OUR STORY
Observa delivers unique data to customers, filling an information gap in the market. We do this using our network of observers and our the Observa mobile app for Android and iOS. The information we deliver is structured and validated, but raw and unfiltered. We aren’t afraid to tell it like it is. Our observers have no bias toward your product, and we let the data speak for itself. The view we provide is authentic. Our job is to help you understand it.
MEET THE TEAM
HUGH HOLMAN
CEO & CO-FOUNDER
After spending time driving strategy, innovation, and sales in public and some larger private companies, Hugh decided to get back to his entrepreneurial roots and founded Observa with business partner Erik Chelstad. The concept grew from personal experience surrounding the challenge of managing retail execution, which Hugh faced as an executive team member at two private Seattle companies. Together, Hugh and Erik paired a known problem with a solution and Voila!… Observa was born.
ERIK CHELSTAD
CTO & CO-FOUNDER
Being a successful entrepreneur who has helped take companies from startup to IPO, Erik jumped at the chance of attacking a large, under-served market and founded Observa with Hugh Holman. His past includes being the senior engineering manager during a public offering, profitably merging acquired technology companies, and creating digital marketplaces. Erik’s engineering prowess was put to the test developing the initial Observa platform, keeping him out of the mountains… well, at least on poor weather days.
TOM WILSON
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER
01101111 01100010 01110011 01100101 01110010 01110110 011000010111001001101111 01100011 01101011 01110011… and make it pretty.
PAUL SWEGLE
GENERAL COUNSEL
Paul is the team’s lawyer. He makes us do things the right way, which can be annoying to us startup types, but he’s also an experienced business person who helps us quickly identify and seize opportunities. And he’s a boxer too, so we generally go along with whatever he recommends.
ADAM KIRK
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Adam is what every start-up needs: a human Swiss Army knife. A graduate of the University of Washington, Adam joined the Observa team in a part-time role that quickly expanded into a full-time position in which he works closely with Hugh in shaping many aspects of our business strategy. When he isn’t hard at work here in the office, Adam is most likely playing or watching any number of sports. As a die-hard fan of Seattle sports, Adam has one simple goal… to see his beloved Mariners make the playoffs!
ALESSIA PIZZOCCHERI
MARKETING COORDINATOR
Originally from Italy, Alessia spent five years in Florida where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree and started her Marketing career. She then packed her bags and moved to Seattle. Alessia joined the Observa team shortly after her arrival to the city. She’s the “creative one” of the office and manages all of our marketing strategies as well as curating our website and blog. When she’s not working, Alessia enjoys reading up on movie fun facts, having a cold IPA or wandering around the city.
THOMAS LESAVAGE
ACCOUNT MANAGER
Tom grew up in Boulder, CO where he developed his love for the outdoors which only grew upon his move to Seattle in 2010. A true fan of everything PNW, Tom enjoys being surrounded by water as opposed to his landlocked home state. He is a graduate of Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Tom is a veteran of the digital marketing world where he has worked with such clients as Microsoft, General Motors and Hulu. He is excited to be in the start up world where he can be on the ground floor helping to take Observa to the next level.
ROBERT CHRISTOPHER
SALES DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE
Robert will be spearheading new client acquisition and strategic growth initiatives for Observa. He is passionate about delivering the best experience to our customers and will be working alongside the Director of Sales to drive usage of the Observa platform. A former collegiate athlete and captain of the varsity wrestling team, Robert was awarded a B.A. Degree from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. In his free time, Robert enjoys lifting weights, playing board games with friends, and trying new restaurants in his home neighborhood of Belltown in Seattle.
SEAN O’KEEFE
SALES DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE
A Seattle native, Sean spent his childhood surrounded by sales, clients, and press checks. After graduating from the University of Chicago, he worked in the nonprofit sector in Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia. He received his Master of Public Service degree from the Clinton School of Public Service in Arkansas. Having recently moved back home, gotten married, and started a sales career, je spent many years wandering the world only to end up right back where he started. In his free time, Sean enjoys corgis, used bookstores, foreign languages, and bicycling in odd places like Fisherman’s Terminal.
