Selected Results

Representative outcomes from embedded technical, product, and organisational leadership.

Sanford is typically engaged to solve complex problems where execution matters as much as insight. The examples below reflect hands-on roles delivering real outcomes across technology, product, infrastructure, and growth, often under constrained timelines, limited resources, or high public visibility.

If you are navigating a similar situationm scaling a product, rescuing a stalled initiative, or bringing order to technical and organisational complexity, get in touch to discuss what forward progress could look like.

• Sanford transformed a generic mobile Internet-of-Things platform into one of the most popular IP camera apps on iOS and Android (owlr.com), reaching close to 2M users. The OWLR service prioritised privacy, safety, and simplicity, while achieving efficient customer acquisition and high-touch customer support with a small team and limited budget.

• As Product Director, Sanford oversaw delivery of Willow Garage’s first 25 remote presence systems shipping ahead of schedule. Sanford secured press coverage in the New York Times, IEEE Spectrum, MIT Technology Review, and CNET, and product placement on the national sitcom The Big Bang Theory. He also secured $1M in purchase commitments prior to consumer launch.

• As VP of IP Products and Services, Sanford led creation of the first application-aware IP network, helping shift European telecom infrastructure beyond basic bandwidth delivery. This work laid technical foundations later central to the net neutrality debate.

• As the eCommerce director of Knock Knock, overhauled product design, system architecture, and social media strategy. The work increased traffic and improved sales conversion by aligning user experience, backend systems, and audience acquisition throguh the emerging space of social media.

• As the CTO on the John Kerry for President campaign, Sanford led the evolution of the campaign web presence from a simple profile site to a online destination that resulted in the largest ever email list to that date with over three million subscribers. The digital campaign raised over $82 million in contributions.

• At Accenture, Sanford developed the first self-service account creation web application, enabling students to provision telephone service before mobile phones. The system anticipated today’s online account onboarding flows.

Emerging and post-2019 Work

UVRobots

• During COVID, Sanford led delivery of a sub-£100K UV disinfection robot in partnership with Imperial College and NHS stakeholders. The system shipped and operated in real clinical environments under severe time, safety, and supply-chain constraints.

MIDAS Education

• As Product Director, Sanford led development of MyMIDAS, a human-centric education platform enabling students to own and curate a lifelong portfolio of learning, experience, and evidence. The system combined structured data with conversational interfaces and attracted interest from multiple U.S. states, advancing toward a $15M funding round before budget and political constraints paused deployment.

Embedded and Advisory Work

Hoxton Ventures

• Embedded within the firm to stabilise and modernise internal IT, security, and compliance systems. The work focused on reducing operational risk, improving team effectiveness, and replacing reactive vendor-driven solutions with durable internal capability.

Forma Prime and affiliated initiatives

• As Product Director, Sanford led development of MyMIDAS, a human-centric education platform enabling students to own and curate a lifelong portfolio of learning, experience, and evidence. The system combined structured data with conversational interfaces and attracted interest from multiple U.S. states, advancing toward a $15M funding round before budget and political constraints paused deployment.

Early Platform and Ecosystem Impact

eGroups

• As International Product Manager, Sanford designed high-touch publishing and support models for the platform’s most active communities. This work influenced early subscription and creator-driven mailing list services that later became common across platforms such as Substack and Mailchimp.

NYC Technology Community

• Sanford played an active role in New York’s early technology ecosystem through initiatives including:
  • collabraCode: Co-founded and ran a collaborative JavaScript training programme to expand NYC’s developer base
  • NYC Coworking, CooperBricolage, and New Work City: Co-founded and helped shape early coworking models with Tony Bacigalupo
  • Coalition of Office Space Providers: Co-created during the 2008 downturn to support affordable workspace development and entrepreneur-friendly policy
  • Cooper Union Venture Network: Collaborated with students to create entrepreneurship pathways linking education and industry

Investments and Founder Support

Sanford’s investments have consistently been made as signals of belief in people and ideas rather than as financial optimisation exercises. These commitments reflect hands-on support, credibility, and long-term engagement.

Selected examples include:

• Zesty, mobile application in the healthy food delivery space. Seed investment. Sold to Stripe.
• RPD International, collaborative hardware manufacturing offering. Seed investment and advisory CTO.
• <b”>PeerIndex, pioneer in the Influence Marketing space. Series A investment and first CTO. Later sold to Brandwatch.
• GroupSpaces, group communication services focused on group leader’s needs. Angel investment & introductions.
• Suzanne’s Files, luxury selection service company. CTO services & angel investment. Sold to Spire.
• Mentor Capital Foundation, developed program to help new entrepreneurs access capital and improve business models. Mentorship services.
• dabble, video meta-information aggregation service. Provided investment. Sold.
• Advanced Fusion Systems, aneutronic fusion technology company. Provided investment.
• Falkin, digital identity management company. Provided business-modeling services.

Selected Good Words from LinkedIn

As Director at Rawlings Atlantic

“Sanford has a unique blend of creative insight, technical competence and a personable nature that makes him a pleasure to work with. He has done work for me in London, India, and the US, and I would recommend him.”

Mark Heynen
was Sanford’s client and hired him more than once

“I have worked with Sanford numerous times over past 3+ years and have found him to be someone who brings an amazing amount of positive qualities into a project. An expert level knowledge base, quality work, on time, every time. A true pro and a great guy to boot. A very nice combination to be sure.”

Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, High Integrity

Darrin McAfee, Managing Partner, Molotov
hired Sanford as a Business Consultant in 2007, and hired Sanford more than once

“Sanford has shown himself to have a clarity of vision to carry business forward and an ability to work together on winning strategies that I have rarely seen in clients. Those qualities, in addition to his high moral character, permit me to recommend Sanford as both a consultant and a client.”

Roger K. Marion, Trial Lawyer, Todtman, Nachamie, Spizz & Johns, P.C.
was with another company when working with Sanford at Rawlings Atlantic

As VP, IP Products and Services at Interoute Telecommunications

“I worked with Sanford at Interoute during 2001-2. During tough times, Sanford was always there trying to find a new angle but always keeping his feet on the ground and making sure the ideas made sense. Sanford has a fertile mind for ideas, a perennial enthusiasm and drive to get things done, a thirst for knowledge, as well as the patience and grace to really listen to others.”

Keith Milner, Director, IP Engineering, Interoute
worked with Sanford at Interoute Telecommunications

“Quick to identify and drive forward new concepts. Has endless energy and enthusiasm in pursuit of short and long term product goals. Communicates well, maintaining good relationships at all levels.”

Sanjay Maraj, Director, Voice and Access Services, Interoute
worked directly with Sanford at Interoute Telecommunications

As a Member of Board of Advisors at Paypal

“Sanford was a ceaseless and early supporter of PayPal who brought us our most valuable payments industry advisor (Scott Loftesness, who helped prepare us to survive the onslaught of credit card fraud), and our most valuable payments industry investor (Bill Melton, who’s offer to lead our Series C financing we unfortunately did not take).”

Luke Nosek, Co-founder, VP, Bus Dev, Marketing, Strategy, PayPal
managed Sanford indirectly at Paypal