Randy boasts over two decades of experience in securing tax credits and government incentives, having collaborated with over 500 companies throughout his career. He kickstarted his journey in the tax practice of Arthur Andersen in southern California before co-founding Acena Consulting. At Acena, Randy leverages his extensive expertise to provide industry insights to middle-market and Fortune 500 companies, fostering both direct partnerships and indirect relationships through CPA firms.

Over the past 15 years, Randy has played a pivotal role in driving the growth of Acena's specialty tax services, particularly in research and development tax credits and cost segregation studies. His clientele spans across a diverse spectrum, ranging from multinational technology giants to smaller, privately held enterprises in manufacturing, engineering, software development, and technology sectors. Randy holds a CPA license and is an esteemed member of the California Society of CPAs. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Outside of his professional pursuits, Randy resides in Ventura County with his wife and two sons. He is deeply involved in the swimming community, serving as a Masters swim coach for Cal Lutheran University and achieving recognition as a top-ten Masters swimmer. His passion for lifesaving extends to his current status as an ILS Masters Lifesaving world record holder and his past involvement as a member and team manager of the US Lifesaving national team. Randy thrives in open-water and surf lifesaving competitions, finds fulfillment in coaching and team-building, and remains dedicated to supporting his clients' growth and success.

Founded Acena: May 2009

With more than eight years of professional financial experience, Rae began her career in Venue Management and has several years of R&D tax consulting experience with both public accounting and boutique firms. Her clients include Fortune 500 and privately held companies in manufacturing, technology, software, agriculture, and engineering companies. She offers her expertise with calculating complicated tax credits by engaging in projects from start to finish, including meeting and consulting with clients, analyzing complex data, and preparing detailed and compliant client forms.

She holds various degrees from University of Rhode Island, including bachelor’s degrees in business administration, environmental natural resource economics and sustainability, with minors in environmental engineering and interdisciplinary neuroscience. She grew up in Rhode Island and recently moved to Michigan with her husband and two sons.

Fun Facts: Rae is a collegiate Women’s Goalie Lacrosse Coach and KonMari consultant. She enjoys being a mom and watching documentaries with her husband. She also enjoys reading in her free time, as well as practicing calligraphy and quillwork.

Joined Acena: January 2023

Lacey is a passionate operations professional with over six years of experience building the systems and structures that enable businesses to scale. She began her career in digital marketing operations and has since become known for bringing clarity to complex business environments — streamlining workflows, strengthening internal systems, and laying the operational foundation for sustainable growth. Much of her work centers on supporting leadership, empowering teams, and positioning companies for long-term success.

Lacey holds a Bachelor's degree with a double major in Psychology and Communications from the University at Albany. Early in her career she aspired to work in the field of Industrial & Organizational Psychology, driven by a passion for helping both businesses and the people within them.

Originally from Upstate New York, Lacey has also called New York City, Charlotte, NC, and Denver, CO home before returning to where it all started.

Fun Facts: Lacey grew up dancing, spending over a decade on dance teams in jazz and tap. After college, she took time to travel solo across the US, Europe, and South America before launching her career. She's a voracious reader — strictly non-fiction — and now lives in Upstate New York with her husband and son.

Nick Pyzow is an energetic and engaging professional who builds relationships for not only direct services, but also resources for the business community. Having founded and successfully sold three businesses, he brings an entrepreneurial perspective to his service approach. He leads with understanding and empathy as he helps his national and international partners develop customer sourcing, problem solving, and solutions advising. 

He frequently serves as a keynote speaker, presenter, and trainer on business-optimization topics, including customer service with expectations setting, effective communication, and growth through networking. Nick also has a wealth of music-industry experience and specializes in artist contracts and negotiations, distribution, licensing, production, promotion, and royalties.

Fun Facts: Nick is a former professional musician, performer, and songwriter. As a child watching The Beatles perform on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” he decided to learn guitar and sing. He was gifted his first instrument that Christmas: a plastic one with nylon strings. He never looked back.

Joined Acena: January 2021

Laura began in the worlds of medicine and pharmaceutical R&D before traveling to scientific and technical writing. Before joining Acena, she coordinated Phase 3 neuroscience trials for drug-device combination products as a Clinical Research Associate. She later attended a U.S. medical school, where she conducted research in anesthesiology and acute care surgery, passed USMLE Step 1, and completed clinical rotations.

She sports the color purple at an alarming frequency for her alma mater, Northwestern University, where she earned her Bachelor's in Biological Sciences and Master's in Biomedical Engineering.

Away from her desk, Laura reads fantasy novels and plays with her two schnauzers, Lyra and Syl, who make guest appearances during her video calls.

Joined Acena: January 2023

With almost ten years of experience, Carina is a flexible writer with a reputation for breaking down complex concepts into clear, accessible documentation that everyone can engage with. Her experience in her field has made her an expert at helping clients achieve their goals and meet their needs.

Carina holds a B.A. in English from Villanova University, where she also participated in the Villanova FSAE racing team. In her spare time, Carina is an avid pianist, reader, and petter-of-dogs. She can often be found taking scenic drives with her favorite albums.

Fun Facts: Carina is a published poet, with her works appearing in journals such as Euphony and the Grey Sparrow.

Joined Acena: March 2025

Angelica began her career as a development scientist and, more recently, as a medical writer, at several medical device companies in the cardiology space. This included blood diagnostics through implantables. She attended the University of Miami majoring in biomedical engineering and went on to complete her Masters degree with Boston University. Her concentration for these majors included biomaterial and polymer development. Through her technical experience working in the medical device industry, Angelica was able to hone her attention to detail and persistence in producing documents for cardiac devices for the Food and Drug Administration as well as regulatory bodies for the European Union. 

Angelica lives in Los Angeles County with her family and enjoys reading, watching movies, and consuming other forms of media.

Fun Facts: Angelica has played piano since she was 14 and frequently spends weekends learning new songs.

 Michael Despones brings a diverse background spanning the education technology and manufacturing sectors. Throughout his career, he has built more than six years of experience in business management, finance, process improvement, and analytical problem-solving, creating a strong foundation for helping clients navigate complex challenges and identify opportunities for growth and value creation.

Known for his analytical mindset and results-oriented approach, Michael takes pride in building strong relationships, delivering high-quality work, and helping clients achieve meaningful business outcomes. He is committed to professional growth and enjoys tackling complex challenges through practical, data-driven solutions.

Michael holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. He is passionate about continuous learning, process improvement, and finding innovative ways to create value for clients.

Outside of work, Michael enjoys strength training, snowboarding, and spending time with friends and family. 

 Philip “Phil” Smith is a seasoned business development and senior management
executive with more than 40 years of experience, primarily in the technology
sector. He began his career at Xerox in 1973 as a salesperson and went on to hold
sales and marketing leadership roles at Fujitsu, Data General, Pervasive
Software, and several smaller firms, where he helped drive growth and
expansion.
Phil has been married to his college sweetheart for 53 years and is the proud
father of three children and grandfather of five. He now lives in western North
Carolina after spending most of his life and career in Maryland and the District of
Columbia.