Discover the Faces Behind Smarter Bear
We’re are passionate about what we do and dedicated to delivering the best results for our clients.
The management team
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Larry Derany
Founder, Chief Investment Officer
I have a long time interest in offering personal financial advice and helping people make good decisions as they navigate complex money related issues. I have a BA in Economics from Brandeis University and an MBA with highest honors from Northeastern University. I also completed the CFP (Certified Financial Planner) Education Program at the College of Financial Planning and have been helping friends and family with their financial lives for more than 20 years.
My career, until 2023, was focused on business and technology at Enterprise Software companies. I've led teams building, marketing and selling products in many technology areas including Operating Systems, Databases, Networking and Network Management, Distributed Systems, Security and Operational Intelligence. I was on the leadership team for companies that did Initial Public Offerings, were sold to Industry leading technology companies and bought by Private Equity (PE) companies. I've helped with fundraising from Venture Capital Companies as well as Strategic Partners. I've also led the evaluation, acquisition and integration of 18 companies.
In 2023, Duncan and I decided to start Smart Bear Financial, We both passed the Securities and Exchange Commision Series 65 exam and I passed the Certified Financial Planning exam. We are registered with the State of Massachusetts as a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and can serve clients in all states except Louisiana.
By starting our own RIA, we can set our policies and make business decisions that are 100% aligned with our values and priorities. We are fiduciaries putting clients' interests ahead of our own. We are independent and fee only - paid only for our unbiased advice and services - no commissions or referral fees.I have a long time interest in offering personal financial advice and helping people make good decisions as they navigate complex money related issues. I have a BA in Economics from Brandeis University and an MBA with highest honors from Northeastern University. I also completed the CFP (Certified Financial Planner) Education Program at the College of Financial Planning and have been helping friends and family with their financial lives for more than 20 years.
My career, until 2023, was focused on business and technology at Enterprise Software companies. I've led teams building, marketing and selling products in many technology areas including Operating Systems, Databases, Networking and Network Management, Distributed Systems, Security and Operational Intelligence. I was on the leadership team for companies that did Initial Public Offerings, were sold to Industry leading technology companies and bought by Private Equity (PE) companies. I've helped with fundraising from Venture Capital Companies as well as Strategic Partners. I've also led the evaluation, acquisition and integration of 18 companies.
In 2023, Duncan and I decided to start Smart Bear Financial, We both passed the Securities and Exchange Commision Series 65 exam and I passed the Certified Financial Planning exam. We are registered with the State of Massachusetts as a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and can serve clients in all states except Louisiana.
By starting our own RIA, we can set our policies and make business decisions that are 100% aligned with our values and priorities. We are fiduciaries putting clients' interests ahead of our own. We are independent and fee only - paid only for our unbiased advice and services - no commissions or referral fees. -
Duncan Perry
Founder, Chief Compliance Officer
My career started as a financial planner for IBM, the second largest company in North America at the time. In 1994 I moved to Boston to begin doing financial planning for a small software startup and I ended up. spending over 25 years as a financial executive with various Boston startups. My education, Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and MBA from Cornell prepared me to work in the high tech industry, and startups let me impact many aspects of each of the businesses I worked with.
In addition to standard corporate financial planning, I have been heavily involved in many of the operations that impact the personal finances of the employees in the companies I have served. Over the years I have managed 401k plans, pension plans, and Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPP), and designed stock option and incentive plans, as well as doing overall compensation planning for thousands of individuals.
In 2023 I decided to turn my experience to helping individuals plan their own financial lives. Larry and I started Smarter Bear, registered with the SEC (FINRA) and the state, and have begun helping individuals and families across the country as Registered Investment Advisors.
As an RIA, we can help individuals achieve the kind of peace of mind that solid and achievable financial plans can provide. We are fiduciaries putting clients' interests ahead of our own. We are independent and fee only - providing our advice and services without the influence of commissions, sales goals or referral fees. Compensation, taxes, college planning, and estate planning have all become so complex that it can really help to have someone provide an objective assessment of where you are and experienced guidance to help you get to where you want to be.My career started as a financial planner for IBM, the second largest company in North America at the time. In 1994 I moved to Boston to begin doing financial planning for a small software startup and I ended up. spending over 25 years as a financial executive with various Boston startups. My education, Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and MBA from Cornell prepared me to work in the high tech industry, and startups let me impact many aspects of each of the businesses I worked with.
In addition to standard corporate financial planning, I have been heavily involved in many of the operations that impact the personal finances of the employees in the companies I have served. Over the years I have managed 401k plans, pension plans, and Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPP), and designed stock option and incentive plans, as well as doing overall compensation planning for thousands of individuals.
In 2023 I decided to turn my experience to helping individuals plan their own financial lives. Larry and I started Smarter Bear, registered with the SEC (FINRA) and the state, and have begun helping individuals and families across the country as Registered Investment Advisors.
As an RIA, we can help individuals achieve the kind of peace of mind that solid and achievable financial plans can provide. We are fiduciaries putting clients' interests ahead of our own. We are independent and fee only - providing our advice and services without the influence of commissions, sales goals or referral fees. Compensation, taxes, college planning, and estate planning have all become so complex that it can really help to have someone provide an objective assessment of where you are and experienced guidance to help you get to where you want to be.
Board of advisors
Our Board of Advisors, comprised of distinguished leaders from diverse industries, provides invaluable guidance and strategic insights to propel our organization forward.
Thomas Hill
Independent consultant
Dr. Thomas Hill is currently an independent consultant, investor, and researcher with expertise in analytics, data science, AI, and the applications of those technologies to solve real-world problems. He most recently served as a Senior Director for Advanced Analytics and Data Science in the TIBCO Analytics group. He previously held positions as Executive Director for Analytics at Statistica, within Quest's and at Dell's Information Management Group. He is a co-founder of StatSoft, Inc., the creator of the Statistica line of products. At StatSoft he was responsible for building out Statistica into a leading analytics platform adopted by organizations world-wide, serving as Senior Vice President for Analytic Solutions for over 20 years until the acquisition by Dell in 2014.
He received his Vordiplom in psychology from Kiel University in Germany, earned an M.S. in industrial psychology and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Kansas, and then joined the faculty of the University of Tulsa from 1984 to 2009, where he conducted research in cognitive science. He received numerous academic grants and awards from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, the Center for Innovation Management, the Electric Power Research Institute, and other institutions.
Dr. Hill has published widely on innovative applications for data science and predictive analytics, and authored over 15 patents on innovative analytic technologies and applications. He is a co-author of Statistics: Methods and Applications (2005), the Electronic Statistics Textbook, a co/author of Practical Text Mining and Statistical Analysis for Non-Structured Text Data Applications (2012), Practical Predictive Analytics and Decisioning Systems for Medicine (2014), ML Ops: Operationalizing Data Science (2020), Ten Things to Know About ModelOps: Successful Strategies (2022), and Practical Data Analytics for Innovation in Medicine (2023) ; he is also a contributing author to the popular Handbook of Statistical Analysis and Data Mining Applications (2009).
Dr. Thomas Hill is currently an independent consultant, investor, and researcher with expertise in analytics, data science, AI, and the applications of those technologies to solve real-world problems. He most recently served as a Senior Director for Advanced Analytics and Data Science in the TIBCO Analytics group. He previously held positions as Executive Director for Analytics at Statistica, within Quest's and at Dell's Information Management Group. He is a co-founder of StatSoft, Inc., the creator of the Statistica line of products. At StatSoft he was responsible for building out Statistica into a leading analytics platform adopted by organizations world-wide, serving as Senior Vice President for Analytic Solutions for over 20 years until the acquisition by Dell in 2014.
He received his Vordiplom in psychology from Kiel University in Germany, earned an M.S. in industrial psychology and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Kansas, and then joined the faculty of the University of Tulsa from 1984 to 2009, where he conducted research in cognitive science. He received numerous academic grants and awards from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, the Center for Innovation Management, the Electric Power Research Institute, and other institutions.
Dr. Hill has published widely on innovative applications for data science and predictive analytics, and authored over 15 patents on innovative analytic technologies and applications. He is a co-author of Statistics: Methods and Applications (2005), the Electronic Statistics Textbook, a co/author of Practical Text Mining and Statistical Analysis for Non-Structured Text Data Applications (2012), Practical Predictive Analytics and Decisioning Systems for Medicine (2014), ML Ops: Operationalizing Data Science (2020), Ten Things to Know About ModelOps: Successful Strategies (2022), and Practical Data Analytics for Innovation in Medicine (2023) ; he is also a contributing author to the popular Handbook of Statistical Analysis and Data Mining Applications (2009).
Mark Palmer
Technology Pioneer
Hi, I’m Mark Palmer. Time Magazine called me a Tech Pioneer Who Will Change Your Life.
As a CEO and CPO, I led the creation of enterprise software products that topped their analyst categories 21 times.
I help enterprise software companies analyze, articulate, and amplify what makes them unique.
Then I help drive that “Spiky Point of View” to market with innovative content, sales engagement and C-Suite advisory.
Hi, I’m Mark Palmer. Time Magazine called me a Tech Pioneer Who Will Change Your Life.
As a CEO and CPO, I led the creation of enterprise software products that topped their analyst categories 21 times.
I help enterprise software companies analyze, articulate, and amplify what makes them unique.
Then I help drive that “Spiky Point of View” to market with innovative content, sales engagement and C-Suite advisory.
Michael Akashian
Attorney
Attorney Michael C. Akashian is a founding partner of Landman Akashian & Macklow, LLP. Since 1995 he has worked in the Boston office. He is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law in Coral Gables, Florida in 1983 and a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1980.
Upon graduation he began his legal career as in house counsel for American Mutual Insurance Company from 1984-1986. Thereafter, he was an associate and then partner with Laurence Locke and Associates and Wynn and Wynn, P.C. from 1986-1995.
Attorney Akashian is an active member of:
Massachusetts Bar Association Section Council
The Worker’s Law Advocacy Group (WILG)
One Hundred Club of Massachusetts.
National Organization of Social Security Claimant's Representatives (NOSSCR)
Attorney Akashian a life member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, Brookline/Newton Lodge.
He concentrates his practice in areas of workers’ compensation, social security disability and accidental disability retirement and has handled thousands of cases since 1983.
He has been a voting member of the Massachusetts Bar Association Workers Compensation Section Council for over 10 years.
Attorney Akashian has continuously appeared as a trial attorney at the Department of Industrial Accidents, Social Security Administration, many Retirement Boards, Superior Court, the Appeals Court and the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.
He is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the United States District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals. He is also a licensed real estate broker.
Attorney Akashian has the distinction of being named by Boston Magazine to the Annual List of SUPER LAWYERS for the last 10 years. He has also been named by the ALM Media Properties as one of Boston’s TOP-RATED LAWYERS for 2012. Since 2023 he has been named in Boston Magazine as Best of Boston Workers Compensation Lawyers.
Attorney Michael C. Akashian is a founding partner of Landman Akashian & Macklow, LLP. Since 1995 he has worked in the Boston office. He is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law in Coral Gables, Florida in 1983 and a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1980.
Upon graduation he began his legal career as in house counsel for American Mutual Insurance Company from 1984-1986. Thereafter, he was an associate and then partner with Laurence Locke and Associates and Wynn and Wynn, P.C. from 1986-1995.
Attorney Akashian is an active member of:
Massachusetts Bar Association Section Council
The Worker’s Law Advocacy Group (WILG)
One Hundred Club of Massachusetts.
National Organization of Social Security Claimant's Representatives (NOSSCR)
Attorney Akashian a life member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, Brookline/Newton Lodge.
He concentrates his practice in areas of workers’ compensation, social security disability and accidental disability retirement and has handled thousands of cases since 1983.
He has been a voting member of the Massachusetts Bar Association Workers Compensation Section Council for over 10 years.
Attorney Akashian has continuously appeared as a trial attorney at the Department of Industrial Accidents, Social Security Administration, many Retirement Boards, Superior Court, the Appeals Court and the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.
He is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the United States District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals. He is also a licensed real estate broker.
Attorney Akashian has the distinction of being named by Boston Magazine to the Annual List of SUPER LAWYERS for the last 10 years. He has also been named by the ALM Media Properties as one of Boston’s TOP-RATED LAWYERS for 2012. Since 2023 he has been named in Boston Magazine as Best of Boston Workers Compensation Lawyers.
Anders Lindell
Full stack web developer
Anders Lindell is an independent consultant specializing in lead-generating websites communicating brand effectively. He has a deeper knowledge in UX design, backend and frontend programming, graphics and motion design.
Anders co-founded MultiMedia Productions 1994 that was sold to IconMedia Lab year 2000. He is also a co-founder of Just Add Cooking Inc, a mealbox delivering service in Boston.
Anders was part of developing an e-learning platform, 'Luvit', for Lund University. He worked for Tetra Pak in Lund creating their Business Intelligence platform and an e-learning platform for their packaging machines. He worked as an independent consultant for String Furniture 2005 - 2022 where he developed their public website and intranet.
Anders Lindell is an independent consultant specializing in lead-generating websites communicating brand effectively. He has a deeper knowledge in UX design, backend and frontend programming, graphics and motion design.
Anders co-founded MultiMedia Productions 1994 that was sold to IconMedia Lab year 2000. He is also a co-founder of Just Add Cooking Inc, a mealbox delivering service in Boston.
Anders was part of developing an e-learning platform, 'Luvit', for Lund University. He worked for Tetra Pak in Lund creating their Business Intelligence platform and an e-learning platform for their packaging machines. He worked as an independent consultant for String Furniture 2005 - 2022 where he developed their public website and intranet.