The team is comprised of successful executives, skilled in their individual fields, and experienced in building flourishing businesses with sustainable strategies. Our Management team is responsible for the ongoing operations and management of Ignite.

Michael Harden
Chief Operating Officer

Michael Harden is a seasoned international executive and business leader with extensive experience in building successful businesses. Harden's previous experience includes founding and running Century Technology Services, Inc. and Cytivity Corporation, an Internet security company. He has been interviewed and quoted in numerous newspapers and magazines such as The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times; appeared on many TV shows, such as CNN's Money Line; and is often interviewed on news radio programs. He testified before several Congressional Committees, advised Senators and Congressional Representatives on emerging technology issues, and consulted with business and government leaders around the world. Previous experience includes building and managing a 1,000 employee division of a Fortune 500 company. With 34 years of business experience, 16 of which are at the CEO/COO level, he has extensive marketing, operational, and financial expertise. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at three universities where he teaches graduate level strategic planning and entrepreneurship. He has attended the Executive Management Program at George Washington University, is a graduate of Virginia Tech, and holds a Masters Degree in Management from Central Michigan University.

Suzanne Juptner
Chief Marketing Officer

Suzanne Juptner is a seasoned executive with broad level experience in the services sector, specifically Internet services, telecommunications, and financial services. Most recently, Juptner worked with Internet services, financial services, and telecommunications companies on revenue generation and client retention initiatives, both within the U.S. and internationally. She also established an online service for one of the biggest gaming companies in the U.S. Juptner’s business experience includes positions with Visa International, MCI/Verizon Telecommunications, Wells Fargo Bank, and Informative. As Chief Marketing Officer for Informative, she conceived initiatives that established the company as a leader in the customer feedback space. At Wells Fargo Bank, Juptner held positions leading to Group Vice President of Marketing for Internet Services. At Visa International, Juptner created and directed all aspects of Visa’s global eCommerce marketing strategy across five international business units. Juptner’s MCI experience includes numerous positions, ranging from general management to business development to finance. Juptner graduated from the University of California at Berkeley Haas School of Business with a degree in business administration, focusing on Finance and Marketing.

Chris Raymond
Chief Strategy Officer

Chris Raymond is an innovator, proven entrepreneur, and skilled communicator in the web and creative services communities. Raymond developed one of the leading interactive community websites in the transformational lifestyle category, www.spirituality.com. As such, Raymond was a frequent media source on spirituality trends and meaning in the US including NPR, Real Simple, Boston Globe and The Christian Science Monitor.

Raymond also created one of the first consultancies dedicated to improving customer service in business, formed in association with Tom Peters. During her 25-year career in marketing, Raymond was president of her own regional advertising agency and also VP and management supervisor of FCB, one of the largest international advertising agencies in the world. She managed technology brand retail marketing for 3Com (Palm Pilot), Intuit (Quicken) and WebTV. Raymond is a graduate of the University of California (Berkeley) with a BA in International Relations, focusing on the Middle East.

Bill Overell
Chief Financial Officer (Consulting)

Bill Overell has extensive experience as a senior financial executive for high growth technology companies. Overell, serving as Consulting CFO for Ignite Venture Partners, is a four-time CFO with both public and private company experience. He formed OVERELL SOLUTIONS in 2000 and focused on providing CFO services. Prior to that he was CFO for PayMyBills.com, Software Technologies Corporation (now SeeBeyond, SBYN), Insurance Auto Auctions (IAAI), and Gamma Microwave, and was a financial executive at Spectra-Physics (SPY), and a Senior Consultant at Arthur Andersen & Company.

Overell has developed business models and planning & control systems and has closed over $100M of equity and debt financing and $300M of M&A transactions. Overell holds a BS from Purdue, a Stanford MBA, and is a graduate of the Stanford-NASDAQ Directors College. He is vice chairman of FEI's National Committee on Finance and IT. He is also an AICPA member and was on the AICPA's 2001 High Technology Expert Roundtable.

Demetrios Sapounas
Chief Information Officer

Demetrios Sapounas is an experienced technology leader with domestic and international experience. Sapounas's previous experience includes consulting engagements with companies ranging from financial services and venture capital to enterprise IT security and Government services. He founded and led Med2Web, an online medical claims processing and management company. Sapounas previously worked at AppNet, leading the technology group of the Interactive Division and the domestic and international operations. He had spent ten years at the Naval Surface Warfare Center managing system development programs and leading the development of new technologies. Before that, Sapounas spent a short period at EDS and taught at various universities. He has authored numerous publications and white papers, presented at conferences and symposia, plus participated on standards committees. He also serves on the Advisory Boards of early stage organizations. Sapounas holds a PhD in computer science and image processing from Cranfield University and an MBA from Ohio University.

Greg Arhart
Chief Creative Officer

Greg Arhart brings over 18 years of industry experience and creativity to his work in the conceptualization and development of consumer-centric experiences. Arhart and his associates have established creative strategy & design for specialty retail, restaurant and exhibit design, point-of-purchase display, fixturing, environmental graphic design and in-store marketing, packaging and labeling, direct mail and collateral. As the former Creative Director and Partner of The Retail Group in Seattle, he consulted for leading consumer and retail brands, nationally and internationally. Previous clients have included Baskin-Robbins, Boston Market, Eddie Bauer, ESPN, The Great Indoors, Kids R Us, Radio Shack, Sears, Tahitian Noni, Whirlpool and Weyerhauser, among many others. Arhart is a graduate of The University of Washington, where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design.