We built SouthLight because telecom could be better.
SouthLight Services was founded by telecom professionals who saw an industry changing rapidly…and customers left behind.
Our team brings decades of experience across voice, telecom, engineering, architecture, sales, finance and technology.
Together, we’ve built networks, managed communications environments and helped organizations navigate some of the biggest transitions in telecommunications.
Now we’re building what comes next.
OUR MISSION
Make mission-critical communications simple, secure and future-ready.
We empower organizations with secure, flexible and integrated communication solutions that help them modernize without compromising the systems they depend on.
The company was built around a simple idea:
Do telecom differently.
OUR STORY
Experience matters. So does knowing when to do things differently.
SouthLight was founded by experienced telecom professionals who believed customers deserved something better than the traditional carrier experience.
That means listening first. Solving the actual problem. Building flexible solutions. And staying accountable after the sale.
Our Team
People who know Telecom. People who care about people.
Tina Telson
Tina Telson is the CEO and co-founder of SouthLight Services, a telecommunications leader with more than 25 years of experience shaping the industry from the inside out. Across senior roles at some of the world's largest carriers, including Lumen Technologies, she has managed P&Ls exceeding $50M annually and holds 4 patents spanning voice, VoIP, SIP, and E911 technology. Tina is known for building teams and environments where people can genuinely thrive, leading with strategy and heart alike. Off the clock, she's a proud mom to a grown daughter, and that same spirit of nurturing growth carries into a leadership style grounded in accountability and empathy.
Chief Executive Officer/Founder
Ash Somo
Focused, approachable, and driven by results, our sales manager is all about building strong relationships. They help connect people to the right solutions—with clarity and care.
President/Founder
Southlight Founders
Chief Information Officer/FounderTera Sumner
Tera is a strategic Technology Executive with 30+ years of expertise leading global product management, managed services, and up to 26% YoY P&L growth within the telecommunications sector. I excel at forging impactful strategic partnerships and delivering highly compliant cloud and voice solutions for Fortune 500 enterprises and government agencies alike. Driven by a passion for mentorship, I have also served as a volunteer musician with the DCB since 1996, an organization dedicated to introducing youth to instrumental music and funding annual high school scholarships.
Chief Technical Officer/FounderNick Trujillo
Nick Trujillo is CTO of Southlight Services, where he provides technical leadership for the company's managed telecom services for customers and other providers. Outside of work, he enjoys working on cars and electronics — using his mind and his hands to solve problems and fix things.
Colleen Liffrig
Colleen brings more than 30 years of experience with progressively increasing levels of responsibility, building a career grounded in leadership, operational excellence, and delivering results. Outside of work, Colleen enjoys spending time with family—including her dogs—as well as reading and traveling.
Chief Operating Officer
Jane Thornton
Jane Thornton is a telecom product leader with 25 years of experience guiding product strategy and execution across multiple companies. She’s known for turning complex challenges into practical solutions, building collaborative teams, and driving clarity in fast‑moving environments.
Outside of work, Jane spends her time with her husband, daughters and border collie, tends to her garden, and never misses her favorite CrossFit class. She values family, curiosity, and making a positive impact on the people around her.
Chief Product Officer
Southlight Leadership
Chief Revenue OfficerCarlos Belloso
Carlos Belloso is a telecom executive with more than 20 years of experience building and scaling businesses across voice, messaging, and communications technology. He is passionate about creating partnerships, solving complex business challenges, and helping companies turn emerging technology into practical growth opportunities. Outside of work, Carlos is a husband and father who values faith, family, and making a meaningful impact on the people around him.
Chief Marketing OfficerMike DeJonge
Mike DeJonge has over 30 years of experience as a marketing and brand leader. He has worked for numerous fortune 500 companies, and has helped dozens of startup companies find their voice. Mike is also an expert in UI/UX and Software Design, and designed Southlight’s DIGI-COMMAND SAAS solution.
Outside of work, Mike loves hiking, lifting and traveling with his wife Jessica, and spending time with his 3 grand-daughters.
Clay Edwards
Clay Edwards is VP of Sales at Southlight Services, where he brings a consultative approach built on meeting customers where they are and guiding them to where they want to go. His career began in carrier sales support before moving into Unified Communications and Voice, and today he's a subject-matter expert in UCC, POTS replacement, and SIP services with a proven track record of helping enterprises migrate from legacy platforms to future-state technology.
Vice President of Sales
Skylar Weigand
Skylar Weigand is Director of Sales at SouthLight and manages indirect and direct business. In Skylar's spare time she likes to travel and enjoys trying new workout classes.
Director of SalesSouthlight Sales Team
Mikail Shomade
Broadband, IT, and Wireless Strategy and Operations Executive with proven ability in developing and leading highly effective and efficient organizations, developing operational strategies and business processes and maximizing productivity and return on investments that exceed aggressive business objectives.
Board Member
Chris Smith
Christopher’s career has focused on leading technology product portfolios and organizations in bringing new solutions to market. He has been working in tech/telecom for over 24 years and spent 10 years prior developing electronic research products for legal and tax verticals as part of Thomson Reuters publishing division.
Chris led the Product Growth portfolios at Lumen and was responsible for developing and growing the software-based portfolios that leveraged their physical assets, including Security, SDWAN/SASE, UCC/Digital Communications, CDN, and SIP Trunking. He is currently leading product go to market at Sinch focused on accelerating enterprise adoption of traditional and AI based communications experiences.
Board Member
Southlight Board of Directors
Board MemberDave Stozki
With over seven years of senior leadership experience in the telecommunications industry, Dave is a client-focused servant leader who delivers exceptional levels of customer success and operational excellence. As the Head of Operations at Hotwire Communications, he leads the Fision X division, a cutting-edge technology platform that provides advanced fiber-optic solutions for residential and commercial customers.
We’re building something different.
You won’t find a giant corporate bureaucracy here.
You’ll find people who know the industry, understand the technology and genuinely care about getting the job done right.
That’s SouthLight.