Co-Founder and General Partner
- Ranked Top 100 Powerlist VC
- 10+ years of VC/PE Investing, 80+ Portfolio Companies
- Select Prior Portfolio Companies: Beyond Meat (IPO'd), Sensity (Acquired by Verizon), ShopKick (Acquired by SK Telecom), FabFitFun, MeUndies, Le Tote, Helix Sleep, ZeroCater, Deliv
- Former Managing Director of Investments at Cleveland Avenue (VC/PE Fund co-founded by Former CEO & President of McDonalds), focusing on food and beverage brands, food related technologies, and new restaurant concepts
- Founder, Head, & Former Managing Director of Simon Venture Group (investment arm of Simon Property Group, S&P 100, largest retail real estate company in the world), grew to top 5 corporate VC focused on commerce alongside Google Ventures, Intel Capital, and Comcast Ventures
- Adjunct Professor at New York University teaching Venture Capital Intensive
- Creator of Multiple Top Ranked Entrepreneur Resources: #1 Startup Investor Pitch Deck Template (viewed & downloaded 500,000+ times, used by leading business schools and accelerators)
- Co-Founder of the #1 Startup Board Game: The Next Big Thing: The Game of Entrepreneurship, backed by over 25+ of the top accelerators and VC investors
Andrew Zalasin
General Partner
- 25+ years of venture capital and private equity investment and operational experience with entrepreneurial growth companies
- Early investor in Facebook, Uber, Twitter, Venmo, Wisdom Tree, MakerBot, Magnolia Cupcakes, Concur, Massive
- Former General Partner for 17 years at RRE Ventures, a leading technology venture capital firm with $1.5B across seven funds
- Involved in nearly 200 investments and has served on more than 30 boards in the US, Europe and Asia, and has been instrumental in generating industry-leading returns and providing experience and resources to help companies build teams, attack new market opportunities, identify and secure strategic initiatives / partnerships and achieve profitable growth in all phases of development
Joel Palathinkal, Ph.d
Associate Partner
- 4+ years of venture capital experience, 30+ portfolio companies
- Select prior portfolio companies: Epinomics (acquired by 10x Genomix), Melo (acquired by Ucommune), Ample, Sense Photonics, Bioaesthetics, Cypre, Persephone Biome, Nebulas Genomics, Phenomic Ai, Mendo, Navan Technology, Skymind, Alcatraz ai, Apprentice, Paladin, Tensorflight, Prime Discoveries, Securrency, Fr8, SkyFChain, Blockseed, AiCoin
- Former General Partner at Genesis Block Ventures: A Blockchain Venture Capital Fund, Cryptocurrency Quant Hedge Fund, & Crypto Mining Company based in NYC & Wyoming
- Venture Capital investor at Hemi Ventures
- Family office investor/advisor to high net worth individuals & families in Asia, Singapore, & the middle east
- Led technology platforms at a major financial institution which managed $300 Billion AUM
- Cornell University, Finance
- University of Central Florida, Ph.d in Modeling and Simulation
- University of South Florida, Electrical Engineering
- Adjunct Professor at Cornell University teaching Finance & Management
- Author of 2 books published in all major bookstores globally
Aakash Jain
Principal
- VU Cohort 2 Alum
- Venture Fellow, Jump Capital
- Co-Founder, Booth Bay Area Angel Network (Booth BAAN)
- Technology Investment Banking (Growth Equity), Financial Technology Partners
- Fixed Income Quant Trading, Morgan Stanley
- University of Chicago Booth School of Business, MBA
- Cornell University, MEng (Computer Science)
- Jacobs University, BA (Electrical Engineering & Computer Science)
Jagruti (Jags) Bhikha
Head of Angel Immersion Program
- Super Angel Investor, 40+ portfolio companies
- Senior Innovation Consultant, Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)
- Founding Partner, Wingpact
- Tech Mentor, Singularity University
- Global Account Manager, Cisco
- MS, Project Management, George Washington University
- NYU - Polytechnic School of Engineering & Computer Science
Jenna Fernandes
Co-Founder, Operating Partner, & Head of Human Resources
- Venture Backed Serial Entrepreneur
- Co-Founder & CEO of The Next Big Thing: The Game of Entrepreneurship, backed by over 25+ of the top accelerators and VC investors
- Ranked Top 10 Female Tech CEO by Women 2.0
- Former CEO of Largest Student Run Business in The Country (Tufts Student Resources)
Consumer Team
Derek Barnett
- Vice President, Pietas Capital, Venture Capital (Studio Model Portfolio)
- Private Equity Associate, Kensington Capital Partners
- Risk Analyst, OMERS
- Portfolio Analysis & Investment Risk Analyst, Franklin Templeton Investments
Kenneth Paz
- Entrepreneur, Founder of KPAZ Enterprise which houses small food businesses in the Philippines
- Previously worked as an Investment Portfolio Administrator, Digital Marketing Coordinator and Content Creator, and in-house CRM Developer for a financial advisory firm in New Zealand
- Investor in Equity Markets - Mainly US, NZ, & PH Stock Market
- Finance and Wealth Management Major and Post Grad in Business
- Photographer and Videographer
Rahul Brahmbhatt
- Technical background in sectors spanning process engineering, energy, and water distribution
- Sports Management working with top athletes, teams, and leagues (NFL, NBA, US Soccer Foundation, FIFA, Nike)
- Launched two 501(c)3 fundraising entities for international NGOs (India, China, Kenya) partnering with USAID, Ford Foundation, US State Department, Corporate Foundations, and Family Offices
- Speaker/panelist for ESPN, Nike, UN, USAID, US State Department, and Indian Consulate NY
Alberto Bertamino
- Interested in investing in consumer companies, food and beverage.
- Graduated in Economics and corporate finance.
- Looking to join an early-stage venture
Clark Ricciardelli
- 4x Cross Country/Track and Field All-American at Amherst College
- Interested in investing in health and fitness companies and real estate
Lisha Davis
- Former Head of Innovation Studio @ Vanguard Group
- 37 Angels Investor
- Speaker at SXSW, NYU, Tuck, Parsons
- MBA, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth
- Masters of Science, School of Design & Managements, Parsons
- BS, NYU Stern School of Business
Brija Johnson
- Experience accelerating women-led and minority founded businesses
- Program Manager for Springboard Enterprises accelerators and workshops
- Associate, Mid-Atlantic Venture Association
- Passionate about boosting capital and access to resources for minority led ventures
- Looking to pursue opportunities in the cannabis industry and join a fund focused on underrepresented groups
Jason Wintery
- Consultant in Electrical Engineering, Tunas Jaya Irja
- BS, Santa Clara University, Electrical Engineering
- Masters in Business, Harvard University
Jun "Julie" Li
- Angel investor interested in real estate tech and consumer product goods
- Looking to join a VC fund or accelerator
- Real Estate investor
- Investment banking Analyst at Houlihan Lokey
- Real Estate Associate, PWC
- Masters in Real Estate Development, Columbia University
- BS, University of Illinois
Enterprise & Healthcare Team
Kusum Chanrai
- VC Investor, Hilsven, Seed stage fund
- Former Head of Marketing at Culture Amp
- Co-Founder of group dating company, Supperclub
- Former Product Manager and Product Marketer at Google
- Harvard MBA
- Cambridge University
Shirin Ahmed
- Investing, mentoring, deal sourcing, & strategist roles at early state VC/Angel funds backing founders
- Business development executive at health system corporate venture, internal innovation & IP group
- Product manager at an AI based health tech neurosurgery startup
- Strategic advisor to family office building a medical tourism business in Cuba
- Implemented Medicaid/Medicare investments for NY health system transformation & new care delivery models
- Managed design & deployment of USAID investments in maternal/child health & sanitation programs in South Asia
- Founding team member of a healthcare advisory practice and Healthcare Center of Excellence & Innovation
- Director of Innovation at family group of manufacturing and retail businesses in textile, consumer electronics, & energy
- Thought leader collaborating with experts around the world on move towards value based care in healthcare
Eric Leander
- Managing Director, Square Peg Ventures
- The Wagoner Firm, Partner & Special Council For Startups and VCs
- Chief Legal Officer, Waive
- Georgetown University
Clay Maxwell
- Partner at Peer Insight, boutique consulting firm supporting corporate innovation and entrepreneurship
- Founder of Peer Insight Ventures and PX, Venture Studio, a full spectrum startup-as-a-service offering
- Have brought numerous disruptive businesses to market - ranging from internet-of-things and health care, to fintech and logistics, and many others
- Angel investor, board member and advisor to a number of early stage ventures
- BA, Duke University
Joanne Kim Greller, PharmD, RPh
- Healthcare background as a clinical pharmacist at major academic teaching hospitals
- Corporate Business Development in-licensing/M&A (late stage (Phase 2/3) pharma assets)
- Seasoned Pharma equity research analyst for bulge bracket investment banks
- Experienced early stage VC & angel investor focusing on digital health & med devices
- Passionate about delivering better patient care through innovations in medicine and technology
Roger Soares
- Experienced Investment Professional focused on helping entrepreneurs and founders succeed by driving growth, managing risks and enhancing their performance in an evolving marketplace
- Currently serving as a mentor for the following not-for profits:
- The First Tee – A mentorship that provides educational programs and junior golf lessons that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game.
- iMentor – High School based mentorship that empowers first-generation students from low-income communities to graduate high school, succeed in college, and achieve their ambitions.
- KPMG, Public Accounting
- Audit, PwC
- MBA, NYC Stern
Arjun Vasan
- Former Analyst at San Rafael Capital Partners
- B.S. Biomedical Engineering and MBA, University of Houston
- Looking to join a life sciences venture capital firm as an Associate upon completion of VU program
Thomas Grillo
- Previously constructed New York City infrastructure and utility systems
- BA, New York University
- Passionate about frontier/enterprise tech and their impact on the development of cities, critical infrastructure, and utility systems
Fintech / Blockchain Team
Nick Markola
- Family office Chief Investment Officer & Advisor, Markola LLC
- Former Head of Investment Research at Fieldpoint Private, a startup bank
- Prior executive at Citigroup, Bank of America, a hedge fund of funds, and a tech investment bank
- Investor in startups, founder of several businesses and not-for-profits and advisors to family offices and high net worth investors
- Board member of various non-profit organizations.
- BS, Accounting, Lehman College
- MBA in Finance and MS in Financial Engineering, NYU
Kip Lawrence
- Associate Director, Athansios Capital Partners
- Senior Fund Accounting, Goldman Sachs
- Senior Financial Analyst, Citi
- MS, NYU Stern
Gaurab Oli
- Worked closely with current Prime Minister of Nepal, KP Oli regarding foreign investment in Nepal, who also happen to be related to me (same blood line)
- Cleared CFA L1 and got admitted to Venture University while working full time at my uncle's restaurant
- Hiked most of the beautiful trails of Nepal and participated in few motorbike rallies
- Won Green Card of USA via Diversity Visa Lottery, also the survivor of massive earthquake scaling 7.8 magnitudes and the subsequent after shocks
Todd Bertsch
- Strategic professional with more than 20+ years of experience in finance and a proven track record of identifying and strengthening opportunities for business growth in corporate and start-up ecosystems
- Leverages strong professional network to connect clients with strategic partners and solidify strategies for business expansion
- Dynamic leader who instills a client-centric ethos in cross-functional teams and streamlines company processes to increase efficiency and revenue
- Managing Director, Weild & Co, Capital Fundraising & Strategy Planning
- Founder & CEO, Kinectec Corporation
- Managing Director / Co-Head of Equity Middle Markets, Cowen & CO
- Head of Equity Middle Markets, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
- Senior Managing Director, Bear Sterns
Christine Onyung
- Angel Investor, Wharton Alumni Angels
- Venture Capital Strategy, Artificial Intelligence, BDC
- Global Trading Analytics & Reporting, Blackrock
- Investments & Portfolio Management, PIMCO
- Fixed Income & Operations, AIG
- MBA, Wharton
- MPA, Harvard Kennedy School
- BA, UPenn
Eran Elhanani
- CEO & President, Elhanani Group, focused on real estate brokerage
- Degrees in Medicine, Computer Science & Math, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Experienced technology executive & serial entrepreneur
- Seasoned Angel & Venture Partner Investor
- Executed real estate property deals in excess of $0.5B+
Frontier Tech Team
Nora AlKadi
- Head of Private Placement Unit, Offering, M&A, at The Saudi Capital Market Authority
- MBA, University of San Francisco, & CFA level II candidate
- Former Senior Financial Analyst, KPMG
- Venture Intern at Taqnia International Venture Fund
- Interests include Frontier, FinTech, Consumer, and Impact Investments
Steve Frenkel
- Managing Director, Covalent Solutions, LLC
- Former Executive Director, Current Innovation
- Public/private sector leader in technology/business model innovation & finance
- MBA, University of Chicago
- Member of Booth Bay Area Angel Network
- MPP, University of California, Berkeley
Maxwell Klafter
- Financial Analyst, Blockchain Investment Education Project
- BS, Indiana University
Desmond Fogg
- Previously a Sales / Business Development Consultant for Intuit & Receipt Bank: two of the world's leading Accounting Software firms
- Ranked as a Top 10 Account Executive Globally in 2018 while at Receipt Bank
- BS, Norfolk State University
Gino Greco
- Venture Capital Services Analyst, First Republic Bank
- Summer Analyst positions during undergrad: Franklin Templeton Investments, Interr Security, Silicon Valley Bank, First Republic Bank
- President, Collegiate Entrepreneurial Association, Center for Entrepreneurship at California State University, Chico
- President of the Chico Italian Academic Organization
- BS, California State University, Chico
Leonardo Fonseca
- 20+ years of international career experience in CFO, FP&A and Financial Auditing jobs at GE Capital and GE O&G in 5 different countries
- Previously worked as an Associate at AgFunder, a VC based in San Francisco and specialized in AgTech and Food Tech companies
- Looking to join an early stage fund or Accelerator in Brazil bringing my VC knowledge and network
Vishnavi Paruchuri
- Marketing & Sales, Ford Motors
- Masters, University of Oxford
- BA, UC Berkeley
100+ VU Venture Fellows
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