ABOUT US

Strivve empowers card issuers to create one-of-a-kind cardholder experiences that drive cards to Top of Wallet®, grow transaction volume, and increase revenue. Our PCI compliant, proprietary and patent-pending platform inspires cardholder loyalty by automating the process of updating online payment accounts.

We are a talented staff of AI and machine learning focused professionals, led by a team of entrepreneurs and Internet pioneers based in Seattle, WA. At Strivve, we are passionate about creating innovative financial solutions that make online life better for everyone.

Our Team

Chris HopenCEO & Co-Founder
Chris has been a technological visionary throughout his career. His most recent company, Tappin, provided secure remote access to and from any file stored on a device. Chris was the Co-Founder and CEO. The company was acquired by Globalscape in 2011, who continues to offer the product. Prior to Tappin, Chris was a Co-Founder and CTO of Aventail, one of the first SSL VPN companies. The company was acquired by Sonicwall in 2007. Prior to Aventail, Chris was CTO for Spry, the first internet in a box offering. Spry was acquired by CompuServe in 1996. Chris has also authored over 14 patents throughout his career.

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Gary TomlinsonDirector of Research & Development
Gary is the Director of Research and Development at Strivve Inc. He worked closely with the Dell Corporation as Director of Software Engineering. Before Dell, he was the VP of Software Engineering at SonicWALL, which was then purchased by Dell. He is an entrepreneur at heart as the co-inventor of 14 US Patents. He has been a co-author and contributor to several publications including Request for Comments from the Internet Engineering Task Force, and High Capacity Internet Caching papers.
Mark BudosDirector of Engineering
Mark is the Director of Engineering at Strivve Inc. He has had a long career in the media space co-founding Newsvine, a social media platform centered around the news, and selling to MSNBC.com/NBC News where he became VP of Engineering. Prior to Newsvine, he was the architect and Director of the Digital Advertising Systems at Starwave and The Walt Disney Company. Most recently, Mark ran the engineering team at Arivale.
Greg GarnerDirector of Product Management
As Director of Product Management, Greg brings over 15 years of product, technology, and innovation leadership to Strivve. Greg has led product management from concept through launch and engineering teams for both product development and service operations. Before joining Strivve, Inc. Greg served as the lead product manager for an innovative AI based product and held senior product positions within the IoT and consumer markets.
Dave PoolCo-Founder & Member Board of Directors
Dave has been a pioneering entrepreneur throughout his career. In 1989 when the internet was just emerging, he founded Spry, one of the first companies to provide a complete online access solution available to the general public. Spry was acquired by CompuServe for $103 million in 1996. After Spry, Dave founded DataChannel. The company was acquired by Netegrity Inc in 2001 for $54 million. Dave has been active in the investment community since.
Kevin KnightMember Board of Directors
Kevin Knight is an experienced payments and loyalty programs executive currently serving on for profit and non-profit boards. In his consulting practice he serves a variety of clients from financial technology start-ups to established card issuers and retailers. He works with Strivve, Inc. and advises on business development, go-to-market strategy, and product positioning. Kevin has held many successful leadership roles instituting innovative credit payment products and programs for such high-profile retail brands and financial companies as VISA, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Cabela’s and GE Capital.
Carol CosbyMember Board of Directors
Carol Cosby has been a leader in the financial industry for over 30 years. She has served as a senior leader at companies including MasterCard, where she was a general manager, Visa and JPMorgan Chase. She brings her industry knowledge to lead Strivve into disrupting the financial institution industry.
Amy HansonMember Board of Directors
Amy Hanson brings a broad portfolio of senior leadership in retail, finance, consumer credit, and technology. Hanson’s experience at Macy’s includes an impressive track record in leadership and growth of their omnichannel call center management, loyalty program development, payment strategy, technology strategy development for consumer services, and the $7 billion of assets in Macy’s credit business. Hanson has also provided consulting services to Westfield Retail Solutions, Signet Jewelers LTD, the NRF and a variety of other firms on retail, payment and technology strategies. She serves on the board of directors for Messer, inc. and LSI, Inc.
Rich BegertMember Board of Directors
Rich specializes in providing executive coaching with CEO’s at venture backed technology companies. He continues to advise Strivve, Inc. on their sales, business development, and venture financing. He served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of SinglePoint until February 2010. Mr. Begert has been involved with the wireless industry since its infancy, and launched two of the industry’s most influential initiatives: the first wireless data network in the U.S. (CDPD) and AT&T’s Digital One rate. In addition, he currently serves as Member of the Board of Ambassadors at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Jim VoelkerAdvisory Board Member
Jim Voelker held a number of senior executive positions and served as the President and Board Director of NEXTLINK Communications, Inc. before his tenure with Blucora, Inc. which ran from 2002-2013. Since that time, he has been a private investor in technology companies like Pushspring, Ravenna Solutions, Lighthouse E-Discovery, VETTD, and Trovota. Voelker’s extensive past has lead him to advise Strivve on our business development and future plans. Voelker is also active in the community and is a board member for the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club.
Mark WeberAdvisory Board Member
Mark Weber has been a national speaker, author, entrepreneur, and strategist in financial services marketing for more than 30 years. His experience plays a vital role in the Strivve marketing department. In addition to his work in the financial services industry, Weber is a board member of Agros International, a non-profit agency building sustainable rural farming villages, and advisory board member to fintech startup Lightmaker Lotto.
Sandy ZoggAdvisory Board Member
Sandy Zogg has served in a number of executive roles ranging from startups, multi-million dollar institutions and global firms. He currently is a senior director of marketing business development at T-Mobile. He has provided sales and marketing consulting services for over nine years to several standout firms, including T-Mobile, C3-Jian, Aeromedia Networks, Seattle Sports Council, and WNBA Champion Seattle Storm.
Lou MorsbergerAdvisory Board Member
Lou Morsberger is the founder of LJM Associates, a consulting firm specializing in payments strategies for platform businesses. He was previously SVP, Strategy & Planning for Merchant Link, LLC, a JV of JPMorgan Chase and First Data that was the leading provider of credit card services to the hospitality and restaurant industries before its acquisition by Shift4 Payments. Prior to that, Lou was head of Payment Network Partnerships for Capital One Financial, overseeing the company’s relationships with Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. Lou advises Strivve on product development and pricing strategies.