832.317.3703 info@ethar.com

Meet Our Team

Tony Hodgson – CEO

For twenty-five years, Tony has helped enterprise and government clients transform the way they do business through information technology. An engineer and 3D/CAD specialist, he started his career designing NASA and commercial spacecraft, then led MCI and Verizon product marketing and sales teams designing and delivering strategic telecommunication solutions to global enterprise, utility, and government accounts. He served as product portfolio lead for Verizon’s partner program global expansion, and conceived the Verizon Wearable Computing & Augmented Reality program. A serial entrepreneur, Tony founded three award-winning software & IT services firms, then served as Business Development Director for Synapse Wireless, a 120-person Industrial IoT technology leader. Tony also served as Development Director at one of the largest business incubators in the U.S. where he coordinated mentorship, commercialization guidance, and access to growth capital for emerging tech startups. Tony is currently CEO of Brainwaive LLC, a global advisory guiding enterprise clients and tech startups in the fields of business innovation, emerging technology, and cyber-security for unconventional connected devices (AR/VR, mobile tech, wearables, IoT, UAS/drones, and more). He holds multiple industry certifications, and engineering degrees from Texas A&M and the University of Texas, Arlington. He is an active member of the IEEE developing standards for Augmented Reality and wearable device security, and promotes the Industrial Internet Consortium working groups in Business Strategy, Connectivity, and Smart Manufacturing.

Tony Hodgson – CEO

For twenty-five years, Tony has helped enterprise and government clients transform the way they do business through information technology. An engineer and 3D/CAD specialist, he started his career designing NASA and commercial spacecraft, then led MCI and Verizon product marketing and sales teams designing and delivering strategic telecommunication solutions to global enterprise, utility, and government accounts. He served as product portfolio lead for Verizon’s partner program global expansion, and conceived the Verizon Wearable Computing & Augmented Reality program. A serial entrepreneur, Tony founded three award-winning software & IT services firms, then served as Business Development Director for Synapse Wireless, a 120-person Industrial IoT technology leader. Tony also served as Development Director at one of the largest business incubators in the U.S. where he coordinated mentorship, commercialization guidance, and access to growth capital for emerging tech startups. Tony is currently CEO of Brainwaive LLC, a global advisory guiding enterprise clients and tech startups in the fields of business innovation, emerging technology, and cyber-security for unconventional connected devices (AR/VR, mobile tech, wearables, IoT, UAS/drones, and more). He holds multiple industry certifications, and engineering degrees from Texas A&M and the University of Texas, Arlington. He is an active member of the IEEE developing standards for Augmented Reality and wearable device security, and promotes the Industrial Internet Consortium working groups in Business Strategy, Connectivity, and Smart Manufacturing.

Bob Labelle – COO

​Emerging tech expert, security and privacy strategy, standards and tech policy

Bob has been working in new and emerging tech spaces for over 25 years with a passion and focus on security, privacy and safety. He built multiple emerging technology programs and initiatives at the IEEE—including its VR/AR and cybersecurity programs—where he spearheaded IEEE’s entry into new technology and industry spaces and new use areas for existing technologies. He led the development of new industry focused programs across a variety of industry verticals. Bob has extensive experience in technical standards and spec development and use, along as working at the intersection of technology and policy. He has driven strategic initiatives in the global standards ecosystem across a host of standards bodies, organizations and alliances, and has held tech advisory seats at the OECD and APWG among others.

Bob Labelle – COO

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​Emerging tech expert, security and privacy strategy, standards and tech policy

Bob has been working in new and emerging tech spaces for over 25 years with a passion and focus on security, privacy and safety. He built multiple emerging technology programs and initiatives at the IEEE—including its VR/AR and cybersecurity programs—where he spearheaded IEEE’s entry into new technology and industry spaces and new use areas for existing technologies. He led the development of new industry focused programs across a variety of industry verticals. Bob has extensive experience in technical standards and spec development and use, along as working at the intersection of technology and policy. He has driven strategic initiatives in the global standards ecosystem across a host of standards bodies, organizations and alliances, and has held tech advisory seats at the OECD and APWG among others.

Frank Cohee – CISO

Frank is a foremost specialist in cyber security for non-traditional devices, industrial control systems, embedded systems, IoT devices, AR devices and tactical mobile data systems within large networks and enterprise applications. He has worked for twenty years in development of secure network architectures, information security, cyber-warfare operations and embedded systems security for mission critical operations and industrial applications, including highly classified operational environments for the US Navy, DARPA, CIA, US Army, and NRO.  Frank has strong expertise in Augmented Reality devices and human-interaction in restricted network environments. He led introduction of AR, mobile and blended reality devices as part of a mixed-media ecosystem and addressed obstacles associated with securing and certifying these devices from a red-team cyber security perspective. Frank has applied CAPEC standardization for threats, and led device testing based on DIACAP, RMF, and NIST cyber security standards. He is a thought leader in risk frameworks, threat categorization, modeling and validation. Frank architected and managed two cyber security divisions including test protocols for IoT devices. He provided cyber security device analyses for NRC and NERC CIP compliance for electric utilities. He is currently introducing AR applications and machine learning systems as part of a restricted US Army cyber threat group.

Frank Cohee – CISO

Frank is a foremost specialist in cyber security for non-traditional devices, industrial control systems, embedded systems, IoT devices, AR devices and tactical mobile data systems within large networks and enterprise applications. He has worked for twenty years in development of secure network architectures, information security, cyber-warfare operations and embedded systems security for mission critical operations and industrial applications, including highly classified operational environments for the US Navy, DARPA, CIA, US Army, and NRO.  Frank has strong expertise in Augmented Reality devices and human-interaction in restricted network environments. He led introduction of AR, mobile and blended reality devices as part of a mixed-media ecosystem and addressed obstacles associated with securing and certifying these devices from a red-team cyber security perspective. Frank has applied CAPEC standardization for threats, and led device testing based on DIACAP, RMF, and NIST cyber security standards. He is a thought leader in risk frameworks, threat categorization, modeling and validation. Frank architected and managed two cyber security divisions including test protocols for IoT devices. He provided cyber security device analyses for NRC and NERC CIP compliance for electric utilities. He is currently introducing AR applications and machine learning systems as part of a restricted US Army cyber threat group.

Trevor Schirmer – Software Developer

Trevor Schirmer is a .Net C# full stack software / web developer. He is also experienced with SQL server management, 3D modeling / printing, AR application development and HoloLens development.

Trevor Schirmer – Software Developer

Trevor Schirmer is a .Net C# full stack software / web developer. He is also experienced with SQL server management, 3D modeling / printing, AR application development and HoloLens development.

Bryan Gillet – Web Development

Digital media, marketing SME, Advertising and online strategy, Front-end web design

Stephen Hodgson – XR Design

Microsoft MVP, HoloLens SME, MRTK / XRTK architect, moderator, 3D/XR product development

Simon Jackson – Sr Architect

Microsoft MVP, Xbox MVP, Lead technical architect, XRTK, 3D/VR/AR Systems Design

Tom Waite – Senior Consultant

Artificial Intelligence algorithm engineer – image processing, full-stack software development

Advisors

John Simmins – Advisor

Dr. John J. Simmins is Senior Advisor for ETHAR. John has expertise at the intersection of augmented reality, artificial intelligence and geospatial information systems. For a decade prior to joining ETHAR, John led $2M+ in annual research for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), including $1.5M+ focused on augmented reality applications. Prior to EPRI, he served in roles as CTO, VP Product Development, and Director of Engineering & Operations for various companies, including planning and facilitating a multinational SAP installation that won the CIO Magazine “Implementation of the Year” award. John also program managed cross-functional teams at GE Global Exchange Systems (GSX), delivering mission-critical, high-transaction-rate e-Commerce implementations. John is an industry leader and published expert in AR/VR, geographic information systems, big data, and the advancement of open, interoperable software tools and global standards.

John Simmins – Advisor

Dr. John J. Simmins is Senior Advisor for ETHAR. John has expertise at the intersection of augmented reality, artificial intelligence and geospatial information systems. For a decade prior to joining ETHAR, John led $2M+ in annual research for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), including $1.5M+ focused on augmented reality applications. Prior to EPRI, he served in roles as CTO, VP Product Development, and Director of Engineering & Operations for various companies, including planning and facilitating a multinational SAP installation that won the CIO Magazine “Implementation of the Year” award. John also program managed cross-functional teams at GE Global Exchange Systems (GSX), delivering mission-critical, high-transaction-rate e-Commerce implementations. John is an industry leader and published expert in AR/VR, geographic information systems, big data, and the advancement of open, interoperable software tools and global standards.

Saadi Ullah – Advisor

Saadi Ullah is a technology strategist and entrepreneur. He is an experienced executive in the communications and technology industries. With 20+ years telecom and wireless industry experience, he has demonstrated success in the areas of strategy, partnership development and general management, managing for customer and revenue growth and innovative operations improvement.

His strong background and experience in strategic planning, financial management, wireless and on-line marketing, brand management, building teams, new product launches and building partnerships with other Fortune 500 companies whilst serving various leadership roles in Verizon, Cisco and Nokia working on 4G/LTE, 5G and IoT solutions strategies.

Saadi brings his accomplished senior executive skills in creating, building and launching new businesses and managing cross functional teams including sales & marketing, customer operations, product management and business development.

Saadi Ullah holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington and has several certifications, awards and publications including Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Design Thinking.

Saadi Ullah – Advisor

Saadi Ullah is a technology strategist and entrepreneur. He is an experienced executive in the communications and technology industries. With 20+ years telecom and wireless industry experience, he has demonstrated success in the areas of strategy, partnership development and general management, managing for customer and revenue growth and innovative operations improvement.

His strong background and experience in strategic planning, financial management, wireless and on-line marketing, brand management, building teams, new product launches and building partnerships with other Fortune 500 companies whilst serving various leadership roles in Verizon, Cisco and Nokia working on 4G/LTE, 5G and IoT solutions strategies.

Saadi brings his accomplished senior executive skills in creating, building and launching new businesses and managing cross functional teams including sales & marketing, customer operations, product management and business development.

Saadi Ullah holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington and has several certifications, awards and publications including Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Design Thinking.

Thomas Caudell – Advisor

Dr. Caudell is a retired Professor Emeritus with the University of New Mexico and an AI subject matter expert with Ethar LLC. Dr. Caudell received his PhD in the fields of physics and astronomy from the Univ. of Arizona, Tucson in 1980. He was a senior staff physicist at the Hughes Artificial Intelligence Center, and a senior principal scientist at The Boeing Company. In 1994, he joined the University of New Mexico and worked for thirty years as a professor of electrical and computer engineering, computer science & psychology. Dr. Caudell was program chair for the first global industry conference on Virtual Reality and is widely regarded for first coining the term “Augmented Reality”. Dr. Caudell specializes in cognitive and neuro-biologically motivated mathematical theories and simulations of cognitive neural systems, both biological and artificial. His programs have been highly interdisciplinary, involving collaborations with neuroscientists, psychologists, physicians, mathematicians, computer scientists, artists and musicians.

Thomas Caudell – Advisor

Dr. Caudell is a retired Professor Emeritus with the University of New Mexico and an AI subject matter expert with Ethar LLC. Dr. Caudell received his PhD in the fields of physics and astronomy from the Univ. of Arizona, Tucson in 1980. He was a senior staff physicist at the Hughes Artificial Intelligence Center, and a senior principal scientist at The Boeing Company. In 1994, he joined the University of New Mexico and worked for thirty years as a professor of electrical and computer engineering, computer science & psychology. Dr. Caudell was program chair for the first global industry conference on Virtual Reality and is widely regarded for first coining the term “Augmented Reality”. Dr. Caudell specializes in cognitive and neuro-biologically motivated mathematical theories and simulations of cognitive neural systems, both biological and artificial. His programs have been highly interdisciplinary, involving collaborations with neuroscientists, psychologists, physicians, mathematicians, computer scientists, artists and musicians.