MS/MBA: Engineering Sciences
Faculty & Advisors
Faculty & Advisors
Faculty
Robert D. Howe
Abbott and James Lawrence Professor of Engineering at SEAS; Faculty Co-Chair of the Harvard MS/MBA Program; Director, Harvard Biorobotics Lab; cofounder, RightHand Robotics
Abbott and James Lawrence Professor of Engineering at SEAS; Faculty Co-Chair of the Harvard MS/MBA Program; Director, Harvard Biorobotics Lab; cofounder, RightHand Robotics
Alan D. MacCormack
MBA Class of 1949 Adjunct Professor of Business Administration; Faculty Co-Chair of the Harvard MS/MBA Program. Alan MacCormack is the MBA Class of 1949 Adjunct Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, a member of The Digital, Data, and Design (D^3) Institute at Harvard, and a core faculty member in the new MS/MBA joint degree program. He is an expert in the management of innovation and new product development, with a focus on the design and deployment of digital technologies. He is best known for his pioneering work on software development, where his research reveals the benefits of agile processes and the value of modular designs
MBA Class of 1949 Adjunct Professor of Business Administration; Faculty Co-Chair of the Harvard MS/MBA Program. Alan MacCormack is the MBA Class of 1949 Adjunct Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, a member of The Digital, Data, and Design (D^3) Institute at Harvard, and a core faculty member in the new MS/MBA joint degree program. He is an expert in the management of innovation and new product development, with a focus on the design and deployment of digital technologies. He is best known for his pioneering work on software development, where his research reveals the benefits of agile processes and the value of modular designs
Elizabeth Christoforetti
Elizabeth Bowie Christoforetti is the founding principal at Supernormal, an architecture, urban design, and research practice focused on the design of form and processes that balance contextual and cultural relevance with the contemporary imperative to scale beyond a single instance, and to reach more people and urban places.
Elizabeth Bowie Christoforetti is the founding principal at Supernormal, an architecture, urban design, and research practice focused on the design of form and processes that balance contextual and cultural relevance with the contemporary imperative to scale beyond a single instance, and to reach more people and urban places.
Tom Clay
MBA ’97, Harvard University; BA, Mathematics, Princeton University. Tom Clay has 20 years of experience successfully commercializing new technology from research labs, currently as CEO of Xtalic, a company that engineers stable metal alloys at the Nano-scale. Tom was also CEO of Z Corporation, a leading pioneer in 3D printing, where he grew the company from early commercialization to market leadership. He is a former US Army Ranger. In addition to work with MS/MBAs, Tom has also taught Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Harvard College.
MBA ’97, Harvard University; BA, Mathematics, Princeton University. Tom Clay has 20 years of experience successfully commercializing new technology from research labs, currently as CEO of Xtalic, a company that engineers stable metal alloys at the Nano-scale. Tom was also CEO of Z Corporation, a leading pioneer in 3D printing, where he grew the company from early commercialization to market leadership. He is a former US Army Ranger. In addition to work with MS/MBAs, Tom has also taught Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Harvard College.
Thomas R. Eisenmann
Howard H. Stevenson Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School; Peter O. Crisp Chair, Harvard Innovation Labs; Faculty Co-Chair of the HBS Rock Center for Entrepreneurship and the Harvard College Technology Innovation Fellows Program.
Howard H. Stevenson Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School; Peter O. Crisp Chair, Harvard Innovation Labs; Faculty Co-Chair of the HBS Rock Center for Entrepreneurship and the Harvard College Technology Innovation Fellows Program.
Roberto Verganti
Roberto Verganti is Professor of Leadership and Innovation at the Stockholm School of Economics – House of Innovation, where he is Director of The Garden – Center for Design and Leadership. He is also on the Faculty of the Harvard Business School, where he teaches Design Theory and Practice, and is a co-founder of Leadin’Lab, the laboratory on the LEAdership, Design and Innovation at the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano.
Roberto Verganti is Professor of Leadership and Innovation at the Stockholm School of Economics – House of Innovation, where he is Director of The Garden – Center for Design and Leadership. He is also on the Faculty of the Harvard Business School, where he teaches Design Theory and Practice, and is a co-founder of Leadin’Lab, the laboratory on the LEAdership, Design and Innovation at the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano.
Conor J Walsh
Paul A. Maeder Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences; Associate Faculty Member, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Paul A. Maeder Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences; Associate Faculty Member, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
Russ Wilcox
Russ Wilcox has 20 years of start-up operating experience, having founded three companies and raised $150 million in private capital. Russ served as the CEO of E Ink, an electronic paper company, for a decade. The company reached a $200 million run rate and was acquired for half a billion dollars in 2009.
Russ Wilcox has 20 years of start-up operating experience, having founded three companies and raised $150 million in private capital. Russ served as the CEO of E Ink, an electronic paper company, for a decade. The company reached a $200 million run rate and was acquired for half a billion dollars in 2009.
Program Advisors
Students have access to a network of program advisors, a group of accomplished entrepreneurs, technology company executives, and venture capitalists who serve as mentors, speakers, and career advisors for the community.
Peter Boyce II
AB, Applied Mathematics, Harvard University
Peter is the Founder & Managing Partner of Stellation Capital, an early stage venture capital firm headquartered in Brooklyn. Prior to this, he spent eight years as a Partner at General Catalyst, a venture capital firm that invests in powerful, positive change that endures. Since joining General Catalyst in 2013 as one of the first two investment professionals based in their NYC office, Peter worked closely with portfolio companies including: Ro, Atom Finance, Hellosaurus, Clay, Summer, Macro, Cadre, Mark43, Outdoor Voices, Great Jones, Jet.com (acquired by Walmart), Rebag, Major League Hacking, and Workflow (acquired by Apple). In addition to his work at GC, Peter also co-founded & leads Rough Draft Ventures: a program to support technology entrepreneurship on college campuses. Through his work with universities, he supports a portfolio of over 275 early stage startups founded by students & recent graduates, including: Instabase, FreeWill, Spring Health, Ribbon Health, Snackpass, Parade, Fireflies, Reverie Labs, Getaway, Cobalt Robotics, LogRocket, Pavlov (acquired by Coinbase), and Legalist. Prior to his time at GC, Peter worked for online education marketplace Skillshare, helped launch GoGirl Finance, worked in media at Bad Boy Entertainment, and co-founded two student groups while at Harvard: Harvard Ventures & HackHarvard.
Peter is the Founder & Managing Partner of Stellation Capital, an early stage venture capital firm headquartered in Brooklyn. Prior to this, he spent eight years as a Partner at General Catalyst, a venture capital firm that invests in powerful, positive change that endures. Since joining General Catalyst in 2013 as one of the first two investment professionals based in their NYC office, Peter worked closely with portfolio companies including: Ro, Atom Finance, Hellosaurus, Clay, Summer, Macro, Cadre, Mark43, Outdoor Voices, Great Jones, Jet.com (acquired by Walmart), Rebag, Major League Hacking, and Workflow (acquired by Apple). In addition to his work at GC, Peter also co-founded & leads Rough Draft Ventures: a program to support technology entrepreneurship on college campuses. Through his work with universities, he supports a portfolio of over 275 early stage startups founded by students & recent graduates, including: Instabase, FreeWill, Spring Health, Ribbon Health, Snackpass, Parade, Fireflies, Reverie Labs, Getaway, Cobalt Robotics, LogRocket, Pavlov (acquired by Coinbase), and Legalist. Prior to his time at GC, Peter worked for online education marketplace Skillshare, helped launch GoGirl Finance, worked in media at Bad Boy Entertainment, and co-founded two student groups while at Harvard: Harvard Ventures & HackHarvard.
Mike Cassidy
MBA ’91, Harvard University; BS & MS, Aerospace Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mike is the CEO of Apollo Fusion, a startup that designs satellite propulsion systems and hybrid fusion power plants. At Google he was a Vice President, and he was the Project Leader of Project Loon. Mike was the CEO and co-founder of several successful companies and served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Benchmark Capital.
Mike is the CEO of Apollo Fusion, a startup that designs satellite propulsion systems and hybrid fusion power plants. At Google he was a Vice President, and he was the Project Leader of Project Loon. Mike was the CEO and co-founder of several successful companies and served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Benchmark Capital.
Sam Clemens
MBA ’04, Harvard University; BS, Applied Mathematics/Economics, Yale University
Sam is the founder and CPO of InsightSquared. His career includes work in VC, management consulting and product leadership at several startups, including HubSpot and Bzzagent. Sam advises students and companies on product management and agile product development. He is also a Venture Partner at the early-stage venture firm Accomplice.
Sam is the founder and CPO of InsightSquared. His career includes work in VC, management consulting and product leadership at several startups, including HubSpot and Bzzagent. Sam advises students and companies on product management and agile product development. He is also a Venture Partner at the early-stage venture firm Accomplice.
Ann Dewitt
MBA ’09, Harvard University; PhD ’01, Chemical Engineering, Systems Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; BS ’96, Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ann is a General Partner at The Engine, an MIT-launched venture capital firm that invests in early-stage “Tough Tech” companies in the Boston area. On behalf of The Engine, she serves on the boards of Vaxess Technologies, Kytopen, Lucy Therapeutics, Cambridge Crops, Syzygy Plasmonics, and E25Bio. She has also served as a board director of WEST, a learning community for women in the enterprise of science and technology and serves on the Life Sciences Council of Springboard Enterprises, which focuses on building women-led businesses. Earlier in her career, she worked at 3M Company, Flagship Pioneering, and Sanofi in a variety of roles including engineering management, venture capital, and business development and licensing. She is as passionate about supporting mission-driven founders build their companies as she is about supporting her spouse and two vivacious children.
Ann is a General Partner at The Engine, an MIT-launched venture capital firm that invests in early-stage “Tough Tech” companies in the Boston area. On behalf of The Engine, she serves on the boards of Vaxess Technologies, Kytopen, Lucy Therapeutics, Cambridge Crops, Syzygy Plasmonics, and E25Bio. She has also served as a board director of WEST, a learning community for women in the enterprise of science and technology and serves on the Life Sciences Council of Springboard Enterprises, which focuses on building women-led businesses. Earlier in her career, she worked at 3M Company, Flagship Pioneering, and Sanofi in a variety of roles including engineering management, venture capital, and business development and licensing. She is as passionate about supporting mission-driven founders build their companies as she is about supporting her spouse and two vivacious children.
Bill Doyle
MBA ‘92, Harvard University; S.B., Materials Science and Engineering, MIT
Bill is the Executive Chairman of Novocure Ltd., a commercial stage oncology company pioneering Tumor Treating Fields therapy for solid tumor cancers and the Executive Chairman of Blink Health LLC, an e-commerce platform providing access to prescription drugs for all Americans. Bill is also the lead independent director of Minerva Neuroscience and a director of Optinose, Inc. Previously, Bill was a member of Johnson & Johnson’s Medical Devices and Diagnostics Group Operating Committee with responsibility for licensing and acquisitions and R&D.
Bill is the Executive Chairman of Novocure Ltd., a commercial stage oncology company pioneering Tumor Treating Fields therapy for solid tumor cancers and the Executive Chairman of Blink Health LLC, an e-commerce platform providing access to prescription drugs for all Americans. Bill is also the lead independent director of Minerva Neuroscience and a director of Optinose, Inc. Previously, Bill was a member of Johnson & Johnson’s Medical Devices and Diagnostics Group Operating Committee with responsibility for licensing and acquisitions and R&D.
Eric Dunn
MBA ’83, Harvard University; AB, Physics, Harvard University
Eric is currently the CEO of Quicken Inc. Prior to his current role, Eric served as a Senior Vice President, CFO and CTO at Intuit. Earlier he worked for IBM, Bain & Company, and was a General Partner at Cardinal Ventures. Eric has served on the board of directors for dozens of companies. He is also a helicopter pilot and flies a Robinson R44.
Eric is currently the CEO of Quicken Inc. Prior to his current role, Eric served as a Senior Vice President, CFO and CTO at Intuit. Earlier he worked for IBM, Bain & Company, and was a General Partner at Cardinal Ventures. Eric has served on the board of directors for dozens of companies. He is also a helicopter pilot and flies a Robinson R44.
Victor Echevarria
MBA ’08, Harvard University; BS ’02, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley
Victor is a Partner at Jackson Square Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm that invests in software businesses. A founder turned investor, his investments include 1upHealth, WELL Health, and Trust & Will. Prior to joining JSV in 2018, Victor founded Remedy Labs, a healthcare fintech company focused on patient and payer billing accuracy. He was also an early team member at TaskRabbit, where he ran marketing and business development, conceptualizing and launching the company’s B2B offering. Victor lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children.
Victor is a Partner at Jackson Square Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm that invests in software businesses. A founder turned investor, his investments include 1upHealth, WELL Health, and Trust & Will. Prior to joining JSV in 2018, Victor founded Remedy Labs, a healthcare fintech company focused on patient and payer billing accuracy. He was also an early team member at TaskRabbit, where he ran marketing and business development, conceptualizing and launching the company’s B2B offering. Victor lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children.
Bruce Evans
MBA ‘86, Harvard University; BE, ’81 Mechanical Engineering and Economics, Vanderbilt University
Bruce is currently a Senior Advisor to Summit Partners and is a former Managing Partner of the firm. During his 38-year venture capital career, he has served as a member of the boards of directors of 39 companies, including 14 public companies. His former public company directorships include Analog Devices, Fleetcor Technologies and optionsXpress Holdings. In addition, he is Chairman of the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust.
Bruce is currently a Senior Advisor to Summit Partners and is a former Managing Partner of the firm. During his 38-year venture capital career, he has served as a member of the boards of directors of 39 companies, including 14 public companies. His former public company directorships include Analog Devices, Fleetcor Technologies and optionsXpress Holdings. In addition, he is Chairman of the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust.
Jennifer Fonstad
MBA ‘97, Harvard University; BSFS, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University
Jennifer is a serial entrepreneur and veteran venture investor with over two decades of experience in Mobile and Enterprise technology, including Healthcare IT. She co-founded Aspect Ventures in 2014, an early stage, mobile focused investment firm with $350MM under management. Prior to Aspect, Jennifer was a Managing Director with Draper Fisher Jurvetson for 17 years where she helped grow the firm from $150MM under management to over $3.5Billion before she left to found Aspect.
Jennifer is a serial entrepreneur and veteran venture investor with over two decades of experience in Mobile and Enterprise technology, including Healthcare IT. She co-founded Aspect Ventures in 2014, an early stage, mobile focused investment firm with $350MM under management. Prior to Aspect, Jennifer was a Managing Director with Draper Fisher Jurvetson for 17 years where she helped grow the firm from $150MM under management to over $3.5Billion before she left to found Aspect.
Bridget Frey
AB ’99, Computer Science, Harvard University
As Redfin’s Chief Technology Officer, Bridget leads the software engineering team, which she has grown to more than 150 engineers in Seattle and San Francisco. She started coding when she was five on an Apple IIe, and has built software and led teams at high-growth tech companies for almost twenty years. Bridget specializes in big data, analytics engineering, and systems architecture. She is a thought leader on engineering culture and issues facing women in technology, and nearly 32% of Redfin’s technology team are women.
As Redfin’s Chief Technology Officer, Bridget leads the software engineering team, which she has grown to more than 150 engineers in Seattle and San Francisco. She started coding when she was five on an Apple IIe, and has built software and led teams at high-growth tech companies for almost twenty years. Bridget specializes in big data, analytics engineering, and systems architecture. She is a thought leader on engineering culture and issues facing women in technology, and nearly 32% of Redfin’s technology team are women.
Rafael Garcia
AB ’09, Applied Mathematics/Computer Science, Harvard University
Rafael is the co-founder and CTO of Clever, an educational technology platform that is used by nearly half of the school districts in the U.S. Prior to Clever, Rafael was an Algorithmic Trader at Jump Trading.
Rafael is the co-founder and CTO of Clever, an educational technology platform that is used by nearly half of the school districts in the U.S. Prior to Clever, Rafael was an Algorithmic Trader at Jump Trading.
Dayna Grayson
MBA ’06, Harvard University; BS, Systems Engineering, University of Virginia
Dayna, Co-Founder and General Partner of Construct Capital, was one of the first venture capitalists to build a portfolio around the transformation of industrial sectors of our economy. She co-founded Construct to expand this focus and pursue the next generation of massive companies to be built in the tech sector. Prior to launching Construct, she was a partner at New Enterprise Associates where she backed companies creating new advances in manufacturing, automation, and vertically integrated consumer brands. She led investments in companies including Desktop Metal (NYSE: DM), Onshape (acquired by PTC), Framebridge (acquired by GHC), Tulip, Formlabs, and Guideline.
Dayna, Co-Founder and General Partner of Construct Capital, was one of the first venture capitalists to build a portfolio around the transformation of industrial sectors of our economy. She co-founded Construct to expand this focus and pursue the next generation of massive companies to be built in the tech sector. Prior to launching Construct, she was a partner at New Enterprise Associates where she backed companies creating new advances in manufacturing, automation, and vertically integrated consumer brands. She led investments in companies including Desktop Metal (NYSE: DM), Onshape (acquired by PTC), Framebridge (acquired by GHC), Tulip, Formlabs, and Guideline.
Stephanie Hannon
MBA ’04, Harvard University; MS, Electrical Engineering, Stanford University; BS, Computer Systems Engineering, Stanford University
Stephanie is the CPO for Strava, a fitness-tracking social media startup. Prior to Strava, she was the CTO for the 2016 Hillary for America Campaign. Stephanie worked at Google as the Director of Product Management, Civic Innovation and Social Impact. She also worked as a Product Manager at Facebook. Stephanie is on the Board of Directors at the Girl Scouts of Northern California.
Stephanie is the CPO for Strava, a fitness-tracking social media startup. Prior to Strava, she was the CTO for the 2016 Hillary for America Campaign. Stephanie worked at Google as the Director of Product Management, Civic Innovation and Social Impact. She also worked as a Product Manager at Facebook. Stephanie is on the Board of Directors at the Girl Scouts of Northern California.
Jeff Henderson
MBA ’91, Harvard University; BSEE ‘88, Engineering, Kettering University
Jeff is Chairman of the Board at Qualcomm, also serving as Advisory Director at Berkshire Partners. He serves on the boards of Becton Dickinson, Affordable Care, Halozyme, and FibroGen. He began his career in finance at General Motors, later becoming President of Eli Lilly Canada, the Controller and Treasurer at Eli Lilly and Company and Chief Financial Officer at Cardinal Health.
Jeff is Chairman of the Board at Qualcomm, also serving as Advisory Director at Berkshire Partners. He serves on the boards of Becton Dickinson, Affordable Care, Halozyme, and FibroGen. He began his career in finance at General Motors, later becoming President of Eli Lilly Canada, the Controller and Treasurer at Eli Lilly and Company and Chief Financial Officer at Cardinal Health.
Lara Hodgson
MBA ’98, Harvard University; BS, Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Lara is the co-founder, President and CEO of NOW Corp, a B2B payments company that enables businesses to get paid immediately with their NOWaccount® in a way that feels like accepting a credit card for payment when a card is not offered. She also founded Nourish, a patented line of spill-proof bottled water for kids and ready-to-serve bottles for babies. Lara is a founding Board member and Chairman of the Board of the Atlanta Heights Charter School and a member of the Georgia Tech Foundation Board of Trustees. Lara serves as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Harvard Business School. She is an avid runner having been a scholarship member of the Georgia Tech Track and Field Team.
Lara is the co-founder, President and CEO of NOW Corp, a B2B payments company that enables businesses to get paid immediately with their NOWaccount® in a way that feels like accepting a credit card for payment when a card is not offered. She also founded Nourish, a patented line of spill-proof bottled water for kids and ready-to-serve bottles for babies. Lara is a founding Board member and Chairman of the Board of the Atlanta Heights Charter School and a member of the Georgia Tech Foundation Board of Trustees. Lara serves as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Harvard Business School. She is an avid runner having been a scholarship member of the Georgia Tech Track and Field Team.
Minnie Ingersoll
MBA ’02, Harvard University; BS, Computer Science, Stanford University
Minnie is the co-founder and Advisor of Shift Technologies, Inc., an online platform disrupting the car-buying process. Previously, she spent 12 years at Google working to develop their fiber network. She also serves as the COO for Code for America.
Minnie is the co-founder and Advisor of Shift Technologies, Inc., an online platform disrupting the car-buying process. Previously, she spent 12 years at Google working to develop their fiber network. She also serves as the COO for Code for America.
Chad Laurans
MBA ’06, Harvard University; BS, Electrical Engineering, Yale University
While at HBS, Chad and Eleanor Laurans (MBA ’06) co-founded SimpliSafe, a no-contract, easily-installed, wireless home security system. Chad designed the original product himself and grew the company under the radar of long-established competitors. The company grew with only a single angel investment in 2006 until receiving $57M in 2014 from Sequoia in a Series A funding.
While at HBS, Chad and Eleanor Laurans (MBA ’06) co-founded SimpliSafe, a no-contract, easily-installed, wireless home security system. Chad designed the original product himself and grew the company under the radar of long-established competitors. The company grew with only a single angel investment in 2006 until receiving $57M in 2014 from Sequoia in a Series A funding.
Sarah Leary
MBA '98, Harvard University; AB, Economic, Harvard University
Sarah is a serial entrepreneur, company-builder, and early-stage investor with over 30 years experience in building business software, consumer marketplaces, and community networks. She co-founded Nextdoor, the private social network for neighborhoods in 2010 where she led product, growth, and operations. Sarah spearheaded Nextdoor’s efforts to envision, design, and scale the company from its first members to over 250,000 neighborhoods in 10 countries. Prior to Nextdoor, Sarah started her career as a product manager at Microsoft before leading product and marketing efforts for Shopping.com and Epinions, one of the web’s first user-generated content services. She is currently a venture partner at Unusual Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm with over $1B under management.
Sarah is a serial entrepreneur, company-builder, and early-stage investor with over 30 years experience in building business software, consumer marketplaces, and community networks. She co-founded Nextdoor, the private social network for neighborhoods in 2010 where she led product, growth, and operations. Sarah spearheaded Nextdoor’s efforts to envision, design, and scale the company from its first members to over 250,000 neighborhoods in 10 countries. Prior to Nextdoor, Sarah started her career as a product manager at Microsoft before leading product and marketing efforts for Shopping.com and Epinions, one of the web’s first user-generated content services. She is currently a venture partner at Unusual Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm with over $1B under management.
Aileen Lee
MBA ’97, Harvard University; BS, Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Aileen is the founder of Cowboy Ventures, a seed-stage focused fund. They seek to back exceptional teams building technology that re-imagines work and personal life in large and growing markets – what they call “Life 2.0”. She was formerly a partner with Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and the CEO of RMG Networks. A graduate of MIT, Aileen has an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute.
Aileen is the founder of Cowboy Ventures, a seed-stage focused fund. They seek to back exceptional teams building technology that re-imagines work and personal life in large and growing markets – what they call “Life 2.0”. She was formerly a partner with Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and the CEO of RMG Networks. A graduate of MIT, Aileen has an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute.
Jessica Lin
AB ‘09, Government & Secondary, African Studies, Harvard University
Jessica is co-founder and VC at Work-Bench, an enterprise-focused venture fund and community. Her career includes work in both the corporate and startup worlds in Learning & Development at Cisco Systems, and leading an innovation and design fellowship in South Africa at Harvard University. Jessica is also a longtime GED instructor, and is passionate about transforming workforce development through tech.
Jessica is co-founder and VC at Work-Bench, an enterprise-focused venture fund and community. Her career includes work in both the corporate and startup worlds in Learning & Development at Cisco Systems, and leading an innovation and design fellowship in South Africa at Harvard University. Jessica is also a longtime GED instructor, and is passionate about transforming workforce development through tech.
Jeremy Lizt
AB ’97, Applied Mathematics, Harvard University; Dpl, Hebrew and Jewish Studies, University of Oxford
Jeremy co-founded and was CTO of LiveRamp, a data connectivity company that was acquired by Acxiom for $310M. He serves as an advisor to TravelJoy, DataVant, and POPVOX and was previously Vice President of Engineering at Rapleaf and a Senior Development Manager at Oracle Corp.
Jeremy co-founded and was CTO of LiveRamp, a data connectivity company that was acquired by Acxiom for $310M. He serves as an advisor to TravelJoy, DataVant, and POPVOX and was previously Vice President of Engineering at Rapleaf and a Senior Development Manager at Oracle Corp.
Paul Maeder
MBA ’84, Harvard University; BSE, Aerospace and Mechanical Sciences, Princeton University; MSE, Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University
Paul is the Chair and General Partner of Highland Capital Partners, investing in online higher education, robotics, and software. He has served as a director for many private and public companies and manages Highland’s investments in Avidyne, Blue Tarp Financial, Carbon Black, Jaunt, Rethink Robotics and 2U.
Paul is the Chair and General Partner of Highland Capital Partners, investing in online higher education, robotics, and software. He has served as a director for many private and public companies and manages Highland’s investments in Avidyne, Blue Tarp Financial, Carbon Black, Jaunt, Rethink Robotics and 2U.
Brian McNaboe
MBA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; MS, Computer Science, University of Washington; BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Maine
Brian is a seasoned entrepreneur and engineer, with more than 20 years of experience in software and hardware product development. He’s been a member of three founding teams, most recently as CTO of a Seattle-based health & fitness technology company, where he helped take the business from 0 to 1, and far beyond in his 7 year tenure. He has worked in a diverse set of industries including health & fitness, fintech, defense, retail, and aerospace, among others, and has extensive experience as a mentor and startup advisor, from ideation all the way through to venture funded operations.
Brian is a seasoned entrepreneur and engineer, with more than 20 years of experience in software and hardware product development. He’s been a member of three founding teams, most recently as CTO of a Seattle-based health & fitness technology company, where he helped take the business from 0 to 1, and far beyond in his 7 year tenure. He has worked in a diverse set of industries including health & fitness, fintech, defense, retail, and aerospace, among others, and has extensive experience as a mentor and startup advisor, from ideation all the way through to venture funded operations.
Kevin McNamara
AB, ’12 Computer Science, Harvard University
Kevin is the founder of Parallel Domain, a “synthetic data generation platform for training and testing the world’s next generation AI.” Before founding Parallel Domain, he worked at Apple where he focused on autonomous systems and simulation technology. He also worked as a technical artist at Microsoft Game Studios and was a technical director intern at Pixar Animation Studios where he worked on the film Brave. Kevin loves music and has played the drums in all kinds of bands from punk rock to jazz bands, including the Harvard Jazz Band during his four years as an undergraduate.
Kevin is the founder of Parallel Domain, a “synthetic data generation platform for training and testing the world’s next generation AI.” Before founding Parallel Domain, he worked at Apple where he focused on autonomous systems and simulation technology. He also worked as a technical artist at Microsoft Game Studios and was a technical director intern at Pixar Animation Studios where he worked on the film Brave. Kevin loves music and has played the drums in all kinds of bands from punk rock to jazz bands, including the Harvard Jazz Band during his four years as an undergraduate.
Guy Miasnik
MBA ’99, Harvard University; BSc, Electrical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
Guy was co-founder and CEO of AtHoc, a networked crisis communication company that was acquired by Blackberry. At Blackberry, Guy was a Division President and later its Chief Strategy Officer, working on the turnaround of the company into an enterprise software business.
Guy was co-founder and CEO of AtHoc, a networked crisis communication company that was acquired by Blackberry. At Blackberry, Guy was a Division President and later its Chief Strategy Officer, working on the turnaround of the company into an enterprise software business.
Scott Miller
MS Ocean Engineering, MIT; BE Engineering, Dartmouth
Scott is the Managing Director of Dragon Ventures, where he focuses on helping hardware companies navigate the journey from protype through production via Consulting, Advising and Angel Investing. Previously, Scott was the CEO and Co-Founder of Dragon Innovation, a company dedicated to helping hardware companies of all sizes scale from prototype through production. Scott is a mechanical engineer by training, with extensive experience designing and manufacturing software controlled electro-mechanical systems. He began his career building robots, including biomimetic robotic tuna fish at MIT, undersea remotely operated vehicles at Deep Sea Systems, and full-size walking dinosaurs at Walt Disney Imagineering R&D. Scott joined iRobot early in their life cycle and spent 10 years progressing from a Sr. Mechanical Engineer to Vice President roles.
Scott is the Managing Director of Dragon Ventures, where he focuses on helping hardware companies navigate the journey from protype through production via Consulting, Advising and Angel Investing. Previously, Scott was the CEO and Co-Founder of Dragon Innovation, a company dedicated to helping hardware companies of all sizes scale from prototype through production. Scott is a mechanical engineer by training, with extensive experience designing and manufacturing software controlled electro-mechanical systems. He began his career building robots, including biomimetic robotic tuna fish at MIT, undersea remotely operated vehicles at Deep Sea Systems, and full-size walking dinosaurs at Walt Disney Imagineering R&D. Scott joined iRobot early in their life cycle and spent 10 years progressing from a Sr. Mechanical Engineer to Vice President roles.
Abe Murray
MBA '07, Harvard University; MS, Electrical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; BS in Computer Engineering, University of Rhode Island
Abe is a General Partner leading deep tech investments and incubation at AlleyCorp. Abe has more than 20 years of engineering experience, having spent time as a product and engineering leader in various roles at Alphabet, where he launched Play Books and Magazines at Android, built the Verily Life Science product teams and Boston office, and shipped several AI/ML and computer vision products across Google while building the Google Research product management team. Before that, he founded a Web 2.0 startup and worked on unmanned aerial vehicles in the defense industry. Abe has some shiny degrees (HBS MBA, WPI MS EE, URI BS Comp Eng) but learned the most when he dropped out of high school to run fishing boats and factory lines in the family aquaculture business. In his free time, Abe enjoys being a parent and partner, building all kinds of things with his kids, and staying as healthy as he's able.
Abe is a General Partner leading deep tech investments and incubation at AlleyCorp. Abe has more than 20 years of engineering experience, having spent time as a product and engineering leader in various roles at Alphabet, where he launched Play Books and Magazines at Android, built the Verily Life Science product teams and Boston office, and shipped several AI/ML and computer vision products across Google while building the Google Research product management team. Before that, he founded a Web 2.0 startup and worked on unmanned aerial vehicles in the defense industry. Abe has some shiny degrees (HBS MBA, WPI MS EE, URI BS Comp Eng) but learned the most when he dropped out of high school to run fishing boats and factory lines in the family aquaculture business. In his free time, Abe enjoys being a parent and partner, building all kinds of things with his kids, and staying as healthy as he's able.
Sunil Nagaraj
MBA ’09, Harvard University; BS, Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Sunil Nagaraj is Managing Partner of Ubiquity Ventures where he invests in seed-stage startups in the areas of smart hardware and machine intelligence applications. Prior to Ubiquity, Sunil spent 6 years as a VC with Bessemer Venture Partners where he was part of investments in Auth0, Defense.Net (acquired by F5 Networks), Rocket Lab, Spire, Tile, Twitch (acquired by Amazon), and Zapier. He was previously founder/CEO of VC-backed online dating startup Triangulate. He has also worked at Bain & Company, Cisco, and Microsoft. Sunil is current Co-Chair of the NextGen Partners as well as the NextGen Board of the Computer History Museum. He also serves on the board of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the Harvard Business School California Research Center, and the Volunteer Council of the SETI Institute.
Sunil Nagaraj is Managing Partner of Ubiquity Ventures where he invests in seed-stage startups in the areas of smart hardware and machine intelligence applications. Prior to Ubiquity, Sunil spent 6 years as a VC with Bessemer Venture Partners where he was part of investments in Auth0, Defense.Net (acquired by F5 Networks), Rocket Lab, Spire, Tile, Twitch (acquired by Amazon), and Zapier. He was previously founder/CEO of VC-backed online dating startup Triangulate. He has also worked at Bain & Company, Cisco, and Microsoft. Sunil is current Co-Chair of the NextGen Partners as well as the NextGen Board of the Computer History Museum. He also serves on the board of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the Harvard Business School California Research Center, and the Volunteer Council of the SETI Institute.
Dan Nevius
SB ’11, Electrical Engineering/Computer Science/Astrophysics, Harvard University; MPhil, Engineering, University of Cambridge;
MSc, Space Science & Engineering, University College of London; MBA’17, Harvard University
Dan Nevius is a Co-Founder and COO of Analytical Space, a Boston-based startup building a network of small satellites that use optical communication to provide a data relay service for remote sensing satellites. Before starting Analytical Space, Dan was the Director of Special Projects at Planetary Resources, worked briefly at BCG in the London Office and interned at the Space and Science Branch of the White House Office of Management and Budget.
Dan Nevius is a Co-Founder and COO of Analytical Space, a Boston-based startup building a network of small satellites that use optical communication to provide a data relay service for remote sensing satellites. Before starting Analytical Space, Dan was the Director of Special Projects at Planetary Resources, worked briefly at BCG in the London Office and interned at the Space and Science Branch of the White House Office of Management and Budget.
Shirish Nimgaonkar
MBA ’02, Harvard University; MS, Industrial Engineering, Stanford University; BS, Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay
Shirish is the co-founder of SquelchAI (Natural Language Processing company focused on enhancing customer experience through AI ) and President of Nanoheal (AI automation software company), where he has led the acquisition of several Fortune 1000 companies as customers. In the past, he has been a part of the senior management teams of 2 VC backed entrepreneurial companies with successful exits. Shirish was also a Managing Director at a global investment bank, where he advised several leading high growth technology companies across US, Europe and Asia on this growth strategy, mergers and acquisitions, capital raising and new business development. Shirish is also on the Board of TiE Boston, one of the largest entrepreneurial organizations globally and has mentored several startups as a part of their ScaleUp program. Shirish is also the founder and lead singer of a music band (Kashish) focused on social good and a competitive sailor.
Shirish is the co-founder of SquelchAI (Natural Language Processing company focused on enhancing customer experience through AI ) and President of Nanoheal (AI automation software company), where he has led the acquisition of several Fortune 1000 companies as customers. In the past, he has been a part of the senior management teams of 2 VC backed entrepreneurial companies with successful exits. Shirish was also a Managing Director at a global investment bank, where he advised several leading high growth technology companies across US, Europe and Asia on this growth strategy, mergers and acquisitions, capital raising and new business development. Shirish is also on the Board of TiE Boston, one of the largest entrepreneurial organizations globally and has mentored several startups as a part of their ScaleUp program. Shirish is also the founder and lead singer of a music band (Kashish) focused on social good and a competitive sailor.
Deep Nishar
MBA’00, Harvard University; M.S.E.E.’92, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; B. Tech ’90, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Deep is a Senior Managing Partner at SoftBank Vision Fund where he leads investments in life sciences, software and frontier technologies. Deep has over 20 years of experience helping build and grow internet and software businesses. Prior to SoftBank, he served as SVP of Products and User Experience at LinkedIn and held a number of leadership roles at Google. Previously he was the Founder of enterprise software company Patkai Networks. Deep has co-authored 14 patents, and is a recipient of the Google Founders Award, which is given to employees who made extraordinary contributions to the company.
Deep is a Senior Managing Partner at SoftBank Vision Fund where he leads investments in life sciences, software and frontier technologies. Deep has over 20 years of experience helping build and grow internet and software businesses. Prior to SoftBank, he served as SVP of Products and User Experience at LinkedIn and held a number of leadership roles at Google. Previously he was the Founder of enterprise software company Patkai Networks. Deep has co-authored 14 patents, and is a recipient of the Google Founders Award, which is given to employees who made extraordinary contributions to the company.
Steve Papa
MBA ’99, Harvard University; BSE, Engineering and Economics, Princeton University
Steve is the founder and CEO of Parallel Wireless, which is rebuilding the global cellular network; founding Exec Chairman of Toast which is reimagining restaurant technology; and a board member of Desktop Metal revolutionizing 3D metal printing. As founder and CEO of Endeca, he pioneered Guided Navigation and led Endeca through its acquisition by Oracle in 2011 for $1.1B. Before founding Endeca, Steve was part of the MIT $50K team that created Akamai, an associate at Venrock, and an early member of the Inktomi team.
Steve is the founder and CEO of Parallel Wireless, which is rebuilding the global cellular network; founding Exec Chairman of Toast which is reimagining restaurant technology; and a board member of Desktop Metal revolutionizing 3D metal printing. As founder and CEO of Endeca, he pioneered Guided Navigation and led Endeca through its acquisition by Oracle in 2011 for $1.1B. Before founding Endeca, Steve was part of the MIT $50K team that created Akamai, an associate at Venrock, and an early member of the Inktomi team.
Luke Porisch
BS, Mechanical Engineering, U.S. Airforce Academy; SM ’05, Engineering Sciences, Harvard University
Luke was the first employee at the fermentation campus of Valent BioSciences, which researches and produces biopesticides from natural components. For six years he was Engineering Manager at Valent’s 100-employee plant. Prior to Valent, Luke worked as an engineer with the U.S. Air Force, Spectranetics and Rockwell Collins. He is now transitioning to lead his local community bank, St. Ansgar State Bank.
Luke was the first employee at the fermentation campus of Valent BioSciences, which researches and produces biopesticides from natural components. For six years he was Engineering Manager at Valent’s 100-employee plant. Prior to Valent, Luke worked as an engineer with the U.S. Air Force, Spectranetics and Rockwell Collins. He is now transitioning to lead his local community bank, St. Ansgar State Bank.
Prem Ramaswami
MBA ’13, Harvard University; BS ’04, Electrical & Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon
Prem Ramaswami is Head of Product at Sidewalk Labs where he focuses on using digital technology to radically improve the quality of urban life. Previously, Prem served as a Product Lead on Google Search’s Social Impact verticals including launching Health Search and helping create the first FDA approved deep learning, medical screening algorithm. He also launched the Internet Bus Project in India, worked on Google’s Network Infrastructure team launching Google Public DNS, and founded Google.org’s Crisis Response team. During his time at HBS, Prem developed and taught an introductory course on Product Management, which he also taught at Stanford University. Prem was a Baker’s scholar and a recipient of the Dean’s award. In 2016, Prem completed an executive medical training at Harvard Medical School.
Prem Ramaswami is Head of Product at Sidewalk Labs where he focuses on using digital technology to radically improve the quality of urban life. Previously, Prem served as a Product Lead on Google Search’s Social Impact verticals including launching Health Search and helping create the first FDA approved deep learning, medical screening algorithm. He also launched the Internet Bus Project in India, worked on Google’s Network Infrastructure team launching Google Public DNS, and founded Google.org’s Crisis Response team. During his time at HBS, Prem developed and taught an introductory course on Product Management, which he also taught at Stanford University. Prem was a Baker’s scholar and a recipient of the Dean’s award. In 2016, Prem completed an executive medical training at Harvard Medical School.
Vivek Ranadivé
MBA ’83, Harvard University; BS/MA Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Vivek is the founder and former CEO of TIBCO Software, a multibillion-dollar real-time
computing company and of Teknekron Software Systems, best known for automating Wall
Street and most of the world’s capital markets. He is the Owner and Chairman of the
Sacramento Kings and has written three New York Times bestselling business-related
books, including The Two Second Advantage.
Vivek is the founder and former CEO of TIBCO Software, a multibillion-dollar real-time
computing company and of Teknekron Software Systems, best known for automating Wall
Street and most of the world’s capital markets. He is the Owner and Chairman of the
Sacramento Kings and has written three New York Times bestselling business-related
books, including The Two Second Advantage.
Diego Rodriguez
MBA with distinction ’01, Harvard Business School; BS, Mechanical Engineering; BA, Values Technology Science & Society, Stanford University
Diego is the Chief Product & Design Officer at Intuit. Earlier in his career he worked as a design engineer at HP and at IDEO, where he became a Partner and Global Managing Director. He led the growth of IDEO’s own new ventures, such as IDEO U, CoLab, and Creative Difference. Diego was a founding faculty member of Stanford’s d.school and is a Professor of the Practice at Boise State University. He was a Visiting Scientist at the MIT Media Lab and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Harvard Business School.
Diego is the Chief Product & Design Officer at Intuit. Earlier in his career he worked as a design engineer at HP and at IDEO, where he became a Partner and Global Managing Director. He led the growth of IDEO’s own new ventures, such as IDEO U, CoLab, and Creative Difference. Diego was a founding faculty member of Stanford’s d.school and is a Professor of the Practice at Boise State University. He was a Visiting Scientist at the MIT Media Lab and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Harvard Business School.
Peter Stebbins
MBA '91 Harvard University; Princeton Chemical Engineering 1985
Peter was a Commercial, M&A, and Strategy executive at J&J for 30 years and is now working with a cadre of medtech and digital (operative AR, RCM, and sales targeting SaaS) companies, including as Executive Chair of neurosurgical tissue engineering firm Nurami Medical. Potentially relevant examples of clinical fields include Open and MI approaches to Surgery, Orthopedics, and Neuro as well as Injectables, Cell based cartilage therapies and Neuromodulation. He is active in industry organizations like MassMEDIC and HBS Healthcare Alumni Association.
Peter was a Commercial, M&A, and Strategy executive at J&J for 30 years and is now working with a cadre of medtech and digital (operative AR, RCM, and sales targeting SaaS) companies, including as Executive Chair of neurosurgical tissue engineering firm Nurami Medical. Potentially relevant examples of clinical fields include Open and MI approaches to Surgery, Orthopedics, and Neuro as well as Injectables, Cell based cartilage therapies and Neuromodulation. He is active in industry organizations like MassMEDIC and HBS Healthcare Alumni Association.
Corey Thomas
MBA ’02, Harvard University; BE, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Vanderbilt University
Corey is the Chairman and CEO at Rapid7, a computer and network security company. He is also the Director at LPL Financial Holdings Inc. and a Board Member at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Early in his career he worked as a Consultant at Deloitte Consulting, moving to Product Manager at Microsoft and later Vice President at Parallels. Corey was elected to the Cyber Threat Alliance Board of Directors and the Massachusetts Cybersecurity Strategy Council and is a former Board Member at The Home for Little Wanderers in Boston.
Corey is the Chairman and CEO at Rapid7, a computer and network security company. He is also the Director at LPL Financial Holdings Inc. and a Board Member at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Early in his career he worked as a Consultant at Deloitte Consulting, moving to Product Manager at Microsoft and later Vice President at Parallels. Corey was elected to the Cyber Threat Alliance Board of Directors and the Massachusetts Cybersecurity Strategy Council and is a former Board Member at The Home for Little Wanderers in Boston.
Kit Ulrich
AB ’05, Biomechanical Engineering, Harvard University
Kit is the General Manager of LTK, the world's largest Creator Commerce platform with over 40M shoppers and more than $4Bn in annual sales. Kit was formerly a Managing Director of FirstMark Capital, an early stage VC firm in NYC. She has a long career as a product leader, having been the Chief Product Officer (CPO) of Shutterstock, and the CPO of Weight Watchers.
Kit is the General Manager of LTK, the world's largest Creator Commerce platform with over 40M shoppers and more than $4Bn in annual sales. Kit was formerly a Managing Director of FirstMark Capital, an early stage VC firm in NYC. She has a long career as a product leader, having been the Chief Product Officer (CPO) of Shutterstock, and the CPO of Weight Watchers.
Sudha Varadarajan
MBA ’07, Harvard University; MS ‘99, University of Illinois; BE, Computer Science, P.S.G. College of Technology
Sudha was a Co-founder and CTO of Skava, a leading mobile-commerce company acquired in 2015 by Infosys. Well before the Apple iPhone, she had the vision of developing multi-player mobile games back in 2003 at a time when people considered phones only for making calls and sending text messages. In 2007 when smartphones arrived on the market, she saw the need to help retailers use this new medium and relaunched her mobile platform for retailers. Before Skava, Sudha worked for Microsoft as a Software Design Engineer and at Brience as an Engineering Manager.
Sudha was a Co-founder and CTO of Skava, a leading mobile-commerce company acquired in 2015 by Infosys. Well before the Apple iPhone, she had the vision of developing multi-player mobile games back in 2003 at a time when people considered phones only for making calls and sending text messages. In 2007 when smartphones arrived on the market, she saw the need to help retailers use this new medium and relaunched her mobile platform for retailers. Before Skava, Sudha worked for Microsoft as a Software Design Engineer and at Brience as an Engineering Manager.