Our Team
Our Team
Leadership
Bernard Sisken
Founder & Chairman
Bernard Sisken
Founder & Chairman
Bernard Siskin, Ph.D., is a distinguished statistician renowned for his expertise in applying statistical methods to legal issues, particularly in discrimination analysis. He earned his B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh and his Ph.D. in Statistics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Siskin taught statistics at Temple University, where he also served as Chairman of the Department of Statistics.
With a career spanning decades, Dr. Siskin has testified in more than 200 landmark cases, helping set precedents in employment class actions and discrimination in lending, housing, and insurance. His groundbreaking work includes developing alternative credit models to reduce disparate impact while maintaining accuracy. He has advised major financial institutions like Fannie Mae and the CFPB, and he frequently serves as a neutral expert in federal courts.
Dr. Siskin's contributions extend to governmental agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the U.S. Department of Labor, among others. He is a prolific author, having written numerous articles and textbooks on statistics and its litigation applications. His expertise is highly sought after, serving as a consultant to many federal and state agencies, as well as Fortune 500 companies.
With a career spanning decades, Dr. Siskin has testified in more than 200 landmark cases, helping set precedents in employment class actions and discrimination in lending, housing, and insurance. His groundbreaking work includes developing alternative credit models to reduce disparate impact while maintaining accuracy. He has advised major financial institutions like Fannie Mae and the CFPB, and he frequently serves as a neutral expert in federal courts.
Dr. Siskin's contributions extend to governmental agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the U.S. Department of Labor, among others. He is a prolific author, having written numerous articles and textbooks on statistics and its litigation applications. His expertise is highly sought after, serving as a consultant to many federal and state agencies, as well as Fortune 500 companies.
Larry Bradley
Founder & CEO
Larry Bradley
Founder & CEO
Larry is a technology veteran with more than 30 years of experience in business leadership and product development for emerging and established data and artificial intelligence technologies. He has guided Fortune 50 to stealth startup companies in adopting Big Data and machine learning seamlessly into their business operations as well as competing in both digital and AI-driven markets.
As Chief Executive Officer, Larry is establishing SolasAI as one of the leading responsible AI products on the market and guiding companies worldwide into the new frontier of AI and machine learning. SolasAI was founded to help banking, insurance, and healthcare customers to build trusted relationships with machine learning and AI, while reducing their downside risk. SolasAI provides technology that enables its business partners to utilize AI responsibly, safely and effectively. With SolasAI, a company can validate and improve its own AI investments with transparency and trust.
Larry has held technology leadership roles at Hitachi Vantara, REAN Cloud, Sentrana and Gartner, and he’s consulted with major financial institutions and the U.S. government for IT strategy, architecture, and advisory services.
Larry holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Finance as well as a Master’s of Business Administration in International Business from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business. He is also a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society.
As Chief Executive Officer, Larry is establishing SolasAI as one of the leading responsible AI products on the market and guiding companies worldwide into the new frontier of AI and machine learning. SolasAI was founded to help banking, insurance, and healthcare customers to build trusted relationships with machine learning and AI, while reducing their downside risk. SolasAI provides technology that enables its business partners to utilize AI responsibly, safely and effectively. With SolasAI, a company can validate and improve its own AI investments with transparency and trust.
Larry has held technology leadership roles at Hitachi Vantara, REAN Cloud, Sentrana and Gartner, and he’s consulted with major financial institutions and the U.S. government for IT strategy, architecture, and advisory services.
Larry holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Finance as well as a Master’s of Business Administration in International Business from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business. He is also a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society.
Mike Wilkerson
VP of Engineering
Mike Wilkerson
VP of Engineering
Mike is an engineering leader with a software development and cloud solutions background. He has a track record of driving real-world outcomes for software products in the health, life sciences, energy, and insurance industry verticals. Mike has a passion for people-first leadership, and has a proven history of building effective teams across a diverse range of skill sets, time zones, and cultures.
He has experience developing software applications for customers ranging from small business and nonprofit organizations to large enterprises, and at scales from single-server applications to microservice-based platforms. He has built backend systems for mobile applications with hundreds of thousands of active monthly users, with applications ranging from the individual consumer to stadiums and music venues.
As an architect and customer success liaison, Mike has helped customers refactor legacy analytics capabilities, build cost-effective cloud computing platforms, and develop long-term company-wide modernization strategies. He has a broad range of solutions architecture and technical team leadership experience, including developing data science platforms that dramatically improve the cost, efficiency, and agility of data science operations.
Mike also has experience in software automation, infrastructure as code, and packaging. He has streamlined the delivery of complex software platforms, including cutting a 6-month data platform delivery process to 8 weeks, and reducing the deployment of a microservices data science platform from hours of manual operations to 15 minutes with a one-click automation pipeline.
Mike has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of Virginia, with a focus on graph algorithms and general-purpose GPU computing using CUDA and OpenCL.
Nick Schmidt
Founder & CTIO
Nick Schmidt
Founder & CTIO
Nicholas “Nick” Schmidt is the Founder and Chief Technology & Innovation Officer of SolasAI and serves as the AI Practice Leader at BLDS, LLC. Based in Philadelphia, he specializes in algorithmic fairness and explainable AI, drawing upon his interdisciplinary expertise in statistics and economics to address legal, regulatory, and model governance challenges.
His pioneering work underpins SolasAI, a state-of-the-art data science software platform that empowers organizations to measure, interpret, and mitigate bias and discrimination in algorithmic decision-making. These methods have informed practices at some of the nation’s leading financial institutions, fintech companies, and insurance providers, helping to foster more equitable outcomes.
Nick frequently writes and speaks on the benefits and complexities of artificial intelligence. His engagements focus on the technical and ethical dimensions of explainable AI, as well as the development of fairer machine learning algorithms.
Team Members
Matt Boutte
Managing Data Science Consultant
Matt Boutte
Managing Data Science Consultant
Matt is a Managing Data Science Consultant at SolasAI, where he helps organizations build fairer, more transparent algorithms. With a background that spans mathematics, public policy, and law, he brings a unique perspective to the complex world of algorithmic fairness. At SolasAI, he works directly with clients to measure disparities, use explainable AI to uncover the drivers of those disparities, and design alternative models that promote fairness. He also trains and supports users of the SolasAI software, helping them develop effective, responsible workflows for applying these tools in real-world settings.
Before joining SolasAI, Matt practiced law in California and spent over a decade teaching mathematics. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics and a Master of Public Policy from California Polytechnic University, as well as a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. With his background in math and law, he found his way into the field of algorithm fairness — and has been passionate about it ever since.
Before joining SolasAI, Matt practiced law in California and spent over a decade teaching mathematics. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics and a Master of Public Policy from California Polytechnic University, as well as a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. With his background in math and law, he found his way into the field of algorithm fairness — and has been passionate about it ever since.
Susan Bridge
Field Chief Governance Officer
Susan Bridge
Field Chief Governance Officer
Susan Bridge is a Director at BLDS, LLC and a member of the SolasAI Board of Advisors with more than 25 years of experience across financial services and health insurance. Her role at SolasAI includes advising on implementation and integration strategies for healthcare and insurance, and acts as the Voice of the Chief Compliance Officer.
Susan’s career includes working for Top 5 bank and healthcare companies, bringing together advanced analytical capabilities, effective governance practices, and regulatory/market factors to drive sustainable and sound business growth.
Prior to joining BLDS, LLC and SolasAI, Susan spent four years at Evernorth Health Services, overseeing the governance of risks that present at the enterprise level which included model risk management, model equity and ethical AI practices. While serving as Senior Director of Enterprise Model Governance/Model Equity, she developed the model governance program for health insurance by leveraging and adapting financial services fundamentals.
Susan also worked at Citi for 14 years in various roles, including her final position as EVP, Director of Decision Management, which was the head of the Retail Bank analytical division. She was directly responsible for delivering $4 billion in revenue through market- and regulatory-leading customer analytics and pricing strategies throughout her time. She also incorporated risk management protocols to successfully identify and mitigate bias in the use of algorithms, which resulted in expanded and more accurate testing for hundreds of thousands of customers.
Susan is a graduate of Dartmouth College.
Susan’s career includes working for Top 5 bank and healthcare companies, bringing together advanced analytical capabilities, effective governance practices, and regulatory/market factors to drive sustainable and sound business growth.
Prior to joining BLDS, LLC and SolasAI, Susan spent four years at Evernorth Health Services, overseeing the governance of risks that present at the enterprise level which included model risk management, model equity and ethical AI practices. While serving as Senior Director of Enterprise Model Governance/Model Equity, she developed the model governance program for health insurance by leveraging and adapting financial services fundamentals.
Susan also worked at Citi for 14 years in various roles, including her final position as EVP, Director of Decision Management, which was the head of the Retail Bank analytical division. She was directly responsible for delivering $4 billion in revenue through market- and regulatory-leading customer analytics and pricing strategies throughout her time. She also incorporated risk management protocols to successfully identify and mitigate bias in the use of algorithms, which resulted in expanded and more accurate testing for hundreds of thousands of customers.
Susan is a graduate of Dartmouth College.
Saba Fassil
Technical Customer Success Manager
Saba Fassil
Technical Customer Success Manager
Saba is a professional with over a decade of experience spanning financial services consulting at a Big Four firm, customer success engineering at a leading technology and AI company, and program management within the public sector. Most recently, she served as a Customer Success Engineer at Databricks, where she supported public sector clients in driving adoption, growth, and successful outcomes on the Databricks platform. In this role, she collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver onboarding, education, training, and ongoing support. Saba is passionate about empowering customers and helping organizations embrace emerging technologies. Her background includes cloud security, unified data analytics, and account management.
Prior to joining Databricks, Saba worked as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she delivered business process re-engineering, strategic operations, and data analysis solutions for Fortune 500 retail banks, regulators, and government-sponsored entities. She also held roles at the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development, initially supporting the Chief of Staff in implementing policy and program initiatives for the Office of the Director. She later served as a Program Manager for a highly visible economic development grant program, overseeing the full grant cycle for over 30 grantees and supporting the revitalization of DC’s key commercial corridors.
Saba holds a Bachelor of Science degree from George Washington University.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her toddler, exploring the outdoors, and trying out new recipes.
Prior to joining Databricks, Saba worked as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she delivered business process re-engineering, strategic operations, and data analysis solutions for Fortune 500 retail banks, regulators, and government-sponsored entities. She also held roles at the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development, initially supporting the Chief of Staff in implementing policy and program initiatives for the Office of the Director. She later served as a Program Manager for a highly visible economic development grant program, overseeing the full grant cycle for over 30 grantees and supporting the revitalization of DC’s key commercial corridors.
Saba holds a Bachelor of Science degree from George Washington University.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her toddler, exploring the outdoors, and trying out new recipes.
Nayib Kuncar
Account Executive - Banking & Insurance
Nayib Kuncar
Account Executive - Banking & Insurance
Nayib Kuncar is a curious, people-first sales professional who’s spent the past seven years helping startups and small businesses grow through smart strategy, great storytelling, and a lot of listening. Whether it’s diving into a new industry or finding the right message for the right audience, Nayib brings energy, adaptability, and a deep belief in the power of human connection. He’s also fluent in Spanish, a chess enthusiast, and always up for a good conversation—online or off.
Stephen Molinari
Technical Customer Success Engineer
Stephen Molinari
Technical Customer Success Engineer
Stephen is a data scientist and software engineer with over six years of experience working on AI and data-driven projects in regulated industries. He holds graduate degrees in mathematics and statistics and has applied his technical skills across a range of roles—from developing models and dashboards to teaching university-level math and conducting research in climate science. Throughout his career, Stephen has consistently gravitated toward roles that blend analytical thinking with clear communication, especially when it comes to making complex ideas more accessible.
At SolasAI, Stephen draws on both his technical background and teaching experience to support customer onboarding and training. He designs and leads sessions that help new users understand and apply SolasAI's fairness software, with a focus on making the tools approachable and effective. He also contributes to the ongoing improvement of the platform by incorporating feedback from users and collaborating with the broader team. His work reflects a strong interest in building not just software, but understanding.
Advisors
Anita Pandey
Chief Marketing Advisor
Anita Pandey
Chief Marketing Advisor
Anita Pandey, a multi-time Chief Marketing Officer, brings 20 years of experience in building category leadership and scaling the GTM strategy of startups and public companies, including those in the AI, and Compliance and Cybersecurity domains like H20.ai, Dremio, NTT Security and Cisco. Pandey adds, "The growing ubiquity of AI models is attracting greater scrutiny as regulators try to establish precedents to prevent societal harm. So it is not surprising to see customers de-risking their AI vendor choices by partnering with those that have a proven track record of AI model risk management already in production to prevent systemic issues."
Benjamin Cox
AI Industry Advisor
Benjamin Cox
AI Industry Advisor
Ben Cox is the Vice President of AI Strategy and Operations for Rakuten's Advertising business. Ben is an industry veteran with 12+ years of experience in the space holding data science leadership roles at companies like H2O.ai, EY, Nike, and NTT Data. He is a proven thought leader in areas of AI safety and responsibility, as a co-author of Responsible Machine Learning published by O'Reilly media. Ben has also contributed to non-profits and social impact efforts in the industry by contributing to the Bezos Earth Fund, AI 4 Good Foundation, and Wild Me.
Ben holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a MS in Applied Data Science from the University of Chicago.
Brian Hughes
Voice of the CRO Customer
Brian Hughes
Voice of the CRO Customer
Brian Hughes has 30+ years of experience in financial services and consulting. In addition to being an advisor at SolasAI, he is a Board Director at Affirm, a senior advisor with the Boston Consulting Group, an advisor with Nyca Partners, and an advisor to many growth-stage fintechs. Brian was formerly the Chief Risk Officer, Head of Deposits, and Head of Cardmember Marketing at Discover and the CEO for HSBC’s credit card business. Brian’s expertise lies at the intersection of risk management and business growth, and he is passionate about embedding risk management into a company’s processes and technology.
Christian Bonilla
Chief Product Advisor
Christian Bonilla
Chief Product Advisor
Christian Bonilla, a successful entrepreneur and product leader with more than 15 years in enterprise software, joins SolasAI as an advisor after co-founding UserMuse and later, leading UserTesting's product management through IPO. Bonilla says, “I was drawn to SolasAI by the power of its technology to not only reduce bias in the countless predictive models affecting all of our lives, but also to make the development and deployment of new models faster and easier for data science organizations. SolasAI’s platform has made improving model quality, accelerating time-to-production, and improving model fairness truly compatible goals.”
Dimitris Geragas
Voice of the CDO Customer
Dimitris Geragas
Voice of the CDO Customer
Dimitris Geragas, an AI expert with 16 years at Gartner, joins SolasAI's board, bringing executive leadership experience in scaling services organizations, implementing AI, and understanding industry and CDO needs. Dimitris says, "AI has been changing the world and now people are waking up to its full potential and impact. But, as we are increasingly ceding control to AI for critical decisions we need to ensure that they are transparent, trustworthy, and secure. We don’t just need AI. We need AI that is good."