David Yaskin, CEO and Founder

David Yaskin is an executive with more than twenty years experience delivering innovative software to better the lives of people. As the former VP, Product Strategy for Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB), Yaskin worked extensively in conceptualizing, developing and communicating the product roadmap for Blackboard.  Over the last eight years, he helped lead Blackboard from a successful startup to the world’s leading provider of e-Learning technology with annual revenues of more than $235 million.  He is credited with such Blackboard innovations as defining their enterprise course management strategy; pioneering their Blackboard Building Blocks open programming framework; defining the vision for their Community Portal System; and inventing the Blackboard Outcomes System, a platform that unifies assessment activities of the whole institution.  He is a highly sought-after speaker and presenter at various forums on education and technology.  Prior to Blackboard, Yaskin held software development responsibilities in the areas of education, healthcare, safety testing, and earth science at such industry leaders as IBM, SAIC, Thomson, and Hughes.  Yaskin holds a BS in Computer Engineering and Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University.

James Jordan, VP Product Development

James Jordan is a 20-year software development veteran. From 1998 - 2007, he managed large and small development organizations for Applied Biosystems (fomerly Celera Genomics). As Director of Technical Services for Applied Biosystems, he managed development and infrastructure for an $80 million web subscription service for scientists.   Jordan earned an MS in Computer Science from Loyola College Baltimore in 1988.

Sam Leiber, Chief Architect

Sam Leiber is a software architect with a successful track record designing and developing enterprise-class Web-based systems.  His area of focus for the last decade has been on education and specifically e-Learning.  He has worked for such organizations as George Washington University’s Prometheus course management system, Blackboard Inc., the Association of American Medical Colleges, and for his own consulting company, WhiteIsle.  At WhiteIsle he supported multiple universities and commercial ventures producing e-Learning and content management solutions.  Leiber earned an MS in Computer Science from George Washington University in 2001.

Zahra Safavian, Director of Product Management

Zahra Safavian comes to Starfish Retention Solutions from other e-learning software companies, including Blackboard and Learning Objects, where she has designed and managed the development of a variety of online applications for education -- from social networking and collaboration software to ecommerce applications. In addition to product management, Zahra has over 10 years of experience in user interface design, usability, and accessibility. She has also worked in the past as an adjunct faculty member, teaching web design, development, and usability to undergraduate and graduate students. Zahra earned a B.A. in Graphic Design from University of Maryland, Baltimore County and an M.A., Publications Design from University of Baltimore.

LeverPoint LLC

LeverPoint is a full-service software development organization who has partnered with Starfish Retention Solutions to quickly bring to market the Starfish Retention Suite.