Media

Dr. Atti has led the development and growth of Phononic since its inception in 2008.

As the global leader in solid state cooling technology, Phononic is driving the world to a more sustainable way to cool. Its transformational technology reduces greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions and supports climate goals, while meeting the demanding performance needs of the market. The company’s thermoelectric devices and integrated products are mission critical to how people work and communicate; automobiles ‘see’; the protection and effective delivery of life-saving vaccines and drugs; last mile solutions supporting e-commerce; and innovative methods to cool living and work spaces.

Phononic has received coverage in major publications including The Economist, Fast Company and Forbes, and Dr. Atti has been featured as a guest on national broadcast outlets, including CNBC. Atti earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute at the University of Southern California. He also holds an MBA from New York University and a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Ithaca College.

Jeff Yardley is an accomplished finance executive with a proven track record of scaling technology businesses for rapid growth.  Jeff joined Phononic from Cree, Inc. a global, publicly-traded technology company.  At Cree, Jeff had leadership roles within corporate finance and as the finance lead for two high growth business units that grew over 4x during his tenure. He was part of leadership teams that grew and scaled these businesses including strategic development, M&A activity, and a potential IPO.  He is known for driving results, streamlining processes, and developing high-performing teams.

Prior to Cree, Jeff held financial leadership roles at Stock Building Supply and TEKELEC, both publicly traded companies.  He began his career in public accounting at both KPMG and Ernst & Young serving on audits of various public and private companies in a variety of industries.

Jeff attended Appalachian State University where he obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Accounting.  He is a Certified Public Accountant in North Carolina, Certified Management Accounting, and Chartered Global Management Accountant.  He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife and children.

Jason Ruppert, a native of New Orleans, holds B.S. degrees in both Computer Science and Industrial Engineering from Southeastern Louisiana University and an M.S. in Integrated Manufacturing Systems Engineering from North Carolina State University.  Jason has held executive leadership positions in R&D, Operations, Engineering, and IT for both large and small-cap Hi-Tech/Semiconductor companies (Nortel, Ciena, Harmonic, OCZ Storage Solutions, and Toshiba, Nanotron).

His focus has been working in highly accelerated growth companies and turn-around companies/organizations with emphasis on New Product Introduction, Manufacturing & Supply Chain Operations, Quality & Reliability systems, and Information Technology.

Gulbin Hoeberechts brings over 15 years of strategic marketing leadership to Phononic, with extensive experience scaling both startups and established companies in the consumer-packaged goods industry. She previously led the marketing and sales teams at AAA Smart Home as the SVP of Marketing, achieving double digital sales and revenue growth for four consecutive years. Prior to AAA Smart Home, Gulbin led teams at Meyer Corporation, Basic American Foods, and others, including founding a successful natural food business, leveraging her robust marketing expertise to grow brand equity. As the Chief Marketing Officer at Phononic, she will spearhead marketing activities and strategically position the company’s innovative solid-state cooling and heating solutions across diverse global markets, including LiDAR, Cold Chain/Last Mile, and HVAC industries. Gulbin is a passionate leader with a “figure it out” mentality committed to aligning and motivating teams to reach profitable growth

Gulbin holds a Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University, based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Larry has spent his 30+ year career building products and platforms that connect people and businesses to groundbreaking new applications, services and content. As the former VP of Product at Fitbit (recently acquired by Google), Larry was responsible for Fitbit’s full $1B + product portfolio of wearable hardware and software. There, Larry and his team drove nine product launches that led to massive global awareness and first-of-a-kind health and fitness experiences.

Prior to Fitbit, Larry spent nine years at Google in senior product roles leading connected TV platforms, gigabit-speed internet and TV services, augmented reality smart phones, and mobile app payments. Prior to Google, he built microprocessors, set-top devices and game consoles, and video conferencing products at Sun Microsystems, Microsoft and Cisco Systems, respectively.

Carlos Lopez boasts a rich and diverse career history, encompassing four distinct professional journeys. Notably, he held a prestigious position as Chief Global Sales Officer at the largest supplier of coffee, tea, and extracts to the food service industry in the United States.

Carlos has successfully led companies through both the processes of going public and private. He has skillfully crafted corporate strategies and growth plans, executed seamless acquisitions, and implemented comprehensive compensation programs. Furthermore, Carlos has showcased his acumen in talent identification and succession planning while adeptly managing risk.

Leveraging his extensive 20+ years of executive-level experience spanning multiple industries, Carlos has excelled in managing complex B2B global customers and intricate supply chains. His profound impact on revenue recognition, channel development, and strategic sales and account management has been widely recognized.

Carlos Lopez’s dedication, expertise, and forward-thinking approach make him an invaluable asset to any team he joins. His unwavering passion for Phononic’s mission and boundless potential will undoubtedly propel the company to even greater heights of success

Jason is a seasoned global executive with demonstrated expertise directing human resources for high growth expansion stage to Fortune 100 companies across numerous industries. Recognized for his leadership skills as well as strong tactical execution, he guides executive teams and boards of directors in transformational organizational strategy.

At Phononic, Jason is responsible for defining strategy across the critical Human Resources function and driving breakthrough performance, ensuring Phononic’s continued global leadership in solid state cooling and heating technology.

Committed to diversity across organizations, Jason has served on the Board of Directors of WEBD (Working to Educate Build and Develop), supporting HBCU’s throughout North Carolina, as well as on the Board of The Triangle Chief Human Resources Officer Association. He has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh.