Meet the team
The sc0red team brings together seasoned professionals from a variety of backgrounds. We are united by our passion for bringing applied AI to the M&A industry and our commitment to helping our customers achieve their goals.
Chris Creel
Founder & CEO
With over 30 years of experience in software engineering and R&D, Chris is a visionary technology executive with a proven track record of starting, building, and scaling companies. He has repositioned corporations in the marketplace, driving billion-dollar transactions. A best-selling author and holder of 13 patents, Chris excels in creating high-performing global teams and delivering groundbreaking solutions that redefine business success.
Zack Walmer
Co-founder & Chief Growth Officer
Zack brings over 15 years of experience in driving strategic growth for organizations across diverse industries. As the co-founder of Geigsen Group, he successfully helped companies execute strategies by connecting operations with culture and people. With a practical approach and expertise in strategic planning, Zack is focused on scaling sc0red to build impactful partnerships and transform businesses.
Srikanth Kolli
Co-founder & Head of Engineering
Srikanth is a seasoned engineering leader with over 13 years of experience. He excels in transforming complex business challenges into actionable solutions. Known for building high-performance teams aligned around clear, focused goals, Srikanth drives innovation by harnessing cutting-edge technologies. His expertise lies in delivering scalable engineering solutions that exceed both customer and executive expectations, ensuring technical excellence at every step.
Brian Kempf
Chief Product Officer
Brian is a seasoned product leader with deep experience building and scaling B2B SaaS and AI/ML products. Before joining sc0red, he led AI/ML product initiatives at CloudFactory and previously oversaw a major portfolio of retail self-service and edge-AI innovations at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions. Earlier in his career, Brian drove 0-to-1 product development in e-commerce analytics at ChannelAdvisor, where he also built data systems that powered hundreds of millions of purchase options for online shoppers. Across every stop, Brian has blended customer insight, data-driven decision making, and a talent for turning ambiguous ideas into products that ship. At sc0red, he leads Product as we build the AI-powered future of M&A deal sourcing.
Advisory Board
Our advisory board comprises distinguished leaders in M&A, entrepreneurship, and strategic finance who bring invaluable expertise and guidance to sc0red.
John Brice
Seasoned M&A advisor and entrepreneurial advisor
Founder and Managing Partner at Poseidon Capital Ventures, advising mid-market and early-stage ventures on growth, M&A, and leadership strategy. Experienced business broker and M&A advisor specializing in lower-middle market and technology transactions at BayState Business Brokers and Poseidon Capital Ventures. Former Bank of America Senior Vice President leading global leadership development and major acquisitions, including integration of Merrill Lynch.
John Ioannou
CEO and M&A leader who has driven growth and transformations across dozens of companies
CEO, Board Director, and Operating Partner with a track record leading, advising, or transforming 32 companies across 15 industries, including software, services and finance. John has completed 12 acquisitions and raised ~$400 million in capital across multiple companies, stages, industries and buy & build strategies. He is a specialist in high-performance cultures, growth strategies, and scaling businesses.
William Lieberman
Experienced entrepreneur and financial strategist who has built and advised high-growth companies
Founder and Managing Partner of The CEO's Right Hand, delivering outsourced CFO, M&A advisory, and strategic finance services to growth-stage companies. Built and exited multiple successful ventures, including Xtiva Financial Systems, recognized on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing companies. 30+ years of experience helping founders scale, raise capital, and prepare for liquidity events across diverse industries.
Our Story
sc0red was founded to solve a critical challenge in corporate M&A: inefficient target discovery. Traditional methods rely on outdated databases and manual research, slowing down deal cycles. We saw an opportunity to leverage AI to surface high-potential acquisition targets with precision.
By combining cutting-edge analytics with deep market insights, sc0red transforms how M&A professionals identify, assess, and act on acquisition opportunities—faster, smarter, and with greater confidence.
Our Mission and Vision
Mission
To revolutionize how M&A professionals work by providing data-driven intelligence that simplifies target discovery and accelerates deal flow.
Vision
To be the trusted platform that M&A professionals rely on to uncover high-value acquisition opportunities efficiently and with confidence.
Our Commitment
At sc0red, we empower M&A professionals with AI-driven insights that streamline target identification and strategic decision-making. Our platform ensures data integrity and reliability, helping you make informed acquisition choices.
Join us in transforming M&A deal sourcing, reducing inefficiencies, and enhancing confidence in every transaction.