The Team

Shay drives marketing campaigns at DataHaven, bringing together creativity, strategy, and a sharp instinct for digital culture. A first-generation Pakistani-American entrepreneur, she co-founded her first company at 16, which led to roles with Google, eBay, and fast-growing Silicon Valley startups. Shay later served as CMO of Walker Labs, the game studio behind Walker World; founded Chai Meets Biscuit, a faith-based South Asian dating app; and is Co-Founder & CEO of Root Name Service (RNS), pioneering the future of web3 identity.

Shay’s Haven animal is the Lightning Bug: a natural illuminator who sparks attention and guides focus, blending creativity with strategy to make campaigns shine across digital channels. Ever curious, she splits her time between the U.S. and abroad, always chasing the next idea, adventure, or cultural spark to weave into her work.

John oversees strategic initiatives at DataHaven, ensuring alignment and successful execution across teams. He brings deep expertise in blockchain, networking, and cloud infrastructure, and has built and guided operations across startups and large-scale technology companies. Previously, he served as Managing Director and advisor at the Algorand Foundation, held senior technical leadership roles at Fuze, and led IT at BladeLogic during a period of rapid growth.

John’s Haven animal is the Bunny: quick, reliable, and happiest when quietly keeping everything running smoothly. John lives in Ottawa with his wife and their dog Monty and enjoys running and cross-country skiing whenever he can step away from distributed systems.

Sabrina brings creativity and strategy to DataHaven, blending her experience in film, TV, art, and interactive media with a passion for web3 and culture. She has shaped campaigns across entertainment and lifestyle industries, from managing Schitt’s Creek promotions at Pop TV to leading marketing for the Harold Lloyd Estate and producing live shows headlined by Travis Barker and Snoop Dogg. She went on to drive large-scale initiatives at G4 Live and OpenSea, where she produced 13 global events across three countries and supported more than 40 NFT project launches.

Sabrina’s Haven animal is the Fox: clever, curious, and always finding new ways to navigate challenges. When she’s not building at the edge of creativity and tech, she can be found at home in Los Angeles spending time with her rescue dog Oona Moo, creating art with a variety of different mediums, and traveling the world.

Alex drives growth and strategy at DataHaven, bringing a proven track record of scaling operations and guiding companies through complex business challenges. From raising over $4M for Jambb and orchestrating a successful exit, to being employee #1 at blockchain-based real estate platform AssetBlock and helping Fuze scale from 17 to 700+ employees while leading product development, Alex blends boardroom strategy with hands-on execution.

Alex’s Haven animal is the Bluebird: perceptive, focused, and always looking for the next opportunity to soar. Based in Boston but loyal to his hometown of Buffalo, Alex can often be found whispering the lyrics to the Bills’ “Shout” to his four kids at bedtime, ensuring they grow up true fans.

Piotr leads product at DataHaven, focusing on building blockchain infrastructure with a strong user perspective. He has designed and delivered both web2 and web3 applications and played a key role in the development of the Casper blockchain. Piotr’s approach to product is centered on creating solutions that offer great user experience and are sustainable enough to grow on their own. With a background in computer science and deep experience in product leadership, he bridges technical depth with a clear focus on usability and long-term value.

Piotr’s Haven animal is the Wolf: A loyal, commanding leader who harnesses individual strengths and collective instincts to drive ambitious goals and guide teams with precision and purpose. Piotr lives in Switzerland with his family, where he balances work and family life with time spent hiking, skiing, and other outdoor adventures that keep him energized and inspired.

Aaron orchestrates operations at DataHaven, combining hands-on technical leadership with deep expertise in crypto, startups, and team management. With more than 20 years of experience, he has designed, built, and scaled applications and services, led global R&D teams of 150+, and helped build a $100M+ SaaS business as part of a four-person startup. He also holds multiple patents, reflecting his knack for practical innovation.

Aaron’s Haven animal is the Tortoise: a wise, grounded leader who provides perspective, stability, and resilience, guiding the company through complex challenges while keeping long-term goals in focus. Aaron lives in Ottawa with his wife, three daughters, and their cat Daisy. When he’s not building systems, he can be found snowboarding, barbecuing in his fully equipped outdoor kitchen, or adding to his impressive Star Wars Lego collection.

Val leads communications at DataHaven, ensuring the story flows as smoothly as the storage. With over two decades of experience crafting narratives for organizations like Reuters, the Olympics, CrossFit, and even MTV back when it still played music videos, she’s ghostwritten everything from televised speeches to thought leadership pieces that have landed in Entrepreneur, Fortune, and USA Today.

Val’s Haven animal is the Dolphin: intelligent communicators who build trust and connection, translating complexity into clarity while keeping the pod moving in harmony. Val lives in the mountains of Utah with her husband, five kids, and a 15-year-old bionic cat. Outside of work, she’s usually lost in a book, overspending on concert and hockey tickets, or hiking in hopes of spotting Bruce’s distant cousins.

Prasanna guides DataHaven’s financial strategy, drawing on nearly two decades of experience across accounting, finance, and deal-making. His career spans technology, banking, mining, and international finance, with senior roles at Butterfield Group, Roxgold Inc., and Banro Corp. Prasanna combines sharp financial insight with strategic vision to help the organization navigate complex financial landscapes.

His Haven animal is the Crow: a strategic problem-solver who sees patterns others miss, turning complexity into clarity and making sure critical details are never overlooked. A true adventurer at heart, Prasanna lives on a remote island with his family, embracing challenges from hurricanes to earthquakes, and reflecting on past experiences that include sleeping among palm-sized beetles in the Congo.

Lindsay brings a blend of GTM strategy, customer experience, and ecosystem growth to DataHaven. She has helped shape early-stage blockchain ventures across payments, L1s, infrastructure, and DeFi protocols, scaling web3 growth to $90M ARR and closing over $1B in contracts along the way. Having led more than 1,000 partnerships, reviewed 800+ pitch decks, and evaluated $50M in grants and fundraising requests, Lindsay has developed a sharp instinct for what drives traction, conviction, and capital in emerging ecosystems.

Lindsay’s Haven animal is the Squirrel: resourceful, quick to adapt, and always storing up opportunities for the future. Outside of work, Lindsay thrives on building connections and exploring new adventures, whether in fast-moving markets or on the trail.

Luka helps partners and developers at DataHaven tap into the full potential of decentralized, tamper-proof, verifiable data. His career has spanned product innovation, engineering leadership, and strategic execution, from orchestrating $30M beta programs at BlackBerry, to getting deals on Dragon’s Den, to driving Retrieval-Augmented Generation pipelines at Blueprint. Guided by empathy, critical thinking, and an obsession with meaningful outcomes, Luka distills complexity into tools that actually matter.

His Haven animal is the Beaver: a tireless builder who transforms raw ideas into strong foundations, creating lasting solutions through ingenuity and craftsmanship. Outside of work, he sharpens his edge training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and crafting bespoke pieces in his wood shop, pursuits that mirror his mindset: disciplined, creative, and always growing. Whether in code, combat, or craftsmanship, Luka brings precision, grit, and relentless curiosity to everything he builds.

Ryan leads global business development and partnerships at DataHaven, building ecosystems across AI, data, blockchain, infrastructure, RWAs, and the broader landscape of decentralized storage. With nearly 20 years of experience in startups across web2, web3, and blockchain, he is a master at connecting the dots and translating complex opportunities into actionable growth. Ryan has held leadership roles at SKALE Labs, Chainstack, and Kadena, shaping partnerships and go-to-market strategies at every step.

His Haven animal is the Mountain Goat: a tenacious climber who thrives in difficult terrain, finding unconventional paths to reach ambitious peaks against all odds. Born in South Africa, having lived in Australia, and now based in California, Ryan starts each day with an espresso and a workout, fueled by his mantra, “Never Give Up,” which drives his relentless pursuit of success in work and life.

Sicco builds and nurtures DataHaven’s developer and partner community, blending deep technical expertise with strategic leadership. With decades of experience in software development and engineering management, he has delivered complex systems under tight deadlines and led high-performing teams. Before joining DataHaven, Sicco served as VP of Engineering at Fuze and held senior technical roles at Alcatel-Lucent, working across blockchain, cloud infrastructure, and full-stack development.

Sicco’s Haven animal is the Owl: observant, wise, and always thinking several moves ahead. Sicco lives in Quebec with his family, where he enjoys hockey and exploring all things gaming in his free time.

Neil builds communities at DataHaven that put people first by prioritizing trust, contribution, and genuine connection over hype. His Web3 career has been all about finding creative ways to bring value to communities while empowering others to do the same. From leading marketing campaigns at Dapper Dinos to supporting hundreds of NFT launches at OpenSea and scaling social at Phantom, Neil has earned a reputation for blending instinct, empathy, and execution.

His Haven animal is the Bee: a tireless community builder who keeps the hive and ecosystem humming by fostering connection, cooperation, and momentum across teams and initiatives. When he has a break from work, Neil is touching grass on the golf course, perfecting homemade kimchi, or diving reef walls as a certified open water scuba diver. Fun fact: his initials are NFT, so he was literally born for web3.