years old, my mother came home to find my new computer disassembled on the floor,” said Tomasik, who moved to Southern Nevada in 2004 to attend UNLV, where he earned a bachelor’s of science in computer science, with a minor in mathematics. “Concerned, she asked me what had happened. I calmly explained that I was just upgrading the memory. I love to dive into new things and learn how they work.”
This lifelong passion has led to a successful professional path for Tomasik, who has worked in various tech capacities for local companies such as eCommLink, Sport Habitats and ActiveSide, which he co-founded in January 2013.
Taking his entrepreneurial spirit to the next level in July 2014, Tomasik also co-founded and serves as CTO of Influential, which at its genesis had a staff of four, and now has outlets in New York City and Beverly Hills, with a total of 64 employees, including 33 in Southern Nevada.
Through augmented intelligence — AI — and machine learning, Influential matches brands with appropriate influencers to produce campaigns on social media. Tomasik created the program, and leads development of the company’s SaaS (Software as a Service) platform and its proprietary algorithms, the secret sauce behind its AI-based influencer selections.
In October 2015, Tomasik and his team established a partnership with IBM’s Watson, and in February 2016, Influential launched its first Watson product, a national Kia campaign whose ad aired during the Super Bowl. In September 2016, Condé Nast publications announced it would partner with Influential’s IBM Watson-enabled platform to enhance personal relationships and understanding of key audiences, and Influential also partnered with the United Nations to launch its #HugForPeace campaign, coinciding with the organization’s International Day of Peace.
This year, Tomasik and his team expounded upon a new market-analysis concept, micro-segmenting, which allows for the ability to analyze an influencer’s followers, as opposed to just the influencer. Micro-segmenting allows Influential to offer measurable, optimized paid media marketing to a specific influencer’s following.
Looking ahead in 2108, “We will be launching more SaaS offerings in the hopes of becoming the premier influencer marketplace,” Tomasik said. “Technology is the great disrupter, so being aware of the cutting edge and dipping your toe in is absolutely essential if you hope to stay relevant and efficient compared to your competition.”
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HOTEL/GAMING AWARD
Les Ottolenghi, Executive Vice President & Chief Information Officer, Caesars Entertainment
North Carolina native Les Ottolenghi developed an interest in the tech arena during his junior year of college, when he met H. Ross Perot, who described how the future would be based on computer systems and technology.
Les Ottolenghi
“His inspiration led me to this career, where I could pursue important and creative things that the world is now founded upon,” said Ottolenghi, who holds a master’s of business administration in internet and information technology strategy from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and a bachelor of arts and sciences in history from Duke University, where he also studied computer science. “Also, Melinda Gates was my college roommate at the time, so it seems like it would have to be destiny,” he said.
Ottolenghi launched his career as an entrepreneur and founder of a couple of successful start-ups in the Atlanta area prior to joining Sands Corp. in 2013, where he served as global chief information and innovation officer.
He joined Caesars Entertainment Corp. in January 2016 as executive vice president and chief information officer, with a mandate to drive innovation and change in a company and industry ripe for revolution, particularly with regard to connecting different customer segments.
Indeed, Caesars Entertainment is in the midst of a massive investment and renewal in the core of its business operations. Working with best-in-class strategic partners such as Oracle in finance and human resources; Infor in hospitality; Salesforce in marketing; and Microsoft in collaboration and productivity will allow the company to focus on what’s meaningful for guests and employees.
These transitional projects have a value of more than $200 million of technology attached, which aligns with Ottolenghi’s belief that IT can be an enabler and driver of core revenue growth. He has also been instrumental in propelling a number of other projects that provide smaller but significant revenue benefits and savings.
“The casino that we know today is drastically evolving through cloud-based technologies,” he said. “Caesars Entertainment is changing its business model to adapt to not just the new digital technologies, but the behavior of our customers who interact with the technology throughout our properties. Our goal is to be the most advanced company in our industry in technology for all facets of the customer experience.”
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EDUCATION AWARD
Snehal Bhakta, CTE Project Facilitator/Innovator, Clark County School District
As a kid in rural Kansas, Snehal Bhakta was addicted to his Atari — so addicted, his parents tried to limit his game-time by confiscating the joystick. Nice try, Mom and Dad.
Snehal Bhakta
“Back then, the tech to control the games system was pretty simple, so I was able to take apart an old AM/FM radio and use the wires and the tuning and volume-control knobs to create a make-shift controller,” said Bhakta, who was born in Blantyre, Malawi, Africa, and graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s of science in computer engineering and secondary education. “I probably should have muted the sound on the game, but I learned that no matter the challenge, if you’re motivated and work hard you can probably come up with a solution, even if you get grounded for a few weeks.”
Having worked as an IT consultant and with various companies such as Johnson Controls, TechSkills, Sprint and Accenture, Bhakta brought his mad Pac-Man prowess and his passion for technology to Southern Nevada in 2008, joining the Clark County School District in August 2010 as management information systems program lead, and assuming his current post as CTE (career and technical education) innovator in August 2015. In this capacity, Bhakta is committed to ensuring that local students are prepared for success in the 21st century by providing them with opportunities to explore the many tech-related career options available after graduation.
“Having graduated with both an engineering degree and education degree, I always felt that eventually I would end up in education,” Bhakta said. “I’ve worked on projects related to increasing student and community participation with programs like National Job Shadow Day, and continue to look for ways to bring innovative educational and technical practices to students, teachers and administrators.”
In an effort to attract more young women to the industry, Bhakta and his CTE team spearheaded the local #GirlsinTech and #GirlsinSTEM initiatives in 2015, and have since hosted IT events for some 2,000 Clark County middle-schoolers. Bhakta also brought the National Center for Women & Information Technology to the valley last year, with 12 high school students being honored with the organization’s Aspirations of Computing Award. This year, Bhakta was instrumental in introducing the national TECHNOLOchicas initiative to Southern Nevada to raise awareness among young Latinas about careers in tech.
“Women and minorities are underrepresented in tech and STEM fields, so it’s imperative to find ways to promote these opportunities,” Bhakta said. “This is an exciting time for us because of the increased awareness and importance of CTE programs.”
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GOVERNMENT AWARD
Michael Lee Sherwood, Director of Information Technologies, City of Las Vegas
A forward-looking thinker committed to keeping Las Vegas on the technological forefront, Michael Lee Sherwood brings some 20 years of management experience in municipal-government operations to the table in his role as director of technology and innovation for the City of Las Vegas, a post he assumed in February 2016.
Michael Sherwood
In this capacity, Sherwood is committed to making Las Vegas a smart city capable of growing with the times.
To this end, Sherwood has been instrumental in creating an IoT (internet of things) network downtown, implemented with various sensors to provide statistics on environment, traffic patterns, and pedestrian safety and mobility. This network will also provide free wireless access to boost connectivity.
Sherwood is also spearheading partnerships with auto manufacturers to enhance the future of car and street communications — in preparation for self-driving cars and also to help citizens and visitors alike remain safe on local sidewalks — and is also working to make City of Las Vegas content readily available on smart devices and media players to ensure easy access to city-related news and updates.
Prior to coming on board with the City of Las Vegas, Sherwood worked for the City of Irvine (California) as deputy director of public safety, business services and city technology for more than two years, and also served as Irvine’s manager of business services for 14 months. He also has some 16 years of previous technology experience with the City of Oceanside (California) — including about a dozen years as chief information officer — and worked before that in the private sector.
He holds an M.S. in executive management from the University of Southern California and a B.S. in management from Pepperdine University.
— Profiles by Danielle Birkin
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The judges
• Daniel Chapnick: As regional hiring manager for iD Tech — a summer technology program founded in 1999 for children and teens — Daniel Chapnick is helping to inspire the next generation of aspiring programmers, video game designers, app developers, robotics engineers, filmmakers, photographers and innovators.
• Clifton Cole: Clifton Cole is Penta Building Group’s VDC manager. He has been the catalyst for the company’s technological revolution.
• Shavonnah Tièra Collins: Shavonnah Tièra Collins is the managing director of RedFlint. Her background includes being part of the initial organizing team of Startup Weekend Las Vegas and teaching Starting Entrepreneurial Ventures at the UNLV Lee Business School.
• Jason Frame: Jason Frame is the IT manager for the Southern Nevada Health District. Frame, who built the software engineering team from the ground up, has been instrumental in increasing efficiency and lowering costs for the district.
• Laura Fucci: Laura Fucci joined the city of Henderson in November 2012 as chief information officer. Fucci earned her bachelor of science degree in computer science at Oregon State University and obtained a certificate in public management from UNLV.
• Mary Lynn Palenik: Mary Lynn Palenik is Aristocrat’s vice president, global head of PMO. She is responsible for portfolio oversight at the corporate level, developing standards and processes for the project ecosystem via an accountable and controls-based framework.
• Les Leonard: Les Leonard is vice president of information technology of Resorts World Las Vegas. He has more than three decades of experience in information technology and has worked many years in gaming and hospitality.
• Lester Lewis: Lester Lewis is an IT strategist in the state of Nevada. Currently, Lewis is the deputy chief information officer for Clark County. Lewis proudly served in the United States Army where he held the position of telecommunications systems operator.
• Mangit Singh: Manjit Singh is a member of the advisory board for college of engineering at UNLV and works on cybersecurity. In more than two decades of career in technology, Singh has worked at two Silicon Valley startups, Sun Microsystems, Juniper Networks, IGT and Aristocrat in various technology leadership roles.
