Apex Velocity Catalysts

Meet the Team

Nine CTOs. 200+ years of combined experience. Fortune 500 to growth-stage. We've sat in the seat.

We help growth companies deploy AI agents that deliver measurable P&L impact, not science experiments. Our approach starts with the organization, not the tooling, because most AI failures are governance problems masquerading as technology problems.

Bob Stewart

Founding MemberFractional CTO & AI Governance Architect

Background

Former Motorola and Dell/EMC CTO. Architect behind AI-IRB, CGAI, and the AI-SDLC Institute.

What he does at AVC

Helps CEOs and technical leadership teams turn AI initiatives into audit-ready, execution-grade systems, so velocity increases with trust instead of trading trust for speed.

Perspective

Bob treats governance as an unlock, not a bottleneck, revealing the hidden constraints that slow teams down, then installing practical protocols that turn complexity into sustained execution speed.

Education: University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), Certificate in Entrepreneurship

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bobstewart

Career Highlights

  • CTO, Motorola Internet & Networking Group, leading strategy and execution for $1B consolidated internet holdings
  • CTO, EMC Global Security Solutions, delivering security solutions integrating surveillance, analytics, and enterprise infrastructure
  • Chairman of the Board & CTO, ACRES Global, overseeing a consortium with $140MM in pledged technology and education assets

Mark Alcazar

Founding PartnerFRACTIONAL CTO, AI Strategy and business adoption

Background

25 years at Microsoft leading engineering organizations of 250+ engineers across Windows, developer platforms, and applied AI. 40 US patents. MSc from the University of Pennsylvania.

What he does at AVC

Brings operational discipline from Microsoft to growth companies: diagnose what's actually broken, build systems that scale, and stay accountable for results rather than handing over a strategy deck and walking away.

Perspective

Most AI transformations stall because of governance problems, not technology problems. His approach starts with the organization, not the tooling.

Education: MSc, Computer and Information Science, University of Pennsylvania. BSc, Electrical Engineering (Hons), University of the West Indies.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mark-alcazar-sea

Career Highlights

  • Created Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Windows Terminal, reversing Microsoft's declining developer share
  • Led the Windows AI Foundry for on-device AI models and built the infrastructure behind Windows Recall
  • Navigated the Windows Recall public backlash, engineering a secure virtualization-based solution that rebuilt customer trust
  • Drove platform reliability to 99.99% across Windows

Tony Winter

Founding MemberFractional CTO & Strategic Technology Leader

Background

Seasoned technology executive with 25+ years leading enterprise-scale transformation, SaaS modernization, and AI-enabled growth. Former CTO of QAD.

What he does at AVC

Partners with executive teams and investors to translate AI ambition into disciplined, scalable execution that creates durable enterprise value.

Perspective

Operator-led, governance-first perspective grounded in strategic thinking and disciplined execution. Balances innovation with risk management, helping leaders move from experimentation to enterprise scale.

Education: BS in Computer Science and Physics, Staffordshire University. US Patent holder. CTO of the Year (2016, 2019).

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tonyjwinter

Career Highlights

  • Led full SaaS re-architecture at QAD, enabling recurring revenue growth and supporting a 3.5X increase in company valuation
  • Served as CTO through QAD's $2B acquisition by Thoma Bravo, leading technology due diligence and post-acquisition roadmap strategy
  • Built and scaled a 250+ person global engineering organization across North America, Europe, and Asia
  • Established an Innovation Lab and AI Center of Excellence embedding AI, analytics, IoT, and process intelligence into enterprise platforms

John Fitzpatrick

Founding MemberFractional CTO & AI-Augmented Operations Strategist

Background

Fractional CTO and data governance strategist who doesn't just advise on AI adoption, he lives it. 13 years in the U.S. Navy. 7+ years as a Microsoft Partner. CDMP Certified.

What he does at AVC

Bridges the gap between enterprise technology strategy and hands-on execution. Runs his consulting practice alongside an AI assistant he built and deployed himself.

Perspective

Technology decisions should serve the mission, not the other way around. If he recommends it, he's probably already running it in production. Organizations that learn to delegate meaningful authority to AI systems, with proper governance, will outpace those still debating whether to start.

Education: B.S. General Engineering, United States Naval Academy. CDMP Practitioner. U.S. Navy Veteran (13 years).

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johncfitzpatrick78

Career Highlights

  • Unified 23 disparate systems into a single master data platform, consolidating 40M+ records into less than 3M with full source lineage
  • Delivered 15+ Master Data Management implementations across healthcare, manufacturing, and professional services
  • Built and operates an AI-augmented consulting practice powered by a self-hosted AI assistant managing email, calendar, infrastructure, and client deliverables daily
  • Managed a $350K/month engineering team before demonstrating equivalent output through AI-augmented solo operations

Brent Nowak

Founding MemberFractional CTO & Strategic Technology Leader

Background

Nearly 40 years of leadership across advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and medical technology. Founded or co-founded six ventures. PhD in Mechanical Engineering specializing in intelligent systems.

What he does at AVC

Helps organizations integrate AI, operational discipline, and scalable technology strategy to compete and grow in regulated markets. The team's skeptical voice who pressure-tests assumptions.

Perspective

80-90% of the technologies he's led are commissioned and operating in the field. Focuses on team, trust, disciplined execution, hard decisions, and putting guardrails around innovation so organizations grow stronger, not just faster.

Education: PhD in Mechanical Engineering (Intelligent Systems)

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brent-nowak-8840418

Career Highlights

  • Founded and scaled six engineering and technology ventures generating over $60M in revenue
  • Architected and led an AI/ML-enabled medical device as CTO, from concept through regulated development
  • Mission-critical systems leadership for NASA, DoD, and Aerospace programs
  • Founded Applied Medical Device Institute (aMDI), securing $1M to launch an advanced manufacturing lab serving 40+ industry clients

Tim Faith

Founding MemberFractional CTO & Strategic Technology Advisor

Background

Former Gartner VP Analyst and Workday Principal Advisor.

What he does at AVC

Brings analyst-grade market intelligence and enterprise advisory experience to help growth companies make informed technology decisions grounded in industry benchmarks, not vendor hype.

Career Highlights

[BIO DETAILS NEEDED: Full career highlights for Tim Faith]

Perspective

[BIO DETAILS NEEDED: Tim's perspective and approach]

LinkedIn: [LINK NEEDED]

Areas of Expertise

  • Analyst-grade market intelligence
  • Enterprise technology advisory
  • Industry benchmarks and vendor evaluation
  • Growth company technology strategy

Konst Mroncz

Founding MemberFractional CTO & IT Infrastructure Strategist

Background

28+ years of IT infrastructure and security leadership.

What he does at AVC

Brings deep infrastructure and security expertise to ensure AI deployments are built on stable, secure foundations. Assesses and stabilizes the technology environments that make AI possible.

Career Highlights

[BIO DETAILS NEEDED: Full career highlights for Konst Mroncz]

Perspective

[BIO DETAILS NEEDED: Konst's perspective and approach]

LinkedIn: [LINK NEEDED]

Areas of Expertise

  • IT infrastructure leadership
  • Security architecture
  • AI deployment foundations
  • Technology environment stabilization

Bobby Vemulapalli

Founding MemberFractional CTO & Enterprise Automation Leader

Background

Enterprise automation specialist with 40+ company implementations.

What he does at AVC

Brings hands-on enterprise automation experience across dozens of organizations, bridging the gap between AI strategy and operational reality on the ground.

Career Highlights

[BIO DETAILS NEEDED: Full career highlights for Bobby Vemulapalli]

Perspective

[BIO DETAILS NEEDED: Bobby's perspective and approach]

LinkedIn: [LINK NEEDED]

Areas of Expertise

  • Enterprise automation implementation
  • AI strategy to operational execution
  • Cross-industry automation deployments
  • Bridging strategy and ground-level reality

Christian Wiles

Founding MemberAutomation Strategist & Governance-First AI Leader

Background

18+ years in custom software development and CRM automation architecture. Founder of Automate Today. Creator of the F.L.O.W. Method (Functional Lean Organized Workflows).

What he does at AVC

Works at the intersection of enterprise automation, AI governance, and revenue operations, designing workflows that transform complexity into structured, scalable execution.

Perspective

Systems-level, governance-first mindset for automation and AI. Focused on building structured, lean, and measurable workflows that allow executive teams to accelerate growth while maintaining operational clarity and risk discipline.

Education: Virginia Commonwealth University. Graduate studies in AI Architecture, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christianwiles

Career Highlights

  • Founder of Automate Today, delivering high-impact automation and AI-enabled systems for education, e-commerce, and consulting organizations
  • VP of Technology for Napa Valley Wine Academy, overseeing multi-platform infrastructure including CRM, storefront, automation, and custom integrations
  • Led complex API migrations, platform restructures, and automation frameworks improving operational efficiency and reporting accuracy
  • Designed and formalized the F.L.O.W. Method (Functional Lean Organized Workflows)