Who or what is your inspiration in business?

My inspiration comes from moments when I saw how vulnerable people can be. I was in New York during 9/11 and later worked in post-Katrina Louisiana, witnessing communities struggle to recover from devastating events. Years later, a family member lost everything to a financial scam. Those experiences shaped my mission to make cybersecurity simpler, more human, and more effective so more people and organizations can protect what matters most.

How do you stay motivated?

I stay motivated by the mission and by my family. Cybercrime and digital threats impact hospitals, businesses, and families every day. Knowing the work we’re doing at Paxion can help organizations become more resilient keeps me focused. And as the father of a young daughter, I’m motivated to help build a safer digital world for the next generation.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would invest the funding into accelerating pilot deployments and continued development of Paxie.ai, our platform designed to simplify cybersecurity for mid-market organizations. The goal is to make powerful security capabilities more accessible and understandable for companies that traditionally lack the resources of large enterprises, helping them better defend against modern cyber threats.