Outstanding Employees: 2026 BigPanda HEART Award Winners

At BigPanda, our HEART values are the foundation for how we work together and support our customers every day. HEART stands for Hunger, Extreme Ownership, Active Transparency, Relentless Customer Focus, and one Team, and these principles are meant to guide our decisions, especially when things are complex, fast-moving, or uncertain.

Every year, we take time to recognize Pandas who don’t just believe in these values—but consistently bring them to life in visible, meaningful ways. These are the teammates who lean into hard problems, own outcomes end-to-end, share openly, put customers at the center of their work, and rally people across teams to move the business forward.

Our Annual HEART Awards celebrate those Pandas whose impact truly stands out. The winners highlighted below were nominated by their peers and leaders for raising the bar for their teams and for BigPanda as a whole.

As part of this recognition, each HEART Award winner selected a non-profit organization to receive a donation from BigPanda on their behalf, reflecting the causes and communities that matter most to them. A few winners are still finalizing their selections; those will be updated once confirmed.

You can learn more about this year’s winners and their selected organizations below.

R&D Organization

Beau Russell, Staff Engineer

Beau is a cornerstone of our Custom Integrations team and owns the architecture and technical execution behind many of our most complex integrations. From onboarding new customers to guiding transitions from proof-of-concept to production, he brings clarity, rigor, and a deep sense of ownership to every step of the journey.

He’s known not only for his calm, steady presence under pressure, but also for his ability to bridge R&D, Product, Professional Services, Sales Engineering, and Support—translating intricate customer needs into scalable, impactful solutions. Beau consistently mentors others through change and sets an exceptionally high bar for technical and collaborative excellence.

Beau’s selected organization: Boerne Parks & Recreation, which supports community parks, green spaces, and recreation programs serving residents in Boerne, Texas.

Dennis Zheleznyak, Staff DevOps Engineer

Dennis brings relentless Hunger to everything he does. He regularly steps into some of our most complex technical and security challenges, approaching them with professionalism, focus, and a deep understanding of both customer and risk considerations.

Beyond delivering high-impact work, Dennis has a strong positive influence on the broader R&D team. He shares knowledge generously, supports others, and leads by example—helping raise the level of execution, resilience, and collaboration across the organization.

Dennis’s selected organization: Orr Shalom, an Israeli non-profit dedicated to providing safe homes, care, and support for children and youth at risk.

Hadar Carmely, Senior Manager, Engineering

Hadar is a leader who truly embodies one Team. She is deeply committed to the growth, success, and pride of her team, and that sense of ownership radiates well beyond her immediate group to the broader organization.

She brings exceptional depth of knowledge in BigPanda’s Event Management product and often volunteers to take on complex or unfamiliar areas, modeling the kind of curiosity and courage we want from all our leaders. Hadar has also been at the forefront of how her team embraces AI, both in how they build and in what they deliver to customers, while actively collaborating across teams, sharing insights, and welcoming new ideas. She is a true R&D leader and an invaluable force in our continued evolution.

Hadar’s selected organization: Hadar selected Beit Issie Shapiro, a pioneering organization that has spent more than 45 years advancing equal opportunity, inclusion, and quality of life for people with disabilities. Through innovative programs, services, advocacy, and global knowledge-sharing, the organization empowers individuals across the full spectrum of disabilities to lead fuller, more independent lives and actively participate in their communities. Its work impacts more than 500,000 people annually across Israel and over 30 countries worldwide.

Guy Khmelnitsky, Senior Software Engineer

Guy is someone teams naturally rely on. When he takes responsibility for an area, he owns it completely—diving into new domains, ramping quickly, and delivering value with both speed and quality.

He is known for his calm, reliable presence and senior-level ownership. Whether tackling tough technical issues or serving as a go-to partner for peers, Guy consistently strengthens the team’s momentum and cohesion. His combination of technical depth, accountability, collaborative mindset, and even his love of fine coffee make him a standout embodiment of our HEART values.

Guy’s selected organization:  Guy selected Israel Hofsheet, a nonpartisan civic movement dedicated to advancing religious freedom, civil rights, and democratic values in Israel. Since 2009, the organization has led national campaigns focused on issues such as freedom of marriage, gender equality in public spaces, LGBTQ+ rights, and reducing religious coercion in everyday life. Through public advocacy, policy initiatives, grassroots organizing, and collaboration with lawmakers and local leaders, Israel Hofsheet works to build a more inclusive and pluralistic Israeli society where democratic values and individual freedoms are protected for all.

Michael Sobol, Senior Software Engineer

Michael brings together deep technical expertise with true end-to-end ownership. He doesn’t just build features—he drives outcomes. As a key leader on the Alert Enricher project, he has taken responsibility for performance, availability, and rollout, ensuring the solution meets real-world needs at scale.

By working closely with Solution Engineering and listening carefully to customer feedback, Michael has made a direct and measurable impact on customer satisfaction. He consistently delivers high-quality work independently and keeps a sharp focus on both technical excellence and customer value.

Michael’s selected organizations: Michael chose to split his donation among three organizations: Hasadi Eran Association, For the Wildlife, and Magen David Adom supporting environmental stewardship and emergency response efforts in Israel and beyond.

Finance & Operations

Aditya Choudhary, FP&A Manager – Product, R&D & Cloud Strategy

Aditya’s impact has been felt across the entire company. Over the past year, he has demonstrated exceptional proactivity and Extreme Ownership in leading the renewal and renegotiation of some of BigPanda’s largest technology vendor contracts.

By driving toward clear, tangible results while collaborating effectively with stakeholders, Aditya has helped improve operational efficiency and unlock cost savings that can be reinvested into higher-value strategic initiatives. His work is a powerful example of how thoughtful financial leadership enables innovation and growth across the business.

Aditya’s selected organization: Muttville, a non-profit senior dog rescue dedicated to giving older dogs a second chance at a safe, loving home.

Product

Travis Carlson, Staff Product Manager

Travis is a critical connector between our engineering teams and our go-to-market organization. He exemplifies Extreme Ownership in the way he has led the rollout of key AI offerings, including AI Incident Assistant and AI Incident Prevention.

Since day one, Travis has shown up wherever it matters—roadmap sessions, customer calls, analyst briefings, demos, enablement—while still excelling in his core product role. His combination of ownership, versatility, and team-first mindset has been instrumental in driving adoption, revenue, and customer success for our AI portfolio.

Travis’s selected organization: World Vision, a global humanitarian organization focused on improving the lives of children, families, and communities through long-term development and emergency relief.

Customer Organization

Dave Darwin, Strategic Account Manager

Dave has embraced one of the most challenging roles at BigPanda—Strategic Account Management—with confidence and purpose. In a short period of time, he has stepped into some of our largest and most complex customer relationships, going higher and wider to re-energize engagement and drive strategic restarts where needed.

Through his professionalism, commitment, and value-driven approach, Dave has made a meaningful impact on both our customers and our internal teams, consistently demonstrating Extreme Ownership and Relentless Customer Focus.

Dave’s selected organization: Dave selected two organizations focused on providing critical care and support to individuals and families facing challenging circumstances. FamilyAid Boston works to prevent and end family homelessness by providing shelter, housing, and supportive services to vulnerable families across the Boston area. Alzheimer’s Association is a leading global organization dedicated to advancing Alzheimer’s research while providing education, advocacy, and support services for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. Together, these organizations make a meaningful impact by supporting families, strengthening communities, and improving quality of life for those in need.

Mawia Sakaly, Customer Support Engineer

Mawia is a standout member of the Support organization and a model of what it means to win as one Team. She proactively brings people together across functions, steps in wherever help is needed, and takes ownership of complex customer issues without waiting to be asked.

Her impact goes far beyond tickets and escalations. Mawia has contributed extensively to our documentation and community, creating over 150 high-quality knowledge articles that make it easier for customers and teammates alike to find answers and succeed. Her combination of technical depth, empathy, and customer-first mindset has made a lasting difference at BigPanda.

Mawia’s selected organization: Sudan War Crisis Emergency Relief, supporting urgent humanitarian assistance for communities affected by the conflict in Sudan.

Revenue & Marketing

Luke Connolly‑Sherwood, Enterprise Account Executive

Luke consistently embodies our HEART values in how he approaches growth and innovation. He is driven to win, always looking for ways to improve himself, his work, and the broader business impact he can create.

Luke takes full accountability for outcomes and executes with pride, building trust and long-term partnerships by truly understanding customer needs and committing to their success. His energy and ownership have helped shape some of our most important opportunities.

Luke’s selected organization: Project PMM2, a non-profit focused on driving research, awareness, and support for individuals and families impacted by PMM2-related rare diseases.

Jaffer Mahsoob, Senior Architect, Sales Engineering

Jaffer has been instrumental in helping us overcome complex technical challenges in some of our most strategic prospects and customer environments. He is always ready to roll up his sleeves—supporting integrations, data flows, and proof-of-value efforts that are critical to winning and expanding key deals.

Whether the work involves new business, upsells, or cross-sells, Jaffer consistently brings hunger, expertise, and a collaborative mindset. His behind-the-scenes contributions have had a lasting impact on our ability to execute and succeed in the market.

Jaffer’s selected organization: Jaffer selected Dream Big Honduras, a mission-driven nonprofit focused on breaking cycles of poverty in rural Honduras. The organization supports children and families through education programs, including after-school tutoring and scholarships, as well as access to basic needs such as food, school supplies, and healthcare.

While Jaffer has long admired the work of Dream Big Honduras, what truly made the mission resonate more deeply was hearing firsthand stories from individuals who had visited Pittsburgh and shared how the programs had meaningfully changed lives and strengthened their communities. Those experiences reinforced for Jaffer the tangible, life-changing impact of the work and inspired his continued support for their mission and the communities served by Dream Big Honduras.

Tony Bermeo, Principal Sales Engineer

During a period of transition in the Northeast region, Tony chose not just to adapt but to step up and lead. He played a key role in onboarding new reps, supporting the team through change, and helping turn the region into one of our top-performing areas.

Tony consistently goes the extra mile—driving deals forward through demos and technical leadership while also investing in others, including hosting regular “ask me anything” sessions for the SDR team. His unwavering commitment to customers, teammates, and results embodies every aspect of HEART.

Tony’s selected organization: Wags Rescue, an animal rescue organization focused on saving, rehabilitating, and rehoming dogs in need.

Melissa Kelley, Vice President, Demand Generation

Melissa has had a transformative impact on how our marketing organization plans, executes, and measures results. She proactively takes on high-impact initiatives and drives them to completion, holding herself and others accountable to clear outcomes.

Under her leadership, the demand generation function has evolved into a highly experimental, data-driven engine that continuously learns and raises the bar on performance. Melissa’s mindset is rooted in creating the best possible experience for customers and prospects, and her collaborative approach has strengthened partnerships with Sales, SDRs, Product Marketing, and beyond.

Melissa’s selected organization: Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC Fund), which supports research and initiatives to combat childhood cancer and related blood disorders.

People Organization

Moran Shalom, Employee Experience & Workplace Manager

Moran consistently leads with HEART in ways that make everyone else’s work—and workplace—better. She proactively identifies issues before they become problems and is the glue that keeps our physical office operations running smoothly.

Her professionalism, reliability, and clear communication have made her a trusted partner across teams. Moran has taken ownership of meaningful employee experiences—from elevating happy hours and team events to orchestrating the Israel end-of-year party and our hackathon. Behind the scenes, she has also provided critical support to accounting and payroll and successfully negotiated business contracts that benefit the entire company. Through her ownership, hunger, and employee-first mindset, she lives our HEART values every single day.

Moran’s selected organization: The Association of the Deaf in Israel, which advocates for and supports deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals through services, community, and accessibility initiatives.

The organization Moran selected is very close to her heart. Both of her parents are hard of hearing, and her mother has received meaningful support from the organization over the years.

Beyond advocating for accessibility and equal rights, the organization fosters a strong sense of community through social activities, workshops, trips, and support programs for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. It helped her mother feel significantly less isolated and connected her with others who truly understand her experience. In fact, her parents originally met through one of the organization’s trips many years ago. Seeing the profound impact this community has had on her family is what inspired her to give back and support their ongoing work.

Working with HEART

At BigPanda, we aim to foster an environment of diversity, inclusion, and social responsibility, where our values show up not only in what we build but in how we treat one another and support our communities.

We’re proud to honor this year’s HEART Award winners and to help support the causes that mean the most to them. Their stories are a powerful reminder of what it looks like when HEART is more than words on a page—it’s how we show up every day.

If this resonates with you, we encourage you to explore opportunities to join the team and become a Panda.