At SkinBit, we believe that breakthrough innovation happens when world-class expertise meets a deeply personal mission. Our founding team represents a unique convergence of entrepreneurial excellence, medical leadership, and cutting-edge technology—all united by the shared goal of making life-saving skin cancer detection accessible to everyone.

Jonathan Benassaya, CEO & Co-Founder

The Entrepreneur with a Personal Mission

Jonathan's journey with SkinBit began not in a boardroom, but in a dermatologist's office where he received a melanoma diagnosis that would change his life forever. As a melanoma survivor who experienced firsthand the anxiety of delayed results and the trauma of facing potential disfigurement for a tiny spot, Jonathan understands the urgent need for better skin cancer detection like few others can.

But Jonathan brings far more than personal passion to SkinBit—he brings two decades of proven entrepreneurial success. As co-founder of Deezer, he helped build the music streaming platform that went public on Euronext and pioneered the subscription model that would define the industry. He later served as Chief Product Officer at Life360 (ASX:L360), where he doubled the company's free-to-paid conversion rates, and managed Meta's payment platform, handling billions in transactions.

"My melanoma diagnosis showed me that even with access to the best healthcare, the current system is broken," Jonathan reflects. "But my entrepreneurial experience taught me that the biggest problems often create the biggest opportunities to help people."

Dr. Justin Ko, MD, Co-Founder and Medical Advisor

The Clinical Visionary Leading AI in Dermatology

As Chief of Medical Dermatology at Stanford Hospital, Dr. Ko isn't just observing the future of dermatology—he's creating it. His groundbreaking research team published the seminal work on AI in skin cancer detection in Nature, establishing him as a global leader in artificial intelligence applications for dermatology.

Dr. Ko spearheaded Stanford's Augmented Intelligence initiatives and serves as Associate Chief Quality Officer and physician lead for Patient Experience at Stanford Health Care. His unique combination of clinical excellence, research innovation, and patient-centered care philosophy makes him the ideal bridge between SkinBit's technology and real-world medical practice.

"We're not just building better technology," Dr. Ko explains. "We're reimagining how dermatologic care can be delivered to serve millions of patients who currently can't access it."

Bill Dower, PhD, Co-Founder and Technical Lead

The Radar Pioneer Transforming Medical Imaging

Bill's expertise in radar technology might seem unexpected in a medical startup, but it's precisely this unconventional background that enables SkinBit's breakthrough approach. With a PhD in synthetic aperture radar from the University of Oklahoma, Bill has spent his career pushing the boundaries of what's possible with electromagnetic imaging.

At Raytheon, he developed radar systems for everything from earth imaging to helicopter landing guidance. At defense startup Epirus, he led the development of electromagnetic pulse systems and pioneered bistatic radar for drone detection. Now he's applying these same principles to detect cellular changes beneath the skin's surface.

"The physics that help us see through clouds to image the earth can also help us see through skin to detect cancer," Bill explains. "It's the same fundamental technology, just applied with medical precision."

Ilya Novoselskiy, Co-Founder and AI Lead

The Computer Vision Champion

With over 12 years of experience in computer vision and deep learning, Ilya represents the cutting edge of AI development. His recent victory in the 2024 ISIC (International Skin Imaging Collaboration) challenge—achieving the best performance ever recorded in skin lesion analysis—demonstrates his world-class expertise in exactly the technology SkinBit needs.

Ilya's passion for applying AI to healthcare drives SkinBit's algorithmic development, ensuring that our detection capabilities continue to improve with every scan performed. His work is central to SkinBit's vision of AI-powered screening that surpasses human diagnostic capabilities.

Manuel Colom, Co-Founder and Design Lead

The User Experience Master

With 20 years of UI/UX design experience, including time at Apple, Manuel ensures that SkinBit's revolutionary technology is accessible and intuitive for both patients and healthcare providers. His design philosophy centers on making complex medical technology feel simple and trustworthy.

Manuel's role extends beyond traditional design—he's architecting the entire user journey from scanning to results to follow-up care, ensuring that SkinBit's life-saving technology is embraced rather than intimidating.

A Team Built for Impact

What makes SkinBit's team unique isn't just individual expertise—it's how these diverse backgrounds combine to solve a problem that requires both technological innovation and deep healthcare understanding. Jonathan's entrepreneurial track record provides the business acumen to scale globally. Dr. Ko's clinical leadership ensures medical credibility and patient safety. Bill's radar expertise enables breakthrough detection capabilities. Ilya's AI mastery delivers superior diagnostic performance. Manuel's design excellence makes it all accessible.

Together, they're not just building a company—they're building a future where skin cancer detection is fast, accurate, and available to everyone who needs it. Each team member brings both professional excellence and personal commitment to a mission that could save millions of lives through earlier detection.

The result? A team uniquely positioned to transform one of medicine's most pressing challenges into its next great success story.