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<p>The <strong>Heart</strong> of the Sparx <strong>Sharpening Ecosystem</strong></p>

The Heart of the Sparx Sharpening Ecosystem

Meet our team

Get to know the people behind Sparx.

our leaders

Russ Layton

Founder, CEO

Russell Layton is an engineer and entrepreneur who has been building products for as long as he can remember. About a decade ago, Russ’s repeated frustration with skate sharpening at hockey shops inspired him to purchase a portable skate sharpener. Once he mastered the art of sharpening, he was convinced that an easier and more convenient skate sharpening solution was needed by every hockey player. Before Sparx, Russ held numerous leadership roles in engineering and finance. Russ holds a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University.

Dan is the leader of the Sparx engineering team. With over 22 years of product development experience, his background covers industries from consumer products to semiconductor equipment to surgical navigation systems. A veteran of tiny start-ups and Fortune 100 companies, Dan was thrilled with the idea of taking Sparx from proof of concept to mass production.

Dan Beaudet

V.P. of Engineering

Denise leads the accounting department at Sparx Hockey. Prior to joining Sparx, Denise held accounting and finance leadership roles at City Sports, Spartan Race and M. Gemi. She brings several years of accounting and finance experience within the retail and sporting goods arenas to Sparx. Denise is married to Bill and is mom to two adult sons and a German Shepherd.

Denise MacDonald

V.P. of Finance

Paul joins the team with more than 30 years of operations management experience in the telecommunications, automotive and lighting industries. He has successfully led companies through start-ups, rapid growth and international expansion. He is an active cyclist and motorcyclist.

Paul Shaskan

V.P. of Operations

Kara is involved in most aspects of the day-to-day running of Sparx, from handling the bookkeeping to working with customers, with so many databases in between. Kara is one of the few Sparx employees who has never played a game of hockey in her life, but we still let her work here.

Kara Bayer

Operations Manager

Judd is the North American Sales Manager at Sparx Hockey. He founded and led his own successful sales agency for 14 years before joining Sparx. As a player, coach and hockey Dad, Judd immediately saw the value of the Sparx skate sharpener. He saw no other choice but to close up his sales agency and put his full efforts into Sparx Hockey.

Judd Feingold

Director of Commercial Sales

Steve leads the marketing and communications efforts for Sparx Hockey. Prior to joining Sparx, Steve held marketing leadership positions at several top sports brands including Nike, Performance Sports Group and Bauer Hockey. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Jones still plays the occasional hockey pick-up game when he’s not at the rink coaching one of his two children.

Steve Jones

V.P. of Marketing and User Acquisition

Andrew is a member of our Inside Sales team, working with sales management and our outside sales reps. Andrew graduated from UMass Amherst with a degree in Sports Management. While at UMass, Andrew played four years of club roller hockey. He and his teammates won the 2016 NCRHA National Championship. Andrew has played ice hockey his whole life and now plays in a local men's league.

Andrew Kelley

Inside Sales

Matt is a member of our Inside Sales team, working with sales management and our outside sales reps. A graduate of UMass-Dartmouth, Matt played four years of college hockey and is now the head coach of Rhode Island College.

Matt Baldino

Inside Sales

After graduating Suffolk University with a degree in Marketing, Ryan joined the Sparx marketing team where he helps design and execute ideas in both digital and print formats.

Ryan LaFleur

Marketing Coordinator

Lisa Humphreys

Customer Service Representative

Brian is a member of our marketing team, creating compelling designs for the Sparx brand and leading our custom product initiatives. A graduate of Lasell College, Brain held a variety of jobs in operations at Sparx before joining the marketing team.

Brian McGonagle

Customization and Graphic Design Coordinator

A graduate of Northeastern University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Adrian is a key member of the engineering team, designing and developing the latest innovative Sparx Hockey products. Adrian is a lifelong Boston Bruins fan and excited to work in the hockey industry.

Adrian DiRomualdo

Mechanical Design Engineer

Mike works closely with customers and our engineering team. Mike came to us from Bauer Hockey where he established their Performance Lab in both Boston and Minnesota. Prior to Bauer, Mike was the assistant equipment manager with the Worcester Sharks, affiliate of the San Jose sharks. With over 5 years working in professional hockey, he is still an avid hockey player.

Mike Blomgren

Technical Support Supervisor

our board members

Soren L. Oberg is a managing director at Thomas H. Lee Partners and a member of the firm’s Management Committee. Mr. Oberg is currently a director of SystemOne, Ceridian Corporation, CompuCom Systems, Inc., and Prime Risk Partners. His prior directorships include Comdata Inc., Grupo Corporativo ONO, National Waterworks, Inc., Systems Maintenance Services, Inc., and West Corporation. Mr. Oberg holds an A.B., cum laude, in Applied Mathematics from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Soren Oberg

Board of Directors

A General Partner at Spray Venture Partners, a healthcare technology venture capital firm he founded in 1996, Kevin brings decades of business experience to Sparx. He is currently the Executive Director of Solace Therapeutics, a women's health company.

Kevin Connors

Board of Directors

Currently President and CEO at RiverMeadow Software, Jim is an active board member and angel investor. Jim has served as CFO to more than 20 companies over the past 15 years, acquiring extensive experience in raising capital, IPOs, M&A, and international business.

Jim Jordan

Board of Directors

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