Meet the Team

GBC’s executive team and advisors are long-established thought-action leaders, innovators, technologists, former regulators, certifiers, and experienced operators in the nonprofit, gaming and blockchain industries.

With over two decades of dedication to veteran service organizations (VSOs) and extensive experience in senior-level roles within the digital technology sector, Tara Sue Clark now leads Gaming Benefits Corporation’s (GBC) vision and management team overseeing the deployment of GBC’s cutting-edge regulatory technology platform for online fundraising. Tara Sue’s deep understanding of the charitable gaming industry was forged through hands-on experience as a nonprofit executive, volunteer, consultant, administrator, technician, operator, and licensed distributor and manufacturer of innovative charitable gaming and digital products .

Clark’s technology career began during her groundbreaking 2002 campaign for U.S. Congress in North Carolina’s 6th District, (then Tara Sue Grubb) where she became the first political candidate to use a weblog and PayPal for fundraising. Her innovative use of technology earned her a nomination for a Wired Rave Award. Subsequently, she was recruited by VFW departments where she led contract negotiations, supported programming and development, and launched the first organizational social network in 2003. Under her leadership consortium, free platforms to thousands of nonprofits, including VFW Departments and their posts at no cost enabled modernized communication strategies. The platform integrated blogging, instant messaging, monetized content, email, and video streaming, serving pro bono over 13,000 sites for over 15 years before Facebook and Youtube.

A pioneer in live digital events, Clark produced the first live weblogging and video conferencing event between the frontlines of Iraq and BloggerCon Nashville.  Produced several first ever videos online for candidates and artists and neutral, nonpartisan platforms providing educational videos, forums, debates for organizations like the VFW and NAACP, helping to promote voter education, contributing to early social media development. 

The driving force behind her work in gaming was the recognition that veterans’ challenges are fundamentally legal challenges, arising within a system where constitutional protection, defended abroad and too often inadequately upheld at home. In response, Clark founded the Veterans Foundation and Veterans Law Project in North Carolina. Encountering the difficulties of fundraising taking from mission, she began exploration of the US charitable gaming market and development of games launching her first online raffle in 2006 while continuing developing and supporting online environments and gaming for the VFW and pro bono legal services for veterans.

In 2011 Clark co-founded the Veterans Foundation of New Hampshire, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting military families and veterans and expanded the law project through its Legal Boots on the Ground initiative. Veterans received pro bono legal services from a team of staff attorneys and military family members, assisting with a wide range of legal matters from civil cases to military law. From 2015 to 2019, the program served an average of 1.5 veterans per day, both domestically and internationally. Again challenged by the politics of fundraising, Clark narrowed her focus on development of the charitable gaming market to fund her impact endeavors.

In 2016, Clark founded Tonk Group LLC, a licensed by the New Hampshire Lottery Racing and Charitable Gaming Division.  She served as distributor of charitable gaming products for Diamond Games and began developing her own online raffle platforms for the US market launching betas with the US Marine Corps Leagues, experimenting on blockchain.  

In 2020 Clark organized Gaming Benefits Corporation to modernize charitable gaming and the US market.

Mother of 3 young adults, Tara Sue Clark lives in Kansas City, Missouri where she overseas Gaming Benefits Corporations vision execution. A Missouri Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Nationally Certified Interscholastic Coach and a committed impact developer in gaming and technology, Clark has been a  first mover in technology for good over decades.

A “military brat” with a deep understanding of the sacrifices of military families, Clark holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Theory from Missouri State University, where she designed an individualized honors degree program to build a career addressing the long-term costs of war. 

Michael Mendyk is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience as a senior executive and consultant, excelling across core operational, technical, and business development functions in the software, gaming, and regulated industries. His impressive career spans managing high-profile software development projects, leading capital-raising initiatives, and structuring M&A exit events—all underpinned by his unique ability to align product direction with corporate growth strategies.

Since 2013, Michael has played a pivotal role in navigating the complex regulatory landscape of the U.S. online gaming industry. He has effectively managed corporate licensing, GLI technology certification, and market entry preparation activities for notable companies like Jackpot Software, Genesis Gaming, and ODDSworks. His expertise in regulatory compliance and market readiness has been integral to these companies’ success in the competitive gaming sector.

As the CEO and founder of Maxpop Inc., an advanced video compression and streaming technology company, Michael demonstrated his visionary leadership by steering the company’s strategic direction. He guided product development and licensing strategies, defined roadmaps, and organized intellectual property assets into a commercially licensable portfolio, showcasing his knack for fostering innovation and driving commercialization.

In his current role as Chief Operating Officer of Gaming Benefits Corporation (GBC), Michael’s deep understanding of the U.S. gaming industry and his diverse skill set are instrumental in providing day-to-day operational support. He is also focused on positioning GBC’s platform to seize opportunities for strategic partnerships with leading online sportsbook and casino operators, ensuring the company’s sustained growth and success.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Nebraska and serves as the managing partner of iGaming Consultants, a professional services firm supporting B2B and B2C gaming companies. His multifaceted expertise and proven leadership continue to drive innovation and operational excellence in the gaming and technology sectors.

Stephen Naylor brings nearly 15 years of experience in the gaming industry, equipping him with an exceptional understanding of regulatory, technical, and operational facets of the field. A graduate of Clemson University, where he earned a BS in Computer Science in 2006, Stephen began his career at Gaming Laboratories International (GLI). During his time with GLI, Stephen worked in both the New Jersey and Netherlands offices, gaining exposure to a wide range of domestic and international projects. He provided guidance to hundreds of suppliers and operators, expertly navigating them through the GLI testing and certification process.

In 2018, Stephen joined GameAccount Network Ltd (GAN), a premier provider of online gaming platforms for U.S. casino operators. As Senior Director of Client Services, Stephen spearheaded the successful launches of new platforms for major casino partners in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Beyond platform launches, he managed daily operations post-deployment, including overseeing new product development, ensuring seamless integration, resolving issues on live platforms, and addressing compliance-related matters with precision.

Stephen’s extensive background in compliance will be instrumental in supporting Gaming Benefits Corporation (GBC) as it delivers one of the most advanced and certified raffle platforms in the U.S. charitable gaming industry. His deep expertise ensures GBC’s platforms meet the highest standards of reliability, security, and regulatory adherence, positioning the company as a leader in responsible and impactful gaming solutions.

Vincent Lee Horton is set to join Gaming Benefits Corporation (GBC) as Director of Information Technology, further strengthening the executive leadership team. With 25 years of experience in system management, data center operations, and emerging technology consulting, Lee has held critical leadership roles, including Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and IT Director, within both publicly traded and privately held startup companies.

Most recently, Lee spearheaded the global transformation of Hathlom, enabling the adoption of big data, advanced analytics, and high-performance computing. In his role as Director of Technology for Bridgepoint Power & Light, the largest pre-paid electricity provider in Texas, Lee successfully led his team through the custom development, implementation, and integration of a cutting-edge billing and database management system with market participants. Before his tenure at Bridgepoint, Lee served as CTO for Dallas-based venture capital firm MAC Partners, where he played a pivotal role in driving technological innovation across the firm’s portfolio companies.

At GBC, Lee will focus on building and maintaining a robust, scalable, and secure cloud-based infrastructure to support the company’s rapidly growing online charitable fundraising platform. His goals include enhancing the performance and functionality of the existing technology suite, positively shaping platform application roadmaps, managing the developer ecosystem, and safeguarding the company’s source code and platform software assets.

With his extensive experience and proven track record, Vincent Lee Horton is well-positioned to help GBC innovate and expand its mission of enabling responsible and impactful charitable gaming.

Dr. Christopher Sanborn serves as the Chief Blockchain Engineer and Advisor at Gaming Benefits Corporation (GBC), where he plays a pivotal role in leveraging blockchain technology to bring transparency, efficiency, and innovation to charitable gaming and financial transactions. In addition to his role at GBC, Dr. Sanborn is the owner of Core Crypto Consulting, the Founder of ArtCASA Fine Arts, and a core developer of BitShares.

Dr. Sanborn has an impressive portfolio of contributions to blockchain-related projects, including Radiative3D: A C++ project focused on radiative transport in 3D Earth models, HTLCProductsSim: A Python library designed for simulating financial products based on hash oracles, Python-bitshares: A fully featured client-side library for the BitShares blockchain, written in Python, Uptick: A Python-based CLI toolset for the BitShares blockchain.

An innovator and creative thinker, Dr. Sanborn seamlessly bridges the nonprofit, gaming, and blockchain industries. His technical expertise and forward-thinking vision make him an invaluable leader in GBC’s mission to modernize charitable gaming and foster responsible innovation.

Ali Ghanavati has over 30 years deep experience across many aspects of technological regulation in the gaming industry.

Ali began his career with the Technical Services Bureau of the State of New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement as chief engineer and deputy chief. During his 20 year tenure he consulted with numerous state agencies and gaming jurisdictions regarding casino gaming regulation and standards.

More recently Ali spent over a decade at Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), which provides the gaming industry’s leading testing and certification services. As Director of Client Services where he lead and guided over hundreds of operators and suppliers in successfully launching certified products in various gaming channels. Ali currently served as head of regulatory technology for Fubo Gaming, a subsidiary FuboTV a publicly traded tv streaming company where he is overseeing the implementation of an online sports betting platform.

Ali currently serves as Director of Regulatory Compliance for the risk management and research firm Odds on Compliance based in New Jersey.

In his role as an advisor, Ali will collaborate with management team on both tech standards as well as obtaining the requisite state regulatory approvals for launching GBC certified online fundraising platform in various states.

Gaming Benefits Corporation is proud to welcome Jenny Lu as an advisor. With over 15 years of leadership experience across business development, client services, marketing, and technology in the regulated gaming industry, Jenny brings a unique blend of insight, innovation, and strategic thinking to GBC’s mission.

Jenny currently serves as a Strategic Consultant to companies like Pixiu Gaming and TAG Media, and leads Partner Development at PLAYSTUDIOS. Her career spans executive roles at major players in the space, including Optimove, OtherLevels, and Paysafe Group’s Income Access, where she directed client relations, marketing strategy, and commercial growth initiatives.

Throughout her career, Jenny has demonstrated a consistent ability to build lasting partnerships, drive performance, and lead cross-functional teams to deliver measurable impact. Her background in affiliate marketing, digital strategy, and client relationship management makes her a natural fit for GBC’s vision: transforming charitable gaming through transparency, technology, and social impact.

At GBC, Jenny will support strategic expansion, advise on partner acquisition, and help guide product positioning within the dynamic online and regulated gaming landscape.

Please join us in welcoming Jenny Lu to the team — her expertise will be instrumental in helping us elevate our mission of fair, transparent, and impactful gaming for good.

Ms. Brenda Williams serves as the Benefits Director for Gaming Benefits Corporation, acting as a neutral, non-compensated party responsible for certifying the company’s Benefit Report, which highlights the public impact of the company’s activities.

Ms. Williams is the owner of Change Agents, LLC, a management consulting firm offering expert services across the public and private sectors. She is also the founder and former CEO of Young America Works Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., an innovative institution that redefined education for underserved students often labeled as “at-risk.” Under her leadership, the school achieved remarkable success, graduating students who pursued higher education and now hold prominent positions, including roles within the current DC government.

Brenda has been a trailblazer throughout her career. From 1969 to 1977, she served as Personal and Confidential Assistant to the Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld. During this time, she supported him in various high-profile roles, including Secretary of Defense, Chief of Staff to President Gerald R. Ford, Ambassador to NATO, Director of the Cost-of-Living Council, Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, and Counselor to President Richard M. Nixon.

Gaming Benefits Corporation | info@gamingbenefitscorp.com

Missouri

PO Box 530

Smithville, MO 64089