The Management Team

Ezra Gardner
CEO, Chairman of the Board
Ezra Gardner has served as our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors since our inception. From November 2020 until January 2023, Mr. Gardner was a Co-Founder and CEO of Gesher I. Since 2012, Mr. Gardner has served as a Partner at Varana Capital, LLC, an investment firm he co-founded. Varana Capital was founded in 2012 and focuses on public and private market investing primarily in Israel. Its principals have been involved in many successful Israeli private investments and often join the boards of directors of companies it invests in to add further value. The Varana investment strategy includes advising public and private companies on strategic planning (including mergers and acquisitions), operational dynamics, and balance sheet needs/restructuring. As part of the Varana investment strategy of cooperative engagement, Mr. Gardner sits on or advises the boards of multiple public and private companies, working with each on strategic planning, operational dynamics, and balance sheet needs/restructuring. From 2009 to 2012, Mr. Gardner served as the Managing Partner and Portfolio Manager of Omnium Capital, LLC, a family office he co-founded in Tel Aviv, Israel. From 2005 to 2009, he was at UBS where he served as a Portfolio Manager and most recently Head of UBS’ US Equity Portfolio for the Fundamental Investment Group where he also sat on the US Trading Committee (Management Board for the US Equities Business). From 2001 to 2005, he served in senior analyst roles at MSD Capital (Michael Dell family fund management office) and Braahman Capital. From 1999 to 2001, he served as an analyst in the Investment Banking Group at JP Morgan. Mr. Gardner currently serves on the board of directors of Galileo Wheel and Neureality, both Israeli-based private businesses, and CCI, a Colorado-based private business.
Sagi Dagan
CFO, Director
Sagi Dagan has served as our Chief Financial Officer since November 2024 and will become a member of our board of directors when we begin trading on Nasdaq. Since June 2024, Mr. Dagan has joined the team of Varana Capital, LLC, where he provides strategic oversight for innovative investment opportunities and financial operations. From 2017 to 2024, Mr. Dagan was a senior executive at the Israel Innovation Authority, where he served as Vice President, Head of Strategy and Finance, and Vice President, Head of the Growth Division. During his tenure, he directed the deployment of over $1 billion into early-stage and early-growth startups, designed financial frameworks for public-private investment partnerships, and managed the responses to financial crises, including the creation of a $200 million co-investment program during COVID-19. From 2013 to 2016, Mr. Dagan was a Corporate Manager at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, overseeing the Climate & Energy Technologies Business Unit. He managed the development and commercialization of R&D projects, including renewable energy solutions and advanced energy storage systems, and led investments in energy startups. From 2008 to 2013, Mr. Dagan served as a Senior Economist at the National Economic Council in the Prime Minister’s Office. In this capacity, he led the development of national financial strategies for high-tech and venture capital sectors and launched the Smart Mobility Initiative, which fostered innovation in alternative fuels and smart transportation technologies. Mr. Dagan served on the board of Capital Nature, an investment company specializing in early-stage ventures in climate and energy technologies. He was also a member of the Advisory Committee on Technology and the Capital Market at the Israel Securities Authority.
Derek Jensen
Independent Director
Derek Jensen has served as a member of our board of directors since July 2025. Since June 2025, Mr. Jensen has served as the Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Development at Swave Photonics Inc., where he oversees financial strategy and drives strategic growth initiatives. From December 2021 to April 2025, Mr. Jensen was the Chief Financial Officer and a Director of SK Growth Opportunities, leading the company through its business combination with Webull Corporation. From 2020 to 2021, he served as Vice President of Corporate Development at GDG, where he managed mergers and acquisitions and strategic investments for SK in the United States. Prior to that, Mr. Jensen held senior corporate development roles, including Vice President of Corporate Development at Magic Leap (2018–2020), Vice President of Corporate Development and Head of M&A at GlobalFoundries (2016–2018), and Vice President of Corporate Development at Xperi (formerly Tessera Technologies) (2015–2016). From 2017 to 2018, he served on the board of directors of Ineda Systems Inc. Earlier in his career, Mr. Jensen spent nearly a decade in investment banking, holding roles at Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (2010–2012), UBS Securities LLC (2006–2010), Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (2004–2006), and Deutsche Bank AG (2002–2004), primarily covering the semiconductor and electronics sectors. Mr. Jensen holds an MBA in Finance and Economics from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a BME in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota.
Omri Cherni
Independent Director
Omri Cherni will become a member of our board of directors when we begin trading on Nasdaq. Mr. Cherni has significant experience in the Israeli venture and startup industry. Since 2016, Mr. Cherni has served as Chief Executive Officer of High House, a family office focusing on making real estate and technology investments. Since 2016, he has served as Chief Scientific Officer of Atlas Dynamics, an aerospace company that he founded that creates autonomous vessels, which has grown to become the biggest supplier of tactical UAVs in the EU. Since 2015, Mr. Cherni has served as Chief Executive Officer of Invocap, a systematic and technology backed financial trading platform and fund manager that he founded which uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to outperform benchmarks in both fiat as well as crypto markets. From 2012 to 2014, he was at Jerusalem Venture Partners, one of Israel’s most successful venture capital firms, where he was an associate dealing with the firms’ deep tech and hardware-based investments.
Kobi Marenko
Independent Director
Kobi Marenko is an Independent Director and the CEO of Arbe Robotics. He previously founded and served as President of Taptica, a company listed on the London Stock Exchange, and was the Founder and CEO of Logia, which was acquired by Mandalay Digital. In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, Kobi is an early-stage investor in more than 10 successful startups, collectively valued at over $2 billion.
Yevgeny Neginsky
Independent Director
Yevgeny Neginsky will become a member of our board of directors when we begin trading on Nasdaq. Mr. Neginsky is the portfolio manager of Springdale Capital LLC, an absolute return focused investment firm he founded in 2009. Previously, Mr. Neginsky was part of the investment team at Tyndall Management, a value-oriented investment firm, from 2005 to 2009, where he evaluated investment opportunities across various industries. Prior to Tyndall, Mr. Neginsky worked as an analyst at T. Rowe Price (2004) and Horsley Bridge Partners (from 2001 to 2003). He previously served on the board of directors of Collective Growth Corporation, a Nasdaq-listed special purpose acquisition company that consummated an initial business combination with Innoviz Technologies, an Israeli based developer of LiDAR Sensors and Perception Software for Autonomous Driving.
David Bleustein
Independent Director
David Bleustein will become a member of our board of directors when we begin trading on Nasdaq. Since June 2016, Mr. Bleustein was involved in leading major turnarounds of Equity Research departments at Credit Suisse/UBS, with his current role being the Head of Global Equity Research at Credit Suisse. Mr. Bleustein drove innovations in big data applications and developed unparalleled speed to market technology. For the previous 16 years, Mr. Bleustein has had Equity Research Experience as Director at UBS/PaineWebber in the Industrial Sector, highlighted by eight consecutive years of top Institutional Investor rankings. Earlier, he had three years in public accounting at Ernst & Young and held a CPA designation.
Phil Broenniman
Philip Broenniman has served as a member of our board of directors since our inception. Since 2012, Mr. Broenniman has been Managing Partner and Portfolio Manager for Varana Capital, LLC, which he co-founded with Mr. Gardner. At Verana Capital, Mr. Broenniman invests in, and consults with the Board of Directors of, certain public and private companies, working with each on strategic planning, financing, and/or balance sheet restructuring. Mr. Broenniman established and refined the opportunistic/deep value, multi-asset class investment paradigm that is the foundation of Varana Capital’s investment focus. Since May 2020, he has been the President and Chief Operating Officer of Ipsidy Inc. (OTCQB: IDTY), a public company that delivers a suite of secure, mobile, biometric identity solutions, available to any vertical, and has also served on the board of directors of such company since March 2020. From 2003 until 2008, he was Managing Partner of Cadence Investment Partners, LLC (“Cadence”), and from 2008 until 2011, he was a principal and Portfolio Manager with Visium Asset Management, LP, which acquired Cadence in 2008. Mr. Broenniman began his portfolio management career with the Bass family of Fort Worth, TX in 1993, investing in event strategies, assisting on derivative hedging and investment strategies, and developing his skills in derivative analytics, risk management, and portfolio construction. From August 2010 until February 2018, Mr. Broenniman was co-founder and a member of Cadence Distributors, LLC, an import/export company focused on the fragrance industry. From February 2012 to April 2017, Mr. Broenniman was a founding investor in, and served as an advisor to, Cacao Prieto, a bourbon and rum distillery, providing strategic guidance during the initial launch of the business. From July 2019 until March 2020 upon successful closing of its merger, Mr. Broenniman served as a member of the Board of Directors and Special Committee evaluating strategic options for CSS Industries, Inc. (Formerly NYSE: CSS). Mr. Broenniman received a BS from Duke University, an MBA from University of Virginia, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. We believe Mr. Broenniman is well-qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors due to his experience and relationships and contacts.
Eugene Dozortsev
Eugene Dozortsev has served as a member of our board of directors since our inception. Mr. Dozortsev has been a managing member of Newtyn Management, LLC, an investment firm, since he co-founded it in July 2011. Previously, he was a Senior Analyst at Tyndall Management from October 2003 to 2011. He previously served on the board of directors of Collective Growth Corporation, a Nasdaq-listed special purpose acquisition company like our company that consummated an initial business combination with Innoviz Technologies, an Israeli based Global Leader in LiDAR Sensors and Perception Software for Autonomous Driving, in April 2021. Mr. Dozortzsev received a B.S. in Finance from NYU Stern School of Business. We believe Mr. Dozortsev is well-qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his experience, including with Collective Growth, and contacts and relationships.
Noah Levy
Noah G. Levy has served as a member of our board of directors since our inception. Mr. Levy has been a managing member and portfolio manager at Newtyn Management, LLC since he co-founded it in July 2011. Prior to that, Mr. Levy served as a senior member at Tyndall Management from 2002 to 2011 and as an analyst at Goldman Sachs, an investment bank and financial services company, from 2000 to 2002. Mr. Levy received a B.A. from Dartmouth College. Mr. Levy currently serves on the board of Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a Nasdaq-listed biotechnology firm. Mr. Levy is also a member of the ACLU investment committee. We believe Mr. Levy is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his investment management experience and strong financial and business acumen.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Our board of directors is divided into three classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class serving a three-year term. The term of office of the first class of directors, consisting of Noah G. Levy, will expire at our first annual meeting of shareholders. The term of office of the second class of directors, consisting of Philip Broenniman and Eugene Dozortsev, will expire at the second annual meeting. The term of office of the third class of directors, consisting of Ezra Gardner and Omri Cherni, will expire at the third annual meeting.

BOARD ADVISORS

Kobi Marenko
Eddy Shalev

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