Founder, Chief Human Helper
Katherine Ikeda is the founder of FWD (for-ward) the next evolution of social connection, without the debility and disconnection of social media. Katherine's path began far outside of the world of technology. Her life showed her that access to all types of connection—that we need to fundamentally flourish—is not evenly distributed. Today, too often, the social platforms that promised to create connection between us deepen existing inequalities and disconnection. They do not move us forward in our lives. Katherine built FWD to change that.
Chief Technology Officer
Johnlouis Petitbon is a technology leader, architect, and builder with over 20 years experience as an engineering executive and architect in social networking and health. He has built products from 0 to 1 and managed growth-stage companies with teams of 100+ people across multiple continents, shipping first releases, scaling platforms to millions of users, and aligning teams with strategy and measurable outcomes.
Chief Community Officer
Jessica Depatie brings over 13 years experience in gorilla and online marketing. She is a community builder who creates high-trust ecosystems with strong retention. Her expertise in network engagement focuses on authentic community touchpoints where people naturally seek deeper connections. Jessica was the co-founder of SFE, a collective committed to building communities that facilitate post-traumatic growth.
