AIVN - Artificial Intelligence Venture Network is thankful for having the opportunity to serve our technology community with six great events in 2024, attended by over 400 unique individuals - founders, builders, investors, enterprise AI users, and AI techno-enthusiasts - all focused on connecting and collaborating to create a world class concentration of applied AI and machine learning technology in ArizonaFrom our founding at the start of the year with a first event at the home of Armando Viteri which featured presentations from AI-first founders Mark Naufel of Axio AI, Sarah Richardson of RETEQ INC, Will Xander of Truthkeep as well as Rich Simoncic of pioneering enterprise AI user Microchip Technology Inc.To our AIVN LaunchPad pitch event in May at our new venue location courtesy of Industrious featuring ARGOS Vision AstroHub Brainiest.ai LV8RLABS Drive Health SEMIXR SOAPscribe TelePolicing and TruthkeepFollowed by the cohort of companies who went to SF in July representing AIVN to pitch at PitchForce: Ambient Enterprises Inc. Drive Health ARGOS Vision Solisa AI The Ark Project. And events in August and September in partnership with Mike Wolfson and his MeetUp group Phx AI DevsAll capped off by the thunderously fun October AI Startup & Innovation Showcase event held at Industrious thanks to our hosts Quiana Ordonez and Heather Lindstrom and our event sponsor AZ-VC - thank you Brad Kotansky - where well over 100 attendees enjoyed our Robot Room featuring Revolute Robotics and Swarmbotics AI, as well as the showcase area with Solisa AI Brainiest.ai Truthkeep AI Box ProPlaintiff.ai SkipCourse Lumina Spes Group Daily Dose Systems Inc. and HemaSense.

Swartz Executive Search is a solo retained executive search firm I founded in 1990, based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Specializing in recruiting VP and C-level executives, across all functions, for founder-driven and VC-funded technology based growth companies.I have helped scores of CEOs and investors craft great leadership teams, seeking to build legendary products and companies to global scale. Many have returned fortunes to stakeholders, over three plus decades. While touching the lives of thousands of additional founders, executives, and countless other individuals, with advice and counsel, in the course of that time.In addition to traditional searches, I also take on assignments pro bono for certain non profits I want to actively support. As well as offering executive coaching, job hunting intelligence, and representation services on an hourly and project basis.

Member of the Board of Directors of The Knights of the Round Table, a national men's fellowship based on the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

I incorporated People At Their Peak as a non-profit entity to host extreme athletic endurance fundraisers, and launched a prototype event on 10/10/10. When athletes from across the country participated by completing ten continuous repetitions of the 1.2 mile/1200' elevation-gain trail to the top of Piestewa Peak, in Phoenix, Arizona, to benefit a charity of each athlete's selection.Through a partnership with not-for-profit St. Joseph the Worker, People At their Peak supported the annual 2011 Hike for the Homeless event in Estrella Mountain Park by providing a complete force of volunteer trail monitors to manage the operational safety infrastructure for participants on an outsourced basis.

I co-founded, with MIT alum Armando Viteri, the first new MIT Enterprise Forum chapter in the US in 20 years. Featuring Dr. Peter Diamandis, founder of the X Prize Foundation, as the guest speaker for our kickoff event held June 4, 2009, we went on to deliver two years of leading edge events, at my direction as head of programs, which established our chapter as the premier networking venue for founders and CEOs of early stage tech companies in Arizona at the time.

Co-founded this small press publisher of travel and dining guides distributed nationally by Barnes & Noble with a partner. Dine Out went on to become both a publishing and events company, as creator of the enormously successful multi-year culinary festival Dine Out With The Chefs, benefiting the Scottsdale Center for the Arts, for several years running.

Opened a Scottsdale office, with another Partner, for Highland Partners, the 7th ranked global retained search firm in the world, which was owned by TMP Worldwide. Acquired by Heidrick & Struggles.

Recruited to serve as a Board Member of this publicly-traded (OTCBB:VTTX) time and attendance software/SaaS company.

After recruiting world-renowned glass ceiling-breaking CEO Jane Evans to early-stage Internet routing optimization startup OPNIX, she added me to her Advisory Board.

Founded in 1991 by key members of the Board of The Enterprise Network, and others, Arizona Software Association eventually merged with other statewide economic development entities to become what is today Arizona Technology Council.

Arizona 501c3 focused on creating a success acceleration ecosystem for Arizona startup entrepreneurs and emerging technology-based growth companies.

Top performing office worldwide for global recruiting firm MRI International, owned by Dick and Todd Govig.

Global seminar and publishing company at the forefront of the self improvement industry, founded by legendary sales trainer and motivational speaker Tom Hopkins.