Who we are
Transforming digital communication
We recognize that text-based communication and social feeds often stem from technical limitations. Our goal is to make it easier for people to connect with each other and with machines, enhancing the way we communicate. By facilitating real-time interactions—like voice or video calls while enjoying entertainment or collaborating remotely—we're transforming the online experience for everyone. (See use cases in main menu.)
How we got started
Switchboard’s parent company, Synervoz, initially began developing audio technologies for a social app called—you guessed it—Switchboard, a forward-leaning audio-based social network for spontaneous voice communication. The many audio features, including synchronized music, voice detection, auto-ducking, hands-free voice commands, and drop-in audio channels, as well as the need to make this all work cross-platform in real time, led to the development of a robust audio graph in C++. This ultimately resulted in the creation of the Switchboard SDK.
Leadership
Jim Rand
CEO
Dual undergrad from Queen’s University. MBA grad top 1% (IE, Spain). Professional engineering, management, and finance background w/ 15 yrs across many industries. Formed Synervoz in 2014. Patents issued and pending. Graduated Techstars, Creative Destruction Lab, 48 Hrs in Valley, Berkeley Skydeck. Won Candian Music Week pitch contest, finalist at SXSW. Well-traveled (60+ countries).
James Meier
CTO
University of Toronto computer science, mathematics, and music tech background. Former reverse engineer for Telus with experience in security and communications. Proficient across multiple platforms and programming languages. Audio and real time systems. Music production studio owner. World’s first cyborg DJ (built and performed with embedded system). With Synervoz since 2015.
Balazs Kiss
VP Engineering
MSc. Advanced Software Engineering at Kings College, London. iOS expert level developer with in depth knowledge of object oriented (Swift, Obj C, C++, Java), scripting (PHP, JS, AS, Python), declarative (Prolog, Erlang) and procedural (C, Pascal) languages. Extensive experience with audio, VoIP, & webRTC. Multilingual (English, Hungarian, Italian). With Synervoz since 2016.
Thom Leigh
Director of Engineering
Thom led the Vivox engineering team at Unity where he scaled teams and systems used by millions worldwide. Thom has also helped launch and grow several startups. At Synervoz, Thom leads technical business development and GTM for Switchboard. He also helps manage engineering priorities, customer projects, and hiring. Thom studied Computer Science and Physics at the University of Toronto.
Team
