Five senior operators, not a research desk.

Ken Arakelian is an independent product executive specializing in AI-first SaaS and enterprise customer engagement. He began his career leading contact center engineering at Merrill Lynch, then spent 12 years at Nuance Communications building voice AI and NLP platforms handling hundreds of millions of customer interactions — including Automation Assist, a hybrid AI-human system that presaged today's agent copilots.

As SVP and Chief Product Officer at ENACOMM, he led conversational AI and payments products for neobanks and community financial institutions. Most recently at Verint, he owned a $90M ARR real-time AI and quality portfolio. He holds a BS in Computer Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology.

Biography to follow.

Mike Kirk was most recently Senior Vice President of Financial Services at an AI-first fintech company delivering intelligent automation solutions for community banks and credit unions. A recognized thought leader in the financial technology industry, Mike brings more than 30 years of success in sales, business development, strategic partnerships, and executive leadership.

Mike has played a pivotal role in establishing and expanding strategic partnerships within the banking and credit union space, including securing key industry alliances that helped drive long-term growth and innovation. Throughout his career, he has helped financial institutions embrace emerging technologies that improve operational efficiency, member engagement, and digital transformation initiatives.

Known for his collaborative leadership style and deep industry relationships, Mike has been instrumental in driving growth initiatives, partner development, and long-term client success across the fintech ecosystem.

Nicole Nevulis is a technology adoption and transformation strategist with 20+ years of experience helping organizations turn business priorities into measurable outcomes through the smart application of technology.

What sets Nicole apart is a career built on both sides of the table — she has led business operations, built and scaled consulting practices, shaped product strategy, and guided enterprise go-to-market execution. That breadth gives her something most advisors can't offer: the ability to walk into a boardroom, understand what the business actually needs, and translate that into a technology strategy leaders can act on.

Today, Nicole specializes in helping executives navigate AI adoption — not the hype, but the hard work of identifying where AI creates real value, where it doesn't, and how to build a path forward that sticks. She is a trusted thought partner to senior leaders who need clarity in a fast-moving landscape and a pragmatic plan their organizations can execute and measure.

Biography to follow.