Meet Our Team

Dave is a multi-discipline engineer, software developer, inventor and entrepreneur who, not only runs Appward, but is also President and owner of our sister company ASC Process Systems. Dave built ASC over 30+ years to be the leading manufacturer of aerospace autoclaves in the US. Since the early days, Dave has designed and developed most of ASC’s autoclave products as well as all the software systems that runs ASC’s business operations. He is also the developer of ASC’s flagship software product, CPC, which is the world’s leading machine automation solution for composite equipment control. At Appward, Dave has leveraged his 30-year experience as the architect of the Appward platform and creator-developer of many of our business apps. For fun, Dave divides his free time with more app-coding, morning 2000 yd swims, and weekend hikes with his wife Gudrun (CFO) and their bull mastiff “Schatzi.”

Raffi got a degree in Mechanical Engineering at the American University of Beirut, his hometown. He got the software bug back in those early days infusing intelligence into electro-mechanical systems. He pursued that passion further with a Masters degree from Clemson University, and from there landed his first software engineering job in Los Angeles with Dave Mason at ASC. After traveling the country for two and a half years on the job, Raffi decided to settle locally to work at a Spanish Pharmaceutical company Grifols, where he played a key role in engineering CapEx expansions and managing a large new plant that produced life saving IV medications for Cancer and Hemophilia patients. After 10 years apart and one MBA degree later, Raffi rejoined forces with Dave Mason as co-founder of Appward, starting the groundwork on the Platform design, architectural foundation, and development. Raffi was part of hiring all the team members and setting up departments. Besides running day to day Ops at the company, he loves spending time with his wife and three kids.

Gudrun is Dave’s wife and partner in crime in starting up Appward. She works full time at ASC as VP and CFO, and part time at Appward as she imparts wisdom from her significant experience in finance, accounting, contracts, strategy and administration matters. She hails from Innsbruck, Austria, and can speak multiple languages. She came to the States, got an econ degree from CSUN, and met Dave. The rest is history! Dave and she enjoy taking those nice California hikes on the weekends, while their dog enjoys quiet time at their beautiful home in Valencia!

Vlad received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from University of California, Berkeley, after which he joined a fin-tech company in San Francisco. After a brief exposure to working with developers there and providing business logic and specs for financial software, he decided to dive fully into tech and learn to code himself. He came back to Los Angeles where he had his roots and attended Coding Dojo. Shortly after, he received a call to join the Appward mission, where he started off as a software developer, building the initial foundations and classes for the platform. Now, Vlad manages the Core team and continues building new and exciting functionality for the Appward platform. Besides coding, he enjoys traveling, working out, and spending time with his wife.

After attending UC Santa Cruz for Computer Science, Nick worked at Appward’s sister company, ASC Process Systems, for five years in many capacities including Planner, Field Project Manager, and eventually Business Automation Manager.  Nick oversaw new app development at ASC and the roll-out of Appward to the 300 employee manufacturer. Nick is adept at not only product development and quality control, but full ERP implementation, so in 2024 Nick moved to Appward full time as their Product Sales Manager, where he will bring his experience to other new customers. Nick was a competitive swimmer in high school and college, ranked in the top 10 in California for 200 IM. He’s now is obsessed with golfing in his free time.