Mance Harmon

Mance Harmon is a serial entrepreneur, computer scientist and technology executive with 20 years experience working for some of the leading multinational corporations and startups in the tech industry. He is a thought leader and is the Co-founder and current CEO of Swirlds Inc. 

A successful serial entrepreneur, Mance established Hedera Hashgraph, which has quickly grown to become a multi-billion-dollar venture aiming to be the platform for tokenising everything. The venture has raised financing from top-tier investors like Boeing HorizonX Ventures, Vestinwolf Financial Holdings, Digital Currency Group, and Tata Communications.

His prior experience includes serving as the Head of Architecture and Labs at Ping Identity, Founder / CEO of two tech startups, the senior executive for product security at a $1.7B revenue organisation, Program Manager for a very-large scale software program for the Missile Defence Agency, the Course Director for Cybersecurity at US Air Force Academy, and research scientist in Machine Learning at Wright Laboratory. 

Mance received a MS in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts, and a BS in Computer Science from Mississippi State University.

Harmon's career began in the early 2000s when he worked as a Program Manager for the Missile Defense Agency, where he managed the Missile Defense Wargame program. 

In 2002, Harmon founded Trio Security, Inc., a company focused on developing enterprise-class security solutions for mobile devices. Trio Security's flagship product was a distributed single-sign-on solution that utilised PDAs and smartphones as security tokens. The solution employed three-factor authentication, combining a password, a digital key embedded in the device, and a biometric component based on the velocity profile of a handwritten word. Trio Security's technology garnered attention and was later acquired by Symbol Technologies.

After the acquisition, Harmon became the CEO and Founder of BlueWave Security, a company that provided TCP/IP-based physical security solutions. Under his leadership, BlueWave Security designed and delivered hardware platforms and software applications for managed physical access control. 

Following his success at BlueWave Security, Harmon joined Symbol Technologies (later acquired by Motorola) as the CEO and Founder of Trio Security, Inc. in 2004. In this role, he developed an enterprise-class security solution for mobile devices, focusing on single-sign-on and identity management. Trio Security's technology was based on three-factor authentication, combining password, digital key, and biometric components. The company's innovative approach attracted attention and ultimately led to its acquisition by Symbol Technologies.

Harmon's career continued to evolve, and he took on leadership roles at Ping Identity and Hedera Hashgraph. At Ping Identity, he served as the Head of Labs, overseeing discovery, innovation, product planning, technical analysis, and reputation building. He managed a team responsible for shaping value propositions, identifying new product requirements, building prototypes, and contributing to the development of a developer ecosystem. During this time, Harmon also held positions such as Head of Architecture and Head of Security Products.

In 2016, Harmon co-founded Swirlds Inc., a company that provided a platform for building and running shared worlds and fully distributed applications. Swirlds utilised the hashgraph consensus algorithm, which offered a superior alternative to blockchain technology. The platform enabled developers to build applications that were fair, fast, secure, and trusted, without the need for a central server. Harmon served as the CEO and Co-founder of Swirlds Inc., leading the company to success and paving the way for his current position.

Currently, Harmon serves as the co-CEO of Swirlds Labs, a role he has held since May 2022. Swirlds Labs continues to develop and enhance the Swirlds platform, providing developers with the tools to create distributed applications that harness the power of the cloud without relying on traditional server-based infrastructure.

Mance Harmon envisions a future where technology is seamlessly integrated into every aspect of our lives, empowering individuals and organisations to achieve new heights of efficiency, connectivity, and innovation. His vision revolves around leveraging emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and decentralised systems to create a more secure, transparent, and decentralised world. Harmon believes that by harnessing the power of these technologies, we can overcome traditional limitations, foster trust in digital interactions, and revolutionise industries across the globe.

Harmon aims to drive meaningful change by developing innovative solutions that reshape industries, unlock new possibilities, and empower individuals and organisations to thrive in the digital age. His vision encompasses a future where technology acts as a force for positive transformation, fostering collaboration, inclusivity, and economic growth on a global scale.