Management Team
Chris Spain cofounded HydroPoint in 2002. Chris has over 20 years of experience managing emerging growth technology and information services companies. Previously, he was the president and founder of Shaman Corporation, providing mission-critical IT data services to organizations focused on secure and stable 24/7 IT operations. Shaman Corporation’s customers included Intuit, United States Department of Education, Hambrecht & Quist, and other leading financial institutions. The company was sold to Corporate Software & Technology in 2000. Prior to Shaman Corporation, Chris was President of Accelerated Media, a digital and broadcast media company that produced award-winning, innovative and interactive projects for Pacific Bell, Discovery Channel, Chronicle Broadcasting, Colossal Pictures, and Francis Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios, among others. Together with Peter Carlson, Chris holds a patent on Controlling a Resource Demand System. In his free time, Chris participates in numerous outdoor sports, including rock climbing, whitewater paddling, telemark skiing, and backpacking.
Peter Carlson is a cofounder of HydroPoint. He has over 15 years of experience building subscription-based IoT solutions and services for enterprise customers ranging from small to Fortune 500. Previously, Peter was VP of Engineering at Shaman Corporation, providing industry-leading, award-winning IT data services. Peter is also a co-inventor on multiple US and international patents. He is active Scouts BSA and enjoys hiking, kayaking, snow camping, scuba diving, and zip-lining.
Chris Manchuck cofounded HydroPoint, and is responsible for enterprise and channel sales, strategic partner development, and support programs. He spent over a decade managing technology, media, and data services strategies for Fortune 500 companies. Previous positions included VP of channel sales and VP of business development at HydroPoint, as well as founder and VP of content development at Shaman Corporation, where he secured and managed partnerships with Microsoft, Adobe, and Symantec. When not zigzagging the country visiting customers, Chris enjoys fly-fishing and snowboarding on some of his favorite rivers and mountains across the west.
Ben Slick is the SVP of Business Development at HydroPoint and has 40+ years of sales and general management know-how in the software and network services industry. Ben served as VP of sales for two publicly traded software companies, he was a VP / General Manager at a publicly traded Internet Service Provider and he was Founder / CEO of an Internet startup, which he sold. Ben currently serves as a Board President on two 501©3 non-profit organizations.
Amir’s role as SVP of Strategic Services is focused on analyzing our current offerings, taking a strategic approach to expand and fine-tune existing opportunities, and increasing our service and subscription offerings. He has extensive experience in both water policy and business solutions and has previously held management roles with several top telecom companies. In addition to Amir’s business experience, he served two terms as a city council member in Richardson, Texas, where he was recognized for his leadership and dedication to community involvement and volunteerism. During that time, Amir led Tree North Texas, the nation’s largest tree planting initiative whose goal was to plant three million trees. Today, in Amir’s free time he continues to give back through his own non-profit “Tree the Town” that plants hundreds of donated trees annually where they are needed throughout his hometown of Richardson.
Matt brings 20+ years of engineering leadership experience specializing in software product development for cloud solutions, big data analytics, and Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms. Previously, he held senior leadership positions at innovative technology companies including Tracer.ai, Protegrity, StreamSets, and Teradata. At Teradata, Matt and his team invented Kylo – an award-winning, open-source platform for data lake management which earned Computing Magazine’s 2017 Best Emerging Technology in Big Data. Matt had an impactful role as an architect and engineering leader at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, where he and his teams developed core software systems that operate the National Ignition Facility, a ground-breaking initiative in fusion ignition research. In his downtime, Matt and his family enjoy life in the Bay Area, are avid travelers, and enjoy skiing/snowboarding, hiking, scuba diving, and mountain biking.
Al directs manufacturing, distribution, data delivery and IT operations for HydroPoint. His 30+ years of inventory management, procurement and IT experience has been instrumental in helping HydroPoint to achieve its considerable year-over-year company growth. Prior to joining HydroPoint in 2004, Al spent 16 years at Broderbund Software overseeing IT, operations and manufacturing, where he optimized external and internal supply chains, development processes and technical support infrastructure for multi-national direct-to-consumer sales and multi-channel retail distribution. Al owns and pilots his own airplane and also spends time scuba diving, windsurfing and mountain biking.
Chris is a seasoned irrigation professional who utilizes his extensive knowledge of irrigation efficiency to influence the proper design, implementation, and maintenance of irrigation technologies to promote water management and conservation. His expertise in two-wire technology and associated devices, including soil moisture sensors and flow sensors, is invaluable in today’s industry as landscape architects, municipalities and public agencies look for ways to reduce water use in the face of restrictions, regulations and mandates.
Charles came to HydroPoint in 2007 having spent over 35 years in the irrigation industry in sales, marketing and business development positions. He holds a Master of Science degree in irrigation and soils management from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. As the regional vice president of channel sales, Charles administers the company’s business development strategy, fosters strategic partner relationships and manages partner and distributor accounts. Prior to HydroPoint, he was employed at Hardie, Irridelco, Rain Bird, Thompson, and Signature. Charles is a frequent speaker on irrigation design, system components and water management strategies to both technical and business audiences. He recently helped raise $1 million for a major renovation project for his church. Charles also bikes, swims and plays tennis in his spare time.
Meg is responsible for ensuring HydroPoint has more conversations with potential customers and more engagement with existing customers. After various marketing and communications roles in finance and biotech, this role brings together Meg’s experience in sales and marketing with her natural inclination for data and analysis. She started her college years at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo as a soil science major, graduating with a biology degree, and is now able to put that knowledge into practice. She loves spending time outdoors with her family as they go to the beach, ride bikes, and hike throughout Sonoma County.
