Daniel Freedman, Chairman
Mr. Freedman has an M.Sc. in Computer Science from University of Calgary, and since 1981 has founded, grown, managed, sold, integrated, and funded software companies in California, Texas, and Canada. Mr. Freedman’s unique combination of hands-on experience in small company entrepreneurship, large US public company executive management, and technical software development has most recently been applied at real-time communications startup, Jasomi Networks, which he founded. Jasomi creates technologies that solve deployment and regulatory problems for IP networks, accelerating their adoption, and powering the IP-based telecommunications revolution. Prior to founding Jasomi, Mr. Freedman was co-founder of Launchworks, Canada’s fastest-growing venture investment house during the late 1990s, and Vice-President of Security Products at McAfee Corporation, a role he earned after the acquisition of his network security and encryption company, FSA Corporation, by McAfee in 1996.
Hongwen Zhang, Director
Dr. Zhang co-founded Wedge Networks in 2005. Prior to being appointed President and CEO, Dr. Zhang was Chief Technology Officer at Wedge and was instrumental in developing the high performance architecture that provides the basis behind Wedge’s award-winning security appliance, the BeSecure Web Gateway. He holds a Ph.D in Computer Science from the University of Calgary; a M.Sc. in Computer Engineering from the Institute of Computer Technology - Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing, PRC), and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Fudan University (Shanghai, PRC). With more than two decades of high tech leadership experience, Dr. Zhang is a co-inventor and holder of several patents in the area of computing and networking. Prior to establishing Wedge Network’s, he was a co-founder of the 24C Group Inc., which pioneered the first digital receipts infrastructure for secure electronic commerce. Dr. Zhang was previously principal of Servidium Inc., now ThoughtWorks Canada Inc., a global leader in agile development methodology.
Husam Kinawi, Director
Dr. Kinawi is a co-founder of Wedge Networks and has a Ph.D and Master of Science in Computer Science from the Universities of Calgary, Canada and London, UK. He also co-founded Mpower Technologies Inc., a wireless telecommunications software company, in 1997 and went on to co-found ActiveIq.com (NASDAQ: AIQT), a Boston-based e-Business applications firm, in 1999. Dr. Kinawi is an innovator with more than 17 years of research and development experience working with industry leaders such as Newbridge (Alcatel), Siemens, United Technologies, and Apple in the areas of distributed information systems, embedded applications and wireless Internet solutions. He has been a guest speaker at numerous major conferences, published several research papers and is the holder of multiple patents in the area of mobile and wireless devices.
Eugene Chen, Director
Mr. Chen is a partner in Gowlings Lafleur Henderson LLP practicing in the Corporate Finance, Securities and Public M&A National Practice Group. Mr. Chen has more than 15 years experience in advising companies on initial public offerings, private placement financings, corporate governance matters, securities reporting, general regulatory compliance issues, private equity funds, purchase and sale transactions, limited partnership offerings, private mutual fund trusts offerings, qualifying transactions, shareholder agreements and corporate restructuring and reorganizations. Prior to joining Gowlings, Mr. Chen was a partner at a large national business and litigation law firm. He has provided advice to a wide variety of business sectors such as: oil & gas, alternative energy, manufacturing, biotechnology and life sciences, pharmaceutical, health care, telecommunications, information technology, mineral exploration, software development and real estate. He is also a current and past director and officer of a number of private and public companies.
Mike Jomaa, Director
Mr. Jomaa is a successful entrepreneur and CEO of multiple companies. One of his key accomplishments is the founding of Modern Beauty Supplies 25 years ago. Modern Beauty Supplies is recognized as one of Canada’s largest beauty products distributors, with hundreds of employees. Mr. Jomaa’s ventures have been recognized with many awards including regional finalist for Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies and top 3 Finalist for the RBC Small Business of Year. Furthermore, Mr. Jomaa is the owner and operator of Modern Solutions, which provides support and software development to numerous companies with business solutions and software needs. In addition to these prosperous business endeavors, he is an expert in sales and distribution, has 8 years of Real Estate experience and has found success in the real-estate development industry.
