Springtech TEAM
Dave Leininger
Co-Founder, Executive Chairman, Managing Director
Dave leads the Springtech team. Prior to founding Springtech, Dave was the solo founder of two software companies in the bankruptcy and class action administration space, both with successful exits. The first, ClaimTrack Services Group, sold to First Union (now Wells Fargo) and the second, Administar Services Group, to a private equity firm and ultimately to Computershare (Ticker: CPU). Dave previously worked as a turnaround CFO, a CPA at Coopers and Lybrand (now PWC), and was the youngest VP at The Charter Company (previously a Fortune 100 conglomerate). He has a B.S. in Accounting with Honors from Penn State University. Dave holds his Series 3 license.
Kyle Sheeley
IT Developer
Kyle joined Springtech in December 2020. He graduated from the College of Charleston in May of 2019 with a B.S. in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics and Business Administration. Kyle is a full stack Microsoft programmer who develops and maintains Springtech's proprietary Stocktrack software. Kyle also performs other high value projects involving database maintenance, validating data integrity, performing system updates and maintaining hardware.
Steve Million
Chief Technology Officer
Steve is CTO at Springtech, joining December 2019. Steve brings over 25 years of experience as a full stack Microsoft developer. Prior to joining Springtech, he worked as Lead Developer for Camjack Enterprises. Previously, he served as CTO for Vizergy Digital Marketing.
Steve studied computer science at Florida State University.
Josh Yazdiya
Quantitative Analyst
Josh is a quantitative analyst/associate trader who joined Springtech in May 2021 after graduating cum laude from the University of North Florida with a B.S. in Information Systems and a minor in Business Management. Josh participated in UNF’s semi-annual School of Computing competition, placing in the top ten in multiple years. He is skilled in software development and data analysis coupled with a strong passion and a high level of understanding of financial markets and trading.
Ken Young
Quantitative Trader
Ken joined Springtech Capital in August of 2020. Previously, he worked in the Operations Procurement Department at CSX Transportation. In this role, he oversaw a $50 million book of business with key business partners including CSX technology, financial systems, and public safety departments. Ken was also a successful entrepreneur, launching and selling what has become the premier marine construction company in the Metropolitan Washington area. Ken served in the United States Marine Corps for eight years, with posts in Washington DC, Camp Lejeune, and in Okinawa, Japan. He also spent several years working for the federal government in Iraq and at the Pentagon.
Ken holds an MBA from Jacksonville University where he served as portfolio manager of the student investment fund and captained the CFA Global Research Challenge team, which he led to a Florida state championship.
Michael Dean
Quantitative Analyst/Associate Trader
Michael is a quantitative analyst/associate trader who joined Springtech in September 2021 after graduating from Jacksonville University with a B.S. in Finance and Accounting. During his time there, Michael was a member of the JU Men’s Lacrosse Team for four years, served as the Portfolio Manager for the Dolphin Student Investment Fund, and was a member of the JU CFA Research Challenge Team in 2020. Prior to Springtech, he worked for KPMG’s Audit division. He holds his Series 3 license.
Sarah Brooke
Quantitative Analyst / Trader
Sarah is a researcher who joined Springtech with 4+ years of physics research experience. She graduated in 2015 from the University of North Florida (UNF) with a B.S. in Physics and a minor in Mathematics. Sarah is skilled in data analysis, python development and quantitative research. While at UNF, she received the Outstanding Student Award for Physics.
Springtech Advisors
Katie Cortes
Co-Founder and Advisor
Katie previously led the Springtech team, including daily operations, product development, and strategy. Prior to founding Springtech, Katie led the sales, marketing, and regulatory team as Head of Business Development at Audacy, a venture-backed satellite data startup. Before joining Audacy, Katie worked as a Summer MBA Associate at Acumen Fund. Pre-MBA, Katie was a consultant with C432 in Haiti, where she helped clients including TOMS Shoes, Navigant, and the Inter-American Development Bank launch economic development projects. Katie has an MBA from the University of Oxford, a B.S. with Honors in International Relations and French Language from Seton Hall University, and holds her Series 65 and Series 3 licenses.
Hunter Fries
Engineering Advisor
Hunter is an engineering advisor at Springtech, working with STC since May 2017. He studied information systems and business at the University of North Florida. Prior to joining Springtech, he worked as a Quality Assurance Engineer at System Innovators. He is a full stack Microsoft developer with over 3 years of experience.
Guner Dincer Celik, PhD
Co-Founder and Advisor
Guner is a Springtech co-founder who previously led our research and trading efforts and is currently Director of US Treasury Electronic Trading at Cantor Fitzgerald. Prior to Springtech, Guner worked as a VP of Algorithmic Trading and Quantitative Research at Goldman Sachs for systematic market making in fixed income and commodities. Prior to Goldman, Guner was a Senior Mathematical Modeling and Algorithms Specialist and Software Developer at Oracle. Guner holds both a PhD and M.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT. He has a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Middle East Technical University, where he was ranked 2nd in the engineering department.