Tony Antonelli Joins Robots & Pencils as CFO to Fuel AI-Driven Growth with Financial Precision

Veteran finance leader brings strategic clarity and operational discipline as the company accelerates its next phase of expansion.

CLEVELAND, July 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Robots & Pencils, an AI-first, global digital innovation firm specializing in cloud-native mobile, web, and app modernization, today announced the appointment of Tony Antonelli as its new Chief Financial Officer. Known for his sharp financial acumen, pragmatic leadership, and deep experience across SaaS, consulting, and manufacturing, Antonelli takes on this expanded role as the company enters a bold new chapter of expansion and AI-first innovation.

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The appointment comes on the heels of a leadership shift at Robots & Pencils, with tech entrepreneur and scale-up veteran Leonard Pagon Jr. stepping in as CEO. Pagon is also the founder of Next Sparc, a Cleveland-based private investment firm focused on scaling high-potential businesses. Over the years, Antonelli has held key finance leadership roles within several of Next Sparc's portfolio companies -- including Tiger Pistol, where he continues to serve as CFO, Revel Bikes, and now Robots & Pencils, making this a reunion built on deep trust and shared momentum.

"Tony is a powerhouse. He brings the right mix of focus, agility, and strategic thinking to help us scale smartly in this era of explosive AI opportunity," said Pagon. "Over the years, I've trusted him to navigate complex challenges. He brings a rare ability to combine financial discipline with operational speed, exactly what we need as we accelerate into this next phase of growth. He's not just a CFO. He's a thoughtful business partner."

Antonelli brings two decades of experience to the CFO seat. In addition to his ongoing role at Tiger Pistol, he previously served as CFO of Revel Bikes and began his career in public accounting at Skoda Minotti (now Marcum), rising to manager before moving into audit and FP&A at Scott Fetzer. He's known for translating financial strategy into results, optimizing capital structures, and leading high-performing teams that support rapid, sustainable growth.

"I've watched Robots & Pencils grow from a mobile pioneer into a world-class digital innovation firm," said Antonelli. "What excites me is the team's unique ability to move fast, think differently, and deliver meaningful business results through technology. We're not just embracing AI; we're doing it the right way -- with human-centered, AI-enabled solutions that are grounded in real-world impact. I'm here to help scale that success with focus and financial discipline."

Antonelli holds BBA degrees in Accounting and Business Law from Ohio University and is a licensed CPA. In 2022, he was named to Crain's Cleveland Business Notables in Finance. He also serves as Treasurer and Board Member for the Kidney Foundation of Ohio. His appointment reinforces Robots & Pencils' commitment to pairing bold innovation with operational excellence.

About Robots & Pencils

Robots & Pencils is a global digital innovation firm helping organizations modernize applications and unlock the full potential of AI, cloud-native technologies. With delivery centers in Canada, the U.S., Eastern Europe, and Latin America, and deep partnerships with AWS, Salesforce, Databricks, and others, the company offers a unique combination of UX excellence and elite engineering talent. Since 2009, Robots & Pencils has delivered forward-thinking solutions across Financial Services, Health Tech, Education, Consumer, Energy, and Technology sectors, earning a reputation as a nimble, high-value alternative to traditional global systems integrators. Visit us at robotsandpencils.com.

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SOURCE Robots & Pencils