Nine CTOs. 200+ years of combined experience. Fortune 500 to growth-stage. We've sat in the seat.
We help growth companies deploy AI agents that deliver measurable P&L impact, not science experiments. Our approach starts with the organization, not the tooling, because most AI failures are governance problems masquerading as technology problems.
Bob Stewart
Founding Member
Fractional CTO & AI Governance Architect
Background
Former Motorola and Dell/EMC CTO. Architect behind AI-IRB, CGAI, and the AI-SDLC Institute.
What he does at AVC
Helps CEOs and technical leadership teams turn AI initiatives into audit-ready, execution-grade systems, so velocity increases with trust instead of trading trust for speed.
Perspective
Bob treats governance as an unlock, not a bottleneck, revealing the hidden constraints that slow teams down, then installing practical protocols that turn complexity into sustained execution speed.
Education: University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), Certificate in Entrepreneurship
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bobstewart
Career Highlights
CTO, Motorola Internet & Networking Group, leading strategy and execution for $1B consolidated internet holdings
CTO, EMC Global Security Solutions, delivering security solutions integrating surveillance, analytics, and enterprise infrastructure
Chairman of the Board & CTO, ACRES Global, overseeing a consortium with $140MM in pledged technology and education assets
Mark Alcazar
Founding Partner
FRACTIONAL CTO, AI Strategy and business adoption
Background
25 years at Microsoft leading engineering organizations of 250+ engineers across Windows, developer platforms, and applied AI. 40 US patents. MSc from the University of Pennsylvania.
What he does at AVC
Brings operational discipline from Microsoft to growth companies: diagnose what's actually broken, build systems that scale, and stay accountable for results rather than handing over a strategy deck and walking away.
Perspective
Most AI transformations stall because of governance problems, not technology problems. His approach starts with the organization, not the tooling.
Education: MSc, Computer and Information Science, University of Pennsylvania. BSc, Electrical Engineering (Hons), University of the West Indies.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mark-alcazar-sea
Career Highlights
Created Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Windows Terminal, reversing Microsoft's declining developer share
Led the Windows AI Foundry for on-device AI models and built the infrastructure behind Windows Recall
Navigated the Windows Recall public backlash, engineering a secure virtualization-based solution that rebuilt customer trust
Drove platform reliability to 99.99% across Windows
Tony Winter
Founding Member
Fractional CTO & Strategic Technology Leader
Background
Seasoned technology executive with 25+ years leading enterprise-scale transformation, SaaS modernization, and AI-enabled growth. Former CTO of QAD.
What he does at AVC
Partners with executive teams and investors to translate AI ambition into disciplined, scalable execution that creates durable enterprise value.
Perspective
Operator-led, governance-first perspective grounded in strategic thinking and disciplined execution. Balances innovation with risk management, helping leaders move from experimentation to enterprise scale.
Education: BS in Computer Science and Physics, Staffordshire University. US Patent holder. CTO of the Year (2016, 2019).
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tonyjwinter
Career Highlights
Led full SaaS re-architecture at QAD, enabling recurring revenue growth and supporting a 3.5X increase in company valuation
Served as CTO through QAD's $2B acquisition by Thoma Bravo, leading technology due diligence and post-acquisition roadmap strategy
Built and scaled a 250+ person global engineering organization across North America, Europe, and Asia
Established an Innovation Lab and AI Center of Excellence embedding AI, analytics, IoT, and process intelligence into enterprise platforms
Fractional CTO and data governance strategist who doesn't just advise on AI adoption, he lives it. 13 years in the U.S. Navy. 7+ years as a Microsoft Partner. CDMP Certified.
What he does at AVC
Bridges the gap between enterprise technology strategy and hands-on execution. Runs his consulting practice alongside an AI assistant he built and deployed himself.
Perspective
Technology decisions should serve the mission, not the other way around. If he recommends it, he's probably already running it in production. Organizations that learn to delegate meaningful authority to AI systems, with proper governance, will outpace those still debating whether to start.
Education: B.S. General Engineering, United States Naval Academy. CDMP Practitioner. U.S. Navy Veteran (13 years).
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johncfitzpatrick78
Career Highlights
Unified 23 disparate systems into a single master data platform, consolidating 40M+ records into less than 3M with full source lineage
Delivered 15+ Master Data Management implementations across healthcare, manufacturing, and professional services
Built and operates an AI-augmented consulting practice powered by a self-hosted AI assistant managing email, calendar, infrastructure, and client deliverables daily
Managed a $350K/month engineering team before demonstrating equivalent output through AI-augmented solo operations
Brent Nowak
Founding Member
Fractional CTO & Strategic Technology Leader
Background
Nearly 40 years of leadership across advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and medical technology. Founded or co-founded six ventures. PhD in Mechanical Engineering specializing in intelligent systems.
What he does at AVC
Helps organizations integrate AI, operational discipline, and scalable technology strategy to compete and grow in regulated markets. The team's skeptical voice who pressure-tests assumptions.
Perspective
80-90% of the technologies he's led are commissioned and operating in the field. Focuses on team, trust, disciplined execution, hard decisions, and putting guardrails around innovation so organizations grow stronger, not just faster.
Education: PhD in Mechanical Engineering (Intelligent Systems)
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brent-nowak-8840418
Career Highlights
Founded and scaled six engineering and technology ventures generating over $60M in revenue
Architected and led an AI/ML-enabled medical device as CTO, from concept through regulated development
Mission-critical systems leadership for NASA, DoD, and Aerospace programs
Founded Applied Medical Device Institute (aMDI), securing $1M to launch an advanced manufacturing lab serving 40+ industry clients
Tim Faith
Founding Member
Fractional CTO & Strategic Technology Advisor
Background
Former Gartner VP Analyst and Workday Principal Advisor.
What he does at AVC
Brings analyst-grade market intelligence and enterprise advisory experience to help growth companies make informed technology decisions grounded in industry benchmarks, not vendor hype.
Career Highlights
[BIO DETAILS NEEDED: Full career highlights for Tim Faith]
Perspective
[BIO DETAILS NEEDED: Tim's perspective and approach]
LinkedIn: [LINK NEEDED]
Areas of Expertise
Analyst-grade market intelligence
Enterprise technology advisory
Industry benchmarks and vendor evaluation
Growth company technology strategy
Konst Mroncz
Founding Member
Fractional CTO & IT Infrastructure Strategist
Background
28+ years of IT infrastructure and security leadership.
What he does at AVC
Brings deep infrastructure and security expertise to ensure AI deployments are built on stable, secure foundations. Assesses and stabilizes the technology environments that make AI possible.
Career Highlights
[BIO DETAILS NEEDED: Full career highlights for Konst Mroncz]
Perspective
[BIO DETAILS NEEDED: Konst's perspective and approach]
LinkedIn: [LINK NEEDED]
Areas of Expertise
IT infrastructure leadership
Security architecture
AI deployment foundations
Technology environment stabilization
Bobby Vemulapalli
Founding Member
Fractional CTO & Enterprise Automation Leader
Background
Enterprise automation specialist with 40+ company implementations.
What he does at AVC
Brings hands-on enterprise automation experience across dozens of organizations, bridging the gap between AI strategy and operational reality on the ground.
Career Highlights
[BIO DETAILS NEEDED: Full career highlights for Bobby Vemulapalli]
Perspective
[BIO DETAILS NEEDED: Bobby's perspective and approach]
LinkedIn: [LINK NEEDED]
Areas of Expertise
Enterprise automation implementation
AI strategy to operational execution
Cross-industry automation deployments
Bridging strategy and ground-level reality
Christian Wiles
Founding Member
Automation Strategist & Governance-First AI Leader
Background
18+ years in custom software development and CRM automation architecture. Founder of Automate Today. Creator of the F.L.O.W. Method (Functional Lean Organized Workflows).
What he does at AVC
Works at the intersection of enterprise automation, AI governance, and revenue operations, designing workflows that transform complexity into structured, scalable execution.
Perspective
Systems-level, governance-first mindset for automation and AI. Focused on building structured, lean, and measurable workflows that allow executive teams to accelerate growth while maintaining operational clarity and risk discipline.
Education: Virginia Commonwealth University. Graduate studies in AI Architecture, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christianwiles
Career Highlights
Founder of Automate Today, delivering high-impact automation and AI-enabled systems for education, e-commerce, and consulting organizations
VP of Technology for Napa Valley Wine Academy, overseeing multi-platform infrastructure including CRM, storefront, automation, and custom integrations
Led complex API migrations, platform restructures, and automation frameworks improving operational efficiency and reporting accuracy
Designed and formalized the F.L.O.W. Method (Functional Lean Organized Workflows)