Bill Roark is the founder and Executive Chairman of the Board of Starfish Holdings, the parent company of Torch Technologies, Inc. (Torch), one of the nation’s top defense contractors; Freedom Real Estate & Capital, LLC, a commercial real estate brokerage, development, construction, consulting, and property management company; and SIMVANA, a company specializing in virtual reality training for defense and medical applications. Roark also serves as CEO of Freedom Real Estate & Capital.

While serving as CEO of Torch, Roark guided the company to national recognition as one of the Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies in America, according to Entrepreneur Magazine, and fifteen consecutive selections on the Inc. 5000 list, recognizing the Fastest Growing Private Companies, including recognition as the No. 1 Fastest Growing Privately Held Defense Contractor in the Southeast Region.   

In May 2024, Roark released Built with Purpose, which chronicles the first 10-years in the history of Torch Technologies, focusing on its formation and transition to a 100 percent employee-owned company. The book explores the fabric and culture of an employee-owned company and the dramatic positive impact of employee ownership on business success.