Our Team

Tobin Richardson

As President & CEO, Tobin leads the Alliance’s mission, with and for its members, to simplify and harmonize the Internet of Things (IoT) through open, global standards and by creating a place where companies can work together to create a more connected, accessible, sustainable, and equitable world.

His career is rooted in driving human-centric change and enabling purposeful collaboration; and, since 2014, Tobin has led the Alliance, which now includes over 450 member companies in 36 countries across the IoT value chain.

Tobin also sits on the World Economic Forum’s Council on the Connected World, as Chair of the WEF’s initiative focused on strengthening collaboration across enterprise, regulators, consumers, and NGOs.

Prior to leading the Alliance, Tobin led large-scale tech transformations and new service/product rollouts across Fortune 500 companies, world-leading technology firms and public sector organizations. He holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis.

Michelle Mindala-Freeman

As a leader at Connectivity Standards Alliance, Michelle works to promote the Alliance, its mission, standards, and solutions, and drive the growth and success of IoT for the benefit of our members, consumers, and the marketplace at large. As a former executive in the telecom, energy & professional services industries, she has built and led teams across marketing, strategy, brand, customer experience, and go-to-market. With 25+ years of industry and consulting experience, she brings a wealth of experience, perspectives, and a passion for the Alliance’s mission to build the foundation and the future of IoT.

Liz Bunker

Elizabeth (Liz) oversees operations, including Accounting, Finance, HR and Membership Support (Help Desk) management for the Alliance. Liz joined the Alliance after a varied career in operations and production engineering, biotechnology and financial services, which gives her a broad technical background, which she leverages to support efforts to enhance member engagement and understand the organization’s strategy. In her free time Liz enjoys hiking, cycling, camping and skiing.

Jon Harros

Jon leads the Alliance Certification and Testing team across three continents with 25+ years of experience in testing, certification and homologation programs. Before joining the Alliance, Jon was involved with Zigbee technologies for 11 years and was very active helping to shape specifications and policies within the Alliance as a member company representative. During this time, he held roles as Technical Editor, Secretary, Vice-Chairperson and Chairperson within several Alliance technical Work Groups and Committees. He has been appointed as a Continua Certified Expert and held a position on the Alliance Expert Panel.

Chris LaPré

Chris plays an integral role in several key initiatives for the Alliance, from recruiting and supporting new and expanding ecosystems, to providing technical expertise and guidance in our marketing and developer programs. Chris also represents the Alliance as guest speaker in key market segment events and speaking engagements. With a background in embedded systems, wireless, and developer community, Chris has been working at Zigbee companies since 2004, most recently in the Iris program at Lowe’s.

Krista Ingram

Krista leads the Alliance marketing team and facilitates collaboration with members on the deliverables and execution of the Alliance marketing plan, including brand and go-to-market activities. Krista has 19 years of experience with Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) in marketing, communications, and events and began working with the Alliance during its inception in 2002.

Rusi Kelly

As Head of Board & Member Services, Rusi is responsible for the customer journey across all levels of the global membership. Rusi brings over 14 years of SDO and related industry experience in roles across executive management, program management, and operations. She lives in the SF Bay Area and enjoys experiencing different cultures.

Jose Alvarez

Jose is an electronics engineer who graduated with a Master’s degree in sensors and embedded systems who jumped into the embedded world immediately after graduation. During his career he has been involved in scientific experiment automation, reliability testing and IoT consumer electronics and he has experience ranging from hardware and software design to implementation and quality assurance.

Judy August

Judy manages member invoicing, bookkeeping, and Help Desk inquiries for the Alliance. She has had a distinguished career in finance and accounting, most recently for Keysight (formerly Agilent). Judy enjoys bicycling and traveling in her free time.

Shane Buchanan

Shane is a Technology and Certification Specialist at the Alliance and is responsible for maintaining and improving the Alliance Certification Web Tool. He also approves certifications from our member companies upon completion of certification testing at our test houses. With a background in certification and standards, Shane has been involved in technology standards since 2010. Previous experience includes Firmware Triage, Software, and Firmware Test Engineering, and Quality Assurance Engineering.

Austin Canfield

Austin provides service and support to the diverse and growing membership of the Alliance. With experience in membership-based nonprofit organizations, he brings a background of customer service allowing our promoters, participants and adopters to get the most out of their memberships. Austin is skilled in various CRM and CMS platforms and has earned a degree from the University of South Carolina.

Enrique Castro

Enrique has worked in the IT industry for over 10 years, first in preproduction validation and then as a Power and Performance Engineer at Intel. In his free time, he likes to cook, explore new places, play music, and spend time with his family.

Crystal Esparza

Crystal Esparza provides membership support for the Alliance. Having a decades worth of customer service experience, she offers an integral and understanding approach to maintaining connections with her clients. Crystal earned her BA in Psychology at California State East Bay and enjoys going to concerts and spending time with her loved ones, cats included.

Justin Giebudowski

Justin manages streamlined IT policies, processes, and measures for IT growth for the Alliance. With years of experience in membership-based nonprofit organizations, he understands the challenges and needs of the Alliance and membership and uses his technical skillset to create working solutions.

Sharee Golly

Sharee was born in Northern California and attended CSU Sacramento, obtaining a BA in Organizational Communication. Though her knack for technology was what first drew her to the Alliance in 2018 after a decade of international data center management – it is her relationship and interaction with members over the years that has solidified her passion for managing events. Sharee resides near Dortmund Germany and enjoys snowboarding, fastpitch softball, and exploring the world.

Mary Groesz

Mary supports the Alliance CEO and Board of Directors in their day to day administrative needs. Mary holds a B.A. in Psychology from Loyola Marymount University and joined the Alliance after spending two years working as a 911 Dispatcher. In her spare time, Mary enjoys camping, hiking, and white-water rafting.

Christian Harris

Christian joined the Alliance in 2022, with prior experience working in logistics and customer service in Northern California. Christian provides certification services and support to the diverse and growing membership of the Alliance. He earned a Bachelor’s in Economics from the University of California, Davis. He enjoys hiking, travel, geography, keeping up with global events, and playing board games with friends.

Jay Jongjitirat

Jay draws from an eclectic background in his role assisting with Alliance certification and CSA Certified programs. Prior to joining the Alliance, Jay worked as intellectual property and patent law attorney, assisting technology-focused startup companies, engineering firms, and individuals with patent and trademark strategy, drafting, and prosecution. He has further experience in thermal protection materials research at NASA Ames Research Center. Jay completed a BS in Materials Science at the University of Washington and received his law degree from UC Davis.

Jane Kim

Jane Kim joined the Alliance in 2022. She was born in the states but spent most of her life in Korea. She went back to California for school and completed a BS in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Before joining the Alliance she worked as an underwriter at US Mortgage lender, deciding on loan approval based on credit, collateral, and capital-related documents. She enjoys wine and home cooking and likes to challenge herself by lifting heavy weights in the gym.

Alex Marin-Kumko

Alex supports the marketing team in digital marketing, events and communications. She has over four years of marketing experience working for non-profits. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time outdoors gardening and traveling to places she’s never been to.

Grace Marks

Grace supports the Alliance and the marketing team through asset management, content creation, and digital marketing. Originally from New Zealand, she grew up in South Florida and graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a B.B.A. in Marketing. She strives to utilize her education and diverse experience to bridge connections through engaging content. In her spare time, she loves traveling, hiking, overpriced lattes, and spending time with her cats.

Raul Marquez

Raul Marquez is an electronics engineer with over 7 years of experience in software development. He has worked on various projects with prominent companies and has experience in IoT technologies and testing automation. Outside of work, Raul enjoys playing music and engaging in intellectually stimulating discussions. He is a creative individual with a passion for innovation and problem-solving.

John Lewis

John is an Interop Lab Technician at the Alliance and is responsible for interoperability testing, lab configurations, and assisting in test event support. With a background in the validation of pre-production hardware, John has been involved in the integrity of technology since 2014. Previous experience includes Power & Performance Validation, WHQL/HLK Validation, IT Support, and Build Production of Computer Hardware.

Tarin Noonan

Tarin manages and contributes to the development and distribution of Alliance communication and marketing assets. She strives to leverage her journalism and art management degree from the University of Oregon and her marketing experience into engaging and effective content and strategies. In her free time, Tarin enjoys traveling, hiking, and enjoying time with her dogs.

Juan Carlos Pacheco

Juan Carlos Pacheco is a Computer and Systems Engineer specialized in connectivity. Located in Guadalajara (México), he has 10+ years of experience working with embedded systems focused on wireless communication protocols such as Zigbee, Thread, and Wi-Fi. He has facilitated trainings on MCUs, IEEE 802.15.4, Thread, Machine Learning, RISC-V, AWS-IoT, and Security at both public events and security courses in local universities.

Agustin Perez

Agustin is a computer engineer with 15+ years experience developing tools for the IoT. He has been involved with network protocols since 2008 and coordinated several projects, always hands on. He loves all outdoors activities – from sea to summit – including kayaking, hiking with his dog, and rock climbing.

Rachel Pintarelli

As the Marketing Content Manager, Rachel contributes brand-focused content across the Alliance’s platforms and crafts copy for the organization’s marketing assets. She brings nearly twenty years of copywriting and marketing experience to the role. In her off-work hours, she can be found adventuring through the desert mountains and camping with her husband.

Laura Shang

Stationed in Shanghai, China, Laura serves as the communication link between the Alliance and China members and provides local support in aspects of membership application, marketing, events, and certification. Laura has over 16 years of working experience, including 10 years in an administration role at a Norwegian design company and US insurance companies and six years with a Chinese CPA firm. Laura has engaged in auditing, business consultation, and as a liaison with foreign clients and international accounting alliances.

Joni Thrift

Joni is the staff lead for large marketing projects for the Alliance and across working groups. She is responsible for evaluating the customer journey and content and aligning the digital experience, including campaigns, website, and member on-boarding. She enjoys reading, traveling, and exploring new places.

Gibran Vargas

Gibran is a computer engineer with experience in software development. He has worked on different projects related to IoT tools and communication protocols. He enjoys using his skills to contribute to creating better interactions between smart devices and people. In Gibran’s free time, he likes to read about new technologies and startups and play video games.

Amanda Yang

Stationed in Shanghai, China, Amanda serves as the Alliance’s technical resource in Asia and provides local technical support. After graduating with a master’s degree researching wireless sensor networks, Amanda worked as the firmware engineer, project manager, and department supervisor in a smart lighting company. She also worked as the project manager for IoT communication standards certification and testing in a test house.