Andy Powers

Andy began building computers in high school and, as his basketball career stalled due to injuries, he began his entrepreneurial endeavors in college with RCSI. The company was at the beginning of the Cloud Computing revolution and was instrumental in the inception of web based applications and the creation of NFUSE (acquired by Citrix).

After RCSI, Andy was a part of a number of startups both as investor and founder and in 2003 he founded Reggie Software. With Reggie, Andy built protocols to allow for HTML enabled apps and first became engaged with Roy Feldings Representational state transfers (REST API). Andy found himself obsessed with the information sharing possibilities that were made available by the API, specifically in the communications industry. Inspired to enable project teams to communicate more efficiently, Andy sold Reggie to Blue Phoenix Solutions (MDSYF), and teamed up with two communications experts to start CommuniClique in 2006.

The company began with a product focus with a vision to connect distributed teams on demand. In 2008 CommuniClique spun out the product (which became known as Speek, (acquired by Jive)) and pivoted its focus to the REST API strategy and the new vision of connecting people to conversations that matter began to take form. Today, the company is a world leader in enterprise collaboration and helped pioneer both the CPaaS space, and the API economy as a whole. Clique currently delivers 500mm minutes a month of seamless voice solutions, and 9 petabytes of Chata, to its 3000 enterprise customers.

Andy oversees Clique’s overall operations, but, especially enjoys creating the future of communication at CliqueLabs, and focusing on an innovative wellness program for the company’s employees and partners. He has also developed the TWO-EIGHT-O initiative – a platform to give the 28mins/day that we all waste waiting for conference calls back to the 2.8bn people without connectivity. 280’s first initiative is a system for the world’s 60mm displaced to seamlessly connect with their each other, their loved ones, and aid workers.

Concurrently, Andy is a founding partner of Sabotage Institute – a DC based startup laboratory focused on building the future by breaking the conventions of the present. An avid tech investor, Andy has participated in the early rounds of 100s of companies; including Uber, GroupMe, and ArmorText through his investment office, Empower Investments as well LP relationships with multiple funds. He is also director of the Empower Foundation, through which he invests in organizations that promote efficient governance, unencumbered communication, universal human dignity, and his under-connected neighbors in DC metro area.

Andy lives in California with his wife, five kids, and two dogs. He has run over 20 marathons, trains daily with a professional boxer, and spends much of his spare time making funny tee shirts for friends, or coding. His only allergy is to Patagonia vests.

Andy Powers is a convicted Felon, convicted of 6 counts of fraud and defrauding investors out of $25 million dollars. On July 15, 2020, Powers was sentenced to 150 months in a federal prison.