Security, Reimagined!

We are on a mission to empower organizations to eliminate the world’s exposure to cyber threats

Our Values

Circle’s breakthrough security API unifies the solutions for identity and data security into one architecture and empowers organizations to secure their identity, data and privacy in their applications. Our culture and leadership principles motivate us to carry this mission forward with conviction and commitment.

Champion’s Mindset

We dream big, reimagine the possibilities with a growth mindset, and strive to deliver consistent excellence in our approach and outcomes
Champion's Mindset

Integrity & Trust

We act with integrity guided by an uncompromising moral compass, and we place trust in each other to collectively propel the organization forward to achieve shared goals
Integrity and Trust

Respect for Individuality

We fiercely respect individual differences while operating as a unified team which draws on the strengths of diverse talents
Respect for Individuality

Customer Obsession

We are passionate about solving our customer problems and use that as the singular guiding post for delivering impact to all our stakeholders
Customer Obsession

Learning Pursuit

We embrace change and commit to learning and adapting. We own up to our mistakes, learn from them and learn from each other
Learning Pursuit

Empathetic Culture

We embody empathy and this is the cornerstone of our organizational culture
Empathetic Culture

Circle Leadership

Executive Team
Board
Advisors
Sara Duryea
Founder & CEO
Sara Duryea
Founder & CEO

Sara is the original inventor and patent holder of Circle’s groundbreaking threat elimination technology. She is a visionary entrepreneur with extensive experience serving on the Boards of several non-profits. Most recently, she was Chair of the Board of Directors of Mission Dolores Academy, a school that addresses achievement equity by providing equal access to first-tier whole child education. Sara was also President of Circolo Villa Taverna and the San Francisco Opera Guild. She has chaired over 65 major fundraising events for various San Francisco Bay Area organizations working in education, healthcare and the arts, all but one exceeding projected profit.

Tom Hines
Chief Technology Officer & Advisor
Tom Hines
Chief Technology Officer & Advisor

Tom Hines joined Circle Security as a trusted advisor and now serves as Chief Technology Officer, bringing over 24 years of executive leadership experience in driving transformative technology and business strategies across global enterprises and high-growth startups.

A high-energy, collaborative leader, Tom is recognized for aligning enterprise technology with strategic business goals to accelerate revenue growth, enhance operational efficiency, and strengthen competitive advantage. Known for his results-driven approach, Tom combines hands-on technical expertise with visionary leadership to deliver innovation, robust governance, and organizational transformation.

Throughout his career, Tom has successfully guided companies through complex challenges, including cybersecurity initiatives, digital transformations, regulatory compliance mandates, mergers and acquisitions, and enterprise-scale operational improvements. His ability to bridge technology and business enables organizations to adapt, scale, and thrive in rapidly evolving markets.

Tom Craft
Sr. Director of Special Projects
Tom Craft
Sr. Director of Special Projects

Tom Craft is a seasoned operations and special projects leader with over two decades of experience delivering mission critical solutions across defense, government, and technology sectors. An Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) veteran with 16 years of service, he is recognized for his ability to lead in high pressure environments, neutralize complex threats, and guide cross functional teams to successful outcomes. Known for his results driven approach, Tom combines tactical insight, technical precision, and innovative problem solving to design secure, scalable initiatives that strengthen organizational readiness and resilience.

Throughout his career, Tom has successfully driven high impact projects that bridge physical and digital environments, including advanced threat simulation programs and OSINT training platforms replicating real world media and information networks. His expertise spans immersive training design, secure infrastructure integration, and the creation of realistic digital ecosystems for government and defense clients. His leadership continues to advance Circle’s prevention first approach to cybersecurity and next generation training solutions, ensuring mission relevance and measurable results in rapidly evolving threat landscapes.

Gene Allen
VP of Engineering
Gene Allen
VP of Engineering

Gene is a seasoned product engineering executive with over 25 years of experience architecting cybersecurity software. He has held engineering leadership roles with McAfee, SolARC, BBS Technologies, NetIQ and other major software players. Among his many achievements, Gene has designed a proprietary P2P secure messaging and collaboration system; launched a major company’s flagship security product; grown a Rapid Development Team 15x while shipping 15 shrink-wrap products; created several popular lead generation tools; and architected event management software later purchased by Microsoft for $275 million. Gene brings to market innovative cybersecurity, data protection, identity security, secure collaboration and privacy preservation products.

Sara Duryea
Founder & CEO
Sara Duryea
Founder & CEO

Sara is the original inventor and patent holder of Circle’s groundbreaking threat elimination technology. She is a visionary entrepreneur with extensive experience serving on the Boards of several non-profits. Most recently, she was Chair of the Board of Directors of Mission Dolores Academy, a school that addresses achievement equity by providing equal access to first-tier whole child education. Sara was also President of Circolo Villa Taverna and the San Francisco Opera Guild. She has chaired over 65 major fundraising events for various San Francisco Bay Area organizations working in education, healthcare and the arts, all but one exceeding projected profit.

David Chamberlain
Board Chair
David Chamberlain
Board Chair

David Chamberlain has over 15 years of CEO experience, having led three successful NYSE-listed companies — Stride Rite, Genesco and Shaklee. He substantially increased shareholder value at each firm. He is recognized for his ability to rapidly change failed cultures, modify behavior and improve results. During his career, he bought and successfully integrated businesses, sold underperforming operations, as well as repositioned and rebuilt nationally recognized brands.

Mike Bassignani
Board Member
Mike Bassignani
Board Member

Industry Advisory Council
Timothy Allan Simon, Esq. (Energy & Utilities)
Former CA Public Utilities Commissioner
Timothy Allan Simon, Esq. (Energy & Utilities)
Former CA Public Utilities Commissioner

Timothy Alan Simon, Esq., Commissioner Emeritus, was appointed to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on February 15, 2007 ending his term on December 31, 2012. Prior to this appointment, he served as Appointments Secretary in the Office of the Governor – the first African American in California history to hold this post. As a CPUC Commissioner, Simon served on the Board of Directors of the University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley Energy Collaborative (BERC) and the Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) Regional Taskforce, Chairman of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Gas Committee, Chairman of the Liquefied Natural Gas Partnership between NARUC and the U.S. Department of Energy and Vice Chairman of the Utility Marketplace Access Sub-Committee, a sub-committee concentrated on supplier and workforce diversity in the utility industry, Board Member of the California Green Jobs Workforce Development Board, and assigned Commissioner to the CPUC Low Income Oversight Board. Simon also was appointed by two  Department of Energy Secretaries as a member of the National Petroleum Council serving on the Coordinating Subcommittee, which produced the book, Prudent Development: Realizing the Potential of North America’s Oil and Gas Resources.

Simon also served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at U.C. Hastings College of the Law and Golden Gate University School of Law where he taught Securities Regulations and as an Advisor in the School of U.S. Legal Studies on International Securities Regulations. Prior to public service, Simon was in-house counsel and Chief Compliance Officer advising at major financial institutions including Bank of America, Robertson Stephens and Wells Fargo, specializing in securities, banking and complex financial products.

In 2013, Simon created TAS STRATEGIES and serves as an attorney and consultant on high stake areas that include energy, utilities, critical infrastructure, supplier diversity, transportation, financial services, and broadband projects. Simon has developed a global client base and performs public speaking engagement on energy, financial services and diversity policies. He is co-founder of the National Utilities Diversity Council and has published articles for the National Regulatory Research Institute “The Role of Natural Gas in California’s Climate Policy” and the Green California Community Colleges Summit – “A Discussion on Innovations in Technology Policy and Practice”.

In February 2019, Simon was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the California Black Chamber of Commerce. He was also appointed to the University of San Francisco (USF) Board of Trustees in June of 2019. Simon also serves on the North American Energy Standards Board Advisory Council. He also serves as a member of the American Bar Association and on the National Board of Directors for the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE).

Simon received a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of San Francisco, (Distinguished Alumni) and a Juris Doctor from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. Simon also takes pride in his civic duties as a member of the following associations: National Bar Association, American Bar Association, California Bar Association, San Francisco Bar Association, the Federal Energy Bar Association, Power Association of Northern California, and The National Board of Directors of the American Association of Blacks in Energy. He also serves in several leadership capacities as a Board Member of the Saint Thomas More Society of San Francisco, Board of Trustees Member for Saint Ignatius College Preparatory (Alumni), Member Sigma Pi Phi, Beta Upsilon Boulé, Board of Trustees Member for SFJAZZ, and is a Lifetime Member of the NAACP. In addition, he serves as a Board Member for Aemetis and Charah Solutions, two publicly traded companies. Most recently, Simon has also become a Strategic Advisor for Inter-Atlantic Energy Capital Ventures.

John Micek
Board Member
John Micek
Board Member

John Micek IV is a Managing Director at IEQ Capital and has over two decades of experience in the financial services industry.

Prior to joining IEQ, Mr. Micek was a Managing Partner at Third Leaf Partners, a beverage and hospitality industry investment and advisory company.  From 2012 to 2018, Mr. Micek was a Partner and held roles including Chief Operating Officer and Head of Business Development at Criterion Capital Management, an equity long/short technology hedge fund.  Before joining Criterion in 2012, Mr. Micek was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs & Co. in the Capital Introduction Group.

Mr. Micek is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Navy SEAL Foundation, and a Trustee of the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation.  Formerly, he served as Chair of the Community Activities Commission for the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Mr. Micek received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, where he was a member of the Varsity Golf Team during his freshman year and was elected Junior Class President.

Mr. Micek and his wife Noelle reside in Carmel, California, with their two children, Charlotte and John J. Micek V (Jack). In addition to their respective careers, the Micek’s Co-founded The Red Stitch Wine Group, an acclaimed Napa Valley Winery in 2009.

Timothy Allan Simon, Esq. (Energy & Utilities)
Former CA Public Utilities Commissioner
Timothy Allan Simon, Esq. (Energy & Utilities)
Former CA Public Utilities Commissioner

Timothy Alan Simon, Esq., Commissioner Emeritus, was appointed to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on February 15, 2007 ending his term on December 31, 2012. Prior to this appointment, he served as Appointments Secretary in the Office of the Governor – the first African American in California history to hold this post. As a CPUC Commissioner, Simon served on the Board of Directors of the University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley Energy Collaborative (BERC) and the Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) Regional Taskforce, Chairman of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Gas Committee, Chairman of the Liquefied Natural Gas Partnership between NARUC and the U.S. Department of Energy and Vice Chairman of the Utility Marketplace Access Sub-Committee, a sub-committee concentrated on supplier and workforce diversity in the utility industry, Board Member of the California Green Jobs Workforce Development Board, and assigned Commissioner to the CPUC Low Income Oversight Board. Simon also was appointed by two  Department of Energy Secretaries as a member of the National Petroleum Council serving on the Coordinating Subcommittee, which produced the book, Prudent Development: Realizing the Potential of North America’s Oil and Gas Resources.

Simon also served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at U.C. Hastings College of the Law and Golden Gate University School of Law where he taught Securities Regulations and as an Advisor in the School of U.S. Legal Studies on International Securities Regulations. Prior to public service, Simon was in-house counsel and Chief Compliance Officer advising at major financial institutions including Bank of America, Robertson Stephens and Wells Fargo, specializing in securities, banking and complex financial products.

In 2013, Simon created TAS STRATEGIES and serves as an attorney and consultant on high stake areas that include energy, utilities, critical infrastructure, supplier diversity, transportation, financial services, and broadband projects. Simon has developed a global client base and performs public speaking engagement on energy, financial services and diversity policies. He is co-founder of the National Utilities Diversity Council and has published articles for the National Regulatory Research Institute “The Role of Natural Gas in California’s Climate Policy” and the Green California Community Colleges Summit – “A Discussion on Innovations in Technology Policy and Practice”.

In February 2019, Simon was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the California Black Chamber of Commerce. He was also appointed to the University of San Francisco (USF) Board of Trustees in June of 2019. Simon also serves on the North American Energy Standards Board Advisory Council. He also serves as a member of the American Bar Association and on the National Board of Directors for the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE).

Simon received a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of San Francisco, (Distinguished Alumni) and a Juris Doctor from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. Simon also takes pride in his civic duties as a member of the following associations: National Bar Association, American Bar Association, California Bar Association, San Francisco Bar Association, the Federal Energy Bar Association, Power Association of Northern California, and The National Board of Directors of the American Association of Blacks in Energy. He also serves in several leadership capacities as a Board Member of the Saint Thomas More Society of San Francisco, Board of Trustees Member for Saint Ignatius College Preparatory (Alumni), Member Sigma Pi Phi, Beta Upsilon Boulé, Board of Trustees Member for SFJAZZ, and is a Lifetime Member of the NAACP. In addition, he serves as a Board Member for Aemetis and Charah Solutions, two publicly traded companies. Most recently, Simon has also become a Strategic Advisor for Inter-Atlantic Energy Capital Ventures.


Partners

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Careers

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