Management
Ford Davidson - founder and CEO
For nearly a decade, Ford has been part of some of the most innovative mobile product categories in the wireless industry. Prior to founding Dashwire, Ford was a Product Manager in the Mobile Devices group at Microsoft. At Microsoft, he worked with leading mobile operators and device manufacturers that included HTC, Samsung, Motorola, Palm, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon to help develop the “smartphone” category. Ford was responsible for the global marketing launch of Windows Mobile 5.0, and contributed to helping grow the Microsoft mobile business at the time to the number 2 position in the market. Ford got his start in wireless at Monet Mobile Networks, a start up company that deployed the first CDMA 1xEVDO broadband wireless network in the United States. Ford has worked on products that have won industry awards, including Best of CTIA and a number of Editor’s Choice awards. He holds a BA from Harvard.
James Prudente - CTO
James brings over 20 years of entrepreneurial software development experience to Dashwire, and along with his team, is responsible for Dashwire’s software platform design and implementation.
James began his web career as the Lead Developer for Server Technologies Group, an Oracle server development shop, and the first company acquired by Amazon.com. While at Amazon, James played a key role in building critical elements of Amazon’s web operation, including the Amazon Shopping Cart, Wish List, and Sales Rank across the product catalog. Before leaving Amazon, James helped create the Amazon Mobile group. From Amazon, James took his mobile interests to Mobliss, where he was the Director of Application Development, responsible for mobile client architecture and development. James has extensive large-scale sever and database development and deployment experience with Oracle, Linux, and Cloud-based server designs; large scale web production and ongoing management; and mobile development experience.
Jeff Heinen - VP, Engineering
Jeff brings over 20 years of technology experience, ranging from startups to large-scale enterprise software development. As the Vice President of Engineering at Amdocs Interactive, Jeff managed a $35 Million budget to develop products in the mobile space for customers including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and América Móvil. An expert in agile software development, Jeff led the large-scale agile transformation of the Qpass engineering organization. Prior to Qpass, Jeff was a manager at Accenture working with clients in the telecommunications industry. Jeff holds a BA from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Kenneth Wall - Head of Sales & Marketing
Ken has spent his entire career commercializing wireless software solutions. Prior to joining Dashwire as an early stakeholder, Ken spent several years working in the Windows Mobile group at Microsoft, where he partnered closely with global mobile operators, handset manufacturers, retailers, and distributors on strategic handset launches, channel enablement, and category development. While at Microsoft, Ken was responsible for driving the consumer launch of the Treo 700w with Palm and Verizon Wireless, as well as for building out the global mobile operator B2B channel support infrastructure, working most strategically with AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and Vodafone. Ken left Microsoft in early 2007 to focus on the most underserved and exciting segment in the industry: the consumer.
Ken graduated from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, and was one of the participants in Microsoft’s Marketing Leadership Recruit program led by Duke University Executive Education, conceived by Steve Ballmer.