Meet Our Board of Directors

Carrie A. Nikitin
Chairman of the Board
As a Business Strategist for small and large businesses that are geared to making a difference, I am currently CEO of Avatekh, Inc., a Lawrence, Kansas high tech start-up developing and monetizing Intellectual property in noise suppression, mitigation and analysis with applications in military, medical devices, consumer electronics, telecommunications, power management, data over power lines, navigational, sensors and biometrics.
My interest in business began when starting my first company, a successful import/export business in partnerships with companies in Japan and South Korea, at the young age of 18. With over 30 years of experience in business building, development, strategies, modeling and funding in both start-ups and existing companies, I have worked at the executive level in various areas including alternative energies, medical and the technology industry. I have gained much experience in:
- Working with companies in various stages, such as start-up mode, expansion, downsizing, turnaround, branding and re-branding phases.
- The development, structure and negotiation of joint ventures, collaborative development and licensing agreements as well as mergers and acquisitions.
- Working with Universities in development of prototyping; grant writing and technology transfer and industry partnerships.
I have strong skills in constructing and negotiating licensing agreements, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions and both collaborative development and research agreements in domestic and foreign markets in various industry, academic and government sectors.

William J. (Bill) Martinez
Vice Chairman / COO
William J. (Bill) Martinez is a Board member and Systems Manager with CCFO. He is responsible for ensuring that all operations within CCFO operate efficiently and effectively with 100% customer satisfaction. He is also the President and General Manager of A-Stryde. A-Stryde is an AI and RPA powered solution that conducts digital transformation and connects workflows between them with a common UI that breaks down data and content silos. A-Stryde is also developing several new products that will innovate the technology field.
Previously Bill was the Deputy Director for Programs within the Center for Civil-Military Relations (CCMR). In this position, he was responsible for all the Security Cooperation programs CCMR offered. In particular, he managed the Civil-Military Emergency Preparedness program (CMEP) dealing with emergency preparedness in the disaster management field. He was also a Director of Net Centric Mission Services, a new business within C2 Integrated Systems in Raytheon Network Centric Systems. He directed the startup and management of a new IT business within Raytheon to ensure innovative, best value capabilities, solutions and services are delivered to enable the customer to most effectively and reliably achieve their mission objectives. He was also a Senior Program Manager for the Multi-National Force – Iraq contract where he produced mission solutions for networking, command and control, battle space awareness, and air traffic management. Most of his focus was with the latest generation of communication systems for command-and-control networks in addition to a family of persistent surveillance solutions integrating subsurface, surface, ground, airborne, and space applications, mobile and fixed base satellite and terrestrial communications terminals.
Prior to Raytheon, Martinez worked with Cubic Defense Applications Group. At Cubic he was instrumental in the development and operation of a Joint Simulation Center conducting exercises with over 40 host nations.

Retiring after 28 years of distinguished service in the U.S. Army, COL Martinez held a variety of Command and Staff positions throughout the Army Infantry and Special Operations Community to include commanding the 3rd Brigade of the 101st ABN (AIR ASSLT) DIV and extensive work with the 5th Special Forces Group. He served on numerous
Joint Task Force, Army, and contingency missions in all environments and was instrumental in defining many of the Army’s requirements and Concepts of Operation. He subsequently served on the Third Army Staff as the Operations Officer organizing and planning a Joint Coalition Force in Kuwait and setting the conditions for the first Gulf War.
A highly decorated combat veteran and Leadership expert, he constantly looks for new technology to innovate and enhance the way companies do business today. CCFO is a new way to fund major projects without the use of tax-payer dollars and the private funders get to keep their money. This is a new and exciting way to view funding and complete projects that are truly needed. CCFO would like to develop strong relations with State and Federal Governments as well as with local projects.
A native of Los Angeles California, Martinez earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, is a graduate of the Army War College, the Command and General Staff College, various military training schools (Airborne, Ranger, SCUBA, HALO, Air Assault) and the Army Special Forces Qualification Course. He also holds a Master of Science degree in International Relations as well as a Master of Science degree from Indiana University in Exercise Physiology. He is married to Diane Martinez and has three lovely daughters.

Neal Katz
Founder / CEO
Neal Katz is the Founder and C.E.O. of Conscientious Credit Funding Organization. The mission of CCFO is to implement unlimited monetary liquidity and accelerate the velocity of capital to finance survival and mission critical needs worldwide.
Neal has conceived and defined a new financial paradigm—CONSCIENTIOUS CREDIT FUNDING—to stimulate funding while mitigating risks. This will create jobs while providing continuous and renewable funding for many charitable and public works endeavors, such as microfinance, low-income housing, higher education, vocational training, infrastructure renewal, and green energy installation. The concept is based on using the credit, not cash, of wealthy individuals and corporations to fund undertakings which can institute a payback or pay-it-forward scenario.
Neal became a critically acclaimed and international award winning author, with his first two volumes, OUTRAGEOUS: Rise to Riches, and SCANDALOUS: Fame Infamy, and Paradise Lost, of The Victoria Woodhull Saga. Writing in the first person as a woman, Neal depicts both the psychological verity and historical significance of the most accomplished woman of her times.
Neal has formed, managed, and consulted several businesses, specializing in seed funding, finance, operations, marketing, and exit strategies. His work spanned advising and working for newly formed start-ups, small capital, and Fortune 100 companies. Once a licensed securities broker, and as a N.Y.S.E. wholesale regional manager of financial products, Katz is familiar with the financial markets from an inside perspective.
Mr. Katz lives a life based on self-awareness and love. He practices yoga, meditates daily, has taught A Course in Miracles, enjoys reciting and chanting Vedic sutras, and writes his own inspirational poetry. Being of service is Neal’s credo and he is ceaselessly mentoring, sharing, teaching and learning in one form or another. Neal prides himself on being accessible to others and being of service. He will answer, in time, any serious inquiry.
Contact and connect with Neal at:
info@thevictoriawoodhullsaga.com
neal@ccfoglobal.com

Lourdes Nicomedes
CFO
Lourdes Nicomedes serves as CCFO’s Chief Financial Officer. She has over 25 years of experience in the financial industry. Lourdes holds an MBA with a focus on international business and is licensed as a CPA in the state of California with a Certification in Financial Forensics (CFF) and is a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).
In her early career, she worked for an apparel company and then as the Controller for a London-based design firm with offices in New York, San Francisco, and Singapore. Her last role was Division Manager with the City and County of San Francisco. She handled the financial reporting and compliance within the Office of the Controller. As the City’s Grant Manager, she supported the efforts of city leaders, citizen groups, and local nonprofits. This was the role closest to her heart and one that she is most proud of. Lourdes has always had a passion to do good and has served on several nonprofit boards.
After 20 years of public service, she was eligible for retirement and took the opportunity to start her own business as well as consult with private companies. She then decided to join CCFO because she believes in its potential to do good.
Lourdes has a keen eye for detail and is well-experienced in conducting audits, analytical reviews, and reconciliations. At CCFO, she has complete oversight of the accuracy and integrity of financial data that supports all accounting and compliance functions.
“I learned at a young age that education is the equalizer,” Lourdes says. “It is not just about going to school and getting a degree. It is about widening my knowledge, absorbing the truth about life, and helping people.” Lourdes has had many mentors, but her greatest hero is her father who is always there to support her through the ups and downs of life.


Alina Banasyak
Director of Corporate Development
Alina Banasyak serves as the Director of Corporate Development for CCFO. In this capacity, Alina is responsible for facilitating and evaluating potential projects, business development partnerships, strategic alliances, and joint ventures.
Alina joined CCFO in May of 2021 after a 12-year career as a US Department of Defense (DoD) contractor serving in the international security cooperation, capacity building sector. During her time with the DoD, Alina led corporate teams, designed processes, and managed systems. In her last assignment, Alina was the principal point of contact for Congressional reporting detailing program costs and measures of effectiveness on activities in over 40 countries.
Alina’s entrepreneurial passion and dedication to excellence were spotted early on by her leadership, and she was asked to participate in business development efforts of both large and small defense contracting companies. She wrote technical volumes of responses to requests for proposals, fostered business relationships and teaming agreements, led hiring efforts, and helped capture over $500M in contracts.
CCFO appealed to Alina because of its mission to create tangible, measurable public benefit in the most critical sectors of human need through its innovative project financing paradigm.
Alina is a classically trained pianist; a linguist by education proficient in French, Russian, and Ukrainian; a voracious reader; and an amateur chef. She lives in Alexandria, VA with her old dog Lucky.

Maggie Judge
National Director, Nurse Program
Maggie Judge is a strategic and foreword-thinking registered nurse with experience in a wide range of disciplines.
Maggie excels at marketing strategy and implementation, project management, creating processes, analyzing and solving complex problems, and leading a team in a fast-paced, dynamic atmosphere.
In the span of her career, Maggie has:
- Created and run Customer Satisfaction Programs, successfully doubling customer satisfaction scores in one quarter.
- Developed new protocols and forms for patient symptom tracking, increasing patient discharge rates, which equated to 1 million dollars in cost savings in just the first quarter.
- Co-led clinical marketing teams which executed the largest client contracts in 4 years.
- Completed overhaul of all company policies and procedures for Remote Patient Monitoring vertical in 6 weeks. Upon completion of the first month roll-out, billing numbers were quadrupled, new patient census increased by 30%, and patient retention rates increased by 42%.
- Created and implemented a marketing plan, employee training programs, (as well as all educational, legal, and marketing material needed for employees and patients) for all 4 silos, which she also developed.
- Designed and implemented a company-wide paperless CRM and inventory tracking system.
- Produced marketing analytic data for all referral sources – keeping readmission rates below the national average (Heart Failure patients at 0% in a 30-day period) creating substantial cost savings for referral sources.
Maggie is very passionate, bold, and creative. She loves sharing her zest for life and adventure with her four incredible daughters, showing them how to live life as women of honor. Her passion runs deep and is what fuels her!

Teri Rider
Director of Administration
Teri Rider serves as one of the founding Board of Directors of Conscientious Credit Funding Organization, in the role of Administrative Director.
Teri Rider is the founder and C.E.O. of Top Reads Publishing, LLC, publishing award-winning, bestselling books and supporting authors to succeed at independent publishing. Top Reads is dedicated to excellence. With experience in the publishing industry spanning over 35 years, Teri offers her clients top-quality design, publishing, and marketing services that match or exceed traditional publishing standards. Teri has received numerous awards from the book industry and serves that community through multiple outreach and educational endeavors.
Teri’s passion for children, animals, and the environment plays a major role in the projects she selects to support, with the goal of nurturing respect for the world we live in and those we share it with. Publishing books that inspire and educate are part of that effort.
Teri has participated and held board or leadership positions in the following organizations:
- Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Advocacy Committee, Editorial Advisory Committee
- All For Animals, supporting Humane Education and Literacy programs, Advisory Board
- IFDA SoCal, International Furnishings and Design Association, Communications Chair
- Business Networking International, Chapter President and Education Coordinator among other key roles
