My story
Hacker
to defender
What started as a teenage obsession with breaking systems turned into a lifelong mission to protect people from them. I have built and rebuilt companies, faced failure head on, and created one of the world’s most advanced breach defense platforms. This is not just a tech journey. It is a fight to give power back to people in a world where cyber threats never sleep.
Where it started
I hacked the internet at 14, and it changed everything
I still remember the moment I figured out how to bypass our family’s dial-up internet restrictions. I was just a kid, self-taught and hungry to break the system, not to cause chaos, but to understand it. I wrote a program that gave me unlimited access. That small act of rebellion was not just about getting online. It sparked something deep.
By the time I hit college at BYU, I had transformed from hacker to defender, protecting university networks from the same kinds of attacks I used to explore. That shift, seeing the other side, set the course for my life. I was not just passionate about technology. I was obsessed with protecting people from digital threats.
2008 to 2015
Building a 400 person cyber empire in 14 months
In 2008 I launched my first major venture, Lancera. It started with grit, hustle, and a deep belief in the future of cybersecurity. Lancera quickly gained momentum, but I was not done. In 2014 I spun off a consumer focused company called Box Support, which exploded to more than 400 employees in under 14 months.
Insane growth, national recognition, and three separate companies landing on the Inc. 500 and 5000 list five times. These were not just wins, they were validation that I could build at scale. I was honored by Utah Business as a Forty Under 40 leader and our startup was labeled one to watch. I had found a formula for growth, but success came with a warning: scale fast, and never lose sight of your foundation.
The reset
When the market shifted, I refocused and rebuilt smarter
Like any fast scaling entrepreneur, I faced growing pains. Industry changes and shifts in platform policies impacted our momentum, and I had to make tough decisions. But instead of seeing it as a setback, I saw it as a reset. It gave me space to reevaluate, double down on what mattered most, and sharpen my mission. I realized the future of cybersecurity had to be smarter, more accessible, and proactive. That realization is what led to the creation of HEROIC.
Democratizing cybersecurity
The birth of HEROIC
I founded HEROIC with one goal, to protect everyone, not just Fortune 500 companies, from the rising tide of cyber attacks. I launched it on July 4th, Independence Day, as a declaration of freedom from digital threats. HEROIC became more than a company. It became a cause. We built a platform powered by AI, fueled by massive threat intelligence, and laser focused on protecting what matters most.
Our flagship product, EPIC, was born from a need I could not ignore: stopping stolen credentials before they destroy businesses. I knew that if we could solve the password breach problem, we could stop 86 percent of attacks at the source. EPIC scans the dark web around the clock, catches leaked credentials in real time, and gives companies a chance to act before it is too late. This is not theory. It is active defense.
A visionary on a mission
Family is the first mission
Before the business. Before the platforms. Before the stages. I am a husband. A father of six. A protector. Family is not a side note in my story. It is the foundation of everything I build, lead, and defend.
The work I do in cybersecurity, in business, in leadership, is not about abstract threats or faceless companies. It is about real people. Real futures. Real protection. So when I talk about defending what matters, I mean it, because I live it every single day.
The journey continues
Where we’re headed
Today I lead a team of builders, engineers, and security pros who are just as obsessed with protection as I am. We are constantly evolving, staying ahead of AI driven threats, credential theft, and whatever comes next. Whether you are a growing business, an enterprise CISO, or a startup founder looking to secure your future, HEROIC was built for you. Let’s stop breaches before they start.
/qr-code.png)