Unlocking Business Intelligence
Alexynn is both a Family Office and a CEO Advisory Firm formed by partners Peter Zakarow and Kristin Matthews. The name is derived from the combination of their middle names (Alexander and Lynn), and the combination of their wide-range of creative and analytic skills.
Alexynn is defined by a different way of thinking, and we bring this to our companies and global clients. To unlock business intelligence and maximize outcomes, we feel you need to be equally embracing of creative and analytic pathways.
Think of Alexynn as the marrying of a creative musician with a particular interest in game theory, and a forensic accountant with a particular interest in building brands with highly emotional customer connections…because that’s what started it!
Welcome to Alexynn.
ABOUT ALEXYNN
Alexynn Strategy is the CEO and strategic advisory services company that follows the differentiated way the two Founders and members of the team think. Peter and Kristin employ a vast array of experiences from their entrepreneurial and corporate business endeavours, their empathy and emotion-focused communication experience and empowerment of teams, and their constant refinement of understanding how to best align interests and outcomes. The broader team has incorporated this way of thinking into a loose methodology we call the “Alexynn Method” which is constantly employed and refined across a broad array of Alexynn companies and global clients.
Some pillars of the Alexynn methodology include:
To help rapidly unlock business intelligence
Leverage experience and relationships to provide the maximum amount of value in the minimum amount of time and effort
Be the objective outside advisor on crucial opportunities
Act as the translation layer between two sides in everything from optimizing a significant sales opportunity to negotiating a crucial agreement or partnership
Bring creativity, analytics and empathy to every situation to reach optimal outcomes
OUR COMPANIES
Alexynn first started when Peter left a senior executive role at IBM to launch his first software company, ThoughtWire. In ThoughtWire, Peter was motivated to work with others to directly solve a problem within the health data space and bring new technology to market that could help enable better health outcomes. While building this startup, IBM kept Peter on retainer to advise on large sales deals and to be the outside advisor to the leadership team…and Alexynn was born.
Kristin then decided there was an alternative path for her outside of being a Forensic Accounting Partner, and she launched market-leading pet health and nutrition company Tom&Sawyer. Since then Peter and Kristin have launched other companies and have assumed cap table positions in high growth technology companies that also get valuable perspective from Alexynn’s direct involvement with the daily business.
They also dedicate their time to external strategy clients so they can contribute their differentiated thinking to other business leaders, but also so they can assess different ways of addressing specific business challenges for these clients which can ultimately be leveraged by their own Alexynn companies. As every entrepreneur knows, it is hard to be completely objective when you have such an emotional connection to businesses you thought about and then launched. Peter and Kristin have figured out a way where they can dedicate time to help other business leaders while also broadening their own perspective. They have also aligned themselves with an ever growing group of like-minded leaders across the core Alexynn team and Global Advisory Board.
Tom&Sawyer launched the gently-cooked pet food market segment in Canada and is the market leader. We bring the highest quality human-grade gently-cooked pet meals to customers across 500+ retailers in Canada and our own direct-to-consumer subscription channel. Our goal is to help make our family dogs and cats live healthier, happier and longer lives.
Keel Digital Solutions (formerly Vector Labs) is a North America-wide integrated mental health platform and services provider with in-house lab services. We focus on serving government, education, first responders and indigenous communities so they can better scale existing therapy resources to address societal mental health issues.
Animetric AI is the world’s first federated data insights platform for the animal health and wellness industry. It leverages the innovative DNAstack solution and applies the pet industry knowledge of Tom&Sawyer to bring an innovative new way to bridge data gaps between veterinarians, other health providers, telehealth, and retailers to bring a voice to our family pets to better serve their individual needs.
ThoughtWire started out as a software agent-based platform for bridging the gap between crucial health and hospital systems. It has expanded to also become a global leader in building management systems leveraging innovative Digital Twin technology.
DNAstack is a world leading genomics and heath data federated insights platform that enables crucial health and research ecosystems to drive enhanced human health outcomes. We are the leading GA4GH and ISO global data standards author and compliant platform worldwide.
Peter’s spice mix started as an R&D project to bring the gift of culinary innovation to those who attended Kristin and Peter’s wedding, became a cult following in Canada and now drives towards full culinary market distribution. Peter calls it the perfect spice blend that brings forward specific complimentary flavours depending on the protein or dish application - a true chameleon of spice blends!
Alexynn Strategy is our CEO and strategic business advisory company that leverages our own innovative methodology to unlock business intelligence across global clients and our own portfolio of companies.
Tom&Sawyer VetChef is a brand collaboration between the highly regarded UK VetChef brand led by veterinarian Dr. Joe Inglis and Tom&Sawyer, to bring veterinarian-focused gently-cooked dog meals and innovative Wellness Boosters to major retailers across Canada and the US.
U-Rawk started as a fun idea in 2004 between Peter and his business partner ASCAP songwriter of the decade Terrance Sawchuk as they were recording a musical album together. After 20 years of pushing it off, Urawk became a reality in 2024 as a new merchandising offering for the entertainment industry with a positive mental health focus. When you appreciate someone or their actions, you say “you rock”, but many are uncomfortable showing appreciation so gifting one of these collectibles shows gratitude and signals a community of appreciation.