Desmond “Desi” Kaplan, PhD, is a distinguished analytical chemist, inventor, and serial entrepreneur with more than three decades of experience driving scientific innovation and advancing the sport of wrestling. Throughout his career, he has combined technical expertise, creative problem-solving, and a passion for service to build systems, tools, and partnerships that elevate the experience of athletes, coaches, parents, and fans at wrestling tournaments across the United States.

After graduating high school in 1997, Desi joined the Maryland Army National Guard and served while completing his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Towson University in 2001. He went on to earn his PhD in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2006. Immediately afterward, he joined Bruker Daltonics in Billerica, MA as a research scientist, contributing to advancements in mass spectrometry instrumentation. His leadership and technical impact led to his promotion to R&D Manager in 2013.

In 2017, Desi transitioned from private industry to public service by joining NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. At NASA, he contributed to multiple R&D efforts and major flight projects, including the Mars Organic Molecular Analyzer and the Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan. He is widely recognized as an expert in Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry and he has been named an inventor on more than a dozen patents, published more than 25 peer-reviewed scientific articles, and authored multiple book chapters in addition to his doctoral dissertation.

In parallel with his scientific accomplishments, Desi has built an equally influential legacy in wrestling. His involvement began at Atholton High School in Columbia, Maryland, where he joined the wrestling team in 1993. A season-ending injury in 1995 redirected his energy toward supporting team operations. While traveling with the team to the Hammond Invitational, he repaired the tournament’s computer and printer issues—an experience that sparked a lifelong commitment to improving wrestling tournament management.

The following season, he was hired to run the computer and bracketing system for the Hammond Invitational, planting the foundations for what would become KapWrestling. By 2003, he had begun developing his own registration software. In 2006, he partnered with Doug Sikora to create Paperless Tourney, one of the earliest systems to provide live, online, real-time bracket updates. In 2010, KapWrestling launched its fan-focused online platform, followed by iOS and Android apps in 2012 that delivered real-time notifications to coaches, athletes, and fans—technology that transformed the spectator experience.

In 2015, KapWrestling retired its standalone software and partnered with FloSports to develop FloArena, now one of the nation’s most widely used tournament management platforms. Since that collaboration, KapWrestling has concentrated on providing tournament services, technical infrastructure, and customized software tools that support the operation of over 450 events annually and provides technical support to an additional 600. Over these last 30 years this amounts to more than 4000 tournaments. 

Desi’s influence is woven deeply into state organizations and national wrestling bodies. Since 2008, he has worked with the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) to support high school postseason events. In 2010, he began assisting the Massachusetts Youth Wrestling Association (MYWA), and since 2018 he has served on the board of the Massachusetts affiliate of USA Wrestling. KapWrestling now partners with state organizations across MA, RI, CT, VT, NH, ME, NY, NJ, PA, and CA, helping operate their postseasons and major annual tournaments. The company also supports many of the country’s most prestigious wrestling organizations and events, including NHSCA, Super 32, Journeymen Wrestling Events, USA Wrestling national and regional championships, World of Wrestling, RMN Events, EIWA, the Ivy League, and the Big Ten Conference.

Desi credits much of KapWrestling’s growth to the trust and support of early partners—especially in Massachusetts. Beginning with the Carver tournament in 2006, followed by Middleboro and Marshfield in 2007, and eventually the MIAA postseason in 2008, KapWrestling expanded through reinvestment, innovation, and strong collaborative relationships. Today’s success is possible due to the skills and dedication of a large network of tournament operators to whom we are extremely grateful. The confidence shown by Adam and Matt Pomella, Matt Leahy, Peter Marcolini, John Winkler, Bill Soda, Manny Costa, Scott Tremlett, Bill Wassell, Bill McGuirk, Frank Popolizio, Eric Hess, Bobby Ferraro, Phil Napolitano, Adam Gutierrez, Craig Pokorny and many at FloSports played a crucial role in elevating KapWrestling’s capabilities and reputation.

Above all, Desi recognizes that none of his scientific, professional, or entrepreneurial achievements would have been possible without the unwavering support of his family—his wife Julie, his father Larry, and his daughters Caroline and Ellie—whose encouragement, patience, support and love have sustained every step of his journey.