Don Cansino
Board Advisor
at FPT
Don is a seasoned executive who has decades worth of experience building award-winning products in mobile entertainment, SaaS, fintech, retail, and automotive industries. Don is passionate about guiding talented teams with his technical expertise in building innovative products that consumers love.
He has held executive positions at startups and at some of the most transformative large companies that have pioneered technology and product innovation.
Don was previously the CTO at CurbWaste, where he helped scale their SaaS/fintech software as revenue increased 8x through multiple funding rounds.
Prior to the startup world, Don headed up product for Walmart, where he oversaw the OmniChannel strategy for all 10 service counters — including wireless, automotive, and health/wellness — each generating over $1B in revenue. He introduced new offerings in wireless and health, tripled online adoption in automotive, and built a universal tech stack to power all service areas.
Don also served as Vice President at AT&T, bringing to market products such as Data Free TV, Mobile DVR, and streaming applications for Rogers in Canada. Earlier, at DIRECTV, he launched the Emmy Award-winning NFL Sunday Ticket experience across streaming platforms and interactive television.
At DIRECTV, Don pioneered the media industry with innovations like TV Everywhere, Kid’s App, Commercial Application, What’s Hot, and Bar Finder. He also expanded digital offerings for DIRECTV Latin America and helped resolve piracy issues, contributing to the company’s rise as a leader in television.
Don earned a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Purdue University, holds numerous U.S. patents, and speaks three languages.
Articles by Don Cansino
Stop Hiding Behind Your Screen: In-Person Events Are How You Win in 2026
2026 is shaping up to be the year businesses rediscover the power of shaking hands, clinking glasses, and actually meeting their prospects in person. Don’t take my word for it...
Build Alignment Before You Burn Out
Everything Feels Urgent At early-stage companies, everything feels urgent: shipping product, closing customers, raising money. In that environment, planning can feel like a luxury, or even a liability. In my...
How To Use Reddit To Scale Organic Growth For Your Startup
In this Mucker Growth Series session, Colin Belyea, founder of Karmic and an expert in Reddit organic growth, breaks down how Reddit has become one of the most influential discovery...
Sales Comp Kick Start: Keys to Getting It Right as You Begin to Build Your Sales Team
Webinar Recap featuring Donya Rose, Managing Principal from The Cygnal Group Sales compensation is one of the most critical aspects of building a successful sales organization. Many early-stage founders stumble...
Austin Tech Week 2025 Recap
Mucker Capital hosted two powerful days of programming during Austin Tech Week, bringing together founders, operators, and growth leaders to share real-world insights from the startup trenches. Across four sessions,...
LA Tech Week 2025 Day 3 Recap: AI Search – Wednesday Oct 15
After two packed days exploring AI startup building and go-to-market growth, Day 3 of LA Tech Week shifted focus to the evolving world of AI Search, how new AI technologies...