Joe Burton is an accomplished executive who has led public and private billion-dollar organizations in driving new product portfolios, go-to-market strategies, and innovative business models. Having spent the earlier parts of his career in information technology, Joe is passionate about fostering more transparency and trust in the digital world, while championing high performing cultures aligned to mission, vision and social responsibility.

A recognized global transformational change executive, Joe has held the CEO role at Telesign and Poly, as well as serving as the Chief Technology Officer of Unified Communications at Cisco. Having started his career as an engineer, Joe brings both product and development expertise as well as a wealth of knowledge on big data, analytics, machine learning, SaaS, networking, unified communications, consumer electronics, and IoT.

Residing in the San Francisco Bay Area, Joe completed the Stanford Executive Program and Directors’ Consortium at Stanford University Graduate School of Business and earned a bachelor's in computer information systems from Excelsior University.

Shannon Brayton has more than 25 years of experience leading teams and shaping corporate narratives for some of the world’s most innovative and disruptive brands. She is currently a partner and the Chief Marketing Officer at Bessemer Venture Partners, a venture capital firm that funds consumer, enterprise, and healthcare startups. She and her team work closely with portfolio companies on their marketing strategies and brand communications. She’s also a member of the Board of Directors of Vidyard, a software company that hosts and analyze companies’ video strategies; Quizlet, a leading consumer learning brand that builds tools for teachers and students; KQED, a public-supported alternative to commercial media in Northern California; and Reputation, the only platform that manages consumer feedback from acquisition to loyalty. Shannon is widely regarded as a strong operational executive and a world-class manager and leader.

Shannon joined LinkedIn in 2010 as its Vice President of Communications, and in 2015, she expanded her purview to oversee all marketing activities at the company as CMO. She led a team of 700+ professionals around the world who covered all aspects of integrated marketing and communications, including product marketing, market research, brand, employee communications, social impact, demand generation, and events. Shannon and her team are also credited with managing the LinkedIn communications strategy for the company’s acquisition by Microsoft, which became a blueprint for managing M&A in the media. She was also responsible for the communications strategies for the high-profile IPOs of both OpenTable in 2009 and LinkedIn in 2011.

Having risen through the communications ranks from PR Associate to Chief Marketing Officer, Shannon has been credited with many corporate and consumer public relations successes. Her diverse experience includes managing all aspects of a company’s public profile — from developing crisis plans and IPO roadshow decks to building global teams and producing high-impact consumer and customer events. In addition to the 26 years spent in Silicon Valley, Shannon lived and worked for two years in Zurich, Switzerland, further broadening her perspective as a global executive.

Shannon was named one of the most world’s most influential CMOs for three consecutive years by Forbes Magazine, and she was described by PRWeek in 2017 as “a force of nature any company would want on their side.” Also, as part of her role at LinkedIn, she enjoyed the privilege of interviewing a variety of luminaries, including Richard Branson, Chelsea Clinton, Reed Hastings, Reid Hoffman and Michelle Obama.

Shannon lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two children. Her hobbies include reading the news, traveling with her family, and doing the New York Times crossword every day.

John Kuelper joined Ascension Ventures in 2014 as a Kauffman Fellow. John is Founder and President of Qualia Holdings LLC, a platform for systems biology and therapeutic ventures. He has advised or worked for several investment firms (Adams Street Partners, Sterling Partners, Abundant Venture Partners), medical technology companies (Stereotaxis, Orpheden Therapeutics), and nonprofits (The Kresge Foundation, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association).

John began his career as a medical researcher studying computational neuroscience and medical robotics and has over fifteen years of experience as a commercial software developer. John earned JD and MBA degrees from the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and Kellogg School of Management where he graduated with honors and was elected Beta Gamma Sigma (top 10% of class). He earned a BA in cognitive neuroscience from Washington University in St. Louis, graduating magna cum laude. In 2014 he was elected to the Kauffman Fellows Society. In his spare time, John enjoys hiking and camping with his two dogs and listening to live music.

Tom Mawhinney joined Icon Ventures in 2003 as a General Partner, bringing a 15-year background in the technology industry as both a venture capitalist and an entrepreneur. Tom has a wide range of technology investing experience and brings a passion for helping to scale young, rapidly growing companies. His venture investing capabilities were acknowledged when he was named to the AlwaysOn Venture Capital 100 Power Players in the Cloud and Entrepreneurial Power Player – West lists.

Before joining Icon, Tom was with Canaan Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm with $2 billion under management. He first developed his skills as a technology investor and entrepreneur during the five years he spent with Summit Partners, a venture capital firm managing over $6 billion. As an entrepreneur, Tom co-founded and spent five years as President and COO of North Systems, a venture-backed software company.

At Icon, Tom is on the Board of or actively involved with Area 1 Security, Bill.com, Ionic Security, KIXEYE, Opcity, Reputation, Synack, Teladoc (TDOC) and The Muse. Prior Icon investments include 41st Parameter (Experian), Brion Technologies (ASML Holdings), ClairMail (Monitise), DATAllegro (Microsoft), Huddle (Turn/River), Infinera (INFN), MarketLive (Vista Equity), PostPath (Cisco Systems), Solidcore Systems (McAfee), Voltage Security (HP) and Yodle (Web.com).Tom’s past investments at Canaan and Summit include AmeriPath (PATH), HAHT Commerce (Global eXchange Services), IntelliQuest (IQST), MEDNAX (MD), Microbank Software (SunGard Data Systems), Powerwave Technologies (PWAV) and SteriGenics International (STER).

Tom received his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and graduated with honors from Harvard College.

Ted Schlein is a general partner at Kleiner Perkins and a preeminent expert on cybersecurity and enterprise software. Ted was the founding CEO of Fortify Software and has led Kleiner Perkins’ involvement in a number of successful investments including Alien Vault, Arcsight, CarbonBlack, Internet Security Systems, Phantom Security, Mandiant and Oakley Networks. Ted serves on the board of directors of AppOrbit, Area 1 Security, Chegg, FullStory, Incorta, Inspirato, Ionic Security, IronNet Cybersecurity, JASK, Reputation, Shape Security, Synack, Trusona and UJet. Additionally, Ted oversees Kleiner Perkins’ investments in Ayasdi, Endgame Systems and Segment.

Before joining Kleiner Perkins, Ted served as vice president, Enterprise Solutions at Symantec. One of Symantec’s early employees, he played an instrumental role in the company’s growth and dominance as a global software leader. Ted led Symantec’s successful move into the software utilities market, as well as the launch of its commercial anti-virus solution, an offering that quickly emerged as the industry gold standard.

Ted is the former chairman of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), a national alliance advocating the role of venture investing in job creation, technology innovation, and economic development. He is also the former president of the Western Association of Venture Capitalists and the founder of DoD-sponsored DeVenCI program. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and the Board of Overseers of the Engineering School at the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, Ted serves on the Board of Trustees at InQTel. Ted frequently participates as an opinion leader in public, private and government forums, providing perspectives on security technology, related investments, and market adoption trends. Ted holds a B.A. degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.