# WekaIO Channel Leader Named One of CRN’s “100 People You Don’t Know But Should” **Published:** September 30, 2019 Mat Gruen Recognized for IT Channel Contributions CAMPBELL, Calif., – Sept. 30, 2019 – WekaIO , the innovative leader in high-performance, scalable file storage for data-intensive applications, is pleased to announce that CRN ® , a brand of The Channel Company , has named Mat Gruen, channel leader at WekaIO, as one of the IT channel’s “100 People You Don’t Know But Should” for 2019. This annual list honors IT channel contributors from the industry’s top vendors and distributors who work tirelessly to support channel partners ⁠— often with little recognition from the channel community at large. CRN’s “100 People You Don’t Know But Should” list celebrates the IT channel’s unsung heroes. The CRN editorial team compiles the list using feedback from solution providers and industry executives and identifies behind-the-scenes channel players who help partners drive growth, innovation, and profits. In his first year at WekaIO, Gruen has developed and implemented a channel-centric sales model that has contributed to the record-setting growth of the organization. Beyond focusing on strategic growth, he is also responsible for identifying and developing select partners worldwide. Gruen leverages his experience and relationships from more than 20 years in sales  leadership at companies such as Sun Microsystems, 3PAR, HP, and SolidFire. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematical Sciences and a master’s degree in Computer Science from Stanford University. When he is not driving channel operations, Gruen is a United States Soccer Federation referee and works on several non-profit boards. In response to receiving this honor, Gruen said, “This recognition by CRN is a testament to the WekaIO channel go-to-market strategy and other unsung heroes in our organization who support this approach. The channel and overall partner ecosystem is fundamental to our partners’ success to deliver innovative solutions that solve customers’ greatest challenges. I have been busy this year recruiting partners, evangelizing WekaIO Innovation Network (WIN), a global partner program, and training partners on our technology to grow top-line revenue and improve margins. WekaIO has established itself as a leader in accelerated storage infrastructure to support high-performance workloads such as AI, machine learning, and analytics across industries. WekaIO enables partners to develop new revenue streams in these growing markets by incorporating the Weka File System into their tool kit.” “The 100 People You Don’t Know But Should list spotlights under-the-radar IT executives who provide channel partners with the resources and support they need to succeed,” said Bob Skelley, CEO of The Channel Company. “We are honored to recognize these individuals in our ‘100 People You Don't Know But Should’ list for their exceptional channel contributions.” The 2019 CRN “100 People You Don’t Know But Should” list can be viewed online at www.crn.com/100people . Additional coverage will be featured in the October 2019 issue of CRN Magazine. About WekaIO WekaIO helps companies manage, scale, and futureproof their data center so that they can solve big problems. WekaIO has built the world’s fastest shared and parallel file system on new architecture optimized for NVMe-flash and leapfrogs legacy storage infrastructures by delivering the best performance density at any scale, at a fraction of the cost. With the most flexible deployment models, the WekaFS storage software is a modern file system designed to meet the demands of modern workloads with the most I/O-intensive and extreme technical computing requirements. Media Contact WEKA Communications media.relations@weka.io About The Channel Company The Channel Company is The Channel Catalyst. Backed by more than 30 years of IT channel experience, we drive innovation and growth across the technology landscape. The IT channel is our sole focus and passion, and we deliver maximum value to technology suppliers, solution providers, and IT professionals every day. To learn more, please visit www.thechannelco.com . Follow The Channel Company: Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook Copyright ©2019 The Channel Company, LLC. The Channel Company logo is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. The Channel Company Contact: Jennifer Hogan The Channel Company jhogan@thechannelcompany.com ## More Press Releases - [Backblaze and WEKA Simplify Data Management Across the AI Lifecycle](/news/backblaze-and-weka-simplify-data-management-across-the-ai-lifecycle) - [WEKA and Andromeda Partner to Power AI Workloads at Global Scale](/news/weka-and-andromeda-partner-to-power-ai-workloads-at-global-scale) - [WEKA Unveils WEKApod 3: The World's Densest AI Storage and Memory System for Agentic Workloads](/news/wekapod-3-densest-ai-storage-memory-system) - [WEKA Debuts NeuralMesh 6 to Power Enterprise and Agentic AI Workloads at Production Scale](/news/neuralmesh-6-enterprise-agentic-ai)