Leadership Team - Protect, Detect, and Respond

Danny Clark

CEO

Danny Clark is the CEO of Rimstorm and its parent company, BOOST LLC. As CEO, Danny is responsible for setting the vision and strategy for Rimstorm as it delivers world-class compliance solutions to government contractors navigating the evolving federal regulatory landscape.

Danny's Bio

Danny is a seasoned executive inside and outside of government and currently leads Rimstorm and its parent company BOOST LLC.

Danny served as a Senior Advisor and Director of Implementation for Secretary Gina Raimondo at the U.S. Department of Commerce, driving investments during the buildout of the CHIPS & Science Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. He was the youngest member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) among nearly 50,000 Department employees.

Previously, Danny spent nearly a decade in McKinsey & Company’s Defense and Security practice and served as Head of Government for a Series D dual-use startup in the advanced materials space. He is a Naval intelligence officer and veteran of the War in Afghanistan, having served in Kabul as Executive Officer to the Director of Intelligence (CJ2) in 2021. His military service includes multiple stints overseas in support of humanitarian and combat missions.

Danny holds an MBA with High Distinction from Harvard Business School as a Baker Scholar, an MA from the U.S. Naval War College, and a BA from the University of Virginia as a Jefferson Scholar.

Ben Gerenstein

Founder & Director of Cybersecurity Compliance

Ben Gerenstein is the Founder & Director of Cybersecurity Compliance for Rimstorm. In his role as Director of Cybersecurity Compliance, Ben is responsible for ensuring Rimstorm’s compliance solutions are comprehensive, reasonably priced and quickly implemented.

Ben's Bio

Ben is a serial entrepreneur who has grown, cultivated and sold a number of successful IT companies, including, an MSP located in the DC metro region. He has received numerous awards over the years, including multiple wins of the Fantastic 50 Award presented by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce to the fastest growing companies in the state.

Ben’s passion for technology began while pursuing has Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at Colgate University. Throughout his career, Ben has had extensive experience as a cybersecurity analyst, senior network engineer and compliance professional. He was Director of Network Systems at Dow Jones and his technical experience includes heading a cybersecurity audit team for the US Naval institute. In addition, Ben has an MBA and is also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

In the early days of CMMC, Ben also attended the first CMMC Provisional Assessor (PA) classes given by the Cyber-AB and became one of the first PAs. He also participated in the Cyber-AB Exam Objectives Working Group and is a Lead Certified CMMC Assessor (CCA) and a Certified CMMC Professional (CCP).

Erik Briceño

Founder & Associate Director of Cybersecurity Compliance

Erik Briceño has been successfully steering the direction of delivering Managed IT and Security Services to Government Contractors since 2000. Erik is a serial entrepreneur creating, building and scaling businesses through leadership, vision and grit.

Erik's Bio

Erik Briceño is the Founder and Associate Director of BOOST’s wholly owned subsidiary, Rimstorm. As a Founder, Erik oversees the daily operations as well as provides support in the creation and implementation of strategic visions for Rimstorm to achieve sustainable long-term growth.

Aside from Rimstorm, Erik is the owner of V2 Systems, Inc., one of Northern Virginia’s leading Information Technology Managed Service Providers. He is an inspiring leader for its employees and instrumental business partner for its customers.

Prior to joining V2 Systems in 2002, Erik was a co-founder and COO of Ampcast.com, a leading provider of online resources servicing over 5,000 independent musical artists. At Ampcast.com, Erik spearheaded all aspects of corporate development, funding, strategic vision, and business development for the firm.

From 1997 to 1999 Erik held the position of Acoustic Systems Engineer for Electric Boat Corporation, a leading defense contractor. In this role, Erik was responsible for the acoustic fidelity of two noise critical systems and components in the US Navy’s nuclear submarine systems

Erik holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University and a Masters of Business Administration from George Mason University.

Amer Shah

Senior Manager of Cybersecurity Compliance

Amer is a cybersecurity leader with 20+ years of experience specializing in CMMC and NIST compliance, including A&A, RMF, and continuous monitoring. A CISSP with CMMC certifications; he is known for translating complex requirements into practical, audit-ready security programs. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking, games like darts and pool, and following his favorite sports teams.

Amer's Bio

Amer is a cybersecurity leader with over 20 years of experience helping organizations achieve and maintain compliance with federal cybersecurity standards. As a CISSP, he specializes in CMMC and NIST frameworks (SP 800-171/171A, 800-53/53A), with extensive experience leading Assessment & Authorization (A&A) efforts and aligning programs to CMMC and FISMA requirements.

He brings a practical, audit-ready approach to compliance—translating regulatory requirements into effective, sustainable security controls. His expertise includes Risk Management Framework (RMF), security assessments, vulnerability management, and continuous monitoring. He also holds CMMC LCCA and CCP certifications and is dedicated to helping organizations build compliant, resilient security programs.

Amer is a graduate of The University of Maryland Global Campus and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance. With a background in hospitality, he enjoys creating and sharing great food and drinks with family and friends. Outside the kitchen, he spends his time playing darts and pool, and is an avid sports fan—cheering on teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Rockets, Washington Nationals, and Washington Capitals.

Mike Thomas

SVP of Enterprise Sales

Mike Thomas is SVP of Enterprise Sales at Rimstorm, leading go-to-market efforts for the company’s compliance-as-a-service and helping organizations protect sensitive data and meet rapidly volving cybersecurity requirements.

Mike's Bio

Mike is an experienced sales leader with over 15 years of experience helping senior leaders in government and industry make smarter, more confident decisions in highly regulated environments. Prior to Rimstorm, Mike spent more than a decade at Forrester Research advising senior leaders across cabinet-level agencies, building and leading sales teams, and developing go-to-market strategies that translated commercially oriented solutions into mission-ready outcomes.

Mike is passionate about helping contractors navigate the barriers to government business — having lived it firsthand — and brings that perspective to every client engagement at Rimstorm.

Steve Foerster

Chief Architect, Secure Enclave Platform

Steven Foerster is Rimstorm’s Chief Architect, Secure Enclave Platform. As CASEP, Steve provides technical leadership through the implementation and supervision of projects to ensure all of Rimstorm’s technical aspects are in alignment with its business strategy.

Steve's Bio

He has overall responsibility for the hardware, software, cloud services and other technology used by Rimstorm and deployed to its customers. He also ensures Rimstorm’s technical solutions are deployed in a secure, reliable and scalable manner with repeatable, streamlined processes and procedures

Steve holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Brigham Young University and an M.S. in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His background includes spending 5 years as a Principal Engineer leading development of offensive cybersecurity networking and infrastructure tools. He was a Computer Information Research Scientist at Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories and Principal CNO Software Engineer at ManTech. He is an Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP). His software contributions have been accepted into open source projects including StreisandVPN, libNTRU, RaspAP, and the python websocket-client and python-for-android modules.

Jeremiah Best

Senior Manager of Customer Success

Jeremiah brings over 18 years of experience in the MSP / Compliance industry including both senior technical and service operations / management roles.

Jeremiah's Bio

He is a service visionary and has led highly regarded Network Systems Engineering and Service Delivery teams across multiple departments. As Vice President of Operations Jeremiah is responsible for ensuring adherence to all Policies and Procedures for Rimstorm and its clients. Looking for efficient, scalable, and secure ways to execute large scale operations is his specialty.

Jeremiah is a graduate of George Mason University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology. When not in the office he can be found rock climbing the “local” areas. Jeremiah and his wife run a side project focusing around mental health and letting people know it’s ok to seek help. His passion for mental health can be seen in his leadership style.

Sami Elalem

Business Development & Partnerships Specialist

Sami Elalem is a Business Development Specialist at Rimstorm focused on helping organizations navigate federal compliance frameworks like CMMC and NIST through the GovCon Enclave platform. He partners with government contractors and channel partners to simplify complex regulatory requirements and drive results.

Sami's Bio

Sami Elalem brings a sharp focus on cybersecurity, compliance, and client success to his role in Business Development at Rimstorm. With a background in strategic outreach and a knack for simplifying complex regulatory requirements, Sami helps organizations navigate CMMC, NIST, and other federal compliance frameworks through Rimstorm’s GovCon Enclave platform. His commitment to clear communication and results-driven partnerships makes him a trusted resource for both government contractors and channel partners alike.

Gazi Essawi

Security Compliance Associate

Gazi Essawi supports Rimstorm’s secure operations through his background in cybersecurity engineering, automation, and offensive security. He brings a strong focus on reducing risk and strengthening defenses.

Gazi's Bio

Gazi Essawi brings a strong foundation in cybersecurity engineering and compliance, helping Rimstorm maintain secure, resilient operations. With experience in offensive security and innovative IoT initiatives, he offers a well-rounded perspective on identifying risk, strengthening defenses, and helping ensure threats do not go unnoticed. Gazi is committed to staying ahead of emerging threats and leveraging new technologies to build layered, effective security strategies that protect both customers and business operations without sacrificing efficiency.

Christian Valline

Project Manager I

Outside of work I enjoy staying active, such as exploring the outdoors and spending my time with my friends and family.

Christian's Bio

I have been working in the project management field for about 5 years now. I enjoy working on projects from initiation to closure. I use my skills in planning, coordination, and stakeholder communication to ensure projects run smoothy and finish on time.

Outside of work I enjoy staying active, such as exploring the outdoors and spending my time with my friends and family.

Arturo Galan

Product Support Representative Tier II

Arturo brings six years of experience working with Managed Service Providers delivering IT support and cybersecurity compliance services to government contractors, commercial businesses, and non-profit organizations.

Arturoi's Bio

Arturo is an IT professional with six years of experience in the MSP space, where he has supported government contractors and commercial businesses with IT services and cybersecurity compliance. He earned his degree in Information Technology with a concentration in Cyber Security from George Mason University, building on a lifelong interest in computers and technology. Through hands-on experience in technical support and compliance, Arturo has developed a strong understanding of a wide range of systems and security practices. He is passionate about leveraging his experience to improve processes and introduce new ideas that drive efficiency and innovation.

Outside of work, Arturo enjoys traveling with his wife and taking their dog, Bailey, on hiking adventures—especially when he can combine both.

Leadership

The Rimstorm Leadership Team

Danny Clark

Ben Gerenstein

Erik Briceño

Amer Shah

Mike Thomas

Steve Foerster

Jeremiah Best

Sami Elalem

Gazi Essawi

Christian Valline

Arturo Galan

Happy to help!

Protect, Detect and Respond in a Prudent and Practical Manner

Danny Clark

Danny's Bio

Ben Gerenstein

Ben's Bio

Erik Briceño

Erik's Bio

Amer Shah

Amer's Bio

Mike Thomas

Mike's Bio

Steve Foerster

Steve's Bio

Jeremiah Best

Jeremiah's Bio

Sami Elalem

Sami's Bio

Gazi Essawi

Gazi's Bio

Christian Valline

Christian's Bio

Arturo Galan

Arturoi's Bio