Lorne Abony
Lorne Abony has served as our Chief Executive Officer and on our Board of Directors
since inception. Mr. Abony is an experienced entrepreneur, board member and investor
across the defense, technology, advanced computing, software, media, sports, e-
commerce and wellness sectors. Since 2023, Mr. Abony has served as a managing
partner of Texas Venture Partners, a venture capital firm focused on investing in
innovative startups in the defense technology sector. Since June 2025, he has served
as the Chairman of the M&A Committee of the Board of Einride AB, a Swedish
technology company that develops and operates digital, electric and autonomous freight
solutions. In November 2025, Einride AB and Legato Merger Corp. III, a special purpose
acquisition company, announced that they entered into a definitive business
combination agreement for a proposed business combination that would result in
Einride AB becoming an NYSE-listed public company. Since March 2025, Mr. Abony
has served as the Chairman of the M&A Committee of the Board of SEEQC, Inc., a
technology company that designs and manufactures next-generation quantum control
systems. Since 2019, Mr. Abony has served as the Chairman of the Board of Callers.ai,
a leading voice and chat intelligence platform for high-volume B2C brands that powers
millions of customer conversations daily and is trusted by enterprises in finance,
mobility, gaming, and telecom. From 2019 to 2021, Mr. Abony served as the Chairman
of the Board of EMMAC Life Sciences Group, the European leader in the production
and supply of medical cannabis, hemp and other derivative products, until its acquisition
by Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. Mr. Abony founded Nuuvera Inc., a Canadian health and
wellness company that was listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, in 2017 and served as
its Chief Executive Officer until its acquisition by Aphria Inc. in 2018. From 2013 to
2016, Mr. Abony served as Lead Director, Chairman of the Compensation Committee
and Chairman of the Strategy Committee of Glu Mobile Inc., a developer and publisher
of mobile games that was listed on the Nasdaq before it was acquired by Electronic Arts
Inc. in 2021. In 2005, Mr. Abony founded Mood Media Corporation and served as
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman until 2013. During the course of Mr.
Abony’s tenure, Mood Media Corporation achieved a TSX listing and became the
world’s largest in-store media company with more than 3,300 employees, offices in 47
countries and over $750 million in annual revenue. From 2001 to 2007, Mr. Abony co-
founded FUN Technologies Inc., an online game company based in Toronto, and served
as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. During the course of his tenure, FUN
Technologies grew to become the world’s largest provider of online casual games and
fantasy sports with over 35 million registered customers. In 1998, Mr. Abony founded
online pet-supply business Paw.net in San Francisco, which was renamed Petopia.com
and grew to 200 full-time employees within two years and raised over $114 million in
financing. Petopia.com was sold to Petco in 2001.
Mr. Abony received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from McGill University and his
Juris Doctor in Law from the University of Detroit as well as his Bachelor of Laws from
the International Center at the University of Windsor. Mr. Abony received his Master of
Business Administration from Columbia Business School.
Ceo AND dIRECTOR
Leo Kofman
CFo and Coo
Leo Kofman has served as our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer since
inception. Mr. Kofman has over fifteen years of investment banking experience,
including public and private financings, mergers & acquisitions, and other capital
markets transactions across various sectors. From 2021 to 2025, Mr. Kofman served as
a Senior Vice President in the Equity Capital Markets Group at Jefferies LLC, focusing
on special purpose acquisition companies, private investments in public equity and
growth equity private placements. Prior to joining Jefferies, Mr. Kofman held roles in the
investment banking divisions of RBC Capital Markets LLC (from 2017 to 2021), Credit
Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (from 2007 to 2015) and Morgan Joseph & Co. Inc. (from
2004 to 2007). During this career, Mr. Kofman has advised on over $10 billion in capital
raises in public and private equity and credit markets, including over $1.5 billion in
private investment in public equity capital raises in support of special purpose
acquisition company business combinations.
Mr. Kofman received his Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School,
the University of Pennsylvania, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Board of Directors
Eric Ludwig
Eric Ludwig has served on our board of directors since inception. Mr. Ludwig is an
experienced investor and corporate advisor with over thirty years of experience in
technology, digital media and entertainment, gaming, and enterprise software sectors.
Since August, 2025, Mr. Ludwig has been a seed investor and advisor to Melony.ai, a
visual-file management platform built specifically for creatives. Since June 2025, Mr.
Ludwig has served as a special advisor to the Chief Executive Officer of Einride AB in
support of its special purpose acquisition company initial public offering. Mr. Ludwig co-
founded Red Elk Studios Private Limited in 2024 and serves as its Chief Business
Officer. Mr. Ludwig was a seed investor in, and since 2022 served as advisor to, First
Time Media, a seed investor in, and since 2022 served as a director for, Callers.ai, a
Series C investor, and since 2021 served as the Chief Financial Officer (on a part time
basis) of, Afero, and a seed investor in, and since 2015 served as an advisor to, Bonsai,
recently sold to Zoom Communications. Mr. Ludwig served as Chief Financial Officer
(on a part time basis) of KeyCast.ai from 2023 to 2024, as Lead Director of Together
Labs from 2022 to 2023, and as an advisor to Einride from 2021 to 2023 Mr. Ludwig
previously served as an advisor to Xamarin, which was sold to Microsoft for $425
million, and participated as a sponsor investor in special purpose acquisition companies
resulting in business combinations with Rush Street Interactive, Inc., Genius Sports
Group Limited and IonQ, Inc. From 2005 to 2021, he held senior operating and financial
leadership roles at Glu Mobile Inc., including Executive Vice President, Chief Operating
Officer and Chief Financial Officer, including leading a sale to Electronic Arts for $2.4
billion in 2021. From 1996 to 2004, Mr. Ludwig served as Chief Financial Officer, Vice
President Finance and Corporate Secretary of Instill Corporation.
Mr. Ludwig received his Bachelor of Science in Commerce from Santa Clara University
and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of California (status inactive).
Director
Jake Silverstein
Director
Jacob Silverstein has served on our board of directors since inception. Mr. Silverstein is
an experienced investor and an accomplished sports team owner in multiple leagues
around the world. Mr. Silverstein is a co-owner of DC United (Major League Soccer)
since 2021 and the Brisbane Bullets (Australian National Basketball League) since
2021. Since 2015, Mr. Silverstein has served as member of the Board of Governors of
Major League Soccer, and he previously served on its Business Ventures Committee.
Mr. Silverstein is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stormlight Ventures, his
family office and private investment platform. He is a co-founder and the Chairman of
Enfield Investment Partners, a global sports assets fund launched with an anchor
strategic partnership from SURJ Sports Investments, the sports investment arm of
Public Investment Fund, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Sovereign Fund. Enfield
Investment Partners invests in teams, clubs, leagues and sports-driven real estate
opportunities throughout the world with a focus on North America and Saudi Arabia. In
2024, Mr. Silverstein was appointed to serve as a director of Al-Ahli FC (Saudi Pro
League). Mr. Silverstein was co-owner of, and Alternate Governor for, Houston Dynamo
FC (Major League Soccer) from 2015 to 2021, the Houston Dash (National Women’s
Soccer League) from 2015 to 2021, and the co-owner and Director of Swansea City
AFC (English Football League Championship) from 2020 to 2024. Mr. Silverstein is an
investor in, and senior advisor to, Devoted Health beginning in 2018. Mr. Silverstein is a
Vision Circle member of the X-Prize Foundation, and he leads the WJ Silverstein Family
Trust’s efforts to make soccer more accessible to children of all backgrounds by building
dozens of mini soccer pitches in underfunded urban areas in partnership with the U.S.
Soccer Foundation.
Mr. Silverstein earned his Bachelor of Arts in Pure Mathematics from the New College
of Florida and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.
Allan Cole
Director
Allan Cole has served on our board of directors since inception. Dr. Cole has more than
twenty years of experience in higher education and social work. Dr. Cole has served as
Dean of the School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin since 2022, the
Bert Kruger Smith Centennial Professor in Social Work since 2022, and the Robert Lee
Sutherland Chair in Mental Health and Social Policy since 2025. He has served in
leadership at Dell Medical School, as Deputy for Health Humanities and Technology
since 2024, and as Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences since 2025. In
2023, Dr. Cole created the Moritz Center for Societal Impact to align interdisciplinary
efforts in research and scholarship, curriculum and instruction, and community
partnerships to solve critical social problems and change lives. As a scholar, he is a
nationally recognized authority on chronic illness, health humanities, bereavement, and
spirituality and religion in social work. Dr. Cole is the author or editor of fifteen books,
and his latest works include: Jumping to the Skies: Additional Lessons from Parkinson’s
Disease (Cascade, 2023); Riding the Wave: Poems (Resource Publications, 2023); In
the Care of Plenty: Poems (Resource Publications, 2021); Discerning the Way: Lessons
from Parkinson’s Disease (Cascade, 2021), and Counseling Persons with Parkinson’s
Disease (Oxford University Press, 2021). He is also the author of dozens of chapters,
articles and reviews in volumes and journals related to social work, counseling and the
psychology of religion. Since 2018, Dr. Cole has served on the editorial board of the
Journal of Spirituality and Religion in Social Work: Social Thought (Taylor & Francis)
and Pastoral Psychology (Springer) since 2005.
Dr. Cole received his Bachelor of Arts from Davidson College, his Master of Divinity in
Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, and his Master of Science in Social
Work from Columbia University. Dr. Cole received his Doctor of Philosophy in the
Psychology of Religion from the Princeton Theological Seminary.