GiftRocker provides gifting and marketing tools to extraordinary shopkeepers. We are passionate about creating innovative solutions helping the interactions between shopkeepers and their customers.
Our Team
Alex Robertson
Founder & CEO Alex, in what seems like a past life, enjoyed delivering large corporate cash management, billing, portal and customer relationship (CRM) applications for Fortune 500 financial and communications companies. Using an equal measure of vision, experience and hard work, Alex’s involvement typically spanned the complete life cycle from concept to roll out. Following a liberation from the corporate world, Alex founded GiftRocker to provide smartphone based gift card management and marketing tools to small businesses. GiftRocker’s offering rivals programs offered by retail giants while requiring no capital investment from shopkeepers. Alex graduated from Vanderbilt University with majors in Computer Science, Math and Economics. Following his undergraduate studies in Nashville, Alex moved back to his home town of Chicago where he earned an MS in Computer Science from DePaul University. Alex currently resides in Arlington, Virginia.
Founder & CEO Alex, in what seems like a past life, enjoyed delivering large corporate cash management, billing, portal and customer relationship (CRM) applications for Fortune 500 financial and communications companies. Using an equal measure of vision, experience and hard work, Alex’s involvement typically spanned the complete life cycle from concept to roll out. Following a liberation from the corporate world, Alex founded GiftRocker to provide smartphone based gift card management and marketing tools to small businesses. GiftRocker’s offering rivals programs offered by retail giants while requiring no capital investment from shopkeepers. Alex graduated from Vanderbilt University with majors in Computer Science, Math and Economics. Following his undergraduate studies in Nashville, Alex moved back to his home town of Chicago where he earned an MS in Computer Science from DePaul University. Alex currently resides in Arlington, Virginia.
Bob Nelson
Advisor Bob Nelson is a serial entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in winning initial clients, structuring strategic partnerships, and raising capital for early stage companies.
Through Nelson & Company, Bob helps ventures target their initial consumer/SME/or enterprise customers, establish distribution channels, and position the company for strategic angel and A Round investors. Previously, Bob was cofounder / board member of the nearby business app, HotelNeighborhood, and VP of Partner Development / board member at voice authentication pioneer, TradeHarbor.
Earlier, he served as Entrepreneur in Residence at Network Solutions and then at the VeriSign Ventures Group (following their acquisition of Network Solutions for $21BB) where he directed the launch of a series of new businesses. Prior to that, Bob was cofounder and CEO of CrossMedia Networks and worked in partnership marketing at MCI (now Verizon). Earlier in his career, Bob worked for a U.S. Congressman, two U.S. Senators, and a Retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Bob has also served as an Advisor to Zoomdata (world’s fastest visual analystics solution for big data with $47M of funding from Accel, NEA, Goldman Sachs, and Comcast) and Clarabridge (Customer Experience Management leader with $110M of funding from General Catalyst and Summit Partners). He is also an Advisor to NetWatcher(acquired by Qualys), a cyber-security service for small and medium enterprises.
Advisor Bob Nelson is a serial entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in winning initial clients, structuring strategic partnerships, and raising capital for early stage companies.
Through Nelson & Company, Bob helps ventures target their initial consumer/SME/or enterprise customers, establish distribution channels, and position the company for strategic angel and A Round investors. Previously, Bob was cofounder / board member of the nearby business app, HotelNeighborhood, and VP of Partner Development / board member at voice authentication pioneer, TradeHarbor.
Earlier, he served as Entrepreneur in Residence at Network Solutions and then at the VeriSign Ventures Group (following their acquisition of Network Solutions for $21BB) where he directed the launch of a series of new businesses. Prior to that, Bob was cofounder and CEO of CrossMedia Networks and worked in partnership marketing at MCI (now Verizon). Earlier in his career, Bob worked for a U.S. Congressman, two U.S. Senators, and a Retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Bob has also served as an Advisor to Zoomdata (world’s fastest visual analystics solution for big data with $47M of funding from Accel, NEA, Goldman Sachs, and Comcast) and Clarabridge (Customer Experience Management leader with $110M of funding from General Catalyst and Summit Partners). He is also an Advisor to NetWatcher(acquired by Qualys), a cyber-security service for small and medium enterprises.
Michael Sternberg
Industry Advisor Having started in the business in the late 70’s at the original Morton’s of Chicago under the tutelage of legendary restaurateur, Arnie Morton, Michael has gone on to open the award winning restaurants, The Occidental, Sam & Harry’s, The Caucus Room, and Harry’s Tap Room among others. His restaurants have received multiple awards including the DiRoNA Award, Gourmet Magazine’s “Top Tables”, Washingtonian “Blue Ribbon” and “The Fine Dining Hall of Fame” from Nations Restaurant News.
Having served as Co-President of Enovo Restaurant Ventures and Senior Vice President of Centerplate Inc (the largest food service contractor in the sports, convention and entertainment industry) for four years and CEO of S&H Restaurants and Essential Restaurants for 20 years prior, Michael recently developed (and subsequently sold) Market Tavern, fine dining Chophouse and Gastropub in Arlington Virginia. Michael is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association, Treasurer of Visit Fairfax and former Chairman of the Washington Convention and Visitors Association. He resides in Great Falls, Virginia with his wife of 25 years, Karen and their three daughters, Tally, Lacey and Madison.
Industry Advisor Having started in the business in the late 70’s at the original Morton’s of Chicago under the tutelage of legendary restaurateur, Arnie Morton, Michael has gone on to open the award winning restaurants, The Occidental, Sam & Harry’s, The Caucus Room, and Harry’s Tap Room among others. His restaurants have received multiple awards including the DiRoNA Award, Gourmet Magazine’s “Top Tables”, Washingtonian “Blue Ribbon” and “The Fine Dining Hall of Fame” from Nations Restaurant News.
Having served as Co-President of Enovo Restaurant Ventures and Senior Vice President of Centerplate Inc (the largest food service contractor in the sports, convention and entertainment industry) for four years and CEO of S&H Restaurants and Essential Restaurants for 20 years prior, Michael recently developed (and subsequently sold) Market Tavern, fine dining Chophouse and Gastropub in Arlington Virginia. Michael is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association, Treasurer of Visit Fairfax and former Chairman of the Washington Convention and Visitors Association. He resides in Great Falls, Virginia with his wife of 25 years, Karen and their three daughters, Tally, Lacey and Madison.
Chris Box
Technical Advisor Chris has a over 12 years experience as a practical technician architecting and developing for Fortune 500 companies and the US Government. Graduating from James Madison University with a B.S. in Computer Science, Chris is eternally a student of systems and their applications. Comfortable leading all aspects of the technical spectrum including infrastructure, security, database design, configuration management, user interface design, web services and web development. Some of his accomplishments include Qwest’s first ever e-Billing application, launched at a time when the web was more filled with seedy pictures than practical applications. Chris also architected and led in the delivery of a number of big data, high volume document management and searching applications. In each of his endeavors, Chris pays equal attention to technology, operations and user experience. Chris is currently the Chief Architect at AltoLojix and resides in Sterling, Virginia.
Technical Advisor Chris has a over 12 years experience as a practical technician architecting and developing for Fortune 500 companies and the US Government. Graduating from James Madison University with a B.S. in Computer Science, Chris is eternally a student of systems and their applications. Comfortable leading all aspects of the technical spectrum including infrastructure, security, database design, configuration management, user interface design, web services and web development. Some of his accomplishments include Qwest’s first ever e-Billing application, launched at a time when the web was more filled with seedy pictures than practical applications. Chris also architected and led in the delivery of a number of big data, high volume document management and searching applications. In each of his endeavors, Chris pays equal attention to technology, operations and user experience. Chris is currently the Chief Architect at AltoLojix and resides in Sterling, Virginia.