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Leadership Team

Zaw Thet – Chairman and Founder

Zaw Thet is a veteran entrepreneur who has been at the forefront of search, social networking, mobile, and advertising since the age of 19. In 2011, Zaw was selected as one of ten entrepreneurs to serve on the United Nations Foundation's Global Entrepreneurs Council. Currently, Zaw is incubating two stealth projects, as a co-founder and chairman of the board (plyfe.me and haulerdeals.com), that cross between the mobile, social, gamification, loyalty, ecommerce, video, and advertising sectors. His success as an entrepreneur and angel investor has enabled him to raise over $100mm in venture funding for his category-defining companies. 

 

Most recently the Founder and CEO of 4INFO, which he founded 2004, the AdHaven division of 4INFO has become the largest mobile advertising platform in the US under his leadership: working with thousands of top tier publishers, advertisers, online advertising partners and platforms, and reaching hundreds of millions of mobile users every month. Among his many accolades, Zaw was selected as one of Business Week's "Mobile Barons" and he is quoted in the national press on a regular basis in publications such as the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. As a featured speaker, he has recently appeared at TechCrunch Disrupt, Summit Series, EO Alchemy, Guardian Activate, , SxSW, ad:tech, the MMA, and the 4A's.

He is also dedicated to philanthropy and the nonprofit sector: Zaw is the Chairman and Founder of Palindrome Advisors, a nonprofit he launched in March 2011 whose mission is to change how leaders give back, which has over 100 elite business leaders that have taken Palindrome Pledge and are matched with nonprofit boards. He is also is on the national board of After School All Stars, founded by Gov. Schwarzenegger, the largest nonprofit serving underprivileged 6-8th graders across the country. He is also an honorary board member of the San Francisco SPCA. Zaw studied Political and Computer Science at Stanford, where he was a President's Scholar. He also received his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was a Soros Fellow, and is still the youngest graduate in the school's history.

 More at http://www.zawthet.com

Follow Zaw Thet on Twitter @zawthet 

 

Charlaine Thet – Executive Director 

Charlaine is Executive Director at Palindrome Advisors. Charlaine has extensive experience in management, sales, public relations, elite event planning, and operations– dealing with some of the highest end clientele in the world. She has 8+ years in senior management for luxury hotels, travel and concierge companies. 

Charlaine's efforts are currently focused on expanding the Palindrome community, building out corporate sponsorship, and growing the organization globally. 

Charlaine is an avid animal rights activist, supporter and member of several animal rights organizations including: SFSPCA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), ASPCA’s Founders Circle, Ace of Hearts, the Humane Society of America, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Charlaine is best known for her efforts to help save impounded dogs from euthanasia and lead annual drives to support the efforts of shelters throughout the United States.  An accomplished and articulate advocate, Charlaine is a frequent speaker and lecturer on animal rights issues and continues to help accelerate nationwide efforts to put an end to animal cruelty.

Charlaine is a graduate of UCF and UCLA, with a background in Psychology and Communications. 

Follow Charlaine on Twitter: @charlainethet

 

Michael Sharf – Director of Strategy and Communication

Michael is Director of Strategy and Communication at Palindrome Advisors.  In this capacity he manages strategic growth projects and leads Advisor and Non-Profit outreach campaigns to keep the Palindrome community connected.     Michael is an avid supporter of initiatives aiming to bolster the support structure of underprivileged youth as a means to bridge the mounting gap between the academic haves and have-nots.  Michael’s interest in educational inequality originates from his background in athletics and volunteer coaching.  As a player, mentor, and coach, Michael saw firsthand the profound positive impact that a robust support system can have on adolescent development.
 
Michael, an SF Bay Area native, grew up in Orinda, Ca.  After earning a BS in Business Administration from the Walter A. Haas School of Business at U.C. Berkeley, he went on to work at Goldman, Sachs & Co. before leaving to join the U.S. National Water Polo team.  He played professional seasons in both Sevilla and Madrid, Spain and competed for the United States in over 50 international games including the 2010 Fina World Cup and 2010 Fina World League Superfinal.
 
In addition to his responsibilities at Palindrome, Michael runs a freelance consulting business and holds a number of leadership positions.  Michael currently serves as Executive Director of the California Championship Club, a U.C. Berkeley Alumni Group;  Commissioner of Water Polo at the Olympic Club in San Francisco; and Volunteer Assistant Coach at Miramonte High School in Orinda.  In September, Michael will enroll in the Stanford Graduate School of Business where he will be a candidate for a Masters in Business Administration focusing on Entrepreneurship.  Michael plans to stay engaged with the Palindrome community while a student.  

Follow Michael on Twitter: @MichaelGSharf

 

 

Anna Khan – Founding Team Advisor

Anna is Director of Strategy and Development at Palindrome Advisors and serves as Associate to the CEO at 4INFO, Inc, focusing on Corporate Development. Anna is a recent honors graduate from Stanford University, having led a 600+ undergraduate women's business organization as President. The organization, Stanford Women in Business (SWIB), provides women the opportunity to build a foundation in business at a young age and join an encouraging community of aspiring businesswomen. Anna now serves on the Advisory Board of SWIB and on the Board of the National Women in Business Summit (a conference led by Harvard's Women in Business.) 

SWIB held two state-wide business conferences last year, offering women insight into the world of social media and technology (a sector where women unfortunately do not have a strong footprint.) SWIB continues to stand out as the premier student organization at Stanford, having won the Dean's Award for excellence in contributing to student life. As a student, Anna was the Public Relations Chair for the Class of 2010 Student Cabinet and also Philanthropy Chair for the Delta Delta Delta Sorority where she spearheaded efforts in raising money for the St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Anna also has a background in the finance and consulting sector having interned with Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, The Albright Stonebridge Group, and City Light Capital. 

Anna's interest in the nonprofit space originates from her upbringing in Lahore, Pakistan where she volunteered at the SOS Children's Village for four years, teaching elementary math and english. She was raised to "give back intelligently," not only through money but also through her own skill set. This set of values fits in perfectly with Palindrome's mission.

Anna graduated from Stanford University with three degrees: a BA in Political Science, English Literature, and an Honors degree in Science, Technology & Society (with a focus in Entrepreneurship.) 

Follow Anna Khan on Twitter @annarchyy or read her opinion columns here.

 

Thank you to Mike Gribkoff of Sierra Web Development and Jason Glance of Glance Integrations LLC.