A Peak Inside the Lantern Partners AI Team

AI Democratization by Operators Who Care

At Lantern Partners AI, we're more than an innovative tech team—we're passionate operators, innovators, and advocates united by a shared mission: to level the AI playing field for small-to-medium–sized businesses (SMBs).

In a world dominated by giants, we believe every SMB deserves access to enterprise-grade tools that drive real growth, without the complexity or cost. Our operators have walked in your shoes, building and scaling businesses from the ground up, and that's why we pour our hearts into creating solutions that truly make a difference.

Central to our ethos is democratizing the use of AI for business operations scalability, making advanced, AI-native capabilities available to all SMBs across verticals like Manufacturing, Retail, eCommerce, Education, Agriculture, Sports & Entertainment, and Health & Wellness—enabling seamless, customizable growth with faster integration and lower costs. Accessible, enterprise-grade AI-native solutions built to scale even the smallest/most frugal business.

We at Lantern are living, breathing embodiments of the same philosophy we embed in our LanternBRP™: highly flexible, relentlessly analytical, and continuously learning.

Core Values That Guide Us

SMB Champion

We have a big heart for the little guy. Whether it's a local retailer navigating supply chain chaos or an eCommerce startup optimizing inventory, we're here to empower SMBs with AI-native tools that big corporations take for granted. Our flexible BRP adapts organically, ensuring no business is left behind.

Innovation With Empathy

We innovate relentlessly, but always with empathy at the core. Our 7-plane AI architecture isn't just tech—it's designed to illuminate operational complexities, providing real-time insights and automation that free up your team to focus on what matters: growth and customer impact. Lantern leaders are curious and continuously evolving—they make decisions quickly and adjust imperfections on their journey to success.

Collaboration and Agility

Lantern thrives on seamless teamwork, just like our platform integrates across verticals. We foster a culture of agility, where feedback loops and human-in-the-loop oversight ensure our solutions evolve with needs—faster, cheaper, and better than traditional systems. We have each other's backs, learning from our mistakes and each other's mistakes, taking failure as just another data point on the road to success.

Measurable Impact

We're driven by results. Beyond numbers, we're committed to sustainable success, turning data chaos into clarity for SMBs. We support leaders—internal and external—in developing judgment, instincts, and confidence, with growth happening outside comfort zones. Our leaders take accountability, acknowledging that failures and successes are two sides of the same coin—and they're developed to outgrow us.

Join a community where big hearts meet high-tech. At Lantern Partners AI, we're not just building software—we're compounding opportunities for the businesses that power our economy.

Leadership Team

Craig Powell

Chief Executive Officer

Serial entrepreneur and 2x unicorn builder with a track record of scaling companies from startup to significant valuations.

Founded ConnectEDU at 22: Built largest student/employment database, scaled $0 to $30M, exited to New Market Venture Partners
On the board of Connexure, which connects the self-funded and stop loss markets with integrated software
Merged AutoReturn and JoyRide to create Autura, resulting in the Rule 40 score to move from -23 (pre-merger) to, ultimately, 65 (post-merger)
Founded Motus: Grew from $12M to $1.5B+, delivered top PE returns to Thoma Bravo
Created Everway: Integrated largest US/European cognitive pathway providers, increased investor value by $1B in 12 months
Board of Advisors, New Market Growth Partners

Ady Das

Chief Innovation Officer

Co-founded Motus and scaled it to a top mobility platform that was later acquired by Thoma Bravo. Noted tech leader at the forefront of the AI movement.

Co-founded Motus and scaled it to a top mobility platform, later acquired by Thoma Bravo
Noted tech leader in Amazon Kindle, MTV Games, Rockband, and MIT Media Labs partnership
At the forefront of the AI movement in organizations like Zoominfo AI and the UK National Lottery (the largest online lottery globally)

David Rozen

Chief Financial Officer

2x Unicorn builder with 20+ years of experience in innovative Public-Private Partnerships and enterprise-scale operations.

Built Corvias Group into $2B military housing leader; scaled Ancora Risk Advisors from startup to $150M in 18 months
Scaled Alex & Ani from $127M to $1.4B PE exit
Successfully raised $2B+ in debt/equity capital across Seed, VC, and PE rounds
Led transaction structuring, financing, and budgets across 13 operating companies with corporate-level oversight
Represented real estate industry with FHFA, FDIC, US Treasury, and White House on housing crisis solutions
Named Top Executive under 40 by Providence Business News

Peter Tomassi

Chief Product Officer

20+ years as a product & growth executive scaling early-stage ecommerce brands and building education platforms.

Led product & content at LookSmart from startup to $2.5B post-IPO
Scaled early-stage ecommerce brands: Redbubble, Zazzle, Saalt, VIDA
Co-founded Evolution Labs: K–12 SEL platform used by 10,000+ schools (acquired by Navigate360)
SVP, Product Management at EducationDynamics
Board Member, One League Graduate Business Institution
Operator Advisor to early-stage founders, Halogen VC

Ryan Stadlman

Chief Branding Officer

Award-winning director and producer specializing in data-informed, multichannel storytelling for world-class brands.

Produced content for: Dallas Cowboys, Cobalt Boats, Atlanta Braves, ESPN, Fox, TLC, NBC, and more
Awarded 3 Emmys, 20+ Tellys, and a YouTube Streamy Award
Achieved 300%+ average engagement increase and 50+M combined views across platforms
Founder/Owner S Group: Producing high-impact, story-driven content

Tobias Lederberg

Chief Legal Officer

Legal architect to 100+ startups over 30+ years, specializing in capital structuring and M&A transitions.

Structured and led $2B+ across Seed, VC, and PE financings
Counsel on 50+ middle-market and cross-border M&A transactions totaling $2.5B+
Deep expertise in startup formation and exit strategy

Elise Philippi

Chief Content Officer

Founder of Mindful AI with 20+ years in high-impact STEM initiatives and emerging technology innovation.

Founder of Mindful AI: Mission-driven neurotech harnessing agentic AI/ML to bridge communication gaps
Former AWS strategist: Led cross-platform programs and all architecture content strategy
Built scalable processes to drive measurable business outcomes
20+ years in high-impact STEM initiatives in emerging tech/AI, Cloud computing, and healthcare innovation

Stein Skaane

Head of FinTech

Entrepreneur focused on pairing advanced technology with real-world impact across healthcare and finance.

Co-founder of RedCap: Healthcare company reinventing prescription experience, improving medication adherence
20+ years in capital markets and education finance
Experience in large-scale student lending, distressed asset investing, and public-sector recapitalizations
Product- and outcomes-driven approach to fintech innovation

Mike Hannigan

Head of Direct to Consumer

Results-driven leader with deep industry reputation across key consumer channels and proven track record scaling startups.

Deep expertise across: Sports/Outdoor, Mass/Club, Electronics, Farm/Ranch, Natural/Grocery, C-Store, Automotive, Hardware
Managed multi-brand portfolios with omni-channel strategy and team building
Scaled startups into category leaders while maximizing profits and market share
Produces cross-functional teams analyzing data to spot consumer trends
Delivers budgeting, cost savings, and strategic goals for sustained profitability

Kristofor Walburn

BRP™ Delivery Leader

Expert in full-lifecycle design and delivery of complex enterprise solutions with rigorous systems delivery.

Coaches teams to embed iterative Agile practices into traditionally rigid system projects
Reduces risk and realizes value months earlier than standard waterfall plans
Focuses on operational readiness ensuring high user adoption from day one
Results in cleaner data and process cycle time reductions

Brett Douglas

Operations & Strategy

Media buying and operations expert with proven track record in strategy and performance optimization.

Media buying and operations experience overseeing strategy and performance
First female Commodore of Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club while raising a family
Youth sports coach focused on teamwork and discipline

Steven Cable

Business Analyst

Alec Ramoski

Business Analyst

Why Join Lantern?

We're building the future of business resource planning with a team of experienced operators who have successfully scaled companies from startup to unicorn status. Our culture is driven by innovation, execution excellence, and a commitment to customer success.

Ready to join a world-class team?

We're always looking for talented individuals who are passionate about transforming business operations.

Interested in Career Opportunities?

Tell us about yourself and how you'd like to contribute to our mission.