X-LUMIN CORPORATION - Key Persons


Diana LaTour - CEO, Chairman, Founder

Job Titles:
  • CEO
  • Chairman of the Board
  • Co - Founder
  • Co - Founder, Chairman and CEO of X - Lumin Corporation
Diana is Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of X-lumin Corporation. Diana's management and leadership experience include starting and building several new ventures, repositioning under-performing companies, restructuring organizations for planned growth, identifying and negotiating mergers and acquisitions, and restarting failing businesses. Her extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions comes not only through mergers and acquisitions of her own companies, but also through her work assisting client companies in identifying and negotiating strategic acquisitions for their own growth and market position. With a keen interest in business innovation and a refined business acumen, Diana typically wears multiple hats. In addition to her role at X-lumin, she is the Founder and Managing Partner of LaTour & Associates, a consulting firm of senior level business executives focused on assisting emerging companies to build effective and efficient organizations positioned for rapid growth and improved profitability through innovative business strategies. Additionally, Diana serves as an Operating Partner for LFE Capital, a private equity firm providing growth capital for second stage companies in the health and wellness sector. She is also a community Board Member of Factur and Rollins College's Crummer School of Business in Orlando, FL. Throughout her career, Diana has held the position of President & CEO for several healthcare, high tech and software-related companies. She has also served as a Board Member for multiple organizations. Immediately prior to X-lumin, Diana served as interim CEO and Board Member for eMindful, Inc., an LFE portfolio company and is a Board Member of other LFE portfolio companies.

Dr. John Stryjewski - CTO, Founder

Job Titles:
  • Co - Founder
  • CTO
  • Member of the Board
  • CTO and Co - Founder of X - Lumin Corporation
Dr. John Stryjewski is CTO and co-founder of X-lumin Corporation. John has over 30 years of experience designing, building, and deploying optical laser systems and solutions. He has designed, built and deployed numerous long-range optical laser systems, including: laser communication systems, LADAR systems, laser imaging systems, and laser weapons systems. X-lumin, formed in early 2019, represents John's second commercial venture. In 2012, John and a partner started Vision Engineering Solutions, an engineering services company that built numerous custom long-range laser systems and related optical technology solutions. As Vision Engineering became a successful company, the majority of its business revolved around government service contracts. Recognizing a growing need in the marketplace for cost-efficient, commercial products in the optical laser communications market, John co-founded X-lumin. X-lumin is a spin-off of the commercial business segment at Vision, specifically aimed at pursuing opportunities in wireless optical communications - especially the emerging ground-to-space laser communications and optical wireless communications markets. John's technical expertise in the field of laser system design began with his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1989. Afterward, he worked as a postdoc with CNRS - The French National Centre for Scientific Research. Upon his return to the U.S., John joined the Nichols Research Corporation (NRC) as a Research Physicist, eventually rising to the position of Technical Fellow. Following the merger of NRC with Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC), John was recognized as a Technical Fellow with CSC. John has written numerous papers and performed research in the areas of laser sensing, laser communications and the atmospheric propagation of lasers. He is a recognized expert in the atmospheric propagation of lasers and has collaborated with the University of Central Florida on research on the effects of optical turbulence on laser communications. John resides in Merritt Island, Florida with his wife and two children. He is active in the community and is the Scoutmaster for BSA Troop 343. In his spare time, he enjoys camping, hiking, skiing and ice hockey.

Jay Freeland

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board
  • Private Investor
  • Coach for Tim 's Kids
Jay Freeland is a Board Member, Private Investor, Volunteer and the retired President, CEO and Director of FARO Technologies (NASDAQ: FARO). During his eleven-year tenure at FARO, Jay grew the Company's revenue by 5x and quadrupled their market capitalization to $1.1 billion. In 2014 FARO was named one of Forbes' Best Small Companies, in 2013 was one of Fortune's 100 Fastest Growing Companies, and in 2011 was one of Popular Science's Most Innovative Companies. Prior to FARO he spent twelve years as an executive at GE. During his career, Jay has worked in more than 50 countries and has been a guest on both CNBC and Fox Business. Jay remains active in his retirement. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Interim President & CEO for Perceptron (NASDAQ: PRCP), a global leader in precision measurement and inspection systems. He also serves on the Board of Directors for X-lumin, a leader in free-space laser communication and long-range imaging solutions. In addition, Jay is an Angel Investor and Advisor to companies and organizations that are meaningfully improving the lives of others. He is a Series A Investor in torchlight, an Angel Investor in NBZ Apparel and Silivhere. Jay is on the Board of Trustees and is Secretary for the National Down Syndrome Congress as well as the Board of Directors and Treasurer for the Down Syndrome Association of Brevard. Jay serves on the President's Council for his alma mater, Union College, and is a former National Judge and State Judge for EY's Entrepreneur of the Year program where he was a winner in the Technology Category in 2008. In his spare time, Jay is a coach for Tim's Kids, an organization that provides free equipment, ice time and instruction for children with disabilities who want to learn to play ice hockey. Jay also continues to play competitive ice hockey, including on a team attached to Patrick Air Force Base that plays games around the U.S. to raise money for charity and, on teams in USA Hockey's Over 40 and Over 50 Nationals. Jay's other free-time interests include running, kayaking, biking, golfing, traveling and reading.

Louise Potter

Job Titles:
  • Director of Finance and Administration
  • Director of Finance and Administration at X - Lumin Corporation
Louise is the Director of Finance and Administration at X-lumin Corporation. Louise brings years of practical experience in corporate finance, audit oversight, and tax preparation. Immediately prior to her work at X-lumin, Louise served as a Staff Accountant for eMindful, Inc., a health-and wellness technology company that raised over $13.3M in venture capital. Her proficient organizational abilities, strategic thinking, and strong communication skills quickly set Louise apart at eMindful, moving her into increasingly responsible and trusted roles in both finance and administration. Managing her career and a family of six, Louise is an expert at juggling multiple tasks and creating efficient organizational systems. Early in Louise's career she served as the Business Manager at Alamonte Christian School where she demonstrated her organizational and planning capabilities in both the accounting and administrative arena, effectively managing payroll, daily accounts, insurance policies, tax preparation, personnel files, employee-onboarding, and the coordination of audits and all banking activities.

Zev Suissa

Job Titles:
  • Chief Growth Officer
  • Chief Growth Officer at X - Lumin Corporation
Zev Suissa, Chief Growth Officer at X-lumin Corporation, is leading the Business Development, Sales and Marketing groups. Zev brings 25 years of experience to X-lumin, having specialized in emerging markets, new channel development, and strategic partnerships across three industries. In the pioneer days of digital media, Zev built new business models for developing technologies, and created and produced media strategy, award-winning original content, live-streaming events, and social engagement campaigns for brands, publishers and platforms such as Nike, United Airlines, Paramount Pictures, Glee (FOX), The Los Angeles Times/The Writers Guild Awards, TV Guide Magazine, MSN.com, The Political Channel (winner: Horizon Interactive Global Gold Award), SBV Talent Agency, Def Jam Mobile, Sports Illustrated Mobile, The LXD (winner: Vanguard Media Award, Digital Luminary Award, performed: The 82nd Academy Awards, 2010 TED Conference) and more. Leveraging the best practices of digital media, in 2014 Zev migrated to digital healthcare where, once again, developing technologies were rapidly evolving industry capabilities and business models. Zev then jumped into a startup in the Health and Wellness Employee Benefits sector, helped the company modernize their product and pricing models, established baseline tracking and performance improvement systems, raised two rounds of capital, led teams as a player/coach in Product Innovation, Marketing B2B/B2C, and Business Development. The company sold to private equity in 2021. Zev is an established speaker at industry conferences, a long-standing member of the Producers Guild of America's New Media Council, a board member of the Vero Beach Film Festival, was formerly board advisor to Sniff & Barkens (a media/lifestyle brand that was acquired by a strategic partner in 2021), and a mentor at the USC Lava Lab startup incubator. He earned an undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Delaware, and a Masters in Business Administration at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business. In his spare time, Zev finds enjoyment through family, tennis, yoga, and skiing.