The Team:
Our team is very experienced in legal services, marketing, cyber security, compliance, privacy, and scaling.
Jason Velez, CEO and Platform Architect
Velez is one of the first legal-crypto pioneers. In 2014 he became one of the first lawyers to accept Bitcoin for payment of legal services and analyze the tax and compliance implications of the space. He is a practicing attorney (17 years) who made the jump to tech entrepreneurship. He serves as the 1LAW project lead and father of Docubot. Jason is the founding partner and creator of 1LAW, a culmination of his lifelong efforts to provide compassionate, accessible legal services in a modern environment. Relying on his practical legal experience, he set forth to develop a 21st century legal platform to serve an increasingly tech-dependent legal market.
Suzanna Kalendzhian, Vice President 1LAW Global
Suzanna Kalendzhian is the founder of LegalAdviceME.com, an award-winning online legal services platform connecting consumers and lawyers across the Middle East by allowing them to find, communicate and transact with each other online. The first online legal services marketplace in the region, the platform is supporting startups and entrepreneurs by providing a Legal Knowledge Series for different communities. Suzanna is also the 2017 Most Innovative Woman in Legal Technology as awarded by MEA Global Awards.
Trey Richards is the Technical Cofounder and a Software Engineer and Entrepreneur. Trey specializes in Mobile and Web Development, E-commerce/cryptocurrency integration, with an emphasis on solving real world problems in the most efficient and scalable way possible. One of Trey’s biggest assets is his confidence that he and his team are capable of anything, there is no problem too large, nor too small, that it cannot be solved through methodical planning, engineering and execution.
Kim Welch holds an Ed.D. in Learning Technologies from Pepperdine University. She is also certified in User Experience, Change Management, and basic HTML and CSS. She speaks French and Spanish and has a strong desire to open legal and educational access to people who have otherwise been without resources. Her studies focus on the digital learning experience.
As a practicing lawyer for 13 years, Tyler has excelled to become the managing partner of a mid-sized law firm and the COO of 1LAW Technologies. With his natural ability to connect and relate with various personalities, Tyler has the innate expertise to manage and lead those around him to accomplish and reach team goals.
Tyler has had the pleasure of serving on a number of advisory boards for nonprofit organizations and continually seeks for volunteer opportunities. As a lawyer, he has been named a Top 40 Under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers. Working together with the 1LAW team, Tyler truly believes the Justice gap will be closed and all people around the world will have access to legal services that will enable them to protect what matters most.
Trevor recently launched IBI Group (International Blockchain Investments) Jan 2018. This is a Venture Capital Firm focused on the emerging Blockchain, Crypto and Decentralization Technology. In his other ventures he is responsible for portfolio management, investment due diligence and compliance coordination. Awarded best Multi-Strat Hedge fund and HFOF in two publications in consecutive years.
Stewart Whaley, Attorney and Software Developer
Software developer, team leader, licensed attorney, Microsoft Certified Professional, Certified information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Twilio Doer. Stewart has experience building, designing, supporting and managing software in the healthcare, legal and media industries. As an attorney and CIPP, Stewart has extensive knowledge of IT and HIPAA/healthcare regs and compliance including the development of HIPAA-compliant, cloud-based software (including video conferencing and secure messaging telemedicine), project management, risk assessment, and development of policies and procedures to ensure regulatory/statutory compliance.
Vincent Morris, Legal Aid Developer and Liaison
Morris is a practicing attorney (12 years) and is worked for the two free legal aid organizations in Arkansas beginning as a law student intern and completed his career with legal aid as the Director of the Arkansas Legal Services Partnership and Director of the Arkansas Pro Bono Partnership.
Recognized by the American Bar Association as a Legal Rebel he is celebrated as one of the few attorneys in the nation that are “the innovators – the folks who’ve found a different path, some new way to blend the needs of their clients or their practice, or even their own needs of personal expression, into the way they practice the law.” See Morris – ABA Legal Rebel.
Advisors
We have elected advisors who represent a varied skill set of community and social growth as well as the diffusion of innovation.
Jesse Stay, Social and Community Growth
Jesse is a Growth Hacker, Internet Marketing, and Social Media Strategist, 9-time book author, software developer and blogger. Recognized by Mashable as one of 10 entrepreneurs (next to Jack Dorsey!), as well as 10 developers to follow on Twitter. Jesse has helped large, multi-national organizations formulate social media from within and grow and solidify strategy for social media across departments. He helped double the social referrals for a top-25 news organization poised to be one of the top growing newspapers in the nation within a 6-month period.
Dr. Kerk Kee, Organization Capacity
Kerk Kee holds a Ph.d in Organizational Communication. He Is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Chapman University in Orange County, California. His research focus includes technology adoption, distributed collaboration, and virtual organization. His dissertation “Rationalities behind the Adoption of Cyberinfrastructure for e-Science in the Early 21st Century U.S.” serves as guidance for diffusing innovation.