Call for Business Leaders to Economically Disengage from Russian Industry

Updated with latest co-signers as of March 21at 2:03p ET

Members of the Global Business Community -

We, members of the technology industry, are appalled by the unprovoked war started by Russia against its neighbor Ukraine. This barbaric act will lead to substantial loss of life, trauma to millions of people, and the dislocation of civil society in a nation that has repeatedly expressed its peaceful intentions. In short, this is a criminal act deliberately committed by Russia. Its ramifications are far-reaching and touch the entire globe.

We reject the actions ordered by President Putin and the failure of those who enable and embolden him. This includes the captains of Russia’s industries who support him, stand by him, and whom we urge to collectively steer Russia towards peace.

The business leaders among us, with the support of all other signers, pledge to:

• cease all sales of non-medical hardware, software, services (including support services) to Russia as well as Russian nationals with ties to Russian industries.
• reject investment from Russian funds.
• halt collaboration or service agreements with Russian companies.
• stop purchasing from vendors who continue to do business in Russia.

These actions should only be reversed upon the restoration of peace and democracy in a sovereign Ukraine.

Lastly, we ask our colleagues in all the industries in the United States, including software, social media, IT, agriculture, business/legal/financial services, to take the same steps and withhold assistance to oligarchs who enable this war and all Russian businesses.

We cannot look back in the future wondering whether we could have taken stronger measures. This justifies the strongest possible economic disengagement now.

We salute the brave Russians opposing their government at home and admire their courage. We hope more will join their protests.**

We stand with our colleagues, friends, and families in Ukraine bravely fighting the invading army. We support you, and you are not alone.

To be added as a signer, please submit your name, title, and affiliation using this Google form.

We welcome all, including employees at all levels of all industries in all countries, to sign onto this pledge and urge you to share it with your colleagues.

Co-Authors:
Nick Berry (CEO / Origin Acoustics)

Jeremy Burkhardt (Chairman / Origin Acoustics)

Alex Camara (CEO / AudioControl)

Susan Cashen (Board Director and Advisor)

Mark Cichowski (CEO / Clarity AV International)

Joseph Kolchinsky (CEO / OneVision Resources)

Footnote:
* Our call for economic disengagement extends to other countries and their elites should they join Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
** Examples of Russian industry leaders who have spoken out against Putin and the war: Oleg Deripaska, Mikhail Fridman

Co-Signers:

John Dorsey (CEO, SAVI Controls)

Amanda Wildman (Board Member of CEDIA / Owner of TruMedia)

Peter Kolchinsky (Managing Partner / RA Capital Management)

Charlie Kindel (President / Kindel, LLC)

Richard Reid (Managing Director / Aonyx)

Jason Griffing (Director of Product / OneVision Resources)

Chris Williams (Director, Operations & People / OneVision Resources)

Mark Pagliarini (Director of Support / OneVision Resources)

Jonathan M Strimling (CEO / CleanFiber)

Sean Hawley (CEO / Tech Automation)

Dan Burnett (Business Analyst / Azione Unlimited)

Chris Smith (Principal / TheCoTeam)

Lindsay Alaimo (Systems Administrator / OneVision Resources)

Taylor Graves (Senior Systems Administrator / OneVision Resources)

Thomas Zornes (Technology Specialist / One Vision Resources)

Nicole Saffell (Partner Development Admin / OneVision Resources)

Scott Shelton (Technology Specialist / OneVision Resources)

Alex Boyle (Senior Trainer / OneVision Resources)

Julia Walsh (Director of Partner Development / OneVision Resources)

John Galante (President / AE Ventures)

Patrick McCarthy (Director of New Business Development & Member Services / Azione Unlimited)

Kevin Riley (Technology Specialist / OneVision Resources)

Matthew Poirier (Technology Specialist / OneVision Resources)

Alex Capecelatro (CEO / Josh.ai)

Ian Goldberg (Product Manager / OneVision Resources)

Bill Maxey (CEO / Media Design Inc)

John Reynolds (Service Manager / Hermary’s LLC)

Richard Jacobson (Trainer / OneVision Resources)

Andy Worshill (Operations Manager / Haas Entertainment)

Brian Moseley (Director of Technology / Moseley Electronics, LLC)

Paul Ostrin (CEO / Unlimited Integration LLC)

Gordon Isaac (Founder / Action Matters Consulting)

Ben Hildreth (Owner / Symbio Lighting & Control)

James Sorci (Technology Specialist / OneVision Resources)

Mackenzie Wayne (Account Executive)

Claire Sanders (Membership Sales Admin / OneVision Resources)

Lizzy Harrison (Client Concierge / OneVision Resources)

Duke DeLuca (Technology Specialist / OneVision Resources)

Drew Schmitz (Associate Product Manager / OneVision Resources)

Chiara Degani (Partner Success/Director of Service / OneVision Resources)

Whitney Danielle (Membership Sales Manager / OneVision Resources)

Rhonda Sue Newberry (Wellness Advocate / doTERRA)

Mitchell Klein (Executive Director / Z-Wave Alliance)

Roberta Lewis (President / Roberta Lewis & Assoc., LLC)

J.C. Murphy (President / Savant Systems, LLC)

Andrew Hamm (Vice President / Design / Savant Systems, LLC)

Gretchen Gilbertson (CEO / Seura, Inc.)

Gabi Wolper (Vice President / Fortress Seating)

Michael Barry (President / Millennium Systems Design, Inc)

Edward Gilmore (CEO and Founder / Gilmore’s Sound Advice, Inc.)

Jonathan Powers (Technology Specialist / OneVision Resources)

Jeremy Hitchcock (Partner / New North Ventures)

Brooks Swift (CEO / iPoint LLC)

Paul Epstein (President / Current Marketing)

Randy Stearns (CEO / D-Tools, Inc.)

Tom Coffin (CEO/President/Co-Founder / Simply Reliable, Inc)

Dennis Erskine (CEO / Erskine Group, Inc.)

Steve Colburn (Principal / S Colburn Consulting)

Eric Thies (Founder / Home Technology Association (HTA))

Jessi Clark-White (Owner / Distinction Jewelry)

Nicholas Mark (CEO / DC Home Systems)

Jeff Binette (President / SmartHome Solutions, Inc.)

Andrea Aiello (CFO / Bethesda Systems LLC)

Gustavo Serafini (Co-Founder / Pure Audio Video)

Todd Wilson (Purchasing Manager / Custom Audio Video, LLC Bluffton, SC)

James Ratcliffe (Managing Director / Homeplay Ltd)

andre p lusink (Owner / sound vision solutions)

Evan Struhl (President / Cutting Edge Systems Corp)

Ed Buday, Jr. (Owner / Buday’s Home Electronics Simplified)

Henry Clifford (CEO / Livewire)

Kirk de los Santos (President / System Works, Inc.)

Eric Duke (Managing Member / Show & Tell AV Solutions)

Kate Kret (Office Manager / RICH AV DESIGN)

Josh Rich (Owner / RICH AV DESIGN)

Kris Gutrich (President / Remote Audio Video LLC)

Stan Clark (CTO / Media Design, Inc.)

Richard Quinones (President/CEO / SB Comm Inc)

Michael Perry (COO / Tech Automation, Inc)

Brad Trew (President / ConnectE3)

Ric Parker (Project Manager / HiFi Club)

Robert Wheeler (Vice President/COO / Simplex)

Phillip Ampel (President & Owner / Atlanta Audio & Automation)

Luke Skinner (Project Manager / Above Grade Automation)

Travis Larsen (Owner / Vineyard Sound Integration)

Yamin Chowdhury (Sr. Technology Specialist / Symbio Lighting & Control)

Anthony Grimani (Founder / Grimani Systems)

Steven Weber (CEO / Liaison Technology Group)

Gregg Dixon (President / AV Specialists, Inc)

John M Brothers (President / AVS Design Concepts, Inc.)

Bill Simpkins (Founder & CEO / IGS Homeworks)

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This letter was based the life sciences industry’s Call for Business Leaders to Economically Disengage from Russian Industry.