PALO ALTO, Calif., June 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Forward Networks, the industry leader in network assurance and intent-based verification, today announced that the company’s Co-founder and CEO, David Erickson, is a 2019 Silicon Valley Business Journal 40 Under 40 award recipient. The 40 Under 40 list includes rising stars in Silicon Valley who are making a notable impact in their industries and communities.

Erickson has a strong record making an impact in the networking space. As a member of the team that developed software defined networking (SDN) while working on his PhD at Stanford University, he helped build and operate OpenFlow-based networks from scratch. For these types of networks, very few network software programs and tools were available — making the operation, maintenance, and improvement of such bleeding edge networks extremely difficult, and labor intensive. Erickson was a key member of the team that significantly changed this dynamic.

In 2013, at age 31, Erickson and three of his fellow Stanford PhD graduates started Forward Networks. They have since assembled a talented team of individuals spanning the gamut of experience - from creating the largest of distributed systems, operating some of the most complex networks in existence, to building top-notch user experiences—used daily by thousands of individuals.

Erickson also stays active in the community through service with his church, volunteering time in a variety of capacities. From 2001 – 2003, David worked with underprivileged communities in Atlanta. He and fellow members of his church made a positive impact by working with local food banks and hospitals.

"It is an honor to be included among such a distinguished group of tech professionals in Silicon Valley,” said Erickson. “I’m grateful to be recognized not only for my work in the networking industry, but also my efforts to help my community.”

This year’s Silicon Valley Business Journal 40 Under 40 winners will be honored at an awards ceremony at Club Auto Sport in San Jose on July 25. For a full list of Silicon Valley Business Journal 40 Under 40 winners, visit https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2019/06/11/silicon-valley-40-under-40-2019-svbj.html.

For more information on Forward Networks, visit www.ForwardNetworks.com.

About Forward Networks

Forward Networks provides a robust network assurance and verification platform to reduce business risk and improve network operations. By enabling network and applications teams to verify intent and predict network behavior, Forward’s solution brings the benefits of intent-based networking to large enterprises: agility, predictability, and scalability.

Forward Networks was founded in 2013 by four Stanford Ph.D. graduates and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Investors include Andreessen Horowitz, DFJ, and A.Capital. For more information, visit forwardnetworks.com.