Vin Gupta -- Founder

Vin was born and raised in the village of Rampur Manhyaran, one-hundred miles north of New Delhi. He spent his childhood without electricity, running water and studied in a village school. After high school, he was admitted to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur in 1962.

For the next five years, Vin pursued topics in Agricultural Engineering at IIT Kharagpur building a solid foundation for his future educational and professional pursuits. After graduating from IIT Kharagpur in May 1967 with a Bachelor of Technology, he came to the United States with $58 in his pocket and settled in Lincoln, Nebraska. As a dual Master's candidate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from August 1968 through May 1971, Vin devoted his time and energy to studies in engineering and business management. Earning his Master of Science in Engineering in 1969 and Master of Business Administration in 1971, Vin soon launched his career as a Marketing Research Manager at the Commodore Corporation in Omaha.

During his time with the Commodore Corporation, a mobile home manufacturer, Vin recognized the importance of information and database management. He then started infoUSA, first named Business Research Services, then changed to American Business Information with $100 that he borrowed. He ordered all the yellow pages and compiled his first list for mobile home dealers. For the next 13 years, Vin and his associates compiled and categorized the entirety of the United States Yellow Pages directories, with substantial demand from small-business customers. Upon its IPO in 1993, American Business Lists underwent many changes in the ensuing years, becoming infoUSA and, later, infoGROUP. In 1996, President Bill Clinton nominated Vin as Counsel General to Bermuda. When confirmed, Vin was nominated to be U.S. Ambassador to Fiji. Due to his commitment to infoUSA, he withdrew his nomination.

In August 2008, Vin retired from his post as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board at infoGROUP, leaving a legacy of hands-on leadership and measurable performance with his company. infoGROUP was sold to CCMP for $650 million in July 2010. For more information about Vin's present activities, visit www.vingupta.com.

Monica Messer -- President, Database and Technology

Monica was the Chief Operations Officer at infoGroup and spent 25 years in various leadership positions where she was known as the industry's pioneer in creating long term product roadmaps and company strategies to bring leading edge solutions to small business owners and sales people. She led all aspects of brands such as SalesGenie.com, InfoUSA.com, ReferenceUSA.com, DirectoriesUSA.com, and Polk City Directories. Most recently, she was the President of infoGoup's Data Group - a $300 million division dedicated to the small business sector.

Monica was instrumental in growing infoGroup, formerly known as infoUSA, from $2 million in sales in 1982 to over $600 million in sales in 2007. She guided the product and technology strategy that led to marketing solutions used by over 5 million customers worldwide.

Since taking a leadership of infofree.com, she is leading the company to - once again - revolutionize the way small businesses find new customers. Without the baggage of legacy infrastructure and technology, she is on a mission to ensure that infofree.com quickly emerges as the provider of choice for the sales and marketing solutions.

A frequent speaker at industry events, Monica develops and tracks best practices in small business success, email marketing, customer communications, and entrepreneurship. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a Masters Degree in Political Management from George Washington University.

Fred Vakili -- President Customer Satisfaction

Fred was the Chief Administrative Officer at infoGroup and spent 25 years in various leadership positions. He played an integral role in the growth strategy of infoGroup with responsibility for the acquisition of over 40 companies since 1992. These acquisitions allowed the company to become a one-stop-shop for the vast array of sales solutions available in the marketplace. Fred's leadership at infoGroup helped sales people and businesses grow their sales and profits.

At infofree.com, Fred leads all aspects of sales, marketing and administration. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Iowa State University. He has continued his executive education through Harvard Business School and Stanford Business School.