Matt Laherty

Matt Laherty

Matt Laherty is a visionary leader and entrepreneur.  Matt’s smart building journey kicked off at Cisco Systems in San Jose, California, in 2000. Over 25 years, he pioneered game-changing initiatives that shaped the industry. He launched Power over Ethernet (PoE), created the EnergyWise program, and built a skunkworks team that birthed Cisco’s Light-as-a-Service and Smart Building Initiative. By forging innovative tech and partnerships, Matt positioned Cisco as a leader in Smart Buildings and IoT.  Matt has helped solve numerous complex problems for customers across the globe.  These ranged from Japanese telecoms like NTT and KDDI, to Silicon Valley tech companies such as Intel, Google and Apple, to banking clients in New York and London such as DB, HSBC and the World Bank. 

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In 2014, Matt co-founded Platformatics Inc. with Mike Siefer.  The two developed low-voltage lighting controls and IoT applications.  The company was acquired by HE Williams in 2019.   Matt has a BA from the Individualized Major Program at Indiana University and an MBA from San Jose State University,  He has 14 patents related to Ethernet, PoE, networking, lighting and smart building technology.