Bio
Chuck is a 7-times entrepreneur with 5 venture-backed exits, and an investor in over 60 startups. His expertise is in AI and computer engineering. Chuck is an avid meditator and outdoorsman, a PCC-level coach, and a former certified professional downhill ski instructor, an up-and-coming pickleball player and enjoys cooking for a crowd in his outdoor kitchen. Chuck and Gyata live on 40 wooded acres with two waterfalls in Cazenovia, NY with their female cat, Mr. Bitey. They have two grown children.
Additional professional background:
Chuck’s experiences:
1. Semiconductors: Coherent Research Inc made the first AI accelerator chip in 1989 based on Chuck’s academic research with grants from NASA, DOE and New York State. The Coherent Processir was the fastest AI computer un the world and the company was acquired by Cypress Semiconductor.
2. Electric Utilities: Coherent Networks, Inc. Built the first large-scale enterprise AI software solution, SmartMaps, which transformed the way electric utilities are managed. Combining neural networks, rule-based systems, human in the loop, SmartMaps was deployed nationwide and the company was acquired by Osmose Utility Services in 2000.
3. Telecommunications: Steleus, Inc acquired a French startup, built an international market, and launched the world’s first SMS Welcome application. Steleus’ quality of service solution was deployed by Verizon, Telmex, France Telecom, O2, T-mobile and many many others. The company was acquired by Tekelec in 2004, where Chuck went on to head strategy and M&A, building the Steleus product line to > $100MM revenues. Later Tekelec was acquired by Oracle.
4. Internet: Chuck joined a turn-around team at venture-backed PacketExchange. The company was acquired by GTT in 2011.
5. Film & Media: Chuck founded RushTera, Inc in 2011 and continues to own it today. The Company provides distributed workflows for filmmakers.
6. Code School: StartFast Code operated for one year in Syracuse, NY, graduating 80 students, 80% of whom went on to professional work in the field.
7. Cybersecurity - AIS in Rome NY hired Chuck to run its Cybersecurity P&L with 145 engineers working on everything from National Security to new launching new software products.
8. Health diagnostics - SRC Inc sold its animal health startup, Acumen Detection, to Chuck in 2019. He built up the company and sold it to Dairy Farmers of America in 2020 who later sold it to DairyOne.
9. Early stage venture capital: Chuck cofounded StartFast Venture Accelerator which ran 9 cohorts from 2012-2020. StartFast Fund II (2021) continues the work as an early stage venture fund. StartFast Fund III is currently raising capital. We have helped underrepresented entrepreneurs in 12 sates and multiple countries.
