Jeff Eastman
Chief Executive Officer
Jeff is a co-founder of Alchemy and brings over 30 years of entrepreneurial and management experience to Alchemy. Prior to becoming CEO of Alchemy, Jeff was CEO of Alchemy Studios, a nationally recognized leader in the development of multimedia educational and training products for academic, commercial and government clients. His experience also includes managing operations and leading the organizations in start-up ventures for software development, real estate development projects, and retail ventures. Jeff is a graduate of the University of Texas.
David Perl
Chief Operating Officer
David joined Alchemy in 2004 and brings to Alchemy over 20 years of general management experience. Prior to joining Alchemy, David served for 5 years as president and COO of Prosoft Learning, a publically-traded developer and distributor of content and certifications that enable critical information and communications technology workforce skills. He also spent 10 years in various sales and general management positions with several divisions of United Technologies Otis Elevator. David holds and undergraduate business degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Archie Barrett
Chief Technology Officer
As a founder of Alchemy’s predecessor Avatar Technology, Archie served as both CTO and CEO. He has managed multiple engineering teams responsible for the design and development of various software and network solutions. He led the development of Avatar (formerly named Course InSite), a recognized industry-leading management system for professional development in the K-12 market. Archie holds two undergraduate degrees and a Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas.
Ryan Schooler
Chief Financial Officer
Ryan joined Alchemy in 2009 after serving as Chief Financial Officer at Austin Capital Management, a hedge fund of funds. He previously held senior finance roles at Level 3 Communications and served as Chief Financial Officer at Jardine Foods, Inc. Earlier in his career, he held audit and advisory roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers and BDO Seidman. Ryan earned a BBA in Accounting from Texas A&M University, and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Robin Donelson
Vice President Of Engineering
Robin joined Alchemy in 2008 and brings over 26 years experience in the areas of software development, quality assurance, customer support, and product development. Robin worked for IBM for 16 years, before assuming multiple engineering management roles at Dell, Inc. He most recently served as Director of Technology Services at ClearCube, and as Functional Manager of Quality Assurance for Polycom’s Video Division. Robin is a two-time graduate of the University of Texas with Bachelor’s degrees in Education and Computer Science.
Erin Silver
Product Manager
As an early member of the Alchemy team, Erin has at one time or another managed Alchemy’s marketing, customer support, operations training activities. As Product Manager, Erin serves on Alchemy’s executive team and is responsible for ensuring that Alchemy’s products continue to evolve to meet customer needs. Previously, Erin worked for over 10 years at Sachem, Inc., an Austin-based manufacturer of specialty chemicals. She holds a B.S. in Nutrition from the University of Texas.
Thomas Murphy, Ph.D.,
Past CEO & General Partner
Tom Murphy brings more than 30 years experience in operations, management, and research positions in both civilian and government organizations. Tom was the founding CEO of Alchemy Systems, LP. Tom’s background includes serving as President/CEO of a multidimensional software corporation. a biotechnology company , and a corporation specializing in manufacturing, licensing, and contract work of patented large-diameter pipeline cleaning systems. Tom’s military experience includes serving as Commanding Officer of three different U.S. Navy SEAL units. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, and earned an M.A. in Public Administration and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma.
James T. Hoover
General Partner
Jim and his wife, Jan reside in Austin, Texas. He is the principal owner of IDM Partners, a private investment company which has provided seed stage capital to proven entrepreneurs in a variety of industries since 1987. He has served on multiple corporate and charitable Boards. From 1997 through 2009 Jim served as Chairman of KBI Biopharma, Inc. a private drug development and contract manufacturing organization headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. Jim is a co-founder and General Partner of Alchemy Systems. He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy from 1967-1972. Jim was educated at the School of International Service, American University and received his MBA from the University of Texas.
Alchemy Systems was named the American Meat Institute's (AMI) 2009 Supplier of the Year.
The award was presented during AMI's International Meat, Poultry & Seafood Convention & Exposition, part of the Worldwide Food Expo, October 28-31, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. The Supplier of the Year Award is given to a supplier member of AMI that truly partners with meat and poultry processors to help achieve industry goals.
