Mark Sears

husband & father
social entrepreneur
living in Kathmandu (Nepal)
love me some Jesus

Company: Sprout Technology

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Mark Sears
Social Entrepreneur - CEO at CloudFactory
Internet | Nepal, NP

Summary

I have a passion for technology, business and making a difference in the world around me.

In 2008 my wife and I somehow ended up in Kathmandu, Nepal and decided to stay. Our skills, talents and experiences are now being applied in a slightly different way and in a completely different context. We love it!

After living in one of the richest countries in the world and now one of the poorest, it seems clear that we are all poor in our own way. The solution to poverty isn't simply money or economic development. Rich people are often miserable and poor people are often filled with amazing joy.

We can all agree that hope, love, joy and the relationships we share are more important than business and money. The biggest relationship we all need to figure out is the one with the God who created everyone and everything. Through his love, sacrifice and promises there is hope and restoration and a future for everyone who believes.

How do these beliefs, technology and business all work together? That is what I'm spending my days trying to figure out - email me if you have any advice! :-)
Specialties: social entrepreneurship, Web applications, Ruby on Rails, Interface design, Internet marketing, word of mouth marketing, business as mission

Experience

  • Jan 2010 - Present
    CEO / CloudFactory
    CloudFactory provides a cloud labor API for businesses to build scalable apps powered by real people.
  • Oct 2008 - Present
    CEO / Sprout Technology
    Sprout Technology has been working with startups and entrepreneurs to sprout web and mobile app ideas into reality for 3 years. Based in Hong Kong with our development office in Nepal, Sprout has raised up a team of Ruby on Rails rockstars that are managing client projects while also building CloudFactory, a cloud labor platform with the goal of creating work for 1 million people in developing nations. Sprout is a social enterprise started to do more than just build great software. We want to see our employees become integrity-filled leaders in their families and communities. We want to the beautiful country of Nepal reach its full potential given the immense resources here. Sprout is doing our small part to bring transformation to the world around us while running a fun, profitable and sustainable business.
  • Jun 2001 - Present
    President & CEO / Godspeed Computing Inc.
    I co-founded this small technology company focused on Bible software products back in 2001. I am the President & CEO and have had the pleasure of working with a long list of amazing people to accomplish some great things. Our first line of business was selling an e-book class device called the "Godspeed eBible" through Christian bookstores around the world. It retailed for $299 USD and was just starting to take off when our Korean manufacturer went out of business. Fortunately we had already began porting our Bible study software to the Palm operating system which became our 2nd line of business, which we continue today at http://www.eBiblePDA.com. Since 2004, the company has been all about Web applications and in particular, http://www.eBible.com. This online Bible study community is the core of the company now and I look forward to seeing it continue to grow and mature over the years ahead.
  • Feb 2000 - Present
    Product Manager / Technology Evangelist / Zucotto Wireless
    Because of my mobile Java work with Sun Microsystems and AudeSi technologies, I was asked to invited to join the four founders of this Zucotto as one of the initial employees and helped to grow the team from 5 to 130+ people in just 2 years. I started as a software developer, then project manager and finally a product manager that represented the company at dozens of technology conferences across the US and Europe as Technology Evangelist. On the way towards building a Wireless Java Microchip for mobile phones we helped establish Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) and I served on working groups within standards bodies such as the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and the Java Community Process (JCP).
  • Sept 1999 - Present
    Software Developer / AudeSi Technologies
    Coming over from Sun Microsystems I remained the technical contact back to my former team there as well as began contributing to the core software that led to this company later being acquired by WindRiver (WIND).
  • May 1999 - Present
    Software Developer / Sun Microsystems
    I was very privileged to start my career with a company and technology (Java) I was very passionate about and quickly decided to not return to University to finish my remaining semester of options. My team was focused on a suite of PersonalJava applications (web browser, PIM, etc) and I specifically worked on an application framework for the KVM which later matured into Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) and CLDC/MIDP. I also became the technical representative to a key licensee, AudeSi technologies that recruited me to join their company in my home town.

Education

  • 1997 - 1999
    University of Alberta
    BSc in Computer Science w/ Business Minor
  • 1995 - 1997
    Red Deer College
    BSc in Computer Science
    Activities: RDC Volleyball Team RDC Badminton Team Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Additional Information

Websites:
Personal Website, Company Website, Company Website
Honors:
Central Alberta Young Entrepreneur Award and Bursary in 1997 for my first startup (Power Technologies)
Interests:
badminton, volleyball, tennis, ping pong
My LinkedIn
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