MIT Sloan Industry Advisors

I’ve more than two decades of professional experience in the Maritime, Logistics, and Supply Chain sector and currently working as a senior director of corporate strategy with Crowley – a logistics conglomerate based in the United States. My current role is focused on leading digital transformation, data and analytics maturity, and enterprise strategy. I’m also a Sloan Industry Advisor.

I was previously working as managing director for a private limited shipping company in India, spearheading asset management of a diverse portfolio of ocean-going carriers. Before that, As general manager of a management consulting firm, serving the broad public and private companies in SE Asia. I have led various transformational projects across listed and unlisted companies, including developing and hiring large, diverse teams of engineers, managers, and analysts; implementing strategic initiatives in outsourcing, cost reduction, digitalization & automation, and process re-design; reporting to Board and C-level as well as managing key government and external-facing client relationships; and, driving real financial results in terms of cost savings, efficiency gains, and revenue diversification.

I enjoy conversations on career transitions, corporate entrepreneurship, digital transformation, and data and analytics maturity for corporates, in particular maritime, logistics and transportation sector.

I am the Vice President of Product Management for Sentropy Technologies – a startup in Palo Alto, CA that is focused on building machine learning platforms to make the internet safer by helping companies detect and defend their platforms against malicious users and content.

I’ve spent the past 17 years at Facebook, Google, and Microsoft, leading teams in various roles and categories across the enterprise and consumer technology landscape.  I’ve built products such as the Facebook Portal, the Google / Nest IoT platform, Google Docs, and Microsoft Outlook.  Technology is my passion and I have been fortunate enough to learn from the best leaders at the most influential companies in the industry.

I have a BS and MS in Computer Science from Washington University in St. Louis, as well as an MBA from MIT.  I’ve also been a Computer Science professor at Washington University.  Finally, I am currently the Assistant Coach for Men’s Lacrosse at Stanford University (where I’ve been since 2010).  I live in Silicon Valley with my wife and two young children.

I am the Chief of Legal Recruiting and Talent Development at Choate, Hall & Stewart. I am responsible for leading the Firm’s people strategy which includes hiring, developing, promoting and retaining our attorneys. Prior to my role at Choate, I spent over 19 years at McKinsey and Company. While at McKinsey, I spent many years as a management consultant, before becoming part of the teams responsible for recruiting and developing consultants. Through my work at McKinsey and at Choate, I have a deep understanding of what is required for success in professional service firms.

My favorite career conversations are those where I am helping others to clarify their goals, discussing how these goals fit with an individual’s skills and personal objectives and crafting a path for how to achieve them.

Prior to business school, I spent three years in tech as a Sales Engineer at Teradyne. In addition to my MIT Sloan degree with concentrations in Strategy and Applied Economics, I have a BS in Computer Science from Tufts University.

I am a Director of Financial, Planning & Analysis at WarnerMedia Group, supporting the CFO in forecasting and budgeting for WarnerMedia Entertainment, WarnerMedia News & Sports, and Warner Bros. Prior to re-joining WarnerMedia, I was Vice President of Strategy & Ventures at Sesame Workshop, the producers of Sesame Street. I previously held roles at Morgan Stanley (FP&A), JPMorgan Chase (Venture Capital) and at several startups. I was also a film producer after studying at NYU’s Graduate Film School. My last film –Down in Number 5– was nominated for a Student Academy Award. I also received a screenwriting grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. A native New Yorker, I hold a BS from NYU in Economics and Finance and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.

I am currently a global board/executive advisor to technology growth companies (Kochava, Broadly, FANchise, Captiv8, Fit Predictor, Singtel, and TrueMotion) and an expert in all things data, mobile, IoT and connected devices, internet infrastructure, media and digital advertising, and blockchain technologies. I was previously General Manager, Ericsson Emodo where I created and launched a new data monetization business within the Technology and Business Innovation Office at Ericsson. Prior to joining Ericsson, I was SVP & GM, Marketplaces at Gimbal, Inc. (a spin-out of Qualcomm) which acquired Phigital, Inc., an early stage marketing technology company where I was the co-founder and CEO. Before Phigital, I served in a number of executive roles at Velti plc, a pioneer in mobile advertising and marketing. From 2007-2011, I served as the VP and SVP of Corporate Development where I led all M&A and Strategic Partnerships and helped take the company public on NASDAQ in 2011; I also served as Chief Product Officer and General Manager of the Asia Pacific Revenue Unit. While fulfilling my Corporate Development role at Velti, I was also co-GM of North America where I grew revenues from zero to over $70M in less than 3 years. Prior to Velti, I was the co-founder of three companies: Asylum Telecom (sold to Gamma Telecom in 2006); Klarium, a European mobile payments company (sold to Allaxia SpAin 2002); and Adero, a Content Distribution Network based in Cambridge, MA (sold to Colt Telecom and Inktomi in 2001). In addition, following the sale of Klarium, I was recruited to Budapest, Hungary to assist in the turnaround of Graphisoft, one of Hungary’s first and most successful software companies (sold to Nemetchek AG in 2006). I received an A.B. in Economics from Yale College and a MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management where I received the Martin Trust Community Fellowship Award, founded and led the MIT Sloan Challenge, and was a founding member of the MIT Entrepreneurship Society.

I started my career at Hewlett-Packard in various software development roles prior to starting at Apple as an intern. After graduating, I continued contributing to and creating multiple program management, product quality and customer support/service teams. I currently lead digital program management and social analytics for the full lifecycle of all of Apple’s software, hardware and services product lines. I have BS degrees in Physics and Computer Engineering from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines and an MBA from MIT Sloan.

I am an innovative business leader with experience in both domestic and international markets from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. I believe that sustainable results are a result of being customer obsessed, with all elements of the organization working together centered around the customer experience. Whether I was building new innovative digital experiences, new organizations and products, overseeing turnaround situations, or leading companies through change, my diverse leadership experiences have all affirmed that leading with the customer drives a competitive opportunity to differentiate and deliver a robust experience that customers will value now and in the future.

Currently, I am VP of Product/Technology at Peloton working on growth initiatives. I have also led a variety of product areas at Amazon and love building new experiences to delight customers, previously working in the Physical Retail team on Just Walk Out technology. Prior to MIT Sloan, I worked in the non-profit sector and like talking to folks looking to make career changes. I enjoy helping teams craft bold visions, driving the strategy, and ultimately executing the plan to launch products. I love spending time with my wife and our three children, cooking up new dishes, traveling and exploring new locations, and just being outside as much as possible.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Tufts University and an MBA from MIT Sloan.

I am a Product Manager at Amazon, and love taking ideas from concept to impact. After MIT Sloan, I joined the MIT Media Lab to make sending money as easy as sending an email. Before MIT, I was a Vice President of Product Management at First Data Corporation, leading a family of products offering bank accounts to unbanked customers. I have also spent three years in the startup world, raising seed funds, scaling up business models and managing a post-acquisition integration. I appreciate, want to help, and look to learn from, people who challenge the status quo. I am rooting for Bitcoin.

I hold a BS from the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, an MBA from the University of Arkansas and an MS from MIT.

I am a Managing Director at Wellington Management where I am a member of the Emerging Markets Debt team. I identify attractive investment opportunities within the Emerging Markets corporate debt universe with a focus on Latin America and Africa. Prior to Wellington Management, I worked at Bank America in various roles including high yield analyst, M&A and strategist. I also spent time at WPA, a private equity firm focused on Africa. I started my career as a consultant at Accenture. I earned my MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management and Master of Science in Chemical Engineering at the University of Maryland. I also hold a Bachelor of Science, cum laude, in chemistry from the American University where I was a National All-America Scholar. I currently serve on the MIT Sloan Alumni Board and I oversee the Boston’s Museum of Science.

• How I transitioned into banking after MIT Sloan

I am Chief Strategy Officer and Corporate Secretary at Aunalytics, the data platform company for midsize businesses. I create value by building an aligned organization—from investors to the board and CEO to executive leadership and the broader team—focused on helping midsize businesses, the economic engine of mid-market communities, leverage data and AI to answer their most important business and IT questions.

Over 20+ years, I’ve worn many operating hats that span customer experience, product marketing, service delivery, and technology, while working with Fortune 100 and privately-held organizations. I can proudly say I’ve never really had a “job”, and I’ve started and failed at a couple of entrepreneurial ventures.

If you and I were to chat, I’d bring a holistic perspective to thinking about what you want to do centered around purpose and the impact you want to make. My favorite types of conversations involve helping people clarify what they want (otherwise how do you know if your next move is the best one?), uncovering the missing link for the journey, and plotting the chess moves necessary to win.

I get energized about “doing good and doing well” and being a part of something greater than one self, which is what I get to do today. I have an M.B.A. from MIT Sloan, a B.A. in Ethnic Studies from the University of California at Berkeley, and a GSD attitude from growing up outside the US with a parent in the armed forces.

….Oh, and I laugh a lot because life should be fun!

I am an international business executive with more than 35 years’ experience in designing and executing strategy in the consumer industry, with a special focus on luxury & industrial consumer products, sports equipment and sportswear.  I have held senior management roles in several high-profile companies including Diageo, Spectrum Brands, Swedish Match, Mizuno and Nomacorc. Most recently I was Vice President and Managing Director, Latin America, at Spectrum Brands and solely responsible for managing the organization’s regional activities – representing sales of approximately $US 400M and more than 2,100 employees– and for full compliance and proper governance under publicly traded guidelines of 14 autonomous subsidiaries (acting Chairman of their respective Boards), 6 regional manufacturing plants, and supply chain from Asia, USA and Europe. An avid seeker of knowledge, I share a great passion for the art of business excellence. I am inspired by the drive to nurture business leaders of today and tomorrow with an emphasis on succession planning; I currently act as a mentor to graduate and PhD students at MIT and FIU, with a specific focus on startups in the latter case. I hold a BBA in Management from Austin Peay State University and a MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

I am a Manager of Supply Chain and Ops Automation at Tesla where I help our supply chain and operations teams improve efficiency with software, analytics, and process improvement. Before helping Tesla grow from a single product, single factory automaker producing 20,000 cars a year to a global manufacturer with over 20X the volume, I explored a number of clean energy start up ideas with MIT classmates during and immediately after school and participated in the MassChallenge accelerator program. I enjoy conversations where I’m able to help someone with their career decisions, which often results when there is something from my own experiences that is relevant for the path that someone is considering. I have an MBA from MIT Sloan where I was in the E&I Track, and an undergrad degree in Applied Math/Economics from Brown University.

I am the Chief Marketing Officer at LinkSquares, where I set the company’s strategy for driving awareness and demand.

I’m a data-driven leader with an extensive track record of running marketing programs at high-growth technology companies, including HubSpot, Datto, and Talla. With a strong focus on understanding buyer needs, I design campaigns focused on driving revenue and results.

I hold a B.S. in Business Management from Boston University and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

I am currently Vice President, Head of Cloud and Automation, Digital Services at Ericsson, where I have spent my whole career, rising from the software engineering ranks into business leadership roles. I bring 20 years of technology strategy, product portfolio management, go-to-market strategy, customer engagement, and solutions delivery. I have successfully led the design and roll out of multiple nationwide wireless networks and helped global telecommunication companies execute large scale digital transformation using cloud technologies. I offer a comprehensive understanding of information and communication technology industry and trends based on extensive work done with all North American wireless carriers and Silicon-Valley companies. I am a seasoned technology leader in new product introductions at scale with expertise in 4G/5G, cloud, SDN, IOT and analytics. I have a MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, a MS in Computer Science from Texas A&M University, and a Bachelor of Engineering, Honors with Distinction, from Nagpur University.

I am a Corporate Vice President in the Technology and Research Group at Microsoft. In this role, I work on cross-company technical and strategic initiatives. My current focus areas are environment-aware machine learning and AI platform scaling.

Previously, I founded and oversaw Microsoft’s Computer Vision Engineering Group, where I managed a global engineering and science organization that developed state of the art technologies in the areas of computer vision and mixed reality. I also helped found Microsoft’s AI R&D Center in Taipei where the company works on advanced machine learning capabilities.

In 2016, I led Microsoft’s acquisition and ongoing management of London-based SwiftKey, the top AI-powered mobile keyboard, and served as its post-acquisition manager. In 2015, I founded the project initiative that would eventually become Microsoft’s Azure Cognitive Services. Azure Cognitive Services was the first publicly available suite of AI services for developers, helping democratize AI technology for the industry and reaching over one million developer customers.

Previously, I served as Technical Advisor to the Executive Vice President of Microsoft’s AI and Research Group, where I led technical strategy, planning, incubation, and strategic prototyping.

I joined Microsoft from McKinsey & Company in 1996 as a technical evangelist. I am an alumnus of National Tsinghua University, Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Outside of work, ​I am an avid collector of Star Wars Lego sets and mechanical keyboards. ​I also serve on the alumni board of MIT Sloan School of Management.

I am a technology entrepreneur and executive leader with consecutive public and private exits, and early stage investing success with leading venture firms including Accel, CRV, KPCB, Redpoint, Sequoia, and Softbank. An industry thought leader and public speaker, I have development expertise in mobile applications, SaaS, artificial intelligence systems and video distribution networks with operations leadership ranging from consumer and industrial hardware/electronics manufacturing to wireless and video network operations (DevOps). I am currently the Managing Director of MIT MIMO (Machine Intelligence for Manufacturing and Operations), an MIT research facility focused on resolving the most challenging issues surrounding artificial intelligence implementation in manufacturing and operations. Prior to this role, I was the founder and Chief Product Officer of Kodiak, a company he launched in 2003 to write applications for mobile phones; I sold my company to Motorola Solutions in 2018. From 2001-2003, I was the founder and General Partner of inOvate Communication Group, a venture capital firm focused on investing in mobile phone technology through which I invested in other successful entrepreneurs like Andy Rubin, the inventor of the Android phone that most of you have in your pocket. Earlier, in 1998, I founded my first company iBeam Broadcasting which delivered digital video over the internet and had a successful IPO 2 years later. I attended Purdue University where I received a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and was a President’s Honor Award recipient. In 1990 I was awarded the LGO Fellowship to attend MIT, where I obtained both a MS in Engineering and a MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.

I lead a team of 30,000+ associates and leaders who ensure customers have a great experience shopping Amazon Fresh and Prime Now as the Director for those businesses’ North America Operations. I joined Amazon on graduating from Sloan in 2007 leading teams of hourly associates in our oldest continually running Fulfillment Center in New Castle, DE. The role helped me develop my leadership skills and educate me in the realities of floor level operations environments that set me up for a series of assignments of increasing responsibility through Amazon’s core fulfillment network as we grew our retail business.

In 2013, I left Amazon to help Uniqlo expand its presence in the US as the Director of Logistics and Supply Chain, helping the company increase its US store count by 6X along with 4X growth in online sales over my 2 years with the company. In 2015 I returned to Amazon leading the North America Operations for Amazon Prime Now, adding Amazon Fresh Operations in 2018 helping to lead the business through a national expansion and transition to becoming a free Prime Benefit for our customers. I have a passion for guiding teams through large change events in high growth environments where operations are strategically important.

I have an M.B.A. from MIT Sloan, and a B.S.E. in Operations Research and Financial Engineering from Princeton University. My wife Chavie and I live in Brooklyn, NY where we love to explore restaurants, listen to music, and are expecting our first child in late 2020.

I started my career at JP Morgan Investment Management, after graduating from MIT Sloan with an MBA, where I covered the small cap technology sector. From there I moved to Flatiron Partners to learn the business of venture investing with a focus on Series A investments. After the bubble burst in 2000, I moved to Unterberg Towbin Advisors, a technology focused long short hedge fund, and eventually started my own hedge fund. When the markets tanked in reaction to the financial crisis in 2009, I became an angel investor, and invested my personal capital in a portfolio of early stage startups. In 2019, I began working as an advisor to Henry Schein’s Innovation Center, sourcing startups to work with Henry Schein.

• From MIT Sloan to Buy-side, VC, Hedge Funds, Angel Investing, Strategic Advising, and… What’s Next?

I am an experienced entrepreneur and founder of the Ligris family of companies, a collection of professional services, real estate, consulting, and tech companies. Under my leadership, the Ligris companies have grown to become one of the largest residential conveyancing and transactional firms in Massachusetts. Along with its affiliated title agencies, ACES Title – the Ligris companies have overseen over $40 billion of real estate matters in the last decade, consistently placing them as the top agents for the country’s largest title insurance underwriters in New England. I have been recognized as a real estate “Super Lawyer” for seven consecutive years (2012-2018). I develop systems, protocols, and technology to create greater efficiency, security, compliance, and oversight in the real estate and title/settlement industry. I have served as strategic advisor to Compass and on the advisor board of Stewart Title. I mentor, advise, and invest in startups in fintech, real estate tech, and block chain – disrupting the real estate and title insurance verticals. I am the co-founder of Escrow Mint, a mobile platform to move real estate deposits onto a secure digital platform for real estate agents and brokerage companies. I am currently developing Stavvy – a digital real estate SaaS platform for closing and settlement of commercial and residential real estate credit products. I have been a mentor at MIT’s Leadership Center and have researched corporate engagement with MIT’s Innovation Initiative based in Kendall Square. I hold a BS in Physiology and Chemistry from Boston University, a JD with honors from Suffolk University Law School and a MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

• My Path to Entrepreneurship (Video Interview, 15mins)
• 5 Minutes with Kosta Ligris of Stavvy (Boston Business Journal, February 6, 2020)

I was previously at APT, an enterprise data analytics startup acquired by Mastercard for $600m where I helped Fortune 50 clients such as Walmart and P&G make better strategic decisions leveraging data. I was also the co-founder of an MIT startup working on unsupervised event detection, which later pivoted and became Infervision, an AI precision healthcare platform backed by Sequoia China. As a venture capitalist, I focus on investing in early-stage startups working on cutting edge technologies for large enterprise clients. Outside of my venture capital career, I helped started a company in women’s health and currently on the advisory board of MIT CSAIL (Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab).

I hold a Master of Finance degree from MIT and B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Toronto.

I am an Investment Officer at IDB Invest. I originate and structure transactions that require innovative financing solutions to transform the private sector and incorporate climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies and business models in Latin America and the Caribbean. With a career of 10+ years in consulting, finance and impact investing, in different geographies, I bring a holistic and global perspective to thinking about fundraising and resource allocation.

My favorite types of conversations involve helping people to clarify what their motivations are to help them shape a vision of what they want to accomplish, as well as helping them identify what the main gaps to be bridged may be.

I have an M.B.A. from MIT Sloan, and a Joint Degree in Law and Business from the University Pablo de Olavide (Seville, Spain).

I am the head of Institutional and Retirement Product Development, US at John Hancock Investment Management where I have been a key member of the team responsible for manager selection and oversight and product development and management for our global fund platforms with AUM in excess of US$200 billion. Over the past 12 years at Hancock, I have launched products across structure types (mutual funds, ETFs, CITs, UCITs, LPs), asset classes (equities, fixed income, liquid and illiquid alts) and styles (value, growth, ESG/impact) which contributed significantly to our growth. I am also the co-founding chair of the Asian American ERG, PACES US and have been a mentor to our MLK Summer Scholars at Hancock. Prior to joining Hancock, I have 10 years of experience in the asset management industry in the US and Asia working for firms such as UBS and Putnam Investments in business development and research roles. I am a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst and Certified Investment Management Analyst and received my MBA from MIT Sloan and BSBA from Boston University. I currently serve on the advisory board of the Institutional Investor Sub-Advisory Institute and NICSA’s Product and Alternative Investment Committee. I also serve on different boards of several local Boston nonprofits such as the Chinese Historical Society of New England, the Celebrity Series of Boston, the International Institute of New England and the Rotary Club of Cambridge. During my time at Sloan, I have also earned the Sustainability Certificate and remains involve with the Sloan Sustainability Initiative and as a strong believer of diversity, equity and inclusion, I am currently involved with launching several DEI initiatives both within my firm and at the industry level.

With over 10+ years of engineering management experience, I bring a wealth of technical knowledge in product development and global leadership to any organization. Before Sloan, I worked with technology companies, including Intel, Samsung, Qualcomm, NVIDIA, IBM, GlobalFoundries, TSMC, SMIC, and Toshiba, within Asia, Europe, and the US on some of the hardest problems in new product introduction and wafer yield management. After Sloan, I work as a Product Manager at Moveworks, a cloud-based AI platform purpose-built for large enterprises that solves one, big, frustrating problem: Resolving employees’ IT support issues.

I have a B.S. Electrical Engineering Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management. I am a Board Advisor for the Society of Professional Engineers (SHPE) Silicon Valley Professional Chapter, Board Member for the MIT Sloan Affinity Group Alumni Council, co-lead of the MIT Sloan 5 Bay Area chapter, and co-organized the MIT AI Conference, sponsored by the MIT Club of Northern California (CNC).

I am a co-founder and partner at Cervin Ventures. I have worked in numerous companies including McKinsey & Company, Neon, BMC, and iVita, an asset management software startup I co-founded. I was also a co-founder of Akamai Technologies, after various roles at Intel in engineering and program management. I have a BS in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the BITS, Pilani, India, a MS in Computer Engineering from USC, and a MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.

I am a GTM-focused COO/GM with 20 years of experience leading sales/marketing/partnership teams, building new businesses, scaling business operations, and driving cross-functional strategic initiatives across tech companies with $5M to $4B annual revenue.

My favorite types of conversations are when I can help others make career decisions, build plans to achieve a big dream, and balance being a working parent.

I have an MBA from MIT Sloan and a BS from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

My family emigrated to the US when I was 12. I graduated with a degree in Economics and Computer Science from Amherst College in 1999. I interned at Microsoft and several technology start-ups, and after graduation took a job at BCG. I was at BCG until 2006, focusing on life sciences and technology industries, working as Associate, Consultant, and Project Leader. Looking back, BCG was an exceptional training for the rest of my career. I took two years while at BCG to receive my MBA from MIT Sloan, where I was a semi-finalist in the MIT 50K competition and interned at a VC fund. When I left BCG I joined an asset manager/hedge fund called CPIM, which focused on structured finance  In mid-2008 I joined Loomis, Sayles, & Co, where I worked for 10 years as Senior Analyst, Strategist, PM, and ultimately Co-Head of the Mortgage and Structured Finance Team. In 2019 I joined Jennison Associates, as a Fixed Income Portfolio Manager focused on structured finance.

My favorite conversations are focused on the students’ interests and ambitions. I want to be able to provide advice and connections that can help them get a boost in their career.

I have an MBA from MIT Sloan and a BA from Amherst College in Economics and Computer Science.

I started my career path in tech as an engineer building wireless technologies at Intel in Israel in 2003. After attending MIT Sloan between 2007-2009, I joined Apple in Cupertino to help lead the introduction of the first iPad and later on led a team on the Apple iOS group. I moved to NYC in 2011 where I spent most of my time at Facebook leading Product Management teams in the Location space. As a product lead, my focus and strengths lie in strategy and business case development, analytics and execution, as well as product growth.

At MIT Sloan, I focused on Marketing and Strategy, taught classes in Econ and Ops Management, and Co-led the General Management Club where I helped connect students with general management and rotation programs in the industry.

Throughout my career, I have enjoyed helping people navigate their careers, help them make the right career decisions, and develop plans to reach their career goals.

I am currently Co-Director and Life Sciences Track Lead at MIT Angels, an angel investing group comprised of over 500 MIT alums. I am also President and CEO of Sonogenix, Inc., a clinical-stage medical device company preventing and treating kidney disease. I previously was founder and CEO at Bioabsorbable Therapeutics, a cardiology drug delivery company acquired by MultiCell Corporation in 2009; co-founder and CEO of Smart Therapeutics, a neurovascular device company acquired by Boston Scientific in 2002; and VP of Strategic Planning and Operations at Target Therapeutics, a neurovascular device company acquired by Boston Scientific in 1997. I have been an active angel investor and Director since 2002, including for Chestnut Medical Technologies (acquired by ev3 / Covidien); Bay Street Medical (acquired by Johnson & Johnson); and Vascular FX (acquired by Micrus / J&J). Current investor / Director Positions include several MIT-pedigreed life science companies, including SQZ Biotech, Mindera, Panther Therapeutics, Parabase Genomics, and 6 Sensor Labs. I have a MS in Management from the MIT Sloan School and a BA, magna cum laude, in Economics from Harvard University. I also holds 9 issued patents.

• Patrick Rivelli – Startup Founder, Angel Investor – “Love & Biotech Exits”

I am a Director at Wafra, where I support senior leadership in defining and executing the firm’s strategic agenda. I also provide strategic consulting services to sovereign and pensions funds on a range of topics, such as product strategy, investment analysis and capabilities building. Previously, I was a consultant with Strategy& (formerly Booz & Company) in New York and the Middle East, where I advised clients on large-scale transformations, supported capabilities-driven growth and performed strategic due diligence for joint ventures and public-private partnership across industries. I earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering, cum laude, from Villanova and both an MFin and MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. I currently serve on the Executive Committee of the MIT Sloan Alumni Board.

I am located in Silicon Valley, where I am the Director of Business Development and Corporate Development at Graphcore, a startup company creating hardware and software solutions for the next generation of artificial intelligence. I have spent my career in multiple areas of technology and innovation, initially in the aerospace industry working on commercial aircraft at Boeing and then as a flight controller at NASA as part of the Shuttle and International Space Station programs. After Sloan, I transitioned to the technology industry where I consulted for several companies such as Dell, Apple, and Samsung. With Samsung I consulted across the Samsung Electronics businesses, looking at new technologies and market-entry strategies while living in Korea for about 3 years. Following that I worked with the Chief Strategy Officer of Samsung focused on open innovation strategy through venture investment, technology incubation, partnership and acquisition. I executed ventures deals in excess of $100M in companies in digital health, the internet of things, autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence. Additionally, I have been a part of M&A deals in excess of $8B in these related areas. My focus for the last several years has been on artificial intelligence with a special focus on how AI will enable the autonomous vehicle. I hold a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University, and an SM in Aerospace Engineering as well as an MBA from MIT.

Vin Sharma, Vice President & Head, Alliance Leadership at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.  I oversee and direct our portfolio of strategic partnerships aimed at developing novel therapies for a broad range of disease.  Having been in the industry for over two decades in multiple Product Management, Marketing and Consulting roles, I look to bring strategic, collaborative and practical approaches to drug discovery, development and commercialization.

As someone who has made a career drifting towards interesting problems, instead of building a ’10-year plan’, the conversations I value focus on how individuals can build their skillsets and find opportunities in unexpected places.  For me, planning pilots and reflecting on lessons learned make for the best career plan.

I have an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, an MPH from Boston University’s School of Public Health, a Bachelor’s in Neuroscience/Psychology from Brandeis University and a healthy interest for putting myself in new and different challenges.

In my current role at Apple I lead an organization whose core mission is to help Hardware Engineering operate efficiently. My team spans several functions including asset management, resource management, software tools, and engineering services. I have a track record of leading intrapreneurial, turnaround, or performance enhancement efforts across a range of industries such as military, defense, and now tech. I enjoy leading and developing teams, creating mission focus, and enabling sustainable, superior business performance. When it comes to mentoring conversations, I’m best for direct and honest dialogue about how people can pivot or grow in their journey, especially if their path is non-linear (for example, transitioning from military to civilian, changing industries, and changing functions).

I serve as Managing Partner & Chief Investment Officer of SoMa Equity Partners, a San Francisco-based technology fund manager. SoMa was founded in May of 2016 and has grown to nearly $2 billion in assets in just three years. SoMa brings an opportunistic and often contrarian approach to investing in public tech companies. Prior to founding SoMa, I worked my way up from Analyst to Portfolio Manager, and finally to Chief Investment Officer over ten years with Apex Capital. I began my investment career at MFS Investment Management in Boston. I previously earned my CPA designation while working in accounting and consulting at KPMG/Bearing Point. I earned my MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management and received my BA in Economics from UCLA.

• SoMa Equity’s Gil Simon shrugs off Netflix’s competition concerns

I am an entrepreneurial media strategy and business development executive with 20+ years of experience launching and scaling businesses, both inside media companies, at Time Inc. and News Corporation, and as an outside partner and advisor to media, entertainment and communications companies. I have also served in strategy, marketing and product roles at Microsoft, PricewaterhouseCoopers and VC-backed startups. I have global experience launching and growing media, e-commerce and crypto-payments software businesses, enabling monetization of content through advertising, subscriptions and e-commerce. I founded companies, raised VC funding, built products, led sales and marketing teams, and negotiated strategic partnerships and licensing agreements, leading to successful exits. I received a MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a BSFS in International Economics from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.

I am the Chief Clinical Innovation Officer for Hartford HealthCare (HHC) where I also practice as a Vascular and Interventional Radiologist and an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University Of Connecticut School Of Medicine. I have held numerous leadership positions including Chief Imaging Informatics Officer at HHC, Vice Chair of Radiology, Chief of Cardiovascular MRI & CT, and Director of the Advanced Imaging and Quantitative Analysis Core Laboratory at Hartford Hospital. I graduated with an executive MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management. I received post graduate medical training at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, where I did my Radiology residency, served as Chief Resident, and completed fellowships in MRI and Vascular & Interventional Radiology. I received my medical degree from the University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa. I am board certified by the American Board of Radiology in Diagnostic Radiology and Vascular and Interventional Radiology and I’m a fellow of both the Society of Interventional Radiology and American College of Radiology. I am a recognized expert in cardiovascular MRI and CT and was one of the pioneers in Magnetic Resonance Angiography. I continue to remain engaged at MIT serving on the Sloan Alumni Board, as a lecturer on Innovation, faculty mentor for the MIT Impact and LinQ programs, faculty mentor for students from the MIT Initiative for Health Systems Innovation, as well as conducting clinical and operational next generation analytics research in collaboration with Sloan faculty at HHC. I am currently focused on building a differentiated healthcare innovation ecosystem at HHC, to accelerate transformative healthcare delivery ideas to impact.

I am the Head of Product Strategy for Sustainable Finance at Bloomberg LP. Before Bloomberg, I founded Smart Cities Advisors, an affordable housing business and investment advisory firm for emerging markets. Prior to that, I worked as an Associate Director advising on sustainable development at the Earth Institute at Columbia University, a regional fixed-income strategist at Banco Santander, an emerging-markets analyst at Offitbank, and in various positions in international development finance at the World Bank. I earned an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, a BA in government from Pomona College, and a BA in economics from the University of Houston. I also have earned CFA, CAIA and LEED AP credentials.

I am a Senior Product Manager at Amazon in the Retail Leadership Development Program, where I lead initiatives focused on selection strategy for Amazon Fashion. Balancing strategic vision and operational excellence, I develop systems, tools, and processes to enhance customer experience and help scale the business. With a focus on general management, I have taken various functional roles in my career across industries and geographies. Prior to joining Amazon, I was in the Global MBA leadership program at Anheuser-Busch InBev where I worked on marketing and repositioning of a beer brand in the China market. Before transitioning to Retail/Consumer, I was an Assistant Vice President at Deutsche Bank where I led origination, structuring and execution of public and private deals in the aviation sector. I helped raise $22 billion and finance 300+ aircraft for airlines and leasing companies globally. Previously, I held roles at Barclays in Quantitative Prime Brokerage and started my career at Deloitte in tech consulting. I hold an MBA from MIT Sloan and a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering from IIT Bombay.

I lead the company-wide integration of lululemon’s sustainability and social impact agenda. My role is to drive the integration of our impact agenda across our enterprise with the aim to deliver on our public commitments including reaching 100% sustainable materials in our product and sourcing 100% renewable energy. Before lululemon, I led Nike’s efforts to create ambitious and achievable 2025 sustainability targets and deliver an enterprise-wide sustainability strategy. Before Nike, I spent four years at Walmart in two positions: first leading their Women’s Economic Empowerment initiatives and second developing innovative business approaches within corporate strategy. I have worked in the corporate social responsibility space for over ten years and can speak to its different roles, organizations, and career paths. I have an MBA from M.I.T. Sloan and a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. I have two kids and enjoy distance running.

I’ve been working in marketing and other go to market roles for the past two decades with a focus on B2B software and SaaS. I’m currently CEO of Lola.com, a spend and travel management company, and I’m on the board of directors of Validity and Privy, both marketing technology companies. I was fortunate to be part of the early founding team at HubSpot and help grow the company from $0 to $175m in revenue and a successful IPO as their first CMO for over eight years. On the side I am an angel investor with over 40 investments in the past decade, and I generally try to be helpful within the startup community, especially for Boston and MIT. I enjoy home improvement projects, golf, and spending time with my wife and two grade school aged sons.

I am a Vice President with Fidelity Investments and I lead a global operations team responsible for trade support of more than 6,000 retail and institutional funds servicing $2 trillion of assets under management. I joined Fidelity in 2006 and has managed risk and compliance organizations in enterprise, IT, business and offshore units. Prior to joining Fidelity, I spent 5 years in public accounting with Ernst & Young where I performed IT and operational assurance and advisory services for banking and asset management clients. I’m a U.S. Marine and a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and together with my wife, I enjoy raising our four children. I’m active in various industry forums to include ISITC and SIFMA. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire and an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management.