Meet the Team
Aleksa
Cvetkovic
Founder & CEO
Bachelor of Biomedical Science (UWA)
Expertise: AI obfuscation & information retention pathways
Driven by a passion for transforming education, Aleksa founded SYNAPTA to create a platform that makes learning accessible, efficient, and personalized for all. Having personally experienced the challenges of balancing full-time work and study due to financial constraints and rigid academic learning, Aleksa is deeply committed to revolutionising education to ensure it adapts to every learner’s unique needs.
Alpesh
Shah
Operations Manager
Bachelor of Dental Surgery, LLB (Manchester) (USYD) (Curtin)
Curtin Law Sessional Lecturer/Tutor
Expertise: Business Operations, Business law, Academic integrity regulations
Alpesh Shah began his career in dentistry, establishing successful practices under Healthprac, before transitioning into the health tech sector, where he served on the advisory board of Singular Health, contributing to innovative health technology solutions. As the former COO of Gratitude Bear, Alpesh led initiatives to enhance emotional intelligence (EQ) in children through gamified learning experiences. Currently, he is the operational lead at QMark Solutions, a development agency focused on delivering cutting-edge projects. With his diverse expertise in healthcare & technology innovation, and operational leadership, Alpesh brings invaluable insight and strategy to SYNAPTA’s mission.
Justin
Maxwell
Product Manager
Partner (QMark Solutions)
Expertise: Product innovation, Technical architecture development, Operations management
Justin Maxwell is a Partner at QMark Solutions, where he spearheads technical innovation across AI, AR/VR, IoT, and technical architecture development. With over half a decade of experience as a solutions architect and technical consultant, Justin has worked with industry giants such as BHP and Woodside, delivering transformative solutions to complex challenges. Previously, he served as the Head of Australasia for Orbus Software, a leading software development firm, where he drove regional growth and innovation. Justin’s expertise in cutting-edge technology and strategic development positions him as a vital contributor to SYNAPTA’s mission of redefining education through advanced AI-driven platforms.
Dr Eva
Debozy
(Synapta Labs)
Learning Pedagogy & Learning Theory Specialist (Advisor)
BBUS, BEd (1st class Hons), PhD
(FHNW) (Murdoch)
Principal Fellow (PFHEA)
Dr. Eva Dobozy is an esteemed education researcher with over 30 years of experience spanning teaching, curriculum design, and academic leadership. Formerly the Deputy Dean of Curtin Learning & Teaching and Director of Quality Assurance at Curtin University’s Faculty of Business and Law spearing the tertiary education digital learning & academic integrity sphere. Considered a pioneer in digital educational design, Eva specialises in utilising robust educational psychology practices and pedagogical learning theory in order to blend face-to-face learning environments into online environments. Eva's expertise would help develop the different comprehensive learning mediums (AR/VR) throughout the learning retention hierarchy.
A/Prof Sonny
Pham
Machine Learning Specialist
(Synapta Labs)
(PhD) (Curtin) (GIAC)
Fellow (IEEE, IAMAI)
Associate Professor Sonny Pham brings over two decades of experience in artificial intelligence and machine learning, specializing in computationally efficient deep learning architectures, robust statistical methods, computer vision, statistical learning theory, and pattern recognition. As the Curtin University Course Coordinator for WA’s only Masters program in Artificial Intelligence, Sonny has been at the forefront of AI education and research specifically regarding utilising semantic pixel segmentation and detection of anomaly patterns within large data-sets (Patent), therefore shaping the next generation of AI experts. His industry contributions include leading roles in groundbreaking projects such as iCetana, an AI-powered security detection software, and Hyprfire, showcasing his ability to translate complex AI concepts into impactful, real-world solutions.
Steven
Nguyen
(Synapta Labs)
Machine Learning Specialist
(BCS) (MEng (CompEng)) (PhD) (Deakin)
Steven Nguyen is an accomplished Machine Learning Specialist with over eight years of experience in deep learning, reinforcement learning, AI multi-agent development and AI-driven data analytics, contributing to projects across healthcare, OCR, robotics, logistics, and advanced manufacturing. With a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Deakin University, his thesis on deep reinforcement learning was nominated for the prestigious Alfred Deakin Medal. Steven has collaborated with academic leaders from Harvard, the University of Chicago, and Imperial College London. He has developed pioneering AI systems including cancer detection via X-ray imaging, the world-first iPupilX wearable for identifying harmful behavioral cues in children. His recent working experience included Software Manager at IriTech, where he contributed iris recognition systems for global biometric deployments and developed Hitachi's body "X-ray System". He is the founder of FruitLab, an open-source DRL educational platform, and has authored numerous peer-reviewed papers with over 1,400 citations and a "Deep Learning Mult-agent modality" U.S. patent. His core competencies include deep reinforcement learning, multi-agent systems, computer vision, OCR, LLM applications.
Nicholas
Stephens
Senior Back-end Developer
Partner (Extensa)
Nicholas Stephens is an accomplished senior back-end developer with extensive experience in artificial intelligence integration and development across various sectors. His expertise includes developing AI-driven solutions for financial regulatory data processing, streamlining healthcare operations, and creating personalised learning platforms in the education space. Nicholas has contributed to transformative projects that harness the power of AI to optimize complex processes and improve user outcomes. His prior roles include working at WorldLabs, where he honed his technical expertise, Vendaly, a platform connecting vendors to events, and KNKT, a software development house where he contributed to innovative projects like Claras.
Jonathan
Moore
Senior Back-end Developer
Jonathan Moore is an experienced senior back-end developer with over a decade of expertise in delivering tailored software solutions and system integrations. Jonathan specialises in tech stacks like .NET Framework, Java EE, PostgreSQL, and ERP system customization. His prior experiences include developing advanced insurance application systems and optimizing business processes, showcasing his strong technical and problem-solving skills.
Joe
Chiang
Lead UI/UX Designer
Partner (JC Studio)
Joe Chiang is a seasoned UI/UX designer with over a decade of experience at the intersection of design and technology. His career spans working with diverse clients, from ambitious startups to global enterprises, including Koala, Bankwest, Curtin University, and the Australian Federal Government. Specialising in creating intuitive, seamless, user-centric digital products, Joe combines functionality with aesthetic appeal to craft seamless web and mobile experiences. With expertise in tools like Framer and Figma, and a background as a front-end developer, Joe brings a unique technical perspective to his design work. Driven by a passion for innovative solutions, he is dedicated to elevating user interactions and delivering cutting-edge digital experiences.
Samuel
Hawley
Senior Front-end Developer
Partner (LimitlessDevs)
Samuel Hawley is a seasoned senior front-end developer with over eight years of experience in software development, bringing full-stack proficiency to a wide range of projects. From simple app development to complex systems involving AI/ML integrations and extensive databases, Samuel’s expertise lies in crafting scalable and innovative solutions. As a partner at LimitlessDevs, a research and development firm that won the Western Australian Small Business Award in 2024, he has spearheaded projects such as Data Trails, a leading geospatial platform for documenting and managing user hiking experiences. Previously, Samuel honed his skills at DotCollective, contributing to cutting-edge software solutions. With a deep commitment to innovation and technical excellence, Samuel plays a key role in transforming ideas into dynamic digital platforms.
Ted
Wong
(Synapta Labs)
Data Science & Machine learning Specialist
BCompSc (Hons), MCom, MQF
(PhD Fellow) (USYD) (UNSW) (UTS)
Head of Engineering (Genieus)
Ted Wong is a highly accomplished ML engineer, Data scientist and technical leader with over a decade of experience in data vectorisation and ML anomaly detection. Spanning from bioinformatics, large-scale data analytics across multiple industries. Serving as the Head of Engineering for Genieus Genomics, leading the development of biomarker discovery for neurodegenerative diseases through "multi-omics" human data analysis. Ted held prior positions as the Head of Data Science at Chess.com, leveraging LLMs to generate advanced statistical reasoning representations for chess positions and undergoing robust anomaly detection, evaluating how players interacted and learned the game. He served as a Technical Lead at Chessable, E-Learning chess platform (acquired by Magnus Carlsen), developing chess learning methodologies, transforming digital chess education. Furthermore he developed bioinformatics workflows for cancer research and statistical AI methods for genomic data analysis. As prior Quantitative Developer, Ted worked with HPCs, implementing a GPU algorithm for "Asian Market Option Derivative Pricing".