Get to know us
Who are we
We are bunch of highly experienced yet passionate individuals who work as a high performing team. We have a doctor and philanthropist, a technology veteran, an operations veteran, a very experienced user experience designer and bunch of world-class experts in the domains that we operate in.
And the team
Our team is small but has heart. Every member has gone through a rigorous selection process with one common thread: we all love what we do and we are quite good at it.
Meltem Karatepe
Co-Founder
Dr. Karatepe, a pediatrician with over 20 years of experience, graduated from Istanbul University School of Medicine and completed her residency at New York Medical College. She has worked in under-served areas like Shelton, WA and currently practices at Pittsburg Medical Center. She is passionate for gender equality and supporting women all around the world with focus on her home country. When she is not working or parenting her two young kids, she can be found playing pickleball socially.
Ramin Erfanian
Co-Founder
Ramin was born in Iran and lived in 7 different countries around the world. He speaks 4 languages. He has graduated from University of London, Computer Science.He has over 30 years of experience developing end to end technology solution with track record in . multiple startups as well as large companies like Facebook, PayPal and EA. An avid Pickleball & tennis 4.5, Squash A+, Racquetball A player.
Gökhan Günan
Head of the Operations
Graduated from San Francisco State, Civil engineering 22+ years of experience project and operational management Tennis 4.5, Pickle 4.0 and Soccer.
Our Expert Advisers
Meet our expert advisors – seasoned professionals dedicated to providing tailored guidance in Pickleball. With a wealth of experience, they offer personalized insights to help you make informed decisions and achieve success.
John Cincola
Professional Pickleball Player
John Cincola has been in racket sports for decades and is now one of the top 10 pickleball pros in the world. John played tennis throughout high school and later played Division 1 at the University of Illinois at Chicago before he started teaching tennis at a private club. John was eventually introduced to pickleball by his mother in 2018 and was hooked immediately. He now competes with the top players in the world and is particularly lethal in singles matches.
Mike Hoxie
Founder of Pickleball is Great
Born and raised in Hawaii and lived in California for 10 years before moving to the Northwest 20+ years ago. Learned the game from Pickleball Hall of Fame members Enrique Ruiz, Steve Paranto, and others back in 2009. Both an indoor and outdoor player, he’s set up thousands of temporary courts and nets over the years. He does not have a specific brand paddle he plays with as there are so many choices out there!
Hafez Janssen
Guru UX Designer
Graduate from university of Kansas City. 28+ years of experience in user experience and UI design Worked at Cisco, Macy’s, JP Morgan, Frog Design Competitive soccer in Sports4good.
Faz Assadi
Tech Visionary & Code Whisperer
Faz Assadi is a seasoned software executive with over 27 years of experience. He’s known for his innovation and problem-solving skills, leading teams at startups and industry giants like Oracle and Charles Schwab. Faz has helped navigate the ever-evolving tech universe. When Faz is not decoding the mysteries of software, you’ll find him exploring the great outdoors, playing ping pong, tennis, pickellball and barbecuing.
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John Cincola
John Cincola has been in racket sports for decades and is now one of the top 10 pickleball pros in the world. John played tennis throughout high school and later played Division 1 at the University of Illinois at Chicago before he started teaching tennis at a private club. John was eventually introduced to pickleball by his mother in 2018 and was hooked immediately. He now competes with the top players in the world and is particularly lethal in singles matches.
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Mike Hoxie
Born and raised in Hawaii and lived in California for 10 years before moving to the Northwest 20+ years ago. Learned the game from Pickleball Hall of Fame members Enrique Ruiz, Steve Paranto, and others back in 2009. Both an indoor and outdoor player, he’s set up thousands of temporary courts and nets over the years. He does not have a specific brand paddle he plays with as there are so many choices out there!
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Hafez Janssen
Graduate from university of Kansas City. 28+ years of experience in user experience and UI design Worked at Cisco, Macy’s, JP Morgan, Frog Design Competitive soccer in Sports4good.