H20.inc’s Founder, Tom has a rich history in high-technology-based product management, marketing, and sales. H20.inc is Tom’s second start-up, having secured financing for and overseen the year 2000 launch of an internet services company, Answer Base Corporation (ABC). Tom’s career with computers and communications began at IBM, and then continued in various high-tech businesses for General Electric, Tymshare, and some smaller-scale Silicon Valley companies. Over a ten year period, Tom managed several business operations for Northern Telecom (now Nortel Networks) in the USA and Europe. Tom is a Founding Investor in H20.inc.
Vahé Akay
VP of Marketing & Sales
Vahé brings significant international marketing, sales and business development experience having held management positions in start-ups and publicly traded companies. He has successfully helped these companies penetrate new markets, increase share and strengthen their positions in current markets by setting up efficient organizations crafting effective processes to conduct business. Prior to joining H20, Inc. Vahé was Director of Product marketing at Logitech where he helped turn around the company’s failing embedded camera business. Before that, he was VP of Product marketing and GM at Genesis Microchip where he ran the Toronto operation for the company managing 130 employees with a$140M in revenue. Vahé also help VP of marketing position at TVIA and VP of marketing & sales at Hyundai Electronics where he setup worldwide marketing and sales organizations. Vahé earned a BSEE from San Jose State University and a MBA from Notre Dame De Namur University in Belmont California.
Juana Becerra
Technology Program Director
Juana earned a BS in Engineering Product Design in 2009 from Stanford University. She is versed in several disciplines ranging from product development and lifecycle, market research, mechanical design, and optimization. As an undergraduate Juana focused on the experience of product conception and design for the benefit of society concentrating on the process that resolves constraints arising from technical, human, aesthetic and business concerns. She is equipped with the skills necessary to carry projects from initial concept to completion of working prototypes. As part of her coursework, Juana conducted extensive ethnographic/market research and develpoed product and business plan solutions for companies such as Nestle Purina and the Stanford Federal Credit Union.
Phil Friedly
VP International
Phil’s varied experience around the world with corporations like Allstate Insurance and Allianz/Fireman’s Fund Insurance and with international organizations like the OECD in Paris helped him gained uniquely broad perspectives on global marketplaces. He was instrumental in establishing successful new insurance operations throughout Europe and Asia. His broad experience includes academia, at the University of British Columbia where he served on the City and Regional Planning faculty. He holds a doctorate in Economics from the University of Southern California.
Management
Meet the Team
Tom Tranfaglia
Founder and President
H20.inc’s Founder, Tom has a rich history in high-technology-based product management, marketing, and sales. H20.inc is Tom’s second start-up, having secured financing for and overseen the year 2000 launch of an internet services company, Answer Base Corporation (ABC). Tom’s career with computers and communications began at IBM, and then continued in various high-tech businesses for General Electric, Tymshare, and some smaller-scale Silicon Valley companies. Over a ten year period, Tom managed several business operations for Northern Telecom (now Nortel Networks) in the USA and Europe. Tom is a Founding Investor in H20.inc.
Vahé Akay
VP of Marketing & Sales
Vahé brings significant international marketing, sales and business development experience having held management positions in start-ups and publicly traded companies. He has successfully helped these companies penetrate new markets, increase share and strengthen their positions in current markets by setting up efficient organizations crafting effective processes to conduct business. Prior to joining H20, Inc. Vahé was Director of Product marketing at Logitech where he helped turn around the company’s failing embedded camera business. Before that, he was VP of Product marketing and GM at Genesis Microchip where he ran the Toronto operation for the company managing 130 employees with a$140M in revenue. Vahé also help VP of marketing position at TVIA and VP of marketing & sales at Hyundai Electronics where he setup worldwide marketing and sales organizations. Vahé earned a BSEE from San Jose State University and a MBA from Notre Dame De Namur University in Belmont California.
Juana Becerra
Technology Program Director
Juana earned a BS in Engineering Product Design in 2009 from Stanford University. She is versed in several disciplines ranging from product development and lifecycle, market research, mechanical design, and optimization. As an undergraduate Juana focused on the experience of product conception and design for the benefit of society concentrating on the process that resolves constraints arising from technical, human, aesthetic and business concerns. She is equipped with the skills necessary to carry projects from initial concept to completion of working prototypes. As part of her coursework, Juana conducted extensive ethnographic/market research and develpoed product and business plan solutions for companies such as Nestle Purina and the Stanford Federal Credit Union.
Phil Friedly
VP International
Phil’s varied experience around the world with corporations like Allstate Insurance and Allianz/Fireman’s Fund Insurance and with international organizations like the OECD in Paris helped him gained uniquely broad perspectives on global marketplaces. He was instrumental in establishing successful new insurance operations throughout Europe and Asia. His broad experience includes academia, at the University of British Columbia where he served on the City and Regional Planning faculty. He holds a doctorate in Economics from the University of Southern California.