Global Entrepreneur Joins Board of Directors

As Fast Forward continues rapid expansion across the US to help utilities prevent power outages and wildfires, the board of directors adds a valuable asset to continue scaling initiatives. 

John Wirtz has become the newest member of Fast Forward’s board of directors. John brings almost two decades of experience in scaling technology companies. John co-founded Hudl in 2006, and as Hudl’s Chief Product Officer, helped scale Hudl to a global company with over 3000 employees serving sports teams at every level. He also brings experience in building scaled computer vision and AI systems with Hudl’s platform processing millions of sports games every year.

Forbes shares How Hudl Went From A Nebraska Startup To A Global Sports Video Data Giant.

Since the early days of Hudl, John has been involved in the startup community in Nebraska. Through his mentorship role with the NMotion startup accelerator, John connected with  Dusty Birge, Fast Forward’s founder and CEO. John shared “I was immediately inspired when I heard Dusty pitch the company. He had the unique combination of a big vision, a plan that tapped into multiple emerging tech trends, passion for their customers, and expertise in the electric utility space. He and the team also have a ton of grit and scrappiness. What they’ve accomplished in a very short time across building hardware, software, machine learning models, an operations team, and a sales team is really impressive. There’s a ton of work to do, but they have great momentum going into 2025.”

John is excited to help more companies grow into national and global forces from right here in Nebraska. When the opportunity arose for a new director to join the board, John and Dusty jumped on the chance to get to work together more closely. Dusty said “John's direct experience building a media tech solution for an industry that didn't know how bad they needed a new solution is exactly the same challenge we are undertaking. As one of the fastest growing companies multiple years in a row, this growth comes with challenges that we aim to learn from and add to the awesome Nebraska economy." Dusty added, "leveraging organic growth and growth through acquisition are both very realistic options for our business and John's done both, very well."

Originally from Blue Springs, Missouri, John earned his bachelor’s and MBA while in the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. In addition to his roles at Hudl and Fast Forward, John serves as a director on the boards of Union Bank & Trust, the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools. 

Dusty mentioned, "Fast Forward has sustained a rapid growth trajectory that helps rural communities manage their electrical systems more efficiently, while also optimizing outage-preventative maintenance for many rural utilities in the Midwest faster than any other similar technology. We take great pride in making a difference, it's part of our culture....and it's something we come to work each day and enjoy doing."  

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