Arlington, VA, November 29, 2022 –
The Consumer Technology Association® (CTA) Foundation is announcing its 2023 class of trustees. The new trustees will oversee the activities of the CTA Foundation in its mission to support programs and organizations that improve the lives of seniors and people with disabilities.
“Our newest additions to the Board of Trustees have demonstrated a longstanding commitment to improving lives through technology,” said Steve Ewell, Executive Director of the Consumer Technology Association Foundation. “Their work is truly inspirational, and we look forward to their leadership and guidance in supporting our charitable efforts. I think it’s fitting that we’re announcing these additions on Giving Tuesday, given our new Trustees’ work to further the Foundation mission of giving back to the community.”
The five inductees join the Foundation from all corners of the tech industry:
Mario Acosta-Velez: Acosta-Velez is vice president of local engagement, corporate social responsibility, and public policy for Verizon East Region. In this role, he leads Verizon’s regional Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and philanthropic giving, stakeholder engagement, community engagement, technology education initiatives, and strategic partnerships with community and business organizations to further philanthropic and impact investments within diverse communities, including education, workforce development, digital inclusion, and economic/community development, among other areas. Acosta-Velez has served in various prominent leadership roles in the District of Columbia and has received many awards for his philanthropic work. He also served as human rights commissioner with the District of Columbia’s Commission of Human Rights from 2002-2008.
Moaz Hamid: Hamid is a mission-driven technologist and strategist, solving for the future of jobs, medicine, accessible technologies, and the role of Robotics and AI. He is the founder and managing partner of mvmt ventures, a former advisor for SoftBank Robotics, a Consumer Technology Association (CTA) member, and a Dream Council member of Martin Luther King Jr. Community Healthcare Foundation. Recently, Hamid left big tech after over two decades and dedicated his life to entrepreneurship and early-stage founders. He is an advisor and mentor to Simplifyber, DNABlock, EnlitenAI, and several early-stage startups. He is also an advisor and mentor to several entrepreneurship programs, including Fast Track by First Round Capital, Yellow (accelerator) by Snap Inc., leAD Sports & Health Tech, Founders Boost (pre-accelerator), and LA Mayor (Garcetti's) Entrepreneurship Program for underserved-youth (embarcLA).
René Quashie: Quashie is the first-ever vice president of Policy & Regulatory Affairs, Digital Health at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the most impactful technology trade association in the United States. Quashie provides guidance on key technical, legal, and regulatory issues relating to digital health technology products, services, software, and apps. Quashie also works on behalf of CTA’s Health Division, which supports the health technology industry through advocacy, education, research, standards work, policy initiatives and more. Prior to joining CTA, Quashie was in private law practice at several national firms for two decades, focusing his work on digital health and privacy.
Sally Lange: Lange is an accomplished senior executive, and tech industry thought leader. She has spent the bulk of her career in the high tech and wireless sector. She was an executive and officer at Sprint, one of the largest wireless carriers in the world – now merged with T-Mobile, a Fortune 50 company. She spent over a decade in leadership roles with global powerhouse supply chain company Brightstar (a Softbank company), whose rapid growth she helped lead from multi-million-dollar revenues to over $10B with offices in fifty countries worldwide. Lange is particularly known for innovation and applying new ways of thinking to existing business problems and serves as an advisor to several start-up technology companies.
Sarah Storelli: Storelli serves as Amazon Web Services (AWS) global marketing leader of AWS Cloud Innovation Centers, AWS Digital Innovation, AWS Innovation Studio, AWS Joint Innovation Centers, AWS EdStart, and AWS GovTechStart. She is focused on creating and driving the marketing strategy for each program within AWS Worldwide Public Sector to advance tech for the good of business and society. At the center of her work is a vigorous commitment to her customers, a bias for action, and relentlessly ambitious standards. Keeping the spirit of purpose, people, and performance, Storelli is a resolute leader and innovative catalyst for her alma mater - Cal Poly - with more than a decade of experience in developing higher education programs and initiatives for all students and alumni. She serves as a member of the Cal Poly President’s Council of Advisors, chair of the English Department Advisory Board, founder of Friends for HOPE (Health Outreach and Prevention Education) in support of Cal Poly Mental Health initiatives and founding member of the Women in Business Advisory Board. Storelli’s experience and passion have made her a trusted advisor to multiple start-ups and has received multiple honors and awards for her philanthropy.
The new members of the CTA Foundation Board of Trustees will help oversee the activities of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit as they work to convene key stakeholders, drive innovation and fund other nonprofits working to advance their mission of using technology to enhance the lives of older adults and people with disabilities.
The CTA Foundation also elected its officers for 2023-2024. Their term begins alongside the new class of Trustees on January 1, 2023:
Chair | Matt Ater, vice president of Enterprise Sales, Vispero
Matt Ater brings over 28 years’ experience in assistive technology and accessibility. He joined Freedom Scientific, a Vispero company, in 2014 to develop a consulting practice and ran the combined services arm, TPGi, until 2018. Ater currently runs corporate business development for Vispero and is a SME on everything accessibility.
Vice Chair | Sherida McMullan, Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, GitLab
Sherida McMullan is leading the company’s commitment to build a more equitable and inclusive culture. Her ability to set a strategic vision and create a “Space for Grace” for her executive leadership, peers and team members are the driving force behind her success in Sales, Marketing and HR leadership. In addition to senior leadership roles at Lyft and Intel, she can be found coaching and advising leaders across industries on how to hire, progress and retain top talent from marginalized communities. Her reputation for delivering results has resulted in significant advancements for the ever-evolving definition and the competitive business advantage to Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. McMullan is a champion for STEAM, philanthropy, and the arts, serving on boards including the CTA Board of Industry Leaders, Chandler Cultural Foundation and Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
Treasurer/Secretary | Veronica Lancaster, staff VP, Standards Program, Consumer Technology Association CTA
As Vice President of Standards Programs in the Technology & Standards Department of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), Veronica Lancaster is responsible for the development, management, and growth of CTA’s standards program. Before joining CTA in 2013, she held multiple positions at the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS). Lancaster has served as a participant in the FCC Communications Security Reliability and Interoperability Council (CSRIC) II, WG1A, Public Safety Consolidation, and WG7, Pandemic Planning– Priority Service Requirements, and in 2020 won awards for her contributions to sthe tandardization of wireless power transfer and wearable technologies. She also serves as President of the Board of Directors for Women in Standards.
Chair Emeritus | Gary Yacoubian, president, CEO and managing partner, Specialty Technologies
Gary Yacoubian leads Specialty Technologies (SVS), a global high-performance audio brand known for producing some of the finest speakers and subwoofers in the world. Prior to joining SVS, Yacoubian was Vice President, Strategic Development, of Monster Products and President and Chief Operating Officer of MyerEmco AudioVideo. He has served on CTA’s Executive Board, Division Executive Board, and Audio Division Board. Yacoubian is also Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Washington Performing Arts.
For more information on the foundation visit https://www.cta.tech/Who-We-Are/CTA-Foundation.