Now launching The Collective // Energy + Utilities: An executive brain trust and year-long immersive membership program. Learn more>

Now launching The Collective // Energy + Utilities: An executive brain trust and year-long immersive membership program. Learn more>

Silicon Foundry a Kearney company logo

Who We Are

Nearly a decade ago, we saw a significant rise in the number of leading global corporations that sought to collaborate with emerging companies to drive innovation and growth. 

As former founders, funders, advisors, and executives, we knew we could help.

The Challenge

A noisy startup ecosystem filled with thousands of companies made it hard for corporations to know which emerging players to engage with

Identifying emerging technology partners required peripheral vision—the ability to see past traditional industry boundaries to spot trends and opportunities—that large companies didn’t have

Navigating the innovation ecosystem required long-term relationships with trusted partners whose aligned incentives, deep expertise, and global reach enabled them to act as an extension of corporate teams

Silicon Foundry was designed to solve these challenges. We serve as a bridge between corporates, startups, investors, and other ecosystem players. We’ve spent our careers at the intersection of new markets, business models, and corporate-startup partnerships, so we know what it takes to drive innovation from all angles. By working with Silicon Foundry, organizations can anticipate change and navigate what’s next.

Read Our Guiding Principles

Our Team

Committed to Impact, Inspired by Curiosity 

We’re a group of seasoned, dedicated professionals with deep relationships across the innovation ecosystem and decades of startup, corporate, investment and advisory experience. Our core team is complemented by an active group of network advisors across industries and geographies. While San Francisco is our center of gravity and home to our hub, we live and work across the globe and span New York, Los Angeles, Austin, Miami, and San Diego.

Mark Menell headshot

Mark Menell
CEO

Neal Hansch headshot

Neal Hansch
Partner Emeritus

Headshot of Goran Buvac, Partner, Silicon Foundry

Goran Buvac
Managing Director

Stu Iverson
Managing Director

Doug Kilponen
Managing Director

Janina headshot

Janina Lieser
Managing Director

Tanya Privé

Tanya Privé
Managing Director

Eli Promisel headshot

Eli Promisel
Managing Director

Headshot of Chad Shuford, Partner, Silicon Foundry

Chad Shuford
Managing Director

Headshot of Erik Terjesen, Partner, Silicon Foundry

Erik Terjesen
Managing Director

Kofo Akinrimisi

Kofo Akinrimisi
Director

Prutha Atre
Director

Bernie Chen headshot

Bernie Chen
Director

Zain Daya
Director

Sam Goldstone, Director headshot

Sam Goldstone
Director

Nagisa Sakurai headshot

Nagisa Sakurai
Director

Melvin Lai
Senior Venture Associate

Christian Jaubert
Senior Venture Associate

Ling Zhong headshot

Ling Zhong
Senior Venture Associate

Clemens Pfefferkorn headshot

Clemens Pfefferkorn
Venture Associate

Luc Schwartz headshot

Luc Schwartz
Venture Associate

Jakob Sieber
Venture Associate

Xavier Trilla headshot

Xavier Trilla
Venture Associate

Veronika Zrubakova, Venture Associate headshot

Veronika Zrubakova
Venture Associate

Ryan Xiong

Ryan Xiong
, Venture Analyst

Suraj Borekar headshot

Suraj Borekar
Senior Research Analyst

Emily Laufer
Head of Events & Marketing

Candy Colquhoun

Candy Colquhoun
Office Manager & Executive Assistant

Our Venture Partners

Trusted Advisors, Powerful Networks, Real-World Expertise

Our Venture Partners are seasoned industry leaders who have spent decades building companies, shaping markets, and leading transformation inside global enterprises. They bring an additional layer of depth to our work—expanding our network, contributing targeted expertise, and helping us support Members with the right insight at the right time. We feel privileged to work alongside such an exceptional group whose experience and relationships amplify Silicon Foundry’s impact worldwide.

Elaine Barsoom

Elaine Barsoom
Venture Partner

Miguel Paredes
Venture Partner

Rob Slone
Venture Partner

Ruth headshot

Ruth Yomtoubian
Venture Partner

Alok Agrawal headshot

Alok K. Agrawal
Venture Partner

Morgan Berman headshot

Morgan Berman
Venture Partner

Zaki Fasijuddin headshot

Zaki Fasihuddin
Venture Partner

Nicolas Melero headshot

Nicolás Melero
Venture Partner

Uzair Rashid headshot

Uzair Rashid
Venture Partner

Farzin Shadpour headshot

Farzin Shadpour
Venture Partner

Yuki Shirato headshot

Yuki Shirato
Venture Partner

Max Suzuki, Venture Partner headshot

Max Suzuki
Venture Partner

Rebecca Yeung headshot

Rebecca Yeung
Venture Partner

Get in Touch

Interested in working together? Tell us what’s on your mind or email us at info@sifoundry.com.

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Mark is the CEO of Silicon Foundry, having previously served as a Managing Director at the firm. He brings over 30 years of experience in venture capital, investment banking, and operations, building, advising, and investing in leading technology, media, and ecommerce companies.

Prior to joining Silicon Foundry as a Managing Director, Mark was a General Partner and led U.S. growth equity investing at Partech Partners, a leading transatlantic technology investment firm.Earlier in his career, he was a co-founder and General Partner at Rustic Canyon Partners and a Venture Partner at Maveron, both early-stage focused VC funds. Mark was the founding COO and CFO of ShopRunner, a subscription service for online shoppers that provides benefits like free two-day shipping and instant checkout at many of the best online retailers. He also served as SVP of Business Development for Wanderful Media, leading its efforts to grow and serve the audiences of 12 major media companies with local discovery shopping solutions across the web, social, and mobile. 

Mark began his career as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley, where he served as Principal and Co-Head of the Technology Mergers and Acquisitions Group in Menlo Park, CA. In that role, he advised on more than 50 completed transactions valued in excess of $150 billion. Mark holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and both a BS and MBA from Wharton. Outside of work, he is very active in the San Francisco Bay Area community. He has served on the board Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties since 2003 and is Regional Commissioner of Hillsborough AYSO.

Neal is Partner Emeritus at Silicon Foundry, where he previously served as CEO for nearly a decade. He brings more than 25 years of experience spanning venture capital, product management, technology operations, corporate development, and strategic advisory. Drawing on this breadth of investment, operating, and advisory experience – as well as his current innovation role at a Fortune 500 company – Neal supports Silicon Foundry’s Members and continues to contribute to the firm’s strategic initiatives.

Prior to joining Silicon Foundry, Neal was Managing Director of the emerging markets technology training, investment, and incubation program at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST), where he managed a global team of 150+ professionals, over twenty startup investments, and partnerships with Google, Samsung, and Vodafone.

Neal previously served as a General Partner at Rustic Canyon Partners (RCP), an early-stage focused VC fund with $500MM under management. He also worked in the Corporate Development group at Macromedia (Nasdaq: MACR, acq. by ADBE), where he was responsible for global M&A transactions and strategic equity investments. In this role, he traveled extensively throughout Asia and learned firsthand the challenges and impact of building relationships and executing cross-border transactions.

Neal’s first exposure to venture capital was as an Associate at Technology Crossover Ventures, after which he learned the ins and outs of a fast-growth software company as a product marketing director at webMethods (Nasdaq: WEBM, acq. by Software AG). Neal first moved to the Bay Area and began his career as an investment banking analyst at Robertson Stephens & Co. during the original internet boom (and bust!). Originally hailing from the beaches of Southern California, he earned his BA from Duke University, studied at University College London, and received an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

 

Goran brings over 25 years of experience to the forefront of corporate innovation, business development, and digital transformation. Currently, as the Head of Venture Building at DIFC Launchpad and a Partner at Silicon Foundry, he accelerates innovation for corporate partners and government entities. With a strong entrepreneurial drive, Goran has a proven track record of transforming ideas into scalable digital ventures.

Before joining DIFC Launchpad and Silicon Foundry, Goran led as the Chief Corporate Venture Builder for MENA at Creative Dock, Europe and MENA’s premier independent venture builder. Preceding this, he significantly contributed to FoundersLane as interim CEO and Head of Corporate Venture Building, culminating in its acquisition by Creative Dock. These positions highlight a decade spent fostering startups and crafting successful digital products within Berlin’s dynamic startup hub.

Goran’s venture building prowess stems from his deep engagement with both traditional corporations and their innovation segments. His diverse career path has seen him excel in leadership roles across established corporates, strategic consulting firms, and innovative startups.

Notably, Goran’s strategic insights in B2B sales, business development, digital transformation, change management, and venture capital have been pivotal in scaling companies to meet ambitious growth targets.

A graduate in Business Administration and Management from the University of Applied Sciences, Berlin, Goran is bilingual in English and German. Residing in Dubai with his family, Goran cherishes downtime at the beach, balancing his professional dedication with a passion for family life.

Stuart has deep experience in blending people, process, and insight together to uncover and unlock the future of his clients’ business. At Silicon Foundry he advises their clients on how to discover, drive, develop, and integrate disruptive new technology adoption to not just understand the future, but to take a hold of it.

Prior to Joining Silicon Foundry, Stu has worked alongside, and within, some of the most innovative brands as a Partner at the globally recognized innovation consultancy Factory, as well as on the executive team at Pivotus Ventures, a venture studio setup by Umpqua Bank which was successfully acquired by Temenos.

Outside of his work at Silicon Foundry, Stuart is an avid speaker having lectured executives at organizations and institutions such as the prestigious MBA programs of Wharton Business School, and Insead, and is an active guest on numerous podcasts. When he’s not working, you can probably find Stu at the airport with his kindle on his way to travel the world (while visiting clients).

Doug serves as a Managing Director at Silicon Foundry, where he leverages 30 years of experience in technology operations, business development, product marketing and management consulting. Most recently Doug served as Chief Operating Officer at Grin Gaming, leading the team from pre-product to tens of millions in revenue and profitability. He joined Grin after working with the company as an EIR for their first investor, Operate Ventures. Prior to that, Doug initiated and built Nextdoor’s first entry into small business advertising as their Head of SMB/Local, a role that was created for him after he successfully started and exited two companies – MerchantCircle and Wanderful Media – at the intersection of the hyperlocal media, social, and online retail spaces. Doug began his career in professional services and management consulting, with roles at Acxiom Digital, A.T. Kearney, and J. Walter Thompson. Doug holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, and a BA from Northwestern University. In his free time, he coaches youth baseball and softball teams, and loves to travel with his wife and two children.

Janina has dedicated her career to helping organizations identify and execute their purpose and vision. She advises Silicon Foundry’s financial services clients and leads the firm’s culture and mentorship initiatives. Prior to joining Foundry, Janina led Product & Marketing at Grasshopper Bank, a digital bank serving start-ups and VCs. Janina previously worked as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Pivotus Ventures, a venture studio set up by Umpqua Bank, to build out an award winning digital-human banking solution which was successfully acquired by Temenos in 2018. Over her career, Janina has worked in product and marketing roles across a range of large financial services organizations and emerging start-ups in London, San Francisco, and New York. Janina earned her BA in Business & Mass Communications at London Metropolitan University and her MSc in International Management at King’s College London. She enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with her husband and their beloved fluffball of a cat, Summer.

Tanya Privé is a seasoned leader and strategic connector, serving as Managing Director at Silicon Foundry. She fosters high-impact relationships across global ecosystems, connecting entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate executives to unlock transformative opportunities through Silicon Foundry’s curated event program and engagement strategies. 

Previously, Tanya co-led transformational consulting engagements with Legacy Transformational Consulting, advising Fortune 500 companies such as Merck, Ipsen, and Microsoft on leadership, culture, and breakthrough performance. A serial entrepreneur, she co-founded and scaled two venture-backed platforms—1000 Angels and CoFoundersLab—both of which were acquired. As CEO of CoFoundersLab, she drove four strategic acquisitions and grew its community from 40,000 to nearly 500,000 users. With expertise in leadership, growth strategies, and product development, Tanya has written extensively on entrepreneurship and venture investing, with her work published in Forbes, Huffington Post, and Inc. She is also a sought-after speaker at prominent industry events, including the Women Inc. Summit, Tech Week, and Founder Institute gatherings.

Eli provides guidance to Silicon Foundry’s Members on emerging technologies and trends that are reshaping verticals such as mobility, government, aerospace & defense, energy, financial services, and consumer retail. He has previously worked at Halcyon, a social impact startup incubator in Washington, D.C., on the Sustainability team at Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I in London, and participated in the Leadership Development Program at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. Eli holds BSc degrees in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Bocconi University. Eli lives in New York City.

Chad has over twenty years of entrepreneurial, venture capital, private equity, and strategic advisory experience. At Silicon Foundry, he uses his wide-ranging experience and network to surface relevant opportunities for our Member organizations. He also has had great success helping thriving startups form trajectory-changing partnerships with large corporations. Previously, Chad co-created and launched Capital Factory’s corporate innovation consulting practice, served as CEO of cloud accounting firm CollBox, worked in investment banking and private equity, and founded two residential services firms, where he served as president until their acquisitions. Chad holds a BA from Washington and Lee University. Outside of work, he enjoys eating Japanese food, creating chaos in pickup basketball games, and last second trips to beach and mountain locations with his wife and their two boys, Forrest and Banks.

Erik has spent his career turning groundbreaking clean technology research into commercial products that make our world cleaner and more efficient. At Silicon Foundry, he advises organizations on their cleantech adoption, commercialization, and investment strategies. Before that, he worked at Ionic Materials, where he negotiated partnerships to bring the company’s novel solid polymer technology to market in battery applications. He also led Qualcomm’s Halo program, which brought wireless charging technology to the electric vehicle market.  Earlier in his career he gained experience in venture investing at HarbourVest Partners and investment banking at Robertson Stephens. Erik holds a BA from Harvard and an MBA from Wharton. When he’s not working, you’ll find Erik spending time with his family in San Diego and working on his electronic music production hobby.

Kofo is a seasoned leader and early-stage ventures expert with over 15 years of experience spanning consulting, strategy, operations, and venture capital. She began her career in development consulting, where she led the design and execution of large-scale, multi-million-dollar programs across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

She was the founding COO and Accelerator Director at 54 Collective, where she built the company from the ground up, assembled the team, and led its inaugural portfolio of investments. She went on to serve as Chief Operating Officer at the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA) and later managed an Africa-focused impact investment fund for a family office, overseeing its launch and portfolio management. Most recently, Kofo returned to 54 Collective as Managing Director, where she led the SME investment pillar, driving growth and innovation across the portfolio.

Kofo lives in Dubai with her husband and daughter.

Prutha Atre is a corporate innovation professional with cross-functional experience across investment banking, venture capital, and IP commercialization. Most recently, she led Rose Rock Bridge, the venture studio of Fortune 500 corporations—Williams, ONEOK, and Devon Energy—where she facilitated field pilots and investments in technologies such as enhanced geothermal, long-duration energy storage, and carbon-to-value solutions. 

Prutha holds a Master’s in Engineering Management from Dartmouth College, with a focus on emerging technologies and corporate finance, and a Bachelor’s in Engineering from Mumbai University.

Bernie is passionate about emerging technologies and motivated by driving transformative change within organizations through innovation. Prior to joining Silicon Foundry, Bernie was a Senior Manager at Kearney and brings 6+ years of experience in technology and innovation strategy. Delivering over 20 engagements across ANZ, SEA, and MEA, Bernie has deep expertise in corporate growth strategy, operations, and supply chain management. Notably, Bernie spent 2 years in Abu Dhabi advising senior government stakeholders to develop a multi-year national R&D and Innovation Strategy, as well as authoring ecosystem-wide science, technology, and innovation policies. Bernie also has venture building experience, having successfully led a global team to launch a B2B SaaS digital supply chain proposition. He served as a strategic advisor to the CEO at a national deep tech research institute based in the GCC, a research fellow at Stanford University (cognitive sciences department), and the President of the Yale-NUS Consulting Group.

Bernie has an economics and finance background, having studied at Yale-NUS College in Singapore, and Columbia University in the United States. As an Australian now living in Dubai, you can find Bernie streaming Australian Football (AFL) on the weekends, and braving the desert heat while running and cycling.

Zain has spent her early career working in startups, venture capital, and innovation. She has 7+ years of experience managing sophisticated stakeholders and technology portfolios in the venture capital and private markets space across the MENA region.

Prior to Silicon Foundry, Zain was Head of Platform at Hambro Perks Oryx Fund where she managed the processes for establishing feeder fund structures and successfully attracting commitments from regional and international investors, including sovereign wealth funds, financial institutions, and family offices. Prior to the Oryx Fund, Zain was working at Endeavor on the Entrepreneur Selection & Growth team where she was evaluating scale ups in the local economy, onboarding them to the wider network, and managing their portfolio.

Zain was involved with several key initiatives that have helped shape the growing tech ecosystem in the
region. She holds a BSc degree in Economics from Northeastern University in Boston and a MSc from Imperial College London. Zain lives in Dubai and enjoys spending her time with family, traveling and playing tennis.

Sam is a Director at Silicon Foundry, where he works with global enterprises to identify, engage, and operationalize emerging technologies that will shape their industries. Sitting at the nexus of corporate strategy and the startup ecosystem, he partners with senior leaders to translate innovation ambition into structured partnerships, investment pathways, and scalable growth opportunities.

Prior to Silicon Foundry, Sam led Strategy for the MENA region at 500 Global, one of the world’s most active venture capital firms. There, he worked across ecosystem development, innovation strategy, and accelerator programs – partnering with governments, sovereign entities, and corporates to build high-impact startup platforms and unlock regional innovation ecosystems. His work spanned venture building, investment strategy, and cross-border growth initiatives, giving him a global perspective on how emerging markets drive technological advancement.

Outside of work, he has a deep interest in artificial intelligence and is actively exploring how to embed AI into both daily workflows and long-term decision-making. When he’s not exploring new tools or thinking about the future of technology, you’ll likely find him planning his next trip to the mountains, deep in a book, or playing Padel with friends.

Nagisa is passionate about advancing innovation in life sciences and is driven by the potential of early-stage biotechnology to transform patient outcomes. As Japan Representative at Silicon Foundry, she brings a unique combination of scientific expertise, venture investing, and corporate strategy experience.

Prior to joining Silicon Foundry, Nagisa spent over a decade at Astellas Pharma, most recently as an Investment Lead at Astellas Venture Management (AVM), where she led early-stage biotech investments and supported portfolio companies as a board representative.

She began her career as a scientist before spending five years at the Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AIRM) in Massachusetts. She later returned to Tokyo to drive corporate strategy across regenerative medicine and ophthalmology.

Nagisa holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Tottori University and an MBA from NUCB Business School.

Melvin advises Silicon Foundry’s Members on navigating and executing their cleantech initiatives and investment strategies. Previously, he worked as an associate at PwC in their M&A consulting practice, providing insights to private equity and corporate clients on M&A transactions, divestitures, and restructurings. He holds a Bachelors from UC Santa Barbara, a Masters from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and is a California-licensed CPA. Melvin lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and enjoys spending his time connecting with the outdoors.

Christian advises clients on innovation best practices and emerging technologies across various sectors. He brings a diverse background in private equity, fintech, and generative AI to the Silicon Foundry team. Before joining Silicon Foundry, Christian worked at Renovata, a private equity advisory firm, where he developed a keen understanding of investment dynamics and market trends. He also gained valuable experience as a product manager at Symphony, a fintech company, driving technological advancements in financial services. Christian holds a degree in Economics from the University of California, San Diego, and an MBA from INSEAD. In his free time, Christian enjoys golfing, surfing, cooking, and staying updated on the latest trends in Generative AI.

Ling advises Silicon Foundry’s Members on emerging technologies and startup ecosystems, drawing from experience across venture capital, entrepreneurship, and financial markets. Previously, Ling worked in venture capital, conducting due diligence and developing investment theses on early and growth stage startups. Earlier in her career, she served as an equity researcher focused on public healthcare companies.

Ling is a Certified Public Accountant and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance from Fordham University. Originally from China, Ling has spent time in Chicago and now splits her time between San Francisco and New York. A self-proclaimed food and cocktail snob, she loves discovering new restaurants and speakeasies. At home, she enjoys cooking and hosting dinner parties, especially Chinese hotpot.

Prior to joining Silicon Foundry, Clemens worked at Kearney’s IMP³ROVE Innovation Competence Center, advising clients across private and public sectors on innovation strategy, venture engagement, and ecosystem development. His work spanned technology landscaping, venture partnering, and institutional design; including leading a global startup scouting for an international energy conglomerate and supporting the setup of innovation structures that connect corporates, startups, investors, and policymakers. Earlier, he gained hands-on startup experience as Employee #2 at a sport-sponsoring venture, supporting go-to-market and business development.
Clemens holds an M.Sc. in International Management (CEMS) from the University of Cologne and the University of Cape Town, where he dual majored in Corporate and Social Innovation. As part of his studies, he led a consulting project for a global FMCG player in the space of startup enabled AI-augmented consumer research. In his thesis he deepened the research on startup-corporate collaboration by investigating under the title of “From Signals to Evidence: Re-weighting Evaluation Criteria Across the Venture Client Model?”, how corporates can make more evidence-based startup selection decisions.

Prior to joining Silicon Foundry, Luc worked at Micron Technology on projects spanning technology & products, corporate development, and strategy. He led a global expansion strategy, developed multi-year scenarios to guide Micron’s product roadmap, and supported strategic acquisitions. Luc also partnered with Micron Ventures on sourcing and evaluating early-stage startups in AI, deep tech, and sustainability.

While studying finance at San Diego State University, Luc was a part of the Lavin Center, an incubator where he participated in starting a ticketing exchange company and developing relationships with founders in the San Diego startup ecosystem. Outside of the office, Luc is currently focused on finding the best restaurant in San Francisco and staying active with tennis, running, & MMA.

Jakob advises Silicon Foundry’s members on a wide range of topics, including Space Technology and Clean Tech. His diverse educational background enables him to approach problems from multiple perspectives, shedding light on issues and details that might otherwise go unnoticed. Prior to joining Silicon Foundry, Jakob gained valuable experience in the startup ecosystem and consulting field. Originally from Germany, he holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sussex in England, as well as an MA from Duke University. He is an avid field hockey player, and enjoys playing the piano in his free time.

Prior to joining Silicon Foundry, Xavi was an Innovation Analyst at ACCIO, a Spanish Government Innovation Agency, where he advised tech startups on growth strategies and supported leading European corporations in driving innovation and advancing their venture investment initiatives. Xavi also brings experience in M&A and PE, having worked as an Investment Analyst at a search fund. Xavi holds a BA in International Business from Pompeu Fabra University and specialized in strategy and innovation at Copenhagen Business School. Originally from Barcelona, Xavi now resides in San Francisco where he enjoys exploring California’s stunning landscapes.

Veronika is a former BCG consultant turned venture capital professional who joined Silicon Foundry in early 2026. Her experience spans venture building, due diligence, and strategy roles bridging Europe and the Middle East, where she has worked closely with startup founders and investors, as well as large corporations and institutional stakeholders.

Born in Slovakia, she feels at home in Prague, but also enjoyed Italian life while pursuing her Master’s degree in Green Management, Energy & Sustainability at Bocconi University in Milan.

Outside of work, she likes hiking and spending time in nature with her dog.  Always up for a challenge, she is now attempting to do that in Dubai.

Prior to joining Silicon Foundry, Ryan served as an Innovation Analyst at Rose Rock Bridge, where he connected Fortune 500 energy companies with early-stage startups across methane management, produced water, and digital twins for pilot and investment opportunities. His work spanned venture sourcing, corporate partnership development, and portfolio support. Earlier, he gained product and operations experience at Amazon and The Coca-Cola Company, where he built data systems and analytics tools that informed commercial decisions at scale.

Ryan holds a B.S. in Management Science and Engineering with a concentration in Finance and Decision from Stanford University, where his coursework bridged quantitative methods, organizational theory, and technology policy. Outside the office, he enjoys hiking the trails around the Bay Area, playing soccer, and exploring San Francisco’s hottest restaurants.

Suraj is a seasoned researcher with a decade of experience in research, consulting, and engineering. For the past seven years, he has specialized in providing high-impact research and consulting support, particularly in client engagements and business development. His earlier three-year tenure as a field engineer equipped him with valuable hands-on technical skills. Before joining Silicon Foundry, he contributed to Kearney’s Communications, Media, and Technology practice. Suraj holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Instrumentation and Control from Pune University and is currently pursuing an MBA in Marketing Management. In his personal time, he enjoys cooking and traveling to new places.

Emily Laufer works across industries with Silicon Foundry Members, planning and executing events with both a creative and an operational approach. She has a background in event and marketing strategy and program management within the sports industry. Previously, Emily worked with a global agency planning hospitality programs for the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup, in addition to facilitating executive meetings and summits. She also worked for the San Francisco Giants baseball organization managing membership services, marketing, and event logistics for a private Club. Emily earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Claremont McKenna College. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and enjoys spending time in the outdoors, cooking, entertaining family and friends, and skiing.

Candy, a Perth native with a heart rooted in San Francisco, brings a wealth of experience to her role at Silicon Foundry. With decades of Operations, Facilities, Event Planning and Accounts Payable experience in Advertising, Public Relations, and Investment Banking, she recently honed her skills at Real Chemistry (Biotech PR) and NTT. At Silicon Foundry, Candy is dedicated to creating a vibrant, welcoming, and efficient office environment while providing executive support to the CEO. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening and delving into murder mysteries across Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, with a special appreciation for Agatha Christie’s books, series, and films. Her favorite form of therapy is cleaning and organizing, which keeps her both relaxed and focused.

Elaine Barsoom is a senior advisor and technology innovation leader who works with executive teams to translate emerging technologies and partnerships into sustainable business growth. Over her career, she has advised on and structured more than $1B in joint ventures, strategic alliances, and acquisitions, helping organizations convert innovation ambition into durable commercial advantage.

She brings more than two decades of experience operating inside complex global organizations and alongside founders, with senior roles at Nike, American Express, and Airbnb at the intersection of technology, partnerships, and new business models.

Most recently, Elaine served as Global Head of Technology Innovation Partnerships and Strategy at Nike, where she helped establish the company’s first Center of Excellence for Emerging Technology and AI. She led the evaluation of more than 300 startups and technology providers and supported the transition of early experimentation into scalable enterprise capabilities across consumer, supply chain, and corporate domains.

Earlier at American Express, she helped launch and scale new digital ventures, including the Vente-Privée joint venture, opening new revenue streams and reshaping the company’s approach to digital commerce. She received the Chairman’s Pinnacle Award for innovation leadership.

Today, Elaine advises international companies, investors, and leadership teams on AI strategy, corporate innovation, and startup–enterprise partnership design, supporting leaders in making disciplined build-partner decisions and scaling innovation with accountability.

Elaine holds an MBA from The Wharton School, a Master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a BA from Barnard College.

Miguel is a senior AI executive who holds a PhD in AI from MIT. Most recently he was the Vice President of AI & Data Science at Albertsons, one of the largest grocery retailers in the US, where he led strategy and value creation with Data & AI, and co-led the Generative AI program.

Miguel has been working with CEOs and C-Level executives to identify AI & Data Value creation opportunities for a decade. A seasoned tech executive and startup advisor with experience across North and South America, Miguel also works with VC funds and founders at the AI Fund (Andrew Ng’s VC Fund and Venture Studio) and Milemark Capital (MIT Professor Sinan Aral VC Fund) to help them create value through AI strategy and models. Miguel is also an angel investor and startup board member.

Before returning to the US, Miguel worked with a Peruvian billionaire family and economic group setting up the AI capabilities for their portfolio companies, such as banking, insurance, mining, healthcare, hospitality, real estate, etc.

Miguel holds a PhD in applied artificial intelligence and data science as well as masters’ degrees in engineering and economic development, all from MIT. Miguel is an alumni of Harvard Business School where he completed the General Manager Program (GMP) degree. He earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science at the University of Lima and has completed several post graduate programs at Stanford, IMD, Columbia, and MIT.

Dr. Robert Slone has served as a Senior Vice President and our Chief Scientist since August 2021. He is responsible for innovation, engineering, problem solving and research and development in the areas of safety, security and sustainability. He also is responsible for the growth incubation areas of UL Solutions which include Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Modeling & Simulation and other long-term growth drivers.

Prior to joining UL Solutions, Slone served as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Honeywell Advanced Materials, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Honeywell UOP and Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer at Stepan Company.

Slone serves as an Executive Board Member of the International Science Reserve — a global network of open scientific communities that combines specialized resources to prepare for, and augment responses to, various global crises. He has also won election to the IEC Market Strategy Board for a three-year term (2025-2028).  Slone holds 22 patents, and he was named the 2018 Safer Choice Summit Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Slone earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Inorganic Chemistry from Northwestern University, a Master of Business Administration from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has earned numerous credentials from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), including a Professional Certificate in Sustainability.

Ruth serves as a Venture Partner at Silicon Foundry, drawing upon her work with numerous
startups, corporations, industries and communities, she shares practical tools for aligning
change with strategic goals, why it matters in the here-and-now, and how committed leaders
can focus on lasting impact.

She brings experience leading teams through several waves of corporate innovation, known for
transforming start-up concepts into reality at major organizations. Ruth served as VP of Global
Innovation at VSP Vision, where she crafted AI strategies and led a multi-disciplinary team to
turn innovative healthcare concepts into commercial successes. Her leadership turned the VSP
Global Innovation Center into a key player in the healthcare and tech industries by fostering a
culture of high standards and authentic leadership. Ruth was a global consultant, advising
clients from the Bay Area to Latin America on embedding effective innovation practices into
their ventures. As Director of the AT&T Foundry, she successfully integrated start-up solutions
across diverse business lines, scaling AT&T’s presence and participation in the tech ecosystem,
establishing key innovation partnerships.

A sought-after speaker at global conferences like SXSW and Cannes Lions, Ruth shares insights
on shifting business paradigms. She holds degrees from USC and Tulane University, drawing
inspiration from her experiences with small businesses in New Orleans.

Alok K. Agrawal is Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Agrawal Capital LLC, backing founders who build critical infrastructure in AI, space and defense, and robotics and automation. He leads a venture syndicate of over 25 limited partners with a portfolio of 30+ companies.

Prior to founding Agrawal Capital, Agrawal served on the Executive Leadership Team at Celestica (NYSE: CLS), a $12 billion global design, manufacturing, and supply chain solutions provider. Reporting to the CEO, he led corporate strategy, business development, M&A, and innovation—work that contributed to doubling revenue and increasing stock value twentyfold. He orchestrated Celestica’s strategic transformation and market repositioning, establishing the company as a leading provider of advanced hardware for hyperscale data centers, AI infrastructure, and high-performance computing while expanding capabilities across connectivity and cloud infrastructure, smart energy solutions, healthtech, and capital equipment for next-generation semiconductor manufacturing. He founded Celestica Ventures, building it to over $15 million in assets under management in its first year and closing investments connecting Celestica’s manufacturing and engineering expertise with innovative startups.

Earlier, Agrawal held leadership roles at Johnson Controls, Meritor, and Federal-Mogul, leading growth strategies and P&L management across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Agrawal serves as an Independent Board Member at Epica International and as Board Member and Audit Committee Chair at SF-Marin Food Bank. He serves as Adjunct Professor of Finance at Golden Gate University, where he teaches corporate financial planning and analysis grounded in real-world manufacturing and technology casework.

Agrawal earned a Master of Business Administration from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, along with Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Morgan Berman is a  commercial and venture ecosystem executive with over 20 years of experience building and scaling multi-sided revenue platforms across investors, corporates, and startups.

Recently, Morgan was Senior Vice President of Partnerships at Alloy Partners and prior to that spent eight years at Techstars, where he helped build and led a global partnerships and revenue engine driving significant capital formation and strategic partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, universities, governments, and other entities.

Earlier in his career, he held roles at Gartner and Sausalito Ventures. Morgan holds an MBA from the University of San Francisco and a BA from the University of Colorado Boulder, and is an active mentor and advisor across the venture ecosystem.

Zaki serves as a Venture Partner at Silicon Foundry, where he leverages over 20 years of global experience in technology entrepreneurship, innovation, product management, business development, venture investing and strategic advisory. Zaki has led tech innovation, partnerships and digital transformation for global iconic brands. As the Managing Director of McDonald’s SF Digital Hub, he opened and scaled up the company’s first Digital lab in Silicon Valley, focused on inventing the restaurant of the future, and established key innovation partnerships with Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter and Uber.

As global head of Digital innovation and GM of Volvo Cars Silicon Valley R&D Center he managed over 200 people across California, Sweden and Shanghai that were inventing within the industry megatrends of autonomy, connected vehicles, electrification, and shared mobility.

Zaki was also the Founding CEO and Board Member of the Volvo Car Tech Fund, where he built Volvo’s corporate VC arm from the ground up. During his tenure he led mobility-focused investments in Luminar, Freewire Technologies, Zum, Forciot, Varjo, UVEye and MDGo.

As SVP of Business Development and Innovation at MGM Resorts Zaki’s team explored the future of entertainment, sports and gaming and developed the first internal tech R&D model to co-create with start-ups defining the future of the experience economy and integrated resorts. He represented MGM as a Board member to Tempus Ex Machina (Infinite Athlete) and Sevenrooms.

Earlier in his career, Zaki led product management at PayPal/eBay Inc. and American Express. He is an entrepreneur at heart, co-founding his first start-up out of university, and continues to engage with the start-up community as an angel investor and advisor to Techstars and Plug and Play. Zaki has spoken at major global conferences such as Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and Shanghai, SXSW in Austin, Collision in Toronto, and Cannes Lions in Cannes. He studied at MIT Sloan, Babson College and Georgetown University and developed and taught a graduate level course at UNLV’s Lee School of Business on Intro to Blockchain and Cryptocurrency.

Nicolás Melero is a senior corporate innovation and venture leader with deep experience working at the intersection of large enterprises, startups, and investors across Latin America and the United States. Over his career, he has helped organizations translate emerging technologies and partnerships into scalable business outcomes, with a strong focus on disciplined execution and long-term value creation.

Nicolás spent several years at Falabella Group—one of Latin America’s largest retail and financial services conglomerates—where he led corporate venture capital and innovation initiatives. He worked closely with executive teams and business units to design and execute startup–enterprise partnerships, lead pilots, and support venture investments across cybersecurity, data analytics, supply chain, procurement, logistics, ecommerce, open banking, and payments, with an emphasis on scaling successful initiatives beyond experimentation.

In parallel, Nicolás serves as an advisor to fintech and deeptech startups, supporting founders on strategy, enterprise partnerships, and investor readiness. He also participates as a board member and investment committee member for select organizations, contributing strategic and investment perspectives.

Earlier in his career, Nicolás worked in real estate development and alternative asset management, with experience across private equity, venture capital, and impact investing. He has evaluated and managed investments across multiple asset classes, combining rigorous financial analysis with a strong focus on governance and strategic alignment.

Today, Nicolás works with corporate leaders and investors to design build–partner strategies, engage effectively with startups, and scale innovation with accountability. He is currently an MBA candidate at the MIT Sloan School of Management and holds a Bachelor on Business Administration from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Uzair Rashid is a global healthcare innovation, strategy, and commercialization executive whose work sits at the intersection of healthcare transformation, data-driven business building, and new venture creation. He is a Partner at Consilio Health and Bio-nAbler, where he advises clients on innovation architecture, strategy development, market expansion, and commercial execution. He has held senior advisory and operating roles with Roche, PwC, a publicly traded integrated healthcare network in the UAE, top-five global CRDMOs, and venture-backed health technology companies.

With more than 15 years of experience, Uzair has built and scaled new businesses across some of healthcare’s most complex markets. At CVS Health, he helped architect HealthHUB, a care delivery model integrating retail, pharmacy, clinical services, and insurance into longitudinal chronic disease management. HealthHUB scaled from three pilot stores to more than 1,500 locations nationally and became a pillar of CVS Health’s retail-to-healthcare transformation.

Previously, Uzair served as Managing Director of Innovation at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, where he advanced the enterprise innovation function for a 2.9 million-member health plan and developed new models in care navigation, virtual-first primary care, behavioral health, and member steerage. At Cardinal Health, he was Senior Director of New Product Development, where he built analytics, real-world evidence, electronic benefits verification, and prior authorization products and businesses projected to generate nine-figure revenue.

Uzair sits on the Board of Bharath Home Medicare and serves as a strategic advisor to Healthtech-1, a Y Combinator-backed company, OptiChroniX, and a select portfolio of AI-enabled health technology ventures. He is an executive mentor and advisor to innovation programs affiliated with Harvard University Innovation Labs, MIT Hacking Medicine, Georgetown University, the University of Houston, and Techstars.

Uzair holds an MSc in Global Healthcare from the University of Oxford, an MBA from Columbia Business School, an Executive MBA from London Business School, an MA in Management Systems and Data Science from Harvard University, a BA from Purdue University, and executive certification in Data Monetization from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Farzin is an Investment and Supply Chain leader, serving as Venture Partner at Silicon Foundry, among other things. He has more than 17 years of varied experience in Investment, Operations Management, Consulting, and Business Development, all in the context of Supply Chain Management industry, globally. Most recently, Farzin was a Partner at Plug & Play, LLC., the most active Venture Capital firm, Accelerator, and Corporate Innovation Center in Silicon Valley and the world, where he led investments for 2 of the more than 30 unicorns the firm has invested in. Farzin has led investments in more than 50 startups globally, including the United States, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, all in the area of Supply Chain and Logistics. The current value of his investments is 3X. Through this, he has had a front-row seat to changes, disruptions, and transformations happening in Supply Chain. Farzin has advised executives of over 50 of the Fortune 500, including Walmart, Unilever, Loreal, DHL, Geodis, JB Hunt, ArcBest, Lufthansa Cargo, Maersk, CMA-CGM, BNSF, Union Pacific, FedEx, USPS, Ryder, Mitsubishi Electric, Japan Post, and Yamato on investment and transformation.

Before moving to Silicon Valley, Farzin was with the Boeing Co. where he had positions of increasing responsibility domestically and globally. He has worked in the U.S., U.K., France, and Israel, and has managed teams in Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Singapore, Japan, and China. Farzin currently resides with his wife and two children in San Francisco, CA. Farzin is an engineer and a graduate of University of California, Berkeley.

Yuki Shirato is a seasoned investor, serial entrepreneur, and attorney with 25 years of experience bridging law and global business. Known for providing strategic and practical advice, he currently serves as Managing Director of Techstars Japan, where he leads one of the world’s most active startup accelerator programs. He also serves as Senior Advisor at Pangaea Ventures, a US- and Canada-based hard-tech-focused venture capital firm.

An active angel investor, Yuki has backed over 50 startups, including several unicorns, and is the founder of Yakumi, an international angel network connecting investors across Japan, the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. His track record also includes co-founding three venture-backed startups, where he served as COO.

Previously, Yuki spent over a decade at top-tier global law firms across New York, Toronto, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Singapore, and Tokyo. As a New York-qualified attorney and registered foreign attorney in Japan, he has advised Fortune 500 companies, private equity and venture capital funds, family offices, and startups at all stages of growth. His work has spanned M&A, fund formation and due diligence, and complex cross-border transactions exceeding $100 billion in aggregate value.

Earlier in his career, Yuki held strategic roles as a management consultant at Bain & Company and as a trade negotiator at Keidanren, Japan’s premier business federation.

He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto, a Master of Business Administration from the University of British Columbia and Duke University, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Law and Economics from the University of Tokyo.

Max Suzuki is a Venture Partner at Silicon Foundry, where he advises corporate leaders on navigating emerging technologies, venture ecosystems, and strategic growth opportunities. He partners with executive teams to identify high-conviction opportunities, mitigate innovation risk, and translate market signals into actionable
strategy.

Max has built his career across both global enterprises and early-stage startups, giving him a distinctive perspective on how innovation scales from concept to enterprise-wide impact. Having operated within complex corporate environments as well as fast-growing ventures, he understands the structural, cultural, and operational realities that shape each. He is particularly effective at aligning startup agility with enterprise priorities — helping organizations move from experimentation to disciplined execution.

His experience spans venture capital investment, corporate innovation strategy, startup ecosystem development, and advising senior executives on strategic business development decisions. Max combines analytical rigor with pragmatic execution, enabling organizations to build meaningful partnerships, deploy capital strategically, and drive measurable business outcomes.

Rebecca Yeung is a Fortune 50 executive and board director operating at the intersection of Physical AI,
large-scale operations, and enterprise transformation. Named one of Reuters Events’ Top 20 Trailblazing Women in Enterprise AI (2024), she is recognized for bridging the gap between emerging
technology and enterprise-scale execution — translating AI, robotics, and autonomy into measurable
business outcomes.

During her 26-year career at FedEx, Rebecca served as Corporate Vice President of Operations Science
& Advanced Technology and a member of the Strategic Management Committee — the enterprise’s top
C-suite leadership team. In this role, she led the company’s enterprise Physical AI strategy across
service lines, launched the Enterprise Robotics Center, and established strategic partnerships with
Aurora, Nuro, Dexterity, Berkshire Grey, Volvo, and PACCAR. She architected and governed a $100M+
robotics and autonomous technology investment portfolio and led deployments that logged 400,000+
autonomous linehaul miles with zero incidents and approximately 30% linehaul cost savings.

Earlier in her FedEx tenure, Rebecca led the global institutionalization of the company’s Quality Driven
Management (QDM) operations excellence program, generating over $1B in combined top-line growth
and cost savings while elevating customer experience and employee engagement worldwide. Her 26-
year career at FedEx spanned leadership roles in strategy, marketing, e-commerce, product
development, operations technology, and innovation.

Today, Rebecca serves as an Independent Director and advises robotics and AI companies. She helps
organizations identify structural challenges, rewire their businesses through AI and technology
transformation, and select fit-for-purpose partners to deliver measurable ROI at scale. Her expertise is
particularly relevant across robotics automation, logistics and supply chain, industrials, retail, mobility,
infrastructure, and asset-heavy industries.

She is a frequent speaker at high-profile innovation forums including Fortune Brainstorm AI, CES,
EmTech MIT, Harvard Business School Tech Conference, Automate, TechCrunch, and World 50, and
is recognized for her practical, system-level perspectives on technology and transformation.

Steve is a systems-level thinker with a unique talent for spotting the industry fault lines and associated business opportunities that arise when new technologies, consumer expectations, and regulatory changes create entirely new ways of doing business. He advises Silicon Foundry’s clients on how to navigate near-term disruptions, embrace emerging technologies, and build more resilient institutions.

Over the course of his career, Steve has built and invested in FinTech innovations, launched startups in collaboration with large corporations, and served as Founding Director of the Design and Innovation Lab at Trinity College Dublin, a government funded research center developing leading-edge AI & ML technologies. He has advised senior executives on the development of emerging technologies, ecosystem strategies, and new venture creation at a range of international corporations and government agencies around the world.

In addition to his advisory work, Steve serves as a Venture Partner at MFV Partners, a DeepTech focused venture capital fund based in Palo Alto. He also teaches graduate courses on strategy and innovation at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, where he holds an honorary appointment as Distinguished Entrepreneur-in-Residence.

Steve holds an MBA from the University of Oxford with a specialization in Technology & Innovation Strategy. Steve regularly discusses emerging technologies at organizations such as the United Nations, the British House of Lords, the NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting, Stanford University, Trinity College Dublin and Oxford University. When he’s not working, you’ll find Steve traveling, spending time with his wife and three boys, and staying up late creating art.

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