People
Tom Fragala, Founder and CEO
The seed for the idea behind Truston was planted in 2002, when Tom experienced identity theft first hand. Thieves broke into his previous company’s offices and stole a number of laptops, bags and identities, including his own. What inspired Tom most, however, was his work after this as a volunteer helping victims of ID theft. He became frustrated by vast size of the problem and lack of tools available to help people. The alternatives were either ineffective, expensive or required handing over sensitive information—a further ID theft risk. So, Tom decided to build something better. The result is myTruston.
Since 2004, Tom has been a volunteer victim counselor with the ID Theft Resource Center, a prominent non-profit consumer advocacy group. He also served as a volunteer for the Santa Barbara District Attorney, helping victims of fraud. Tom started the first identity theft blog, ScamSafe.com, in February 2004. He has donated over 1,000 hours of pro bono victim aid since 2004.
From 1999-2003 Tom served as CEO of Vistera Inc., offering Web-based software for large hotel management companies. He was also a member of the startup team for Software.com (acquired for $7 billion in 2000), leading the information technology group. In addition, he has worked for Cambridge Technology Partners, Microsoft, and Chase Manhattan Bank. Tom has a MS in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts and a BS in Computer Science from Merrimack College.
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Dennis Cagan, Chairman
Mr. Cagan is a high-technology industry executive and successful entrepreneur. He has founded or co-founded over a dozen different companies and in addition to his entrepreneurial activities Mr. Cagan has been a c-level executive (both public and private companies), consultant, venture capitalist, private investor, and professional board member - 46 corporate boards. In 1979 he was the Keynote Speaker at the first COMDEX Show in Las Vegas. In 2011 he was elected to the IT Hall of Fame - Channel Wing, administered by CompTIA.
Dennis is an internationally recognized authority in information technology, including: Internet, software, hardware, and communications, in the disciplines of strategy, sales, distribution channels, marketing, services, logistics and distribution. On more than one occasion Mr. Cagan has been responsible for international sales and has actively done business in 35 countries. He has authored dozens of articles and spoken frequently. In 1976 he founded the David Jamison Carlyle Corp. (his 5th start-up), turning it into one of the country’s largest distributors of computer peripherals, and taking DJC public (NASDAQ) in 1981.
Over the years Mr. Cagan has had consulting relationships with companies large and small including AT&T, IBM, Digital, BellSouth, Kodak, Xerox, General Electric, TRW, Wang, U.S. West and others. Since 1985 Mr. Cagan has served as a shadow or interim C-level executive – usually for companies where he was already a member of the Board.
Mr. Cagan was recently the CEO of SureBooks LLC, based in McKinney, TX, a SaaS company providing financial services and processing for small-medium size businesses and accounting firms.
The Cagan’s moved from Santa Barbara to Dallas when, from May 2006 to July 2008, Mr. Cagan stepped in as a Board Member and served as the Chairman, CEO and President of TWL Corporation (TWLO.OB). Prior to running TWL Dennis founded, and still runs, the Santa Barbara Technology Group, LLC, a private incubator and investment firm engaged primarily in working with, and investing in early-stage technology companies.
Mr. Cagan currently serves on six corporate Boards of Directors: www.acorntech.com, www.virtechparalegal.com, www.receipt.com, www.merchantnational.com, www.surebooks.com and www.mytruston.com.
He attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) where he majored in economics, and he has an honorable discharge from the USMC. Mr. Cagan and his wife Angelia live in the Dallas area with their youngest of four daughters, and are active in their church.