The JPS Technical Advisory Board (TAB) offers guidance and strategic direction on all technical matters relating to the TT project. The TAB brings to the TT project extensive experience in software development and online business and management, giving JPS a distinct advantage. The TAB will provide counsel on issues pertaining to user experience, Web applications, and risk management.
Nancy Ackerman’s professional work focuses on the user experience of high tech products and services. With an educational background in information science and telecommunications, Nancy has worked on software and web projects for both the non-profit and private sectors. She was a systems analyst at Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group, and then worked at Google as an engineering manager and user experience (UE) researcher. Currently, Nancy is working on a new venture: an informative e-commerce site highlighting the what/why/how of basic Jewish home rituals paired with artistic, modern Judaica products. Her passion is innovation for the social good. Nancy currently lives in Miami Beach with her husband, Alex. As a JPS Trustee, Nancy also serves as the liaison between the JPS Board and the TAB.
Stan Coplan is currently employed by Aetna, Inc. as an e-health strategy and delivery expert. Stan is also the founder of MegaMedia Inc., and a partner in Search and Data, LLC. He was formerly employed at Baker Videoactive where he served as VP of operations, CTO, and president, and was a member of the executive committee responsible for taking the company public.
During his 20+ year tenure in the high-tech industry, he has been responsible for strategic planning at the enterprise level and technology planning for enterprise IT systems. As a pioneer in the multimedia and software information technology industry, Stan is expert in the design, development, and integration of multimedia, software and hardware products and has been responsible for the development of over 170+ software, multimedia, and related products.
Martin Kaminer is a founding board member and currently the chairman of the board of Bikkurim, an influential non-profit incubator of tech start-ups in the New York area. He has been a board member and active supporter of numerous national Jewish organizations including JESNA, the Jewish Theological Seminary, the Jewish Funders Network and Jewish Family & Life. When he’s not busy giving advice, Martin runs an educational technology company that provides computer-based learning to educationally and economically disadvantaged populations. Martin lives in New York City with his wife Sarit and his children Gidon and Ayelet.
Josh Marcus is the lead developer for the DecisionTree web user interface and calculation API, a set of innovative web-based geographic decision-making tools for Avencia, Inc. Josh has ten years of experience applying his software engineering, system architecture, and management experience to building sophisticated, scalable web-based applications. Prior to joining Avencia, Josh served as chief technology officer for Solutions for Progress, a public policy technology company. In that role, he led the development of The Benefit Bank for several state governments, a web-based application that helps low income households gain access to tax credits and public benefit programs. Josh recently led the development of the AfricaMap project for the Harvard Center for Geographic Analysis, and served as the manager of data and mapping projects for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in the state of Pennsylvania.
Jason Shindler is the owner of Curvine Web Solutions, a website development firm located in Bellevue, WA, with graphic design and programming expertise. Jason has had nine years of experience developing websites and web applications for businesses of all sizes. In his free time, he is involved with different parts of the Seattle Jewish community, including YJP and teaching elementary school children at synagogue religious schools.
Andrew Sternthal is the CEO and co-founder of ekkoTV, a Philadelphia-area based start-up that has developed a web-based synchronous communication and interaction platform and modules for both business and consumer-facing companies. ekkoTV currently has more than 100,000 minutes a day of interactions coming through its platform and modules. The company was a finalist for the 2008 Ben Franklin Emerging Business Award for Most Innovative Product or Service.
Andrew was the lead business development executive at CDNOW, Inc. from start-up to sale (1995-2000). After CDNOW’s sale in 2000 and prior to ekkoTV, Andrew served as an outsourced strategic consultant to emerging media and technology companies, helping client companies with business planning, fundraising, strategic and product development, partnership development, and sales. In 2001, Andrew was recognized by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s PhillyTech Magazine as one of their “30 under 30” technology executives to watch. In 2005, Andrew won a Mid Atlantic Emmy Award in the “Outstanding Magazine Broadcast” category for his work as the producer of a youth oriented TV and video-on-demand program distributed by Comcast.
