Celebrating Excellence: Aaron Kagawa and Justin Guerra Receive Founders' Awards
Summary
Kentik kicked off a new tradition — the Founders’ Awards — at our Level Up offsite in Orlando this March, honoring two outstanding team members who always go above and beyond. From bold ideas to big impact (and a well-earned getaway), read on to see what makes these stars shine.
At Kentik, we believe that how we grow is just as important as how fast we grow. That’s why our founders, CEO Avi Freedman and COO Justin Biegel, have taken the time to shape a set of core values that guide our decisions, culture, and relationships with both customers and one another. These values aren’t just words on paper—they define the behaviors that fuel our success and growth.
At our 2025 team gathering, where the theme was “Level Up,” we introduced something special: The Founders’ Awards — a new tradition that honors employees who go above and beyond in embodying our values. These are people who don’t just do the work; they shape how we work, inspire others, and push us to be better every day.
We’re thrilled to celebrate the first-ever recipients of the Founders’ Awards: Aaron Kagawa and Justin Guerra!
Aaron Kagawa, Director of Platform Engineering
Aaron was the recipient of the first award, presented by Avi Freedman. Based in Hawaii, Aaron started at Kentik as a Technical Product Manager in June 2018. Since then, he has stepped into multiple roles without hesitation, bringing the same positive energy and commitment to each one. Currently, our Director of Platform Engineering, Aaron, was chosen because he exemplifies what these values are all about. In the words of Avi, “He cares deeply about how we deliver and grow our services, how our customers experience them, and how we can do better. He’s constantly thinking about where customers might get stuck in adoption and works across teams to help us improve.”
Aaron’s commitment to cross-functional collaboration and continuous improvement has made a lasting impact. He not only identifies challenges, but he also actively works to solve them, shows up with a smile, and brings people along with him in the process.
Justin Guerra, Vice President of Business Operations
Next up, the second award was presented to Justin Guerra by Justin Biegel. Justin Guerra joined us in September 2015 as a Sales Operations Manager and, over the years, has grown into his role as Vice President of Business Operations through hard work, heart, and a deep commitment to our team. Based in the Bay Area, Justin has been a steady force behind many of our biggest milestones.
Biegel highlighted his exceptional teamwork and problem-solving abilities: “He is a super team player — always figuring out problems, always going above and beyond to help Kentik succeed. He’s not just solving issues, he’s making sure we get stronger every time we do.”
Guerra’s dedication to teamwork, problem-solving, and lifting others up is a perfect reflection of what Kentik’s values are all about. His passion and drive to make things better have earned him the deep respect of his peers and leadership alike.
Going beyond recognition
In addition to a trophy, both Aaron and Justin were awarded something especially meaningful: a company-funded vacation to the location of their choice, valued at $10,000, to recharge, relax, and celebrate their impact.
Our founders also made a point to recognize the feedback that Aaron and Justin have consistently shared, which has helped leadership grow and evolve. That spirit of openness and accountability is something we treasure at Kentik. “We appreciate it and strive to be even better at taking that feedback and putting it into action fast,” Avi Freedman said. “At the end of the day, it’s all the people here that make Kentik go.”
Looking ahead
The Founders’ Awards are more than recognition — they’re a call to action. A reminder to reflect on how we bring our values to life every day. Whether it’s in how we collaborate, innovate, or support our customers, every single one of us has a role to play in shaping Kentik’s future.
Congratulations again to Aaron Kagawa and Justin Guerra. You’ve set the bar high, and we can’t wait to see who rises up next.
Here’s to growing better together.
