SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Glowforge, the Seattle-based company that designs and produces iconic 3D laser printers for home and small business use, today announced the appointment of two new directors to its board. Ralph Clark, president and chief executive officer of ShotSpotter (NASDAQ: SSTI), and Sarah Kauss, founder and executive chairwoman of S’well, have each joined the Glowforge board of directors.
Glowforge found success quickly as a start-up, generating nearly $30 million in sales through its initial 30-day crowdfunding campaign. Demand for its iconic printers has remained strong since its launch, with the company showing rapid revenue growth in each of the last three years. Unlike most 3D printers, which make objects out of melted plastic, Glowforge printers use lasers to cut or etch raw materials such as leather, wood, acrylic, glass, fabric or cardboard.
“We’ve been quietly transforming the world, home by home, with the ability to print incredible things at the push of a button,” said Dan Shapiro, founder and CEO of Glowforge. “And now is the time to level-up at the very top of our business by bringing in some amazing folks who can help make us better – Ralph and Sarah will do just that.”
Clark brings more than three decades of corporate, financial, and organizational leadership experience to Glowforge’s board. He currently serves as president and chief executive officer of ShotSpotter, a company that develops precision policing solutions to make communities safer, where he led the transformation to a software as a service business model, and oversaw the company’s successful 2017 initial public offering. Clark previously served as chief executive officer of GuardianEdge Technologies, where he led its acquisition by cybersecurity firm Symantec (now NortonLifeLock). He is currently on the board of directors for human resources solutions and payroll company TriNet (NYSE: TNET), and serves as chair emeritus of Pacific Community Ventures, a nonprofit social enterprise and community development institution. He is a member of Harvard Business School’s California Advisory Board, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year for Northern California, and is a trustee of the American Conservatory Theater. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in economics from the University of the Pacific and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
“Getting to know Dan and Glowforge, I was intrigued by what they were doing to create a new category. This is something I have experienced myself, so I understand the persistence and conviction it takes, and some of the missteps you can make along the way. I know it isn’t always an easy journey, but Glowforge has done spectacularly well, and there seems to be plenty of opportunity ahead,” said Clark. “I’ve also been struck by the creativity I see from Glowforge users. They’re putting their unique personalities, perspectives, and histories into the things they create and there’s something interesting and powerful about that and the potential it offers.”
Kauss is the founder and executive chairwoman of S’well, a company that is working to rid the world of single-use plastic bottles. As chief executive officer of S’well for 10 years, she leveraged $30,000 in personal savings to create a company with more than $100 million in revenue. Prior to starting S'well, Kauss was an international real estate developer and Certified Public Accountant who provided professional services to public and privately held companies in the technology, consumer products, and media sectors. She has been recognized as one of Fortune magazine’s “40 Under 40” honorees, an EY Entrepreneurial Winning Woman, and was awarded the Harvard Business School of New York’s Entrepreneurship Award. Kauss sits on the UNICEF USA New York Regional Board and CarLotz, Inc. board of directors. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
“To be around Dan and the team at Glowforge, you just get caught up in the energy around what they have built and what they are building,” said Kauss. “This is a special product, a special brand and a special company. Users see that and recognize Glowforge’s potential as a tool for the creator’s economy where anyone can create things they love, build a small business, or teach their children how to make and build things themselves.”
“From his time at ShotSpotter, Ralph is experienced in creating a new category, so he gets the kind of challenges we face. He’s so incredibly knowledgeable about how to fuse innovation, values, and business models together to create incredible results, and that will be a huge help to us,” Shapiro said. “Sarah has such a strong understanding of the potential for a company to drive change in the world, which is what she’s done with S’well in its efforts to eliminate single-use plastic bottles. I know that she’ll help Glowforge stay true to our founding principles while we work together to create a world where anyone can print anything.”
Clark and Kauss join existing Glowforge directors Maria Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College, Steve Murray, managing partner at venture capital firm Revolution Ventures, Brad Feld, co-founder of the investment firm Foundry Group, and Shapiro.
About Glowforge
Glowforge is a Seattle-based consumer technology company that created the first consumer 3D laser printer for the home. The ecosystem of materials, software, and a desktop laser makes it simple to create custom clothing, stunning artwork, full-sized furniture, games with your children, and much more. The cloud-based software allows consumers to go from a drawing or digital file to a physical object in minutes, at the push of a button. Glowforge uses subtractive technology to cut and engrave products from hundreds of durable and beautiful materials like wood, leather, acrylic, paper, fabric – even chocolate. For more information, please visit Glowforge.com.
