People

John Ristevski is the Chairman of the Board and CEO of CyArk. John is formerly the Vice President of Reality Capture and Processing at Nokia’s mapping company, HERE, where he led the company’s initiative to index reality. John joined HERE in 2012 through the acquisition of his company, earthmine, which developed systems to capture and deliver highly accurate street level imagery and 3D data of cities. John is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and currently serves on the board of the non-profit CyArk. He has lectured at Stanford's Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and has a Master of Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley and degrees from the University of Melbourne in both Geomatic Engineering and Law.

Barbara’s professional career has involved diverse businesses including high technology manufacturing and software, real estate development, and asset
management. Over the years she has been an active volunteer and has been president or director of several non-profits and community organizations.
Barbara has always been interested in architectural preservation/restoration and the influence of the built environment on the way people have lived,
worked and played through the ages. She holds a BFA with high distinction from California College of Arts and Crafts, loves 60’s music, digital art and
photography, snorkeling, sandy beaches, and palm trees.

Ben Kacyra is the founding director of CyArk, a nonprofit engaged in 3D digital preservation of cultural heritage sites worldwide. CyArk's concept stemmed from Mr. Kacyra's work as co-founder and CEO of Cyra Technologies, a San Francisco Bay Area technology company responsible for developing the first fully integrated laser 3D imaging, mapping, modeling, and CAD system which is currently used worldwide in the architectural, engineering and construction industries as well as in the automotive, entertainment and crime forensics fields. Cyra Technologies was acquired by Leica Geosystems in 2001 and Mr. Kacyra remained on its board of directors through March of 2004. Prior to Cyra Technologies, Mr. Kacyra was CEO of Cygna Corporation, an engineering and construction management firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area which he co-founded in 1973. Under his leadership, Cygna became one of the top 80 engineering companies in the United States. In 1989 Cygna's engineering business was acquired by a major AEC design and construction firm. Mr. Kacyra holds a MS degree in engineering from the University of Illinois.

David Olson is well known in the San Francisco Bay Area as a businessman and philanthropist. He has served on many foundations, and service oriented boards. These boards follow in the lines of his interests and passions, from automobile racing, vintage boats, to overall heritage of historical monuments. With great passion he feels that
today’s generation save, and pass on the treasures they have inherited.

Mr. Olson’s business career has included founding and / or leading several corporations engaged in diverse businesses including Steel Fabrication, Real Estate, and Shipyard / boat building. Currently, he is Chairman, and CEO of Olson Steel a large West Coast steel fabricator.

Among his passions are classic and vintage boats, and
yachting. He has found and restored many classics from the 1920’s and 30’s. He is currently involved in the restoration of a 136 foot 300 ton steel motor yacht constructed in 1930. His daily Bay boat is a 1930 Pilot Boat built and owned by the City of San Francisco.

Tom is a Founding Member and General Partner of Lakeshore Partners LLC, a mixed-use residential development company of high density transit-oriented urban in-fill projects in downtown Oakland, CA.

Since 1998 when Tom co-founded Lakeshore Partners, the company has acquired multiple sites in downtown Oakland and subsequently obtained public entitlements, design approvals and environmental approvals for 1,000+ luxury apartments and condominiums.

Prior to forming Lakeshore Partners, Tom was a consistently top producing land and office broker for 14 years at Coldwell Banker Commercial in Walnut Creek and Oakland. Prior to CB Commercial, Tom spent 7+ years at Xerox Corp as a top State Government producer in DTLA, Orange County and the SF Bay Area. Tom concluded his Xerox career as Account Manager of UC Berkeley, which was Xerox’s largest single account on the West Coast.

Over the years, Tom has served and/or continues to serve on the Board of Directors of the following non-profit organizations: the Mexican Museum in SF; the Franciscan School of Theology at Old Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, CA; the Knights of Saint Francis of Assisi in SF; the Piazza Saint Francis, The Poets Plaza at Vallejo St. between Columbus Ave and Grant St in the North Beach area of SF; and CyArk in Oakland, CA.

Tom graduated from the University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, with a BS in Industrial Engineering.

John Ristevski is the Chairman of the Board and CEO of CyArk. He is formerly the Vice President of Reality Capture and Processing at Nokia’s mapping company, HERE, where he led the company’s initiative to index reality. John joined HERE in 2012 through the acquisition of his company, earthmine, which developed systems to capture and deliver highly accurate street level imagery and 3D data of cities. John is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and has lectured at Stanford's Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and has a Master of Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley and degrees from the University of Melbourne in both Geomatic Engineering and Law.

Elizabeth serves as Vice President for Programs and Development for CyArk. Her expertise includes developing international partnerships in support of technology driven solutions for cultural heritage protection, education, and appreciation. Originally trained as an archaeologist with excavation experience in Turkey and Hungary, Elizabeth has been applying 3D technologies to the cultural field for over a decade. She has extensive experience in working with foreign governments and local communities including cultural ministries and the United Nations Educational Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO). Elizabeth is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and is a member of the US Chapter of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). She is a past winner in the South by Southwest (SXSW) Eco Place by Design competition.

Kacey Hadick is the Director of Programs and Development at CyArk. Kacey brings a decade of experience of working with communities on projects focused on cultural heritage protection. He holds master's degrees in International Relations and International Projects for Development from American University and the University of Turin. Kacey works to ensure that the digital products produced by CyArk can be used by site managers to support site conservation and decision-making. Kacey is involved from initial site scoping to project completion and works to develop and refine CyArks online and in-person workshop and capacity building programs.

Whitney is an anthropologist who specializes in research of museum and heritage sites. Before joining CyArk, Whitney worked for the National Park Service doing work in historical interpretation and cultural resources. She holds a Master's degree in Anthropology from the University of Denver.

Avidan studied architecture and holds a B. Arch degree from California State Polytechnic University at Pomona. As a Field Capture Specialist, Avidan works on-site to document and capture high-resolution data sets utilizing both photogrammetry and LiDAR technology. He is responsible for organizing, cataloguing, and verifying data sets daily to ensure quality.

Photographer and interdisciplinary scientist Chris Millbern is Head of Field Capture for CyArk, providing key technical and field experience in the areas of 3D mapping and cultural preservation. From Mt. Everest to underwater caves Chris has lead dozens of teams across the globe for everything from filmmaking to conservation, specializing in remote and hazardous environments. Having earned a degree in Ecology and Environmental Biology from UCLA, Chris was later chosen as the Rolex 2016 North American Scholar and has since been featured numerous times with National Geographic, BBC, Smithsonian, and other media outlets in print and television. Chris is involved with designing data capture techniques, expedition logistics and planning, and building lasting on-the-ground relationships around the world.

Rob's service with CyArk is two-fold; he operates as a technical trainer and Field Capture Specialist. He develops training materials, leads in-person and virtual workshops, and aids with on-site reality capture projects by capturing, processing, and optimizing digital data to facilitate multiple individual project needs. With his work, Rob aspires to familiarize stakeholders with the concepts and capabilities of reality capture technologies and techniques and further aims to erase the complexity frequently connected with the field. Rob holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Rhode Island College and a Master of Science degree in Historic Preservation from the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at Columbia University.
Before working for CyArk, he performed various consultation roles for organizations such as Stantec and Factum Arte. Rob has also spoken at several conferences, including those hosted by the Association of North American Graduate Programs in Conservation (ANAGPIC) and the Association for Preservation Technology International (APTI). Additionally, he has written on photogrammetry for the scholarly journal Technology | Architecture + Design.

At CyArk, Ami works closely with partners to develop story-driven interactive web and mobile projects for Tapestry. She is passionate about designing virtual experiences that connect people with cultural heritage, and her practice spans game design, virtual reality, installation, and performance. Previously, Ami has collaborated on public programs for NEW INC, The Venice Biennale, Deem Journal, and MoMA, among others. She received her B.A. in History from NYU, M.A. in Art History from The Courtauld Institute of Art, and M.P.S. in Interactive Telecommunications from NYU, where she also teaches.

Katharina is a science communicator with a passion for connecting people through storytelling. At CyArk, Katharina collaborates with partners as a Virtual Experiences Producer to develop place-based Tapestry experiences. Before joining CyArk, Katharina spent over a decade working in museums developing interactive exhibitions, immersive experiences, and contributing to research in informal education. Her career focused on creating accessible, multi-sensory experiences that a wide range of audiences could engage with and learn from. Katharina holds bachelor’s degrees in Geology and Journalism from Southern Methodist University, and earned her master’s in Science Communication from the University of Otago in New Zealand.

Chris was born in Stockton, California and grew up camping, canoeing, and hiking all across California. Chris received his BA from UCLA, MS from CSU Northridge and is currently pursuing his Educational Doctorate at CSU Los Angeles. Chris has worked as an educational specialist for a variety of organizations including UCLA Outdoor Adventures, CSUN Boating Instruction Safety Center, and San Joaquin County Office of Education all while serving as an adjunct professor at CSUN. When not working or studying Chris likes to fill his time with board games, and outdoor travel.

Kiana Smith is a technical artist with a focus in photogrammetry. They hold a bachelor's degree in Visual Effects from Savannah College of Art and Design. As Reality Capture Specialist, Kiana is responsible for organizing and processing high resolution photogrammetry and LiDAR data collected by the field capture team into 3D models, as well as optimizing and preparing those models for use.

Mert is a Senior 3D Artist with solid experience in CG production for the current pipeline in game development & animation. Before joining CyArk, Mert worked on movies & games like Jumanji, Super Nintendo World at The Third Floor in Hollywood and later he moved to San Francisco and became a part of the tech industry at HTC VIVE Studios. Mert holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication Design from Sabanci University in Istanbul and a Master's degree in Animation & VFX from Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

Ilayda is a VR developer with special expertise in animation and visual effects. Originally trained as an architect with additional certification in Museography and Archaeology, Ilayda joins CyArk after completing her Masters degree at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. As a digital production specialist, Ilayda works to transform CyArk’s 3D data sets into immersive experiences and engaging online content. Ilayda grew up in Turkey and holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the Istanbul Technical University.

Pisamai Maga received a Masters Degree in Education from Purdue University. She was a public school educator before joining CyArk as an Administrative Associate