We’re quite the crew

Meet the team behind Staks. Led by a talented pair of software developers and architects, we bring combined expertise in:

  • Fintech, media and entertainment technology verticals
  • AWS-based enterprise grade software architecture and strategy
  • Blockchain and cryptocurrencies
  • Cybersecurity

It’s great to meet you.

We’re quite the crew

Meet the team behind Staks. Led by a talented pair of software developers and architects, we bring combined expertise in:

» Fintech, media and entertainment technology verticals

» AWS-based enterprise grade software architecture and strategy

» Blockchain and cryptocurrencies

» Cybersecurity

It’s great to meet you.

Scott Pranger
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officer Scott Pranger is a three-time Inc. 500 entrepreneur and holds a demonstrated track record in expanding publicly traded and early-stage companies into US and international markets. Pranger occupied multiple executive positions and served on boards of directors, garnering significant experience in profit and loss management, mergers and acquisitions, and venture capital and private equity fundraising. An established force in the fields of entrepreneurial information technology and software industry operations, Pranger was inducted into his university’s College of Business and Analytics Hall of Fame in 2004.
Scott Pranger
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officer Scott Pranger is a 3x Inc. 500 entrepreneur and holds a demonstrated track record in expanding publicly traded and early-stage companies into US and international markets. Pranger occupied multiple executive positions and served on boards of directors, garnering significant experience in profit and loss management, mergers and acquisitions, and venture capital and private equity fundraising. An established force in the fields of entrepreneurial information technology and software industry operations, Pranger was inducted into his university’s College of Business and Analytics Hall of Fame in 2004. Pranger has sold enterprise software and information technology globally with deployments on every continent.
Cory D. Raines
CMO & Chief Legal Officer
CMO & Chief Legal Officer Cory Raines is a highly sought-after legal professional with experience representing established and emerging talent in the entertainment and sports industries. Known for his precision and expertise, Raines specializes in contract drafting, business consulting, and negotiations. His portfolio of clients includes professional athletes, film actors, and musicians for whom he has negotiated and closed countless licensing, management, touring, and record deals. In his work with entertainers from all backgrounds, Raines has a track record of managing client relations and adapting to the unique challenges of their industries. His adaptability to both macro and microlevel developments along with his attention to detail are what distinguish Raines as an exceptional counsel. Raines also graduated with undergraduate business and marketing degrees and has been an early adopter of new marketing techniques that encompass the use of social media and influencers.
Cory D. Raines
CMO & Chief Legal Officer
CMO & Chief Legal Officer Cory Raines is a highly sought-after legal professional with experience representing established and emerging talent in the entertainment and sports industries. Known for his precision and expertise, Raines specializes in contract drafting, business consulting, and negotiations. His portfolio of clients includes professional athletes, film actors, and musicians for whom he has negotiated and closed countless licensing, management, touring, and record deals. In his work with entertainers from all backgrounds, Raines has a track record of managing client relations and adapting to the unique challenges of their industries. His adaptability to both macro and microlevel developments along with his attention to detail are what distinguish Raines as an exceptional counsel. Raines also graduated with undergraduate business and marketing degrees and has been an early adopter of new marketing techniques that encompass the use of social media and influencers.
Troy Solomon
Chief Revenue Officer
Chief Revenue Officer Troy Solomon is an innovative and adaptable sales executive with more than 20 years of high-tech sales, strategic partnering and operational experience. A former Olympian baseball player with gold and bronze medals, Solomon brings passion and collaborative energy into creating and leading successful teams from startups to large multibillion-dollar international companies. A pro at generating new revenue streams and negotiating seven- and eight-figure deals with global technology companies, Solomon also has extensive experience in private equity fundraising. Always ambitious and of-the-moment, Solomon helped develop some of the first internet banking (“Fintech”) technology and created one of the largest domain name and web hosting companies in the United States.
Troy Solomon
Chief Revenue Officer
Chief Revenue Officer Troy Solomon is an innovative and adaptable sales executive with more than 20 years of high-tech sales, strategic partnering and operational experience. A former Olympian baseball player with gold and bronze medals, Solomon brings passion and collaborative energy into creating and leading successful teams from startups to large multibillion-dollar international companies. A pro at generating new revenue streams and negotiating seven- and eight-figure deals with global technology companies, Solomon also has extensive experience in private equity fundraising. Always ambitious and of-the-moment, Solomon helped develop some of the first internet banking (“Fintech”) technology and created one of the largest domain name and web hosting companies in the United States.
David Jackson
Chief Product Officer Web 2.0
Chief Product Officer David Jackson is an Executive Management Advisor to several companies including a large US commercial bank with a record of delivering state of the art payout platforms, including instant payment systems and new methods for factoring. As a consultant and sales executive in the financial services industry, David has developed his expertise around commercial banking, cross border remittance, and payments innovation and processing. He’s worked with IBM, Oracle, Marketcy, and several fintech incubators and accelerators where he demonstrated success in collaborative management practices that built cross-discipline, cohesive teams focused on strong client relationships. David also works with several ANSI X9 and Business Payments Coalition committees to co-author papers for industry processing design and instant payments adoption in the US and globally.
David Jackson
Chief Product Officer Web 2.0
Chief Product Officer David Jackson is an Executive Management Advisor to several companies including a large US commercial bank with a record of delivering state of the art payout platforms, including instant payment systems and new methods for factoring. As a consultant and sales executive in the financial services industry, David has developed his expertise around commercial banking, cross border remittance, and payments innovation and processing. He’s worked with IBM, Oracle, Marketcy, and several fintech incubators and accelerators where he demonstrated success in collaborative management practices that built cross-discipline, cohesive teams focused on strong client relationships. David also works with several ANSI X9 and Business Payments Coalition committees to co-author papers for industry processing design and instant payments adoption in the US and globally.
Piroune Balachandran
Chief Product Officer Web 3.0
Chief Product Officer of Web 3.0 services, Piroune Balachandran is a 2X founder in the e-commerce and fashion technology space. He has over 6 years of consulting experience with Cornerstone Research, advising Fortune 500 companies, top law firms, and government organisations with economic and financial analysis. Active in crypto since 2018, Piroune advises Web 3.0 startups on product, strategy, operations, and business development. Along with his consultant work, Piroune writes and publishes blockchain related research and insights and is a frequent panellist at various blockchain conferences.
Piroune Balachandran
Chief Product Officer Web 3.0
Chief Product Officer of Web 3.0 services, Piroune Balachandran is a 2X founder in the e-commerce and fashion technology space. He has over 6 years of consulting experience with Cornerstone Research, advising Fortune 500 companies, top law firms, and government organisations with economic and financial analysis. Active in crypto since 2018, Piroune advises Web 3.0 startups on product, strategy, operations, and business development. Along with his consultant work, Piroune writes and publishes blockchain related research and insights and is a frequent panellist at various blockchain conferences.

Staks Advisory Board

Rick Horrow
Sports Law & Infrastructure Pioneer

As CEO of Horrow Sports Ventures, Rick Horrow has been the architect of over 100 deals worth more than $20 billion in sports, performing arts, and other urban infrastructure projects. Horrow pioneered the public/private partnership and infrastructure branding concepts that, to date, have enticed more than $4 billion in corporate funding to cities and development projects. Besides developing stadiums and arenas, Horrow’s ability to put together many urban initiatives into one package for voter approval has resulted in the building of new performing arts and convention centers, schools, libraries, transit projects, and tourist destinations.

A popular speaker, writer, and commentator on the business, law, and politics of sports, he is nicknamed “The Sports Professor” because he has been Visiting Expert on Sports Business at The Harvard Law School, where he received a law degree alongside Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts, his college roommate. Horrow is Executive Editor of The Sport Business Handbook: Insights from 100+ Leaders Who Shaped 50 Years of the Industry (Human Kinetics, March 2019), as well as author of When the Game Is on the Line, an autobiographical examination of the people and politics behind mega sports deals, and co-author of Beyond the Scoreboard: An Insider’s Guide to the Business of Sport.

In addition to providing regular sports business content to Bloomberg Radio and penning a weekly column for Yahoo! Finance, Horrow hosts monthly national television shows titled “Good Sports” and “The Icons”, which are carried by Bally Sports, formerly known as Fox Sports Networks, and other RSNs. His “Keeping Score” podcast and blog are weekly keystones of Thomson Reuters’ sports business coverage. Horrow’s clients have included the NFL, NHL, Major/Minor League Baseball, U.S. Polo, PGA Tour, NASCAR, Great White Shark Enterprises (Greg Norman), Ladies Professional Golf Association, Major League Soccer, General Sports Venue/AstroTurf, Edelman Financial, EVERFI, Citrix, Cisco Systems, CA, Guggenheim/Group One Thousand One, Globecast, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Golden Bear International (Jack Nicklaus), Portland Trail Blazers, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, and the State of West Virginia.

He has been a key player in stadium, arena, and speedway deals in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Boston, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Houston, Green Bay, San Diego, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and El Paso.

Rick Horrow
Sports Law & Infrastructure Pioneer

As CEO of Horrow Sports Ventures, Rick Horrow has been the architect of over 100 deals worth more than $20 billion in sports, performing arts, and other urban infrastructure projects. Horrow pioneered the public/private partnership and infrastructure branding concepts that, to date, have enticed more than $4 billion in corporate funding to cities and development projects. Besides developing stadiums and arenas, Horrow’s ability to put together many urban initiatives into one package for voter approval has resulted in the building of new performing arts and convention centers, schools, libraries, transit projects, and tourist destinations.

A popular speaker, writer, and commentator on the business, law, and politics of sports, he is nicknamed “The Sports Professor” because he has been Visiting Expert on Sports Business at The Harvard Law School, where he received a law degree alongside Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts, his college roommate. Horrow is Executive Editor of The Sport Business Handbook: Insights from 100+ Leaders Who Shaped 50 Years of the Industry (Human Kinetics, March 2019), as well as author of When the Game Is on the Line, an autobiographical examination of the people and politics behind mega sports deals, and co-author of Beyond the Scoreboard: An Insider’s Guide to the Business of Sport.

In addition to providing regular sports business content to Bloomberg Radio and penning a weekly column for Yahoo! Finance, Horrow hosts monthly national television shows titled “Good Sports” and “The Icons”, which are carried by Bally Sports, formerly known as Fox Sports Networks, and other RSNs. His “Keeping Score” podcast and blog are weekly keystones of Thomson Reuters’ sports business coverage. Horrow’s clients have included the NFL, NHL, Major/Minor League Baseball, U.S. Polo, PGA Tour, NASCAR, Great White Shark Enterprises (Greg Norman), Ladies Professional Golf Association, Major League Soccer, General Sports Venue/AstroTurf, Edelman Financial, EVERFI, Citrix, Cisco Systems, CA, Guggenheim/Group One Thousand One, Globecast, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Golden Bear International (Jack Nicklaus), Portland Trail Blazers, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, and the State of West Virginia.

He has been a key player in stadium, arena, and speedway deals in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Boston, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Houston, Green Bay, San Diego, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and El Paso.

Dave Turnbull
Veteran Songwriter & Star Connector

In his over 29 years of experience working in the music industry, Dave has developed relationships with many of the prominent music publishing companies and record labels in Nashville, TN. As a staff songwriter, Dave has had almost 100 songs recorded by major label artists such as Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, Montgomery Gentry, Mark Chesnutt, Gary Allan, Craig Campbell, Craig Morgan, Jordan Davis, Randy Owen, Jake Owen, Darius Rucker, and Trace Adkins.

His writing credits include twelve top 40 radio singles including one top 25, three top 15, one top 10, and four number 1 singles. Dave has participated in countless songwriting forums and workshops for The Bluebird Cafe, Belmont University, Leadership Music Group, and The Nashville Songwriters Association International where he has served as an active board member for the past seven years.

In 2020, his friend and former MLB Cy Young award-winning pitcher, Barry Zito, introduced him to Music City Baseball executives John Loar and Alberto Gonzales who have been working diligently for the past several years to establish a future MLB baseball team for Nashville called “The Nashville Stars”, along with a new stadium they have plans to build. Dave has since been involved with The Nashville Stars, applying his connections and knowledge of the industry to connect the “Stars” of baseball with the “Stars” of the Nashville music scene.

Dave Turnbull
Veteran Songwriter & Star Connector

In his over 29 years of experience working in the music industry, Dave has developed relationships with many of the prominent music publishing companies and record labels in Nashville, TN. As a staff songwriter, Dave has had almost 100 songs recorded by major label artists such as Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, Montgomery Gentry, Mark Chesnutt, Gary Allan, Craig Campbell, Craig Morgan, Jordan Davis, Randy Owen, Jake Owen, Darius Rucker, and Trace Adkins.

His writing credits include twelve top 40 radio singles including one top 25, three top 15, one top 10, and four number 1 singles. Dave has participated in countless songwriting forums and workshops for The Bluebird Cafe, Belmont University, Leadership Music Group, and The Nashville Songwriters Association International where he has served as an active board member for the past seven years.

In 2020, his friend and former MLB Cy Young award-winning pitcher, Barry Zito, introduced him to Music City Baseball executives John Loar and Alberto Gonzales who have been working diligently for the past several years to establish a future MLB baseball team for Nashville called “The Nashville Stars”, along with a new stadium they have plans to build. Dave has since been involved with The Nashville Stars, applying his connections and knowledge of the industry to connect the “Stars” of baseball with the “Stars” of the Nashville music scene.

Milton Santiago, Jr.
Founder, Innovator & Influencer

Milton Santiago is known in the industry as a successful founder and leader creating innovative user experiences in the financial space. He is an award-winning inventor and holds over 30 patents covering mobile payments, data transformation and user experience to name a few. In 2015, one of his patents on mobile payment technology was ranked amongst the top 10 patents issued for that year.

Milton’s most notable accomplishments is the creation of digital banking experiences. All the platforms he has created have been award winning and industry recognized for transforming user experiences in digital banking. One of his most recognized accomplishments was the creation of Bank of America’s CashPro® Online, which is recognized as one of the top 3 digital banking platforms worldwide generating over a billion dollars in revenue annually.

Milton is also an accomplished content creator on YouTube. He has over 66 million views and over 166 thousand subscribers covering all things tech and sharing passive income strategies leveraging cryptocurrency. His channel ranks amongst the top .01% worldwide. Milton can be found in the speaker circuit, covering topics on innovation, digital banking, social media, consumer electronics and cryptocurrency.

Milton Santiago, Jr.
Founder, Innovator & Influencer

Milton Santiago is known in the industry as a successful founder and leader creating innovative user experiences in the financial space. He is an award-winning inventor and holds over 30 patents covering mobile payments, data transformation and user experience to name a few. In 2015, one of his patents on mobile payment technology was ranked amongst the top 10 patents issued for that year.

Milton’s most notable accomplishments is the creation of digital banking experiences. All the platforms he has created have been award winning and industry recognized for transforming user experiences in digital banking. One of his most recognized accomplishments was the creation of Bank of America’s CashPro® Online, which is recognized as one of the top 3 digital banking platforms worldwide generating over a billion dollars in revenue annually.

Milton is also an accomplished content creator on YouTube. He has over 66 million views and over 166 thousand subscribers covering all things tech and sharing passive income strategies leveraging cryptocurrency. His channel ranks amongst the top .01% worldwide. Milton can be found in the speaker circuit, covering topics on innovation, digital banking, social media, consumer electronics and cryptocurrency.

Tom Cousineau
Collegiate & Professional Sports Business Authority

One of the most dominant linebackers in Big Ten history, Tom Cousineau left Ohio State as the school’s leader in nearly every tackling category. He was distinguished as a two-time consensus First Team All-American for the Buckeyes under College Football Hall of Fame coach Woody Hayes. Tom has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (‘16), the Ohio State Sports Hall of Fame (’95) and is the recipient of the Silver Anniversary Butkus Award (‘03). When inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, Cousineau’s 569 career tackles were second all-time in Ohio State History. Following his senior season, he was invited to play in the Hula Bowl, where he earned Defensive MVP honors. Cousineau would then become the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1979 NFL Draft and played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers.

After four years with Cleveland and two in San Francisco, Cousineau has enjoyed success in the business world. Following years of running a highway construction company, he partnered with MultiSource Communications, an e-commerce solutions company, and raised funds and marketed the Archestral software for use in the Healthcare industry.

Tom Cousineau
Collegiate & Professional Sports Business Authority

One of the most dominant linebackers in Big Ten history, Tom Cousineau left Ohio State as the school’s leader in nearly every tackling category. He was distinguished as a two-time consensus First Team All-American for the Buckeyes under College Football Hall of Fame coach Woody Hayes. Tom has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (‘16), the Ohio State Sports Hall of Fame (’95) and is the recipient of the Silver Anniversary Butkus Award (‘03). When inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, Cousineau’s 569 career tackles were second all-time in Ohio State History. Following his senior season, he was invited to play in the Hula Bowl, where he earned Defensive MVP honors. Cousineau would then become the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1979 NFL Draft and played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers.

After four years with Cleveland and two in San Francisco, Cousineau has enjoyed success in the business world. Following years of running a highway construction company, he partnered with MultiSource Communications, an e-commerce solutions company, and raised funds and marketed the Archestral software for use in the Healthcare industry.