The Guardrail Advantage
Our growing team of professionals has an average of 15 years of experience in technology, AI, legal, data science, consulting, startups, digital forensic accounting and education.
Career experience at Dell, IBM, Amazon, ServiceNow, Deloitte, Ernst & Young and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Educational backgrounds from Harvard, West Point, Vanderbilt, Arizona State, University of North Carolina, University of Texas, Wayne State School of Law and U.S. Army War College.
Shawnna Hoffman
President - Guardrail Technologies
Global Leader in Responsible AI, Blockchain, and Digital Transformation
Ms. Shawnna Hoffman is an internationally recognized expert in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, and Digital Transformation, with a career spanning industry, government, and global policy. She is the President of Guardrail Technologies, a pioneering company dedicated to ensuring safe and responsible AI use. In 2025, she spoke at the United Nations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on The Importance of Guardrails for AI and at The Ethical Dragons Quest event at the Worshipful Company of Information Technologies in London, further solidifying her role as a thought leader in ethical AI governance.
With a decade at IBM, Ms. Hoffman led Digital Transformation and Strategy initiatives, including serving as the Global Watson AI Legal Practice Leader. She later became Chief Technology Leader of Legal Strategy and Operations at Dell Technologies, where she spearheaded AI-driven innovations. Her expertise has earned her invitations to speak at esteemed forums, including Blockchain for Impact at the United Nations (2018), the United Nations Data Forum (2020, 2021), and the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (2023, 2024 and 2025).
A trusted voice in regulatory and policy discussions, Ms. Hoffman was appointed Chair of the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) Distributed Ledger Technology and Market Infrastructure Subcommittee (2018-2021). She has testified before the CFTC on Blockchain Privacy & Confidentiality and The Current State of Blockchain Adoption. Her thought leadership extends to legislative discussions, with the United States Congress submitting her co-authored paper, Diversity in Blockchain’s Initial Review of Facebook’s Project Libra, to the Congressional Record in 2019.
Her contributions to technological innovation are further underscored by her published patent for Detecting Clusters and Relationships in Large Data Sets (20180096047) and a pending patent for Method and System for Pattern-based Home Network Configuration (END820160894). She is also the co-author of the book eDiscovery Plain & Simple and a founding force behind Women in eDiscovery (2007) and Diversity in Blockchain (2017).
Ms. Hoffman is a Harvard graduate and holds a Certificate of Leader Development in National Security and Strategy from the U.S. Army War College. Her extensive experience and commitment to responsible AI have positioned her as a leading authority in the field.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Ms. Hoffman is dedicated to social impact. She is the co-founder and Board Member of the Hope Partnership in Florida, which has assisted over 100,000 homeless individuals. The organization has been recognized with awards from The Walt Disney Company and Bank of America and served as an inspiration for the Oscar-nominated film The Florida Project.
A visionary leader in safe and responsible AI, Ms. Hoffman continues to drive ethical innovation on a global scale.
Additional information:iFEST 2022 Wrap-Up New Paradigm of Learning: Partner and Prevail
AI expert Shawnna Hoffman discusses how to get a positive ROI when employing AI.
AI Risk Management and Employee Adoption of Secure and Productive AI Technologies
Harvard University
Guardrail Technologies
Former Chief Technology Leader of Legal Strategy and Operations Dell Technologies
Former Chair of U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Distributed Ledger Technology & Market Infrastructure Subcommittee – 2018-2021
Richard Sussman
Executive Chairman
Richard’s career spans venture capital, Fortune 500 companies, and start-ups, with a focus on scaling revenue, technology, and capital across a diverse global portfolio. As a three-time serial tech entrepreneur and co-founder of top-decile performing VCs, he has invested in over 205 startups and seeded companies now valued at over $11 billion.
His executive roles at Nielsen, IPG Mediabrands, Tivo, and Gracenote-Tribune Media involved leading them to tens of millions in aggregate revenue and strategic acquisitions. Richard is a subject matter expert in AI, cybersecurity, data science, venture capital, start-ups, and business operations. Media publications such as the Los Angeles Business Journal, TechCrunch, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and The Los Angeles Times frequently interview and profile him on the State of Technology and Venture Capital Investments.
Richard is a regular industry speaker at events such as Goldman Sachs’ Special Situations Group, Digital Hollywood, Digital Analytics Association, International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), CABSAT, National Association of Broadcasters, and IBC. He also serves as a guest lecturer at UCLA, Harvard, USC, and other higher education institutions, as well as a Firsthand Advisor & Harvard College Admissions Interviewer and a startup mentor for several top accelerators.
Richard’s accolades include VC Firm of the Year (2017 - The Nordics), a two-time recipient of ARF’s Great Mind Award, Nielsen's Best of the Best, and a nomination as one of the 50th most influential alumni in 50 years from Franklin University Switzerland. Richard is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and Franklin University Switzerland.
GMP - Graduate Program, Advanced Business Strategy, Finance, Operations, General Management
Founding Strategic Partner
Founding Managing Partner & Investment Manager
Founding Managing Partner & Investment Manager
Michael Byrd Ph.D.
Head of Product
Dr. Michael Byrd is a founding team member and the head of product at Guardrail Technologies. He is a computer scientist and a forensic accountant and has broad experience in developing and implementing data analytics solutions. Dr. Byrd is a Certified Public Accountant and has extensive experience running global investigations and data analytics projects at Big-4 accounting firms. He specialized in the use of electronic evidence in forensic investigations and has recently been focused on research and technology commercialization.
Michael received his Ph.D. in Management Information Systems from The University of Arizona, his Master of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin, and his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics from Missouri State University.
Ph.D. Management Information Systems, The University of Arizona
Master of Business Administration, The University of Texas at Austin
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science & Mathematics, Missouri State University
Larry Bridgesmith
Head of Artificial Intelligence Strategy
Larry’s work with Guardrail is the culmination of a career successfully integrating technology, law, and business. Pushing the boundaries of legal innovation has resulted in well-deserved recognition and accolades. Notably, Larry was honored with the Legal Innovation award by the President of the Tennessee Bar Association, as well as the prestigious Janice Holder award for legal innovation from the Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice. His groundbreaking contributions to the realm of legal technology innovation earned him the distinction as a finalist in the 2021 British Legal Technology Awards. He was further acknowledged by Law.com as the leading Innovator of the Year for 2023 in the Southeastern United States.
Wayne State University of Law
Lipscomb University Institute for Conflict Management
Adjunct Professor Vanderbilt University of Law
Michael McCarthy
Head of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science
Michael “Mike” McCarthy currently serves as a tenured Associate Professor at Utica University and founder of its Data Science program. He is passionate about teaching students the ethics and social responsibility required to be proper stewards of the data and models used throughout our world. He received his Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point and his Master’s and PhD from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Dr. McCarthy’s professional experience spans academia to governmental service, from big tech to startups. As a senior research scientist at Amazon developing global forecasts and a healthcare analyst conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis for the Veterans Administration, Mike sought to answer the difficult questions. Prior to graduate school, Michael served in the U.S. Army as an officer and pilot deployed to Iraq. Mike enjoys traveling, scuba diving, and hiking with his family.
Founding Director and Associate Professor of Data Science
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) & Master of Arts, Geography
Senior Research Scientist
West Point
Jeff Torello
Head of Technology & Engineering
Jeff Torello brings over three decades of experience driving innovation and delivering impactful technology solutions. With a proven track record in AI, cybersecurity, product development and leadership, he’s passionate about guiding high-performing teams to success. Jeff has worked with esteemed organizations like Intel Corporation, where he spent 20 years in various technical and leadership roles. Since then, he’s led engineering organizations at several startups, including defense contractors, where he developed expertise in designing and implementing enterprise-grade software, IoT solutions and AI-driven systems.
As a seasoned technologist, Jeff holds the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) designation and also has a DoD clearance. He’s a twice-published author on topics related to remote leadership and the impact of Gen AI on personal productivity. Jeff is committed to driving business growth through pioneering technology solutions that foster a culture of collaboration and excellence. His expertise spans advanced AI technologies including LLMs, RAG and machine learning frameworks as well as cybersecurity practices and vulnerability assessments. Jeff has successfully managed full product lifecycles from ideation to deployment with a focus on innovation, scalability and operational efficiency.
In his spare time Jeff volunteers as a mentor with The Honor Foundation helping veterans transition into the private sector.
IoT Gateway Chief Architect
