A multidisciplinary team bringing financial experience, technology expertise, and human judgment together to create a more connected financial future.
Executive Leadership
The vision, operations, and communications behind VERU 365.
Harvey Sax
Founder & Chief Visionary Officer
Harvey Sax founded VERU 365 to unite his background in securities, wealth management, and early internet technology with the possibilities of AI-powered finance. Across his career, he has built businesses that connect new technology with the needs of investors and financial institutions.
He serves as portfolio manager of The Insiders Fund, an SEC-registered long/short equity fund, and previously founded Alpha Wealth Funds, a wealth-management firm based in Park City, Utah. His experience also includes leading one of the early publicly traded internet companies.
Selected career accomplishments
- President and CEO of HomeCom Communications from 1995 to 2000, guiding the company through its 1997 NASDAQ listing.
- Raised more than $50 million in capital at HomeCom and expanded its web-hosting operation to more than 3,000 sites.
- Helped bring early online insurance and banking technologies to market, including the InsureRate platform.
- HomeCom was named to Deloitte & Touche’s 2000 Technology Fast 500 list.
Dmitry Pokhilko
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Dmitry Pokhilko brings analytical rigor and entrepreneurial drive to VERU 365. An economist educated at UC Berkeley, he completed his program ahead of schedule and built his professional foundation in quantitative finance and high-pressure trading environments.
As co-founder and CEO, Dmitry leads the company’s direction and execution, bringing a disciplined, data-grounded approach to product strategy, risk, and growth. His experience building across markets and organizations informs a leadership style that values decisive action, resilience, and careful judgment.
Background
- Economics education at the University of California, Berkeley.
- Recipient of the Russian Federation Gold Medal for Outstanding Academic Success.
- Background in quantitative finance, trading, and company-building.
Juliana Manaro
Chief Marketing Officer
Juliana Manaro is a marketing leader who brings together creative communication, financial-services experience, and a strong interest in emerging technology. Her ability to translate complex ideas into clear messaging helps VERU 365 connect with financial institutions and the audiences they serve.
Juliana graduated from Rutgers University–New Brunswick at age 19 with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and a minor in Digital Communication, Information and Media. At Executive Buying Capital, she built experience across marketing, sales, social media, client relations, financial services, and hedge fund management.
As Chief Marketing Officer, she leads public relations, digital marketing, social media, and B2B communications for VERU 365’s white-label AI platform, supporting brand awareness, media outreach, thought leadership, and enterprise engagement.
Areas of focus
- B2B marketing and communications strategy for financial institutions.
- Digital campaigns, social media, and multichannel content creation.
- Public relations, thought leadership, and brand positioning.
- Enterprise outreach and inbound opportunity development.
Technology & Architecture
The people designing and supporting the platform’s technology.
Kentaro Vadney
Founding Engineer
Kentaro Vadney is the founding engineer behind VERU 365’s core technology. A UC Berkeley-trained computer scientist with experience in systems research and modern AI development, he brings deep technical expertise and a practical approach to building products at startup speed.
He designed and developed the platform across its web application, backend and cloud infrastructure, proprietary stock screeners, AI-powered financial-planning tools, bank integrations, and access controls. Kentaro uses advanced developer tools and AI-assisted workflows to maintain both delivery speed and architectural quality.
Technical focus
- Full-stack architecture, cloud infrastructure, and financial data integrations.
- AI-assisted software development, automation, and product engineering.
- Research experience in fault-tolerant distributed systems at Berkeley’s RISE Lab.
Board of Advisors
Experienced financial professionals bringing practical insight to the platform.
Roger L. Christensen
Strategic Advisor | Banking & Financial Services
Roger L. Christensen brings more than four decades of banking and financial-services leadership to VERU 365. His experience spans community banking, commercial lending, executive management, and the adoption of technology that helps institutions better serve their customers.
From 2008 to 2024, Roger served on Bank of Utah’s senior management team as Senior Vice President of Marketing Communications and Loan Participations. Previously, he held senior leadership roles at Columbia River Bank, including President and Chief Executive Officer, and earlier served at Bank of the Cascades and Bank of America/Benj. Franklin Savings & Loan.
As an advisor to VERU 365, Roger brings a practical understanding of how a consolidated view of financial information can help people and their advisers evaluate options and pursue longer-term financial goals.
Career highlights & education
- Helped grow Columbia River Bank from approximately $350 million to $1 billion in assets between 1999 and 2008.
- Expanded banking services with nine branches, online banking, treasury management, and remote deposit capture.
- Led an organization of more than 400 employees.
- Earned a BBA in Accounting from Boise State University and graduated from Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.
John J. Walters
Board Advisor | Wealth Strategy & Financial Planning
John J. Walters, CFP®, AEP®, CLU®, brings hands-on wealth-strategy and financial-planning experience to VERU 365’s Board of Advisors. Based in Philadelphia, he is Vice President and Wealth Strategist at Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors, where he focuses on client relationships and comprehensive planning.
His experience encompasses estate planning, life insurance, business succession, and using technology and analytics to help financial advisers deliver more tailored guidance to their clients.
At VERU 365, John provides a practitioner’s perspective on how AI can strengthen—not replace—the human judgment, trust, and coordination that are central to effective financial planning.
Professional designations & expertise
- CFP® — CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™.
- AEP® — Accredited Estate Planner®.
- CLU® — Chartered Life Underwriter®.
- Focus on comprehensive planning, estate strategy, life insurance, business succession, and adviser-focused technology.
