• John Erik Metcalf
• Co-Founder, Board of Directors

John Erik Metcalf is a 24 year old entrepreneur and new venture enthusiast.

John Erik is a Co-Founder of Conjunctured, a coworking company, or "co-company" composed of independent technologists. Conjunctured creates and consults on web development and social media. At it’s core Conjunctured is changing the way people work by providing empowerment and economic vitality to it’s members.

He has served as a consultant to companies such as radar.net, qipit.com and Mr. Youth. John holds an Advertising degree from The University of Texas at Austin, with a heavy concentration in Computer Science and a research emphasis in STS (Science, Technology and Society).

A maven/relater, John is most excited when connecting people and businesses to form mutually beneficial relationships. John practices and holds dearly the concepts of empathy, critical thinking and awareness.

Ever one for exploration and excitement, John Erik is an avid mountain biker and a frequent skydiver.

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• Tom Serres
• Co-Founder, Board of Directors

Passion and vision motivate Tom Serres. With a background in Marketing at the University of Texas, he uses both to make a difference - through technology. Serres recently teamed with three college friends to form technology startup Piryx. His company uses the Internet to communicate and educate - to empower the democratic process.

Even At an early age tom was actively involved in entrepreneurship, frequently turning every commodity he could get his hands on in to an opportunity. His fondest memories come from selling candy he would swipe from his mothers war chest to fellow classmates - she was a sales rep for Hershey's chocolate at the time, visiting the flea market on the weekends with his dad, or riding around in the early morning hours helping with deliveries for his Sarah Lee franchise. Strong work ethics were instilled in Tom from the very beginning.

Outside of Piryx, Serres spends time with his wife and daughter. They love to relax on Lake Travis. When things slow up at work, Tom's probably hanging out in Austin's coveted greenbelt, enjoying his new family, or engaging his desire to study and learn Mandarin Chinese. Tom also has a passion for Management Information Systems. He's also highly involved in the community. He's a member of The Texas Breakfast Club, The NexGen Political Action Committee, Texas Ventures, The National Eagle Scout Association, The Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, Texans for Israel, and The Uptown Circle of Friends.

Serres embraces the entrepreneurial spirit - he loves the thrill of the startup and mentoring young entrepreneurs. He hopes that by helping young entrepreneurs he will sharpen his own skills while assisting Austin to become one of the top places in the country to launch a new venture.

Find and Connect with Tom on:

Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | Flickr

Tom aspires to be: Business Minded - Socially Responsible - Driven by Passion - Motivated by Vision - Empowered by Technology

• Brandon Chicotsky
• Co-Founder, Board of Directors

Brandon Chicotsky is an alumnus at The University of Texas at Austin. His hometown is Ft. Worth, TX; a city where he aspires to fulfill his commitment to public service.

Before beginning college Brandon helped start-up an independent health provider service specializing in therapeutic treatment for patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

Since this endeavor, Brandon has become politically entrepreneurial. His work has included several national races; the latest was Senator Obama's Presidential Campaign. As a former Presidents of University Democrats, Brandon partnered with four other President Emeritus, student Obama group founders, Austin activists, and national campaign staffers to lead a successful campaign office of 40 interns.

In the summer of 2006, Brandon helped organize students along the east coast to join him in Senator Joe Lieberman's re-election campaign in Connecticut. Prior to this campaign work, he was in Washington, D.C. interning with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in the political department. Some of his department work included meeting with candidates running for national office to educate them on Middle East issues.

Brandon has studied in the Middle East, Mexico, and Central America. His three visits to the Middle East region have included meetings with Israeli military, cultural, and government officials over issues of western interest and military conflict. He is an active advocate for America's interest in the Middle East and frequents Washington, D.C. for legislative items concerning the region.

Some of Brandon's professional interests and leisure reading include: political organizational development, campaign strategic planning, academic markets, student & campus markets, mergers of corporate office cultures, private wealth management, political polling & sport statisticians, strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship, professional networking, and international traveling.

Brandon is active in the Jewish community and has volunteered in the Greater East Austin Youth League by founding a little league baseball team for underprivileged children. He is a member of the Texas Breakfast Club, AIPAC, NORPAC, Hillel International, B'Nai B'rith, and Texas Ventures.

Over the years, Brandon has remained active in the creative arts. He has played drums in two rising bands, Green River Ordinance and The Campaign. Brandon continues to visit small box theaters and enjoys blues shows in the Texas capitol. Even music doesn't compare to Brandon's primary love, family. To him, the luxuries of life are best considered at the Chicotsky home in Fort Worth.