Meet the Team
Ron Volpe
- CEO and Co-Founder
Ron Volpe is the CEO and Co-Founder of TraceChain.ai, a traceability software, certification, and education start-up focused on enabling trade compliance based in Los Angeles California.
Ron is a global supply chain visionary and design-thinker with a wealth of diverse C-level experiences. Prior to founding TraceChain.ai Ron was Chief Commercial Officer at Danish Traceability Software company PSQR where he led the global business expansion effort.
Prior to PSQR Ron was Chief Supply Chain Officer and Global Vice President of the Apps Platform at Danish Procure to Pay Platform, and unicorn start-up Tradeshift. Prior to Tradeshift Ron was General Manager of a variety of teams including leading Central Supply Chain, Business Unit Transformation, Business Development, and Supply Chain People and Culture at Coles Supermarkets in Melbourne Australia. Prior to Coles Ron was Vice President of Customer Service and Logistics Strategy, Vice President of Global Developing Markets Supply Chain Innovation, and a variety of other roles in several locations at Kraft Foods.
During his time at Kraft Foods Ron partnered with Silicon Valley innovation and design firm IDEO to create a global Retail Supply Chain Engagement Model. His work at IDEO is featured in the best selling books by IDEO’s Tom Kelley The Ten Faces of Innovation, and Creative Confidence.
Nick Vyas
- Executive Board Chair
Dr. Nick Vyas is an educator, global thought leader, author, keynote speaker, American Society for Quality Fellow (ASQ), Chair of the ASQ Lean Enterprise Division, and legal advisor to leaders in the worlds of supply chain and global trade practice and policy. As the Founding Executive Director of the USC Marshall Randall R. Kendrick Global Supply Chain Institute and Academic Director of the USC Master of Science in Global Supply Chain Management program, Dr. Vyas educates the next generation of business leaders. Dr. Vyas is an early proponent of the need to recognize the pivotal role of global supply chain management in international trade policy trends and economic growth.
He has frequently contributed articles and opinions to reputed media platforms such as CNN, Bloomberg, ABC News, Supply Chain Management Review (SCMR), NPR, KCRW, CBS News, The Economist, Los Angeles Times, Rachel Maddow Show, Al Jazeera, BBC, LA Business Journal, and numerous others. He is the author of Enterprise Excellence: A Modern Approach to Organizational Change and Leadership using Blended Quality Management and the co-author of Blockchain and the Supply Chain, 2nd Edition: Concepts, Strategies, and Practical Applications, a book that highlights industry use cases to illustrate the significance of blockchain as an enabler and a key driver for solutions in global supply chain networks.
As a recognized thought leader, he delivers keynote addresses at conferences around the world, particularly in countries with transitional economies such as Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, and the Dominican Republic, on global trade and disruptive technologies and their impact on global supply chain management and operations.
Maneesh Apte
- Senior Advisor
Maneesh Apte is an experienced Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur with a strong background in building and scaling innovative software products and teams. He is currently the CEO of SimplePay, a venture-backed fintech company transforming consumer spending by eliminating credit card fees and offering superior rewards compared to traditional credit card points.
Prior to SimplePay, Maneesh was the CTO of Popstar, a venture-backed video shopping platform, and an early engineer at ThoughtSpot, an enterprise AI company now valued at over $4 billion. During his time at ThoughtSpot, he earned multiple patents for novel AI search algorithms.
Maneesh studied computer science at Stanford University, where he was a Mayfield Fellow and class president. Outside of work, he enjoys an active lifestyle of surfing and golfing in California.
Sid Vyas
- Senior Advisor
Sid Vyas is a distinguished finance and strategy professional with extensive experience across management consulting, investment banking, corporate development, and growth strategy. He currently spearheads the Finance and Strategy at DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service, where he focuses on enhancing customer acquisition, retention, and unit economic growth.
Before his tenure at DoorDash, Sid served as the Director of Finance & Strategy at Masterclass, where he played a pivotal role in developing long-term financial strategies, constructing the company’s operating model, and supporting IPO preparations and investor relations. Prior to Masterclass, he was a Director at FTI Consulting within the Technology, Media, and Telecom sectors.
Hugo Byrnes
- Senior Advisor
Hugo Byrnes is an independent consultant on sustainability, with years of experience in the food and FMCG business. He has a Dutch Law degree from the State University Leiden in the Netherlands. His career has focused on the food business and in particular on quality and sustainability management.
Previously, he was Vice President of Product Integrity for Ahold Delhaize, which he joined in 2006. He was responsible for Ahold Delhaize’s food and non-food product policies, which cover product safety and sustainable products, including social compliance, animal welfare and environmental issues.
Dr. Axel Schulte
- Senior Advisor
Axel T. Schulte is a Department Head in the area of Enterprise Logistics at the Fraunhofer Institute. The applied research performed by Axel and his team of 20+ Full-time researchers represents the increasing demand for the stronger incorporation of digital technologies and solutions in managing todays´ global Supply Chains. The application of Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are at the center of the current research. In addition, the department is responsible for the transfer of terrestrial logistics solutions to space and the growing space economy.
David Stepp
- Senior Advisor
A leading international trade lawyer with more than 30 years of experience, David Stepp provides multinational companies with strategic advice on global customs and international trade compliance matters. A trusted advisor, David helps clients navigate the legal and business challenges of operating in an increasingly contentious global business environment. He regularly advises multinationals on international trade regulatory matters such as those related to tariff classification, valuation, country of origin marking, free trade agreements, the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) Program, and other compliance issues regulating the global trade in goods.
As a member of Crowell’s International Trade Group and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) team, David advises companies on compliance with forced labor and human rights requirements. He has deep experience assisting companies in mapping their supply chains, including linking imported products back to their raw materials using software and other inventory management audit tools. David is highly experienced in forced labor supply chain mapping and risk assessments, and verifying due diligence efforts with on-the-ground visits to client facilities incorporating third party intelligence and audit resources.