About LiquidPlanner, Inc.
Here at LiquidPlanner, we know a thing or two about collaboration and project management.
Founders Charles Seybold and Jason Carlson are former senior managers at Expedia.com. Both experienced technologists, they helped build one of the world’s largest and most recognizable online businesses. Having seen countless projects flounder or fall flat in the absence of effective project planning tools, they took it upon themselves to fill the void. The result is LiquidPlanner.
The rest of the team consists of alumni from Intel, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, T-Mobile, and beyond. We all share a few traits, like a coffee fetish, that keep the dynamic around the office lively. But more importantly, we have one key thing in common: we’re all really fired up about helping teams deliver projects successfully.
LiquidPlanner was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Bellevue, WA.
Management Team
Charles Seybold | CEO and Co-Founder
Charles co-founded LiquidPlanner with Jason Carlson in March 2006. For over 25 years, Charles has been building software tools in one form or another. He has a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was a front-line software engineer for over 10 years before moving into program management, and later executive management. Charles gained his Internet experience as part of the core Expedia development team as the company grew from startup to e-commerce giant. Watching some of the smartest people in the world struggle with managing process and projects led Charles to the realization that dramatically better tools were needed to address today’s project realities. Within the eye of that brainstorm, the idea for LiquidPlanner was born.
Follow Charles on Twitter.
Jason Carlson | VP of Engineering and Co-Founder
Jason co-founded LiquidPlanner with Charles Seybold in March 2006. Jason began his software career at Microsoft working as a Test Lead, focusing on performance and scalability of the MSN Expedia product. He then spent eight years at Expedia.com, first as a Software Test Manager and later as Director of Quality Management. Throughout his tenure, he was dedicated to ensuring the stability and scalability of Expedia’s world-class internet travel platform. Jason has a Computer Science degree from Minnesota State University and is undeniably obsessed with maintaining a high standard of quality in every aspect of software development, from design, development and testing to customer support.
Liz Pearce | VP of Sales and Marketing
Liz earned her marketing stripes in various positions at Sony Computer Entertainment America, Google, and Amazon.com. At Amazon, she held product and project management positions in both the retail and marketing groups, leading initiatives such as the re-launch of the Amazon Wedding Registry and the launch of the Amazon Shorts digital literature store. Most recently, she operated a marketing consulting business in Seattle, working with a number of local companies including Amazon.com, FuseIQ, iConclude, and sengWare. Liz holds a B.A. in Political Communications and an M.A. in Telecommunications from The George Washington University.
Eileen McCormack | VP of Finance
Eileen McCormack has over 25 years experience in accounting operations, policy and procedure design and implementation, budgeting, financial reporting, banking relationships, systems implementation and conversions, and legal and human resources. Prior to joining LiquidPlanner, Eileen was the acting CFO of SNAPin Software, Inc., where she was actively involved in the growth of the company from early investment rounds to the sale of the company to Nuance Communications in October 2008. Eileen has held accounting and finance roles at Western Wireless, T-Mobile, NORCOM Networks and Northland Cable TV. She has a BA in Business Administration from the University of Washington and holds a CPA certificate from the State of Washington.
Bryan Wilkerson | Director of Product Development
Bryan has been developing software professionally for just about 20 years. Working on teams of all sizes, Bryan has successfully delivered software ranging from Linux kernel drivers up to full scale e-commerce web applications and web services. Prior to LiquidPlanner, Bryan worked as a Senior Staff Engineer for Intel for more than eight years, assuming roles of Development Team Lead, Project Manager, and Lead Engineer along the way. Before Intel, he was a lead Software Engineer for iCat and AOL and a Senior Systems Consultant for Watson Wyatt Worldwide, Inc.
Advisory Team
Barney Harford | Member, Board of Directors
Barney Harford is president and CEO of Orbitz Worldwide, a leading online travel site. Barney held a number of positions at Expedia, Inc. from 1999 to 2006, most recently leading their entry into the Asia Pacific region as President, Expedia Asia Pacific. Prior to Expedia, he was a strategy consultant with The Kalchas Group in the UK. He also serves on the Board of Directors of GlobalEnglish, a leading provider of on-demand English language training services to multinational corporations; and Orange Hotel Group, a high-design budget hotel chain based in China. He holds an M.B.A. from INSEAD and an M.A. in History and Philosophy of Science from Clare College, Cambridge.
Geoff Entress | Member, Board of Directors
Geoff Entress is an experienced entrepreneur and investor. He is currently a venture partner with Voyager Capital in Seattle. Previously, he was a venture partner with Madrona Venture Group, a Seattle venture capital firm, a securities lawyer with Perkins Coie, a Seattle law firm, and has managed financial analysis and reporting groups at Salomon Brothers in New York and The Prudential Home Mortgage Company in New Jersey. He has also held positions at Jones Day, Mellon Bank, Priority Investment Management, and Duquesne Capital Management. In addition, Mr. Entress serves on the board of several privately held companies. Mr. Entress received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, an MS in Industrial Administration from Carnegie Mellon University, and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
Bill Bryant | Advisory Board Member
Bill has had early and instrumental involvement in over 20 leading software and Internet companies, serving in a variety of capacities, including founder, senior executive, investor, and board member. He recently joined Draper Fisher Jurvetson as a venture partner and is a former partner of Atlas Ventures, where he originated their investment in Isilon Systems. Prior to Atlas, Bill co-founded Qpass and served as its CEO and chairman. He also co-founded and served as President of Netbot, which built Jango, the first comparison shopping agent for the Internet. Bill has consulted extensively with Microsoft, Real Networks, Getty Images, and Corbis and has helped a half dozen startups reach liquidity. He is a popular speaker in the Northwest on technology, venture capital, entrepreneurship, and startups. Bill received a B.A. in European History and an M.B.A. and Ph.D. Candidacy in Business Strategy, all from the University of Washington.
Linda Bernardi | Advisory Board Member
Linda Bernardi is the founder of StraTerra Partners, a technology strategy consulting firm based out of Seattle and San Francisco. As CEO and chief strategist, Linda and her partners are involved with large enterprises, technology providers and system’s integrators in defining the standards and architecture for the emerging Enterprise Cloud Computing ecosystem and in helping clients adopt cloud computing architecture.
Prior to StraTerra Partners, Linda held the VP of Strategy position at Capgemini. Immediately prior, in 2001 Linda founded ConnecTerra, Inc. in Cambridge Mass, where as CEO along with a highly talented group of architects and engineers, ConnecTerra became the leading software company, to connect RFID with Enterprise IT. ConnecTerra was successfully acquired by BEA Systems in 2005 and now part of the Oracle’s product line. Linda spent the first 14 years of her career at BBN, in Cambridge Mass, where for the last 3 years, she served as VP of operations for the software division, managing operations in the US, Europe and the Far East.
Steve McConnell | Advisory Board Member
Steve McConnell is CEO and Chief Software Engineer at Construx where he writes books and articles, teaches classes, and oversees Construx’s software development practices. Steve is the author of: Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art (2006), Code Complete (1993, 2004), Rapid Development (1996), Software Project Survival Guide (1998), and Professional Software Development (2004). His first two books won Software Development magazine's Jolt Excellence award for best programming books of their years. Steve has worked in the desktop software industry since 1984 and has expertise in rapid development methodologies, project estimation, software construction practices, and third-party contract management. In 1998, readers of Software Development magazine named Steve one of the three most influential people in the software industry along with Bill Gates and Linus Torvalds. Steve was Editor in Chief of IEEE Software magazine from 1998-2002.
