Leadership Team

Gershon Goren

Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Cangrade
Gershon Goren

Gershon is an accomplished technologist and entrepreneur with over 15 years experience. Gershon led the engineering group at Webdialogs, a provider of online meeting and communication solutions which was acquired by IBM. Following the acquisition Gershon acted as Chief Software Architect in the Lotus group of IBM, delivering LotusLive (now known as IBM SmartCloud) - a cloud based collaboration suite. After leaving IBM he got involved in a number different ventures, but decided to focus on Cangrade's mission of leveling the playing field for job seekers. Gershon loves cycling and thinks that bicycle is the best form of transportation. Gershon holds degrees in CS and Management of Information Systems from Ben Gurion University of Negev, Israel.

Liana Epstein, PhD

Chief Operating & Analytics Officer
Liana Epstein

Liana is a data scientist who stays on the cutting edge of research technology, with an extensive background in psychology, measurement, analytics, and artificial intelligence. She loves wrangling data to find elegant, actionable solutions to complex challenges. She has over a decade of experience designing and implementing innovative, data-driven systems to generate strategic insights. In her time at SurveyMonkey, Liana created an analytical strategy that successfully predicted the 2012 presidential electoral results, resulting in a partnership with NBC. If she's not at her computer, she's probably out on an adventure with her dog Lola. Liana has a B.A. in Psychology from Yale University and a Ph.D. in Quantitative Social Psychology from University of California, Los Angeles.

Jen Rifkin

Director of Customer Success
Cangrade
Jen Rifkin

Jen graduated from Bentley University with a degree in Managerial Economics and joined an early stage workforce optimization company SurveyTelligence, developing, deploying and analyzing employee assessments to help companies identify cultural, managerial or strategic inefficiencies. In this role, Jen worked directly with clients to ensure maximum value from their employee assessments and survey analytics. Jen has joined the Cangrade team as Director of Customer Success where she works to ensure Cangrade’s clients optimize their value from the Cangrade tools and process. Her main focus is on insuring that Cangrade tools and analytics drive positive impact on hiring success.

Sarah Gurr

Director of Marketing
Sarah Gurr

Sarah is a marketing leader who combines data and creativity to solve customers’ problems. A storyteller at heart, Sarah previously led content marketing at ezCater developing thought leadership and educational programs. She graduated from Boston University with a degree in Mass Communications before embarking on her career in digital and content marketing. Sarah has worked at agencies and companies in a variety of verticals building marketing programs that empathize with and address customers’ pain points. She joins the Cangrade team as the Director of Marketing, where she’s focused on growing the adoption of bias-free hiring practices.

Nubian Meehan

Customer Success Specialist
Nubian Meehan

Nubian is a relationship-oriented Customer Success Specialist with extensive project management experience and a knack for finding creative solutions to complex problems. He is a firm believer that teamwork makes the dream work and is passionate about working closely with clients to meet and exceed their recruitment goals. Nubian drives value through customer advocacy and a commitment to constantly improving their experience using Cangrade’s tools. In his leisure time, Nubian begrudgingly wakes up early on weekends to watch international soccer football matches, is a personal assistant to his loving Maltipoo, and a budding cigar aficionado.

Phillip Ferreira

Software Developer
Phillip Ferreira

Phillip is a software developer focused on streamlining the intersection between technology and business. He pursued this passion with a degree in Operations Management from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth with additional coursework in IT systems. Phillip has previous experience within the AI industry at the start-up company Focal Systems, where he worked to improve customer-facing operations through data analytics. In his role at Cangrade, he leverages this background to create software centered around the customer experience. Phillip is a strong believer in using organizational psychology metrics to make data-driven business decisions.

Cassie Jackson

Social Media Specialist
Cassie Jackson

Cassie graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Psychology, and has had a successful career in technology sales and marketing over the past decade, with organizations including Salesforce, CareerBuilder, and LinkedIn. She is also a mom of two and 4-time marathoner. Cassie originally joined the Cangrade team in a contract role responsible for top funnel marketing and sales while also focusing on raising her daughters. She is now responsible for social media and blog content management on our marketing team, creating consistent on-brand messaging across platforms for our solutions and services and curating thought leadership partnerships.

Steven A. Lehr

Founder & Science Consultant
Cangrade
Steve Lehr

Steve is an Associate in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. In his academic work, he combines survey instruments with cognitive response time tasks designed to capture unconscious cognition to address issues at the intersection of psychology and business. He believes that Cangrade can be used as a forum to help employers and job-candidates make more objective selection decisions while furthering the study of psychological science. Prior to his current work, Steve was a professional tournament poker player and entrepreneur. He holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Nevada- Las Vegas and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandeis University.

Mako Tanaka

Research Science Consultant
Mako Tanaka

Mako is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellowship recipient and Ph.D. student in psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her research examines what factors facilitate or undermine organizational leaders' attempts to advocate for diversity and inclusion policies. While pursuing her doctorate, Mako represents her department on the UCLA Biological Sciences Council and previously served on the board of the Underrepresdentated Graduate Students in Psychology. When not in the lab, Mako enjoys exploring the food of LA, attending comedy shows, and repeatedly watching "just one more" episode of her latest Netflix obsession.

Yang Wang, PhD

ML & NLP Consultant
Yang Wang

Yang's research interests include applied game theory, structural econometrics, and empirical IO. The substantive focus of his current research projects include managerial forecasting and decision making, competitive dynamic pricing, role of consumer reviews on risk aversion, and competitive incentive structures of firms with shared sales agents. Yang is currently a doctoral candidate in marketing at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University. Prior to pursuing a PhD, Yang worked as a revenue management and resort services analyst at the Las Vegas Sands.

Lola "Muffin" Bean

CFO (Chief Friendliness Officer)
Lola

Lola has been told she is a “very good girl” for 4 years in a variety of capacities. She has extensive experience chasing rabbits and making cute faces until she gets treats. Lola believes strongly in snacking equity (as long as it involves meats or cheeses) and that baths are the worst. In her free time she enjoys thoroughly licking human noses and is a true connoisseur of sticks. In Lola's time with Cangrade she has focused on woofing loudly during pivotal moments in Zoom calls.