About Us

Alex Hawkinson is the Founder and CEO of BrightAI, where he leads the mission to awaken critical infrastructure, transitioning operations from reactive to proactive. With over 25 years of experience in IoT, AI, SaaS, and cloud-based technologies, Alex leverages his expertise to transform industries with intelligent, forward-thinking solutions that redefine resilience and efficiency.

Before BrightAI, Alex founded and led SmartThings, a revolutionary IoT platform that reshaped the connected home landscape, known in the tech industry as “father of IOT”. Under his guidance, SmartThings grew into a global standard, supporting over 1 billion connected devices and fostering an ecosystem of 250,000 developers before its acquisition by Samsung in 2014.

Alex’s entrepreneurial influence extends to his co-founding roles at EfficientAI, advancing energy-efficient computing, and OurSky, a platform pioneering space-based technologies. As chairman of these ventures and a board member of companies like Strikepoint Group Holdings and Pelsis Group, Alex continues to innovate at the intersection of technology and infrastructure.

Through his role on the Advisory Council for Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Alex shares his expertise and passion, mentoring the next generation of innovators. Whether building groundbreaking companies or empowering others, Alex’s career reflects a steadfast commitment to reimagining possibilities and creating a smarter, more resilient world.

As Chief Technology Officer at BrightAI, Kiran Bharwani spearheads the development of groundbreaking AI-driven solutions that are transforming the management of critical infrastructure. With over 25 years of expertise spanning autonomous driving, ADAS, and functional safety, Kiran is known for his hands-on leadership style and a proven ability to navigate complex technical landscapes. He excels at driving innovation, building high-performing teams, and delivering impactful, real-world results.

Kiran’s career highlights his ability to merge advanced technologies with practical applications. At Rivian, he built the autonomous driving division, leading it through rapid growth and contributing to the company’s IPO. Overseeing a team of 250+ engineers, he developed driver-assistance systems that became core to Rivian’s vehicles. He also managed Amazon’s $1 billion electric delivery fleet program, showcasing his expertise in large-scale innovation and deployment.

Earlier, at Caterpillar, Kiran developed autonomous and ADAS solutions for mining vehicles, integrating advanced sensor technologies such as LiDAR, RADAR, and V2X communication.

Now at BrightAI, Kiran applies his extensive expertise and visionary leadership to revolutionize infrastructure management. By leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies, he drives the transformation of aging systems into smarter, more resilient networks capable of meeting the challenges of tomorrow. His work ensures that BrightAI’s solutions not only address today’s needs but also pave the way for a sustainable, secure future for critical infrastructure worldwide.

As Chief Revenue Officer at BrightAI, Gerald Choung leads all go-to-market functions—including sales, marketing, and partnerships—as the company scales its AI platform across essential infrastructure sectors. With over two decades of leadership experience spanning enterprise software, IoT, and mission-critical systems, Gerald is focused on unlocking commercial growth and accelerating adoption of BrightAI’s transformative technologies.

Gerald brings a proven track record of building and scaling revenue organizations at every stage of growth.  With prior leadership roles at Fortune 500 technology companies such as Qualcomm, Microsoft, and Oracle.  He then served as VP of Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success at ESET (CyberSecurity Industry), and most recently, he was the CRO at Platform Science and ActiveState, where he grew new markets, forging strategic partnerships, and building high-performing teams.

Throughout his career, Gerald has worked at the intersection of software, hardware, and connectivity—making him uniquely equipped to bring BrightAI’s infrastructure AI platform to scale. He’s passionate about transforming how essential industries operate, from utilities and HVAC to manufacturing and logistics.

Now at BrightAI, Gerald is helping usher in a new era of operational intelligence—one where field-ready AI solutions drive smarter decisions, more resilient systems, and sustained commercial impact across the physical world.

As Chief Financial Officer at BrightAI, Jingjing Xu leads the company’s financial strategy and operational scaling with a focus on sustainable growth and profitability. With over 20 years of experience in infrastructure investment, corporate finance, and technology, she brings unmatched expertise in shaping strategies for large-scale industrial and technology-driven projects.

Before joining BrightAI, Jingjing held multiple senior roles at Bechtel, including Division CFO and Managing Director. At Bechtel, she led global financing initiatives for infrastructure projects, played a key role in developing and financing $5 billion worth of projects in the U.S. and Europe, and guided performance across a portfolio of critical infrastructure assets. Her experience also includes serving as part of the management team overseeing multibillion-dollar industrial projects and managing financial operations for a $500 million construction equipment entity with a global footprint.

Jingjing’s career is defined by her ability to integrate financial strategy with operational excellence, building high-performing teams and delivering measurable results. Fluent in English and Mandarin, she brings a global perspective to BrightAI’s mission to transform infrastructure through AI-driven solutions.

A graduate of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she earned her MBA with honors, Jingjing’s strategic vision and leadership continue to drive BrightAI’s success and impact.

As Chief People Officer at BrightAI, Dr. Golda Hartman leverages a career spanning healthcare and technology to build a high-performing, innovative workplace. From her roots as a pediatric resident and Chief Resident at Mayo Clinic to leading healthcare divisions in corporate environments, she has consistently delivered impactful results through strategic leadership and team development.

At ReachLocal, Golda led the creation of a Healthcare Division, driving consecutive growth while helping providers adopt advanced digital marketing solutions. She further honed her expertise in talent development and business strategy as Vice President of Business Development at MAX, forging impactful partnerships with top brands and artists.

As an advisor to Yext, she advised on the development of AI-powered search and information management platforms, enabling healthcare organizations to deliver accurate, real-time answers to patient inquiries and improve digital patient experiences.

Since joining BrightAI, Golda has risen to Chief People Officer, where she leads efforts to attract top talent, foster collaboration, and advance BrightAI’s mission to revolutionize infrastructure management. Beyond her HR leadership, Golda plays a pivotal role in streamlining operations and guiding cross-functional initiatives to support the company’s growth. Her contributions ensure BrightAI is well-positioned to succeed in transforming critical infrastructure systems.

Brett Worthington is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience driving growth, innovation, and transformation across the consumer electronics and smart technology industries. As Executive Vice President of Commercialization at BrightAI, Brett leads revenue growth and strategic partnerships, ensuring seamless integration of BrightAI’s solutions into critical infrastructure sectors.

Brett’s career is marked by impactful leadership roles at the intersection of technology and business. At Frontdoor, he scaled revenue to over $300M, and at Samsung SmartThings, he built the largest IoT partner ecosystem in the industry, fostering global adoption of smart home technologies. As VP and General Manager of Wink, Inc., he advanced IoT connectivity solutions, bringing cutting-edge products to market.

With expertise in strategic planning, cross-functional team leadership, and business development, Brett has a proven ability to navigate complex landscapes and deliver transformative results. His prior roles at Ingersoll Rand and Quirky further underscore his skill in forging meaningful partnerships and driving innovation.

Brett’s dedication to collaboration and execution strengthens BrightAI’s mission to revolutionize infrastructure management through AI. His strategic vision and customer-first approach ensure the company’s solutions meet market needs while setting new standards in resilience and scalability.