General Partner
Omar Tawakol
Omar Tawakol is a General Partner at super{set}, CEO of Rembrand, and a founder and operator who has built and scaled multiple category-defining technology companies. He previously served as CEO of BlueKai, acquired by Oracle, and CEO & Founder of Voicea, acquired by Cisco.
Professional journey
Across his career, Omar has focused on building companies that sit at the intersection of data, AI, and enterprise technology. In addition to his role at super{set}, he serves as CEO of Rembrand and as a board member at The Trade Desk, drawing on decades of experience as both founder and executive leader.
Omar founded Voicea to apply conversational AI to workplace productivity, leading the company until its acquisition by Cisco in 2019. Following the acquisition, he joined Cisco as VP CX Business Unit & GM Product Led Growth Webex, helping scale product-led growth initiatives within the organization.
Earlier, he served as CEO of BlueKai, helping establish the company as a leading enterprise data platform before its acquisition by Oracle in 2014. At Oracle, he built and led the Oracle Data Cloud from inception. His earlier leadership roles include executive positions at Medio Systems and Audience Science, continuing a long track record of building data-driven businesses.
At super{set}, Omar partners with founders to help shape strategy, accelerate execution, and build companies designed for long-term impact.
CEO
Rembrand
CEO
BlueKai, Acquired by Oracle
CEO
Voicea, Acquired by Cisco
WHAT'S NEW?
New's and views from Omar
Fresh updates, podcasts, stories, & insights.
Checksum
Product & Tech
Startup Growth
14
min read
At Checksum, growth has been fast, market-driven, and executed under pressure. But what’s made the difference is how tightly the team members closest to customers stay aligned as everything accelerates.
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Data & AI
Product & Tech
3
min read
Inside high-velocity startups, go-to-market (GTM) teams must balance two competing forces: operating in their own functional lanes while simultaneously moving in lockstep toward shared revenue goals with the other sub-teams within the organization.
AI Engineering
AI Strategy
3
min read
Use AI, intent signals and automation to build a high-speed, effective ‘go-to-market engineering’ revenue pipeline.
Company Building
Portfolios
Talent & Culture
6
min read
In an era where speed often eclipses substance, Headlamp stands apart by building with patience, empathy, and precision. Founded by Erwin Estigarribia and Manaswini Sugatoor, the company tackles one of healthcare’s hardest challenges — uniting fragmented behavioral and biological data to serve patients with greater clarity and trust.
Company Building
Talent & Culture
Portfolios
7
min read
We sat down with Kian to talk about building in a sector defined not by profit but by purpose — what it means to move fast and stay grounded, and how the right team, (fur buddies included), make the hard work pay off and a lot more joyful.
Company Building
In News & Media
min read
Pulse 2.0 sat down with Tom Chavez to unpack super{set}'s unique approach to company building: conceive → co-found → build → scale alongside founders, with an operator-first culture.
Data & AI
Product & Tech
Portfolios
3
min read
Data privacy surged with GDPR and global laws—great for citizens, costly for businesses. Now AI-powered privacy tools are flipping the script: automating consent and preference management, mapping personal data across systems, dynamically adapting to new rules, orchestrating end-to-end DSR requests, and pre-flagging risks via automated PIAs. Compliance moves from manual, expensive, and brittle to faster, accurate, and auditable—turning privacy from a cost center into a competitive advantage that strengthens brands and deepens customer trust.
Data & AI
Product & Tech
4
min read
Over the past six months, ChatGPT’s new clickable links and search-style results have driven a surge in referral traffic, fueling rapid growth in Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), a trend expected to accelerate in the coming years. Are you ready? In fact are you alredy adopting SEO practices and making the necessary adjustments to make sure you customers and prospects can find you when they come looking. Whether you are educating or engaging, check out our marketer, Stéphane Le Mentec, director of demand generation at Ketch who knows a thing or two about AEO.
Data & AI
4
min read
ARaaS is the next evolution beyond SaaS—businesses pay for outcomes, not just software features.
Data & AI
Archive
5
min read
Rethinking Authorship and Ownership in the Age of Intelligent Collaboration
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Data & AI
6
min read
In an age when algorithms can generate information on demand, our capacity to fact-check and trust that information is diminishing. This paradox raises profound questions for society and business: What does it mean when AI can “know” almost anything, but we can’t agree on what’s true?
Fundraising
7
min read
Announcing super{set} Fund II
Portfolios
In News & Media
2
min read
Off the heels of super{set}'s first exit - the acquisition of data collaboration company Habu by LiveRamp for $200 Million - Tom Chavez writes how the super{set} approach to collaboration in company building leads to successful outcomes.
Portfolios
9
min read
Ted Flanagan, Chief Customer Officer at super{set}-founded Habu, sat down with Jon Suarez-Davis (jsd) to provide insights into how Habu's strategies in customer experience set it apart in the data collaboration market. Learn how customer experience strategies helped Habu land a $200 million after being acquired by LiveRamp in January 2024.
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1
min read
Tom Chavez joins the "Decoding AI for Marketing" podcast published by MMA Global and hosted by well-respected international marketing & AI experts Greg Stuart (CEO, Author, Investor, Speaker) and Rex Briggs (Founder/CEO, Inventor, Author, Speaker).
Company Building
Product & Tech
5
min read
Why should a tech exec care about profit and loss? Aren’t our jobs to make the product great, and someone else can figure out how to make the numbers add up? That was my attitude for a long time until I finally appreciated the significance of gross margins for SaaS businesses during the early part of my tenure as the CTO of Krux.
Portfolios
Data & AI
6
min read
Gal Vered is co-founder and Head of Product at Checksum (checksum.ai), an innovative company that provides end-to-end test automation that leverages AI to test every corner of an app. He sat down with Jon Suarez-Davis (jsd) to discuss the exciting problem that Checksum is solving with AI and what Gal likes best about working in super{set}'s startup studio model.
Talent & Culture
7
min read
How are immigrants like entrepreneurs? Peter Wang of Ketch arrived in the U.S. at age 7 with two suitcases and a box. Read his story in the latest "Pass The Mic."
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Portfolios
7
min read
Harshil Vyas joined the super{set} Hive (i.e., portfolio companies community) in March 2023 as Co-Founder of Kapstan and employee number one in India. We jumped on a Zoom recently to talk about accelerated timelines, globally distributed workforces, and what is unique about the super{set} model.
In News & Media
2
min read
The prettifying and securing of downtown San Francisco, where super{set} is headquartered, should be the norm - not just for special state visits from the world's dictators. Here are 3 things the city of San Francisco should be doing all year round to make the city better to live, work, and invest in. Read Tom Chavez' latest in Forbes.
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Portfolios
9
min read
Pankaj Rajan, co-founder of MarkovML, joins super{set} Chief Commercial Officer Jon Suarez-Davis (jsd) to discuss the role of data in gaining a competitive advantage in the AI revolution. Learn the difference between optimizing models and optimizing data in machine learning applications, and why effective collaboration will make or break the next-gen AI applications being created in businesses.
Portfolios
In News & Media
2
min read
Headlamp Health co-founder Andrew Marshak writes in the MedCity News that "We need to take inspiration from the progress in oncology over the last few decades and challenge ourselves to adapt its successful playbook to mental illness. It’s time for precision psychiatry."
super{summit}
7
min read
Running cloud platforms efficiently while keeping them secure can be challenging. In this blog post, learn how two of super{set}’s portfolio companies, MarkovML and Kapstan, are leveraging tools like KEDA for event-driven scale and Boundary for access management to remove friction for developers. Get insights into real-world use cases about optimizing resource usage and security without compromising productivity.
Portfolios
6
min read
Co-founder of Headlamp Health, Andrew Marshak, describes the frustratingly ambiguous state of mental health diagnoses - and the path forward for making mental health a precision science.
super{summit}
8
min read
Ever find yourself scratching your head about product management decisions? Join India Lossman, co-founder of boombox.io, as she unpacks the product mindset for engineers. Unravel the art of synergy between PMs and engineers and delve into strategies to enhance collaboration and craft products that users will adore.
super{summit}
8
min read
Do you get an uneasy feeling anytime you get added to a customer call? Do you ever struggle to respond to a frustrated customer? Peter Wang, Product lead at Ketch, discusses how customer feedback can help drive product development, and how engineers can use customer insights to create better products. Learn best practices for collecting and interpreting customer feedback.
Portfolios
In News & Media
1
min read
ActiveFence, the leading technology solution for Trust and Safety intelligence, management and content moderation, today announced its successful acquisition of Spectrum Labs, a pioneer in text-based Contextual AI Content Moderation.
Portfolios
8
min read
In a conversation with boombox's co-founder India Lossman, the discussion pivots to the art of fostering customer collaboration in music creation. Lossman unveils how artist-driven feedback shapes boombox's innovative platform, with a glimpse into AI's empowering potential. Understand the synergy between technology and user insights as they redefine the independent music landscape.
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7
min read
What's the price you put on personal growth? In his most recent note to founders, super{set} Founding General Partner Vivek Vaidya outlines 7 points of advice for startup interviews and negotiations. Vivek explains his compensation philosophy and the balance between cash and the investment in personal and career growth a startup can bring. Here’s the mindset you need to reach your zenith at a startup.
super{summit}
4
min read
Vivek Vaidya recaps his conversation with AI researcher and author of "The Alignment Problem" Brian Christian at the 2023 super{summit}.
Company Building
5
min read
Are you a launcher, or a finisher? The balance of conviction, a guiding vision, and the right team to execute it all make the difference between entrepreneurial success and failure. Tom Chavez delves into his journey as a first-time CEO and the invaluable guidance he received from a key mentor.
Portfolios
Company Building
7
min read
super{set} Technical Lead and resident front-end engineering expert Sagar Jhobalia recaps lessons from participating in multiple product and team build-outs in our startup studio. Based on a decade of experience, Sagar emphasizes the importance of assembling the right engineering team, setting expectations, and strategically planning MVPs for early wins in the fast-paced startup environment.
Portfolios
Data & AI
9
min read
In an interview with Ketch co-founder Max Anderson, the focus is on data privacy laws and AI's role. Anderson discusses the global privacy landscape, highlighting Ketch's approach to helping businesses navigate regulations. The conversation also emphasizes data dignity and Ketch's unique role in the AI revolution.
super{summit}
6
min read
Want to grow your product organically? This blog post breaks down understanding costs, setting up starter plans, and pricing premium features using MarkovML as an example. Learn how to engage new users and encourage upgrades, enhancing user experience and fueling growth through actionable insights.
super{summit}
5
min read
Creator of the XBox and serial entrepreneur Seamus Blackley joined Tom Chavez on stage at the 2023 super{summit} in New Orleans, Louisiana, for a free-ranging conversation covering the intersection of creativity and technology, recovering back from setbacks to reach new heights, and a pragmatic reflection on the role of fear and regret in entrepreneurship.
Portfolios
Talent & Culture
4
min read
Discover how lessons from law enforcement shape a thriving tech career. Ketch Sr. Business Development Representative Brenda Flores shares a bold career pivot in our latest "Pass the Mic" story.
Portfolios
Archive
Company Building
4
min read
Discover how Habu, a trailblazer in data clean room technology, utilizes strategic partnerships with giants like Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and AWS to expand its market reach and foster the potential of an emerging category. Learn from CEO Matt Kilmartin's insights on how collaboration is the secret sauce that brings innovation to life.
super{summit}
10
min read
Vivek gives us the rundown on what the hive is buzzing about after super{summit} 2023: how to 'horizontally scale' yourself.
Portfolios
5
min read
super{set} founding general partner Tom Chavez wasn’t always set on a life of engineering and entrepreneurship – music was his first love. For a time, he was determined to make a career out of it. With boombox.io, Tom has combined the best of both worlds into a product that inspires and delights both the engineer and the musician.
Portfolios
3
min read
super{set} startup studio portfolio company’s seed funding round was led by Forerunner Ventures with participation from Ulu Ventures Raise will enable boombox.io to accelerate product development on the way to becoming the winning creator platform for musicians globally
Portfolios
7
min read
Go-to-market has entered a new operating environment. Enter: RevOps. We dig into the next solution space for super{set}, analyzing the paradigm shift in GTM and the data challenges a new class of company must solve.
Talent & Culture
Archive
7
min read
Obsessive intensity. Pack animal nature. Homegrown hero vibes. Unyielding grit. A chip on the shoulder. That's who we look for to join exceptional teams.
Talent & Culture
Archive
7
min read
Chris Fellowes, super{set} interned turned full time employee at super{set} portfolio company Kapstan, gives his 7 recommendations for how to turn an internship into a job at a startup.
Portfolios
Company Building
Product & Tech
6
min read
This month we pass the mic to Sagar Gaur, Software Engineer at super{set} MLOps company MarkovML, who shares with us his tips for working within a global startup with teams in San Francisco and Bengaluru, India
Investing
Company Building
Archive
3
min read
Arthur Patterson, founder of venture capital firm Accel, sits down for a fireside chat with super{set} founding partner Tom Chavez as part of our biweekly super{set} Community Call. Arthur and Tom cover venture investing, company-building, and even some personal stories from their history together.
Portfolios
Archive
6
min read
Head of Infrastructure at Ketch, and Kapstan Advisor, Anton Winter explains a few of the infrastructure and DevOps headaches he encounters every day.
super{summit}
Archive
7
min read
Othmane Rifki, Principal Applied Scientist at super{set} company Spectrum Labs, reports from the session he led at super{summit} 2022: "When Inference Meets Engineering." Using super{set} companies as examples, Othmane reveals the 3 ways that data science can benefit from engineering workflows to deliver business value.
super{summit}
Archive
13
min read
o11y - What is it? Why is it important? What are the tools you need? More importantly - how can you adopt an observability mindset? Habu Software Architect Siddharth Sharma reports from his session at super{summit} 2022.
Product & Tech
Archive
7
min read
The era of easy money - or at least, easy returns for VCs - is over. Tom Chavez is calling for VCs to show up in-person at August board meetings, get off the sidelines, and start adding real value and hands-on support for founders.
Portfolios
Company Building
Talent & Culture
Archive
8
min read
Gal Vered of Checksum explains his rationale for leaving Google to co-found a super{set} company.
Talent & Culture
Archive
7
min read
Reflections after a summer as an engineering intern at super{set}
super{summit}
Archive
6
min read
Vivek Vaidya's takeaways from the inaugural super{summit}
Talent & Culture
Archive
3
min read
Making It Work With Young Kids & Young Companies
Talent & Culture
Archive
7
min read
The decision to start a company – or to join an early stage one – is an act of the gut. On good days, I see it as a quasi-spiritual commitment. On bad days, I see it as sheer irrationality. Whichever it is, you’ll be happier if you acknowledge and calmly accept the lunacy of it all...
Portfolios
Archive
7
min read
Pankaj Rajan, co-founder at MarkovML, describes his Big Tech and startup experience and his journey to starting a company at super{set}.
Company Building
Archive
6
min read
At super{set}, we stand side-by-side and pick up the shovel with our co-founders. Our first outside co-founder at a super{set} company is usually a Head of Product. Let’s unpack each portion of that title....
Talent & Culture
Company Building
Archive
5
min read
Has someone looking to make a key hire ever told you that they are after “coachability”? Take a look at the Google ngram for “coachability” — off like a rocket ship since the Dot Com bubble, and it’s not even a real word! Coaching is everywhere in Silicon Valley...
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4
min read
Considered by some to be “America’s Second Independence Day,” Juneteenth has only recently entered the national zeitgeist. Celebrated on the third Saturday in June, it became a federal holiday just last year under President Joe Biden. Many companies are left wondering how to acknowledge the holiday. We sat down with Eskalera’s co-founder Dr. Tolonda Tolbert to get her take.
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3
min read
This post was written by Ketch Solutions Engineer, Sahiti Surapaneni, as part of our #PassTheMic series.
Talent & Culture
Archive
6
min read
When a VC decides to invest in a company, they write up a document called the “Investment Memo” to convince their partners that the decision is sound. This document is a thorough analysis of the startup...
Company Building
Archive
5
min read
In our last post, we discussed how data is the new general-purpose technology and that is why at super{set} we form data-driven companies from scratch. But new technologies are a promise, not a sudden phase change.
Data & AI
Archive
4
min read
The wheel. Electricity. The automobile. These are technologies that had a disproportionate impact on the merits of their first practical use-case; but beyond that, because they enabled so much in terms of subsequent innovation, economic historians call them “general-purpose technologies” or GPTs...
Company Building
Archive
1
min read
Coming up with new company ideas is easy: we take the day off, go to the park, and let the thoughts arrive like butterflies. Maybe we grab a coconut from that guy for a little buzz. While this describes a pleasant day in San Francisco, it couldn’t be further from the truth of what we do at super{set}. If only we could pull great ideas out of thin air. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way.
Portfolios
Company Building
Archive
6
min read
This post was written by MarkovML Co-Founder, Lindsey Meyl, as part of our #PassTheMic series.
Company Building
Investing
7
min read
The super{set} studio model for early-stage venture It is still early days for the startup studio model. We know this because at super{set} we still get questions from experienced operators and investors. One investor that we’ve known for years recently asked us: “you have a fund — aren’t you just a venture capital firm with a different label?”
Portfolios
Talent & Culture
Archive
3
min read
This post was written by Ketch Sales Director, Sheridan Rice, as part of our #PassTheMic series.
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3
min read
This post was written by Stanza Founder and CEO, Smita Saxena, as part of our #PassTheMic series.
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3
min read
This post was written by Ketch Data Privacy & Compliance Specialist, Jocelyn Brunson, as part of our #PassTheMic series.
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1
min read
It is still early days for the startup studio model. We know this because at super{set} we still get questions from experienced operators and investors - what exactly are you doing over there? How is it any different? Why are you doing unpaid promotion for Taco Bell and Supercuts on the podcast?...
Talent & Culture
Archive
3
min read
This post was written by Ketch Developer Advocate, Ryan Overton, as part of our #PassTheMic series.
Talent & Culture
Portfolios
Archive
5
min read
This post was written by Habu software engineer, Martín Vargas-Vega, as part of our new #PassTheMic series.
Portfolios
Data & AI
Archive
4
min read
We are living in a time of extraordinary concern about the negative consequences of online platforms and social media. We worry about the damage interactive technologies cause to society; about the impact to our mental health; and about the way that these platforms and their practices play to our most destructive impulses. Too often, the experiences we have online serve only to polarize, divide, and amplify the worst of human nature.
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A one-on-one collaboration for deliberate company creation.
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Office
Downtown San Francisco. Check monthly open houses —
see our events at lu.ma.
San Francisco, CA 94105
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