Alex is President and CTO of hi5, leading all product strategy, design, development and operations. Previously, he was CEO and co-founder of WildTangent Inc., the world's largest privately held game network with over 30 million monthly unique visitors. During his tenure, WildTangent developed a unique micro-currency based economy that blended. e-commerce and advertiser sponsored play of premium content.. Prior to founding WildTangent, Alex was responsible for Microsoft's multimedia strategy. He was one of the principal creators of Microsoft's DirectX technology, which became the foundation for all Windows multimedia applications, 3D graphics, media players, and casual multiplayer games, as well as thousands of PC and Xbox games.. Alex was awarded an honorary degree in Real-Time Interactive Simulation from the DigiPen Institute of Technology for his extensive contributions to innovative game technology and the school's curriculum. Alex also advises the University of Washington on ways to enhance its technical degree programs and serves as an EIR advisor to the Tech Transfer department.