Jon Iadonisi

VizSense, based in Plano, Tex., promises on its website to “weaponize your brand’s influence” through “military-grade influencer marketing and intelligence services.” Iadonisi, a former Navy SEAL, started the company in 2015 with Tim Newberry, a nuclear engineer who served as a submarine officer. It was spun out of the duo’s consulting firm, White Canvas Group, which they once described as a “a privatized DARPA,” a reference to the Pentagon’s research arm. White Canvas has received numerous Pentagon contracts, including nearly $150,000 last year from the Navy for “deep and dark web capability and gap analysis,” according to contracting records. In a 2015 interview with the Dallas Morning News, Iadonisi said VizSense helps clients track online video performance and identify which social-media users drive the most traffic. He said he witnessed the power of viral media firsthand while serving in Iraq. Mr. Iadonisi holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the U.S. Naval Academy, M.S. in Homeland Security from San Diego State University and is currently a PhD student at the University of New Haven with a focus on cybercrime.