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Judges
AiLun is the VP of Community and Capacity at the EGF Accelerator, a Leadership Fellow with the Heckscher Foundation for Children, and a Senior Strategic Advisor to NationSwell. She previously served as President and CEO of The Opportunity Network, supporting first-generation college students and young people of color to pursue education and career opportunities to…
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Speakers
Aina Fadina is a strategist, investor, and storyteller who operates at the intersection of catalytic capital, culture, commerce, and community. With a career spanning public health, biotech, media, fashion, and venture capital, she brings a unique global perspective to fundraising and ecosystem building. Most recently, Aina served as Chief Investment Officer at 10xBeta, a venture studio…
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Finalists
Akomapa is a scalable model for chronic disease care in Ghana and the United States. Through university-community partnerships, student-run clinics deliver screening, treatment initiation, longitudinal follow-up, and education for hypertension and diabetes under expert supervision. Our model integrates digital patient management, nutrition interventions, and ethical leadership training to improve outcomes and build future health leaders….
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Mentors
Alan Bunce is a seasoned product marketing leader, currently serving as Principal at EnterprisePMM, where he provides interim product marketing leadership for enterprise SaaS companies. With over 20 years of experience, Alan specializes in guiding organizations through critical transitions, particularly when they lack in-house product marketing expertise. His hands-on approach focuses on delivering tangible results…
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Judges
Allie is a junior student in Pauli Murray College double majoring in Ethnicity, Race & Migration and Political Science. Born and raised in New Mexico, she has been excited to find a lot of similarity between the community organizing scenes in both states. She is hopeful that her involvement in New Haven and in New…
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Finalists
AllStrum creates devices that enable individuals with or without disabilities to play real stringed instruments independently. By attaching to any guitar or ukulele and pairing with a companion app, users strum while chords are held autonomously, unlocking the therapeutic, social, and empowering experience of playing music. Founder(s): Eytan Israel (YC ’26) Matthew Mendelsohn (YC ‘27)
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Mentors
Amanda Fornal is an accomplished executive coach, business consultant, and startup advisor with over 25 years of experience in technology, entrepreneurship, and organizational change. As the founder of Hypatia Leadership, she partners with founders and senior leaders, providing confidential coaching to support leadership development, decision-making, and navigating complex transitions. Amanda also leads Orange SFM, where…
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Judges
Amir has over a decade of experience in private equity, reverse merger and project finance transactions in clean energy across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, having raised in excess of $1B in direct equity capital commitments for solar, wind and electric vehicle charging companies. Amir previously led all M&A and developer partnerships…
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Judges
Dr. Anne Merritt is a physician-executive operating at the intersection of generative AI, healthcare, and global regulatory strategy. As a Senior Product Manager at Google, she leads the development of AI governance architecture to enable the deployment of cutting-edge AI tools in global markets. Her technical contributions to AI safety infrastructure were recognized with the…
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Finalists
Apical improves solar-power forecasts by correcting cloud-driven sunlight errors using physics-informed ML. More accurate forecasts reduce unnecessary solar curtailment and help grids use more clean electricity. Founder(s): Shivansh Chaturvedi (SOM ’26)
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Judges
Arjun Ganesan is the CEO and Founder of Ancera, where he leads the vision, mission, and strategy to deliver real-time intelligence for food protection and defense. Since founding the company in 2012, he has guided the commercialization of breakthrough technologies by integrating diagnostics, data science, and secure communications to detect threats like Salmonella, Coccidia, and…
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Judges
Arthur W. Thomas III received his Bachelor’s in Industrial & Labor Relations from Cornell University. Upon graduation, he worked in finance for many years while preparing for the transition to investing in real estate and community development. Once transitioned, Arthur focused on residential rehabilitation and acquisition for both his personal investment company and in a…
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Finalists
AssistiveMath enhances inclusive math education for blind and visually impaired learners using assistive technology and AI. It is a multi-sided platform supporting students, teachers, and test centers through accessible learning tools, inclusive discussion spaces, AI-assisted independent study, and faster, more affordable ways for teachers to create and deliver accessible content and feedback. Founder(s): Ron Pile…
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Judges
Audra Gibson began her startup journey as an entrepreneur herself. From there she became a startup mentor, Startup Weekend facilitator, lead organizer of 1 Million Cups, board member for Charleston Women in Tech, Yale Summer Fellows mentor, experienced ecosystem builder, and Ambassador for Right to Start. Audra is currently a Program Lead for Techstars, a…
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Finalists
BareFoote Metals stabilizes heavy metals in contaminated brownfield soils using enhanced rock weathering, engineered, locally sourced basalt fines that accelerate mineral formation and immobilize metals in situ. We deliver regulator-ready verification and closure packages so municipalities and developers can reuse sites without defaulting to costly dig‑and‑haul excavation. Founder(s): Quinn Zacharias (YSE ’26)
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Judges
Bethany Park is Global Managing Director of Policy, Advisory, and Strategy at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), where she leads efforts to bridge the gap between research evidence and action at scale. With over a decade of experience in international development, her work focuses on translating rigorous evidence into scaled interventions and systems change through…
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Judges
Blake is an entrepreneur focused on building solutions for underserved populations. He previously founded a behavioural health company that delivered psychological and nutrition services through contracts with organisations such as the Salvation Army and the Veterans Affairs system. Today, he is the CEO and co-founder of Upkeep Care (the 2024 winner of the Thorne Prize),…
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Judges
Brandon Blaesser is a Vice President at the Ecosystem Integrity Fund. His responsibilities include sector research, pipeline development and tracking, investment due diligence, and portfolio company support. Brandon sits on the Yale Club of New York’s Board. He received a BA in Economics and a BA in Environmental Studies from Yale University. He also holds a LEED AP…
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Judges
Dr. Brian Wahl is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at the Yale School of Public Health. Dr. Wahl has worked for almost twenty years to advance the prevention and control of infectious diseases, focusing on low- and middle-income countries. He is particularly interested in exploring how new interventions and…
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Finalists
CHET is an investing-first credit card designed in particular to help young adults, a group facing rising housing costs, student debt, and stagnant wage growth, begin building assets early and automatically. By routing everyday spending into low-cost ETFs, CHET lowers structural barriers to equity ownership and to participation in long-term economic growth. Founder(s): Kal Leung…
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Mentors
César Melo is the Chief Executive Officer and Board Member at Hippeas, a leading company in the snacks industry. With a career marked by leadership roles at global organizations, César brings deep expertise in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), P&L management, and international marketing. He is also an active investor and advisor to innovative ventures, including…
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Judges
Cheryl Heller, PhD, is a designer, artist, business strategist and educator. Through her design agency, CommonWise, she helps leaders around the world develop their creative capacity, navigate the future and realize their purpose in it. Her clients include Ford Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, Lumina Foundation the Girl Scouts of America, Verizon, American Express, Marriott Corporation,…
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Finalists
Cosnetix ends skincare guesswork by analyzing your genetics, microbiome, and skin traits to predict product compatibility before you buy. We make personalized skincare science accessible, putting actionable knowledge in consumers’ hands so they can make confident, informed decisions backed by their unique biology, not marketing claims. Founder(s): Diana Salha (SPH ’27)
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Judges
David Femi currently serves as M&T Bank’s Regional Manager for Business & Professional Banking for Fairfield County and Southern Connecticut. From January 2020 to January 2024, he built the framework and infrastructure as the Head of M&T Bank’s Multicultural Banking & Diverse Market Strategy. David is well sort after nationally and internationally as a diverse…
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Mentors
David S. Rose is a distinguished serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and executive, currently serving as Founder & CEO of US Real Estate Market (USREM) and Founder & Executive Chairman of Gust. Recognized as a leading figure in the startup and investment ecosystem, Rose is known for developing innovative platforms that connect institutional investors with commercial…
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Judges, Mentors
Deniz Basar is the Coordinator of the MPS User Experience Design and MS Information Science programs and serves as an Associate Professor of Industrial Design at the University of New Haven. With over two decades of experience in industrial design, design research, and higher education administration, Deniz is recognized for her expertise in human-centered design,…
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Mentors
Donald Butts is the Head of Emerging Technologies at Nokia, where he leads the company’s technology strategy with a focus on future computing, advanced sensing, and next-generation device architectures. In this capacity, he collaborates closely with executive leadership to define long-term investment priorities and align emerging technologies with future platform and product opportunities. Donald has…
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Mentors
Donna Averion is the National Pursuit Manager for Innovative Solutions at Arcadis, where she leads the development of strategic proposals and marketing materials for engineering and environmental projects. With over a decade of experience in marketing communications, Donna has played pivotal roles in managing proposal teams and facilitating cross-continental collaboration to secure winning bids. Her…
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Mentors
Erick E. Rios is the VP of Engineering at Big Bang, where he leads product design and branding initiatives to deliver innovative experiences to customers. With over 16 years of experience in product design and more than two decades at Big Bang, Erick has guided multidisciplinary teams in developing solutions for a diverse range of…
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Speakers
Erin Ollila is a sought-after content strategist, SEO expert, and storyteller who believes in the power of words to transform audiences and create authentic connections. Her approach centers on understanding audience psychology and brand values, ensuring every word drives meaningful impact. In addition to her work with small businesses, she’s helped major brands like Oracle,…
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Mentors
Ethnie Xu is a Senior Associate at F&T Group in New York, where she leads real estate development for mixed-use projects across the city. With a strong foundation in real estate financial modeling, project management, and investor relations, Ethnie has built a diverse career spanning New York, California, Australia, New Zealand, and China. Her expertise…
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Mentors
Eva Chalioti, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer at Yale University, where she teaches in the School of Management’s MBA for Executives program and the Department of Economics. She is recognized for her expertise in the economics of artificial intelligence and her impactful contributions to academic leadership and curriculum development. Dr. Chalioti also serves on the…
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Finalists
forEVA is harnessing the power of saliva to decode the internal balance of the female body. FERN by forEVA is a smart toothbrush that analyzes your saliva as you brush, delivering real-time hormonal and biometric analysis to your smart device in minutes. Founder(s): Jaya Dadwal (SPH ’26) Emily Deschenes (GRD ’26)
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Mentors
Frances Simowitz leads QUAY Acceleration (formerly WEVE Acceleration), supporting international startups entering the US market. With over a decade in the startup ecosystem, she is recognized for launching and scaling operations in major US cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago, and Washington, DC. Her leadership at WEVE Acceleration (previously NUMA New York) has been…
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Judges
As founding partner of AWSM LABS (”awesome”), Fritz is a strategic design leader, designer and educator with over 25 years experience serving in executive design roles at DDB, Digitas, New York University, IBM, McKinsey & Company and most recently with Boston Consulting Group as NA Head of Strategic Design. Linkedin
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Judges
Genevive Goubourn-Walker was raised in New Haven, Connecticut. She attended Educational Center for the Arts and studied theater and graduated from Wilbur Cross High School and subsequently attended and graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies. She later received her MA in Elementary Education at Teacher College,…
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Finalists
Every year, nearly 30,000 incarcerated individuals file federal lawsuits alleging civil rights violations — each one a failure of the internal grievance system designed to resolve their complaints. Gideon is building an AI-powered phone hotline that helps prisoners navigate that system, while giving corrections departments the modern digital infrastructure they need. Founder(s): Jeremy Rodrigues (LAW…
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Mentors
Grace Tsao Mase is the Founder and CEO of HomeRES.ai, an AI-driven platform focused on empowering residential contractors to build resilient, efficient homes while maximizing profitability. With over 25 years of experience across architecture, construction, and digital innovation, Grace is recognized for her leadership in integrating technology to transform the residential construction industry. She is…
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Finalists
Havn is a digital health platform embedded in EHRs that uses clinical and demographic data to match patients and caregivers to eligible pharma- and advocacy-sponsored support programs, including financial assistance, education, and psychosocial resources, with seamless AI-powered, one-click enrollment. Founder(s): Bhavya Chauhan (SOM ’26)
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Mentors
J’Healee J is a Clarity & Strategy Coach and the Founder & Principal of Truth In Motion, LLC. With over two decades of experience, J’Healee specializes in guiding founders, executives, and creatives through critical moments that require clarity, strategic alignment, and effective positioning. Her coaching and consulting work focuses on narrative positioning and decision-making, particularly…
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Judges
Jamal Robinson is the Director of Sales and Marketing at New England Brewing Co. With over 20 years of experience in the brewing industry, he has successfully helped develop, launch, and manage sales for both national and regional breweries. A champion of diversity, Jamal has spearheaded the establishment of two African American Brewers Scholarships for…
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Mentors
Jeehyang Leung is an accomplished marketing executive currently serving as the Global Head of Brand and Product Marketing at Sendwave. In this role, she leads international brand strategy and product marketing initiatives, leveraging her expertise to drive growth and elevate brand presence on a global scale. Jeehyang’s career spans multiple industries, including consumer packaged goods,…
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Mentors
Jennifer Zoga is a dynamic consultant, entrepreneur, and academic currently serving as Executive Director of the Professional Women In Construction – Philadelphia Chapter. She is also the Founder and Chief Strategist at Zoga Consulting, LLC, where she has spent over two decades advising business leaders on profitability and stakeholder engagement across sectors such as technology,…
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Judges
Jenny Tromski serves as Vice President of Business Development, Impact & Partnerships at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. She leads company-facing ecosystem-building work and maintains close relationships with the organization’s sustainability tenants. Jenny has been actively involved with the climate community and initiatives at Columbia Business School’s Tamer Institute for several years, supporting startups…
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Mentors
Jonathan Goldberg is the Vice President at Howard Hughes, where he leads enterprise AI transformation through the company’s innovation division, HHX. In this capacity, he is responsible for driving the adoption of advanced technologies across a $4B+ portfolio, developing platforms such as AdaOS, and establishing trust infrastructure to ensure scalable and reliable AI value creation….
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Judges
Jongnic “JB” Bontemps is a distinguished film composer whose critically acclaimed work reverberates around the world. His score for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, directed by Steven Caple Jr., a longtime collaborator of Bontemps, was recognized with the inaugural NAACP Image Award for Outstanding TV/Film Score and received a nomination for a Hollywood Music in…
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Judges
Joshua Espinoza is a Baltimore-based performing musician, recording artist, and entrepreneur whose work bridges creative practice, education, and arts-driven enterprise. An active pianist and collaborator, he maintains a performance career that spans solo work and ensemble projects, with a particular emphasis on jazz adjacent and cross genre repertoire. His recordings and performances reflect a commitment…
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Judges
Justine is the CEO of ClimateHaven, a climate tech incubator. She is an active early-stage venture investor and advisor focused on sustainable transportation and the energy transition. From 2019-2022, Justine was a partner and Chief Operating Officer of 25madison Ventures, where she invested in and advised early-stage technology companies across fintech, sustainability and health-tech. Justine…
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Finalists
KarinaJ Denim is a women’s denim brand creating slip-on jeans that adapt to daily body changes. Designed for real life, the jeans feature an expandable waistband that moves with the wearer while maintaining a classic, premium denim look—so women don’t have to choose between comfort and confidence. Founder(s): Karina Gupta (SOM ’26)
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Judges
Kelsey is an independent consultant focused on social and economic justice. She helps organizations scale their impact through partnerships, capacity building, and capital deployment. Currently, she works with Brocade Studio on the firm’s business development, strategic planning, and business planning verticals. Previously, as Senior Director of Business Development and Program Design at Possibility Labs, she…
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Finalists
Kijani Carbon turns sugarcane waste into revenue and climate impact by pyrolyzing it into biochar—creating durable carbon removal credits and affordable organic fertilizer. With Angata Sugar Mills as our feedstock partner in Western Kenya, we’re building a repeatable model to scale across East Africa. Founder(s): Sadiq Shamji (SOM ’26)
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Speakers
Kofi Ampadu is the founder and General Partner of SKU’d Ventures and a former Venture Advisor with the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale (Tsai CITY). He is an entrepreneur, startup advisor & investor with over 10 years of professional experience. As a two-time founder, he is well-versed in the pitfalls and rewards of…
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Judges
Lana Graf, PhD – is an impact investor and principal industry specialist at Disruptive Technologies and Funds dpt. at IFC, a private sector arm of the World Bank Group (WBG), where she leads Ai/ML and Deep tech verticals. At IFC, Lana is helping to bring advanced technologies to clients and industries across emerging markets, utilizing…
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Mentors
Laurie Jimenez is the Founder and CEO of FulcrumCare, where she leads the development of innovative dental care models specifically designed for Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries. Based in New Haven, Connecticut, Laurie is recognized for her expertise in dental health, public health policy, and healthcare innovation. In her current role, she is dedicated to improving…
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Mentors
LeRoy Cole is a seasoned Career Coach and fintech expert, currently leading LeRoy.Coach, where he empowers directors and senior leaders in the tech and financial services sectors to navigate career transitions and unlock new growth opportunities. With over a decade of strategic experience, LeRoy has held pivotal roles in product management, business development, and relationship…
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Judges
Luis is a New Haven native who believes that civic innovations strengthen communities. Luis has facilitated civic innovations throughout his career as an AmeriCorps Service member, Co-creator of New Haven’s Cultural Equity Plan, and non-profit board member supporting New Haven’s food system. Since 2016 Luis has worked at the New Haven Free Public Library and…
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Judges
Malik brings the technical acumen of a multidisciplinary chemistry background and an adaptable generalist in the broad-ranging space of business operations. Prior to joining Connecticut Innovations, Malik was manager of business operations at the early-stage biotech EvolveImmune Therapeutics, where he delivered valuable insights on strategic workstreams in competitive intelligence and market analysis, coordinated the intellectual…
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Mentors
Maro Sciacchitano is a seasoned Solution Architect, Advisor, and Engineer currently serving as Global Senior Solution Architect at Dassault Systèmes. With nearly two decades of experience across startups and multinational corporations, Maro specializes in advanced PLM, simulation, and design software, addressing complex operational and engineering challenges. In his current role, he leverages his technical expertise…
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Mentors
Matthew DiVenere is the Managing Director at DiVenere Capital Partners, a boutique merchant bank specializing in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic advisory services for growth-oriented enterprises. With over 25 years of experience, he has led and advised companies across sectors including specialty retail, consumer products, luxury goods, media, entertainment, and venture capital in…
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Mentors
Matthew Hooper is the creator and producer of “Right To Invest,” an event and social media series dedicated to demystifying venture capital and empowering entrepreneurs. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Queens College, where he teaches courses on entrepreneurship and innovation. With a robust background in building companies, managing accelerators, and advising founders,…
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Judges
Dr. Mehta is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Yale School of Public Health, where his work focuses on innovation and the application of AI in healthcare delivery. He is the co-founder of MCCM, a novel distributed healthcare entity expanding in Canada through a Public-Private Partnership model. He serves as an advisor and board member…
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Judges
At Material Impact Fund, Melissa brings a unique mix of scientific and business acumen applicable at both the strategic and tactical levels and has a passion for developing and commercializing early-stage scientific innovations. She recently led an investment in and joined the board of Ripple Foods. Melissa has enjoyed an extensive career as an operator….
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Speakers
Nkem is a fractional COO/Chief of Staff who partners with pre-Series B founders to streamline operations and execute GTM strategies that unlock growth. She has 12+ years of experience as a startup operator, founder, and management consultant. She holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Yale and an MBA from Harvard Business School. LinkedIn
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Judges
Dr. Padron is a portfolio manager within J.P. Morgan’s Commercial & Investment Bank in the Innovation Economy team, partnering with founders and investors of early-stage deep science and emerging technology companies to accelerate growth. Previously, Dr. Padron founded EmpiricaLab, a Techstars-backed enterprise software startup; helped scale digital health technologies on Anthem’s new ventures team; and…
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Finalists
Oilzyme is a biotech venture that deploys shipboard microbial consortia to safely break down tanker sludge and oily residues during voyages. Our dry-powder treatment and rapid test kits help shipping companies cut disposal costs, reduce illegal dumping and incineration, and meet tightening environmental regulations with a low‑carbon, scalable solution. Founder(s): Jenelle Lee (YSE ’26)
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Finalists
America has the capital, technology, and demand for clean energy, but permitting requires 5+ years and 40+ agency reviews before projects can break ground; Olmsted cuts through that critical bottleneck, unlocking $2.7T in projects stuck in regulatory limbo. Founder(s): George Hu (LAW ’28)
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Mentors
Paige MacLean is a distinguished philanthropic advisor and lecturer, currently serving as Principal at MacLean Philanthropic Advising and as a Lecturer and Fellow at the Yale School of Management. In her current roles, she guides individuals and families in developing impactful philanthropic strategies, with a particular focus on those new to philanthropy or navigating significant…
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Finalists
Scientific publishing hides failed and inconclusive experiments, leading to wasted time, repetitive work, and slow progress. Parallax is a web platform where researchers rapidly share negative and orphan experimental results in a citable, searchable format, helping avoid dead ends, accelerate discovery, and give the researchers credit for all their work. Founder(s): Mara Kushelman (GSAS’27) Ananya…
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Finalists
PARTEE is firmware security for robots and other physical AI devices, creating Docker-like, real-time containers and orchestration. Today, an exploitable bug in a robot’s OS can compromise the robot’s entire software stack. PARTEE prevents this by protecting critical software inside hardware-isolated secure containers, without requiring developers to rewrite their code. Founder(s): Sophia Yang (SOM ’27)…
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Finalists
PathConnect is a civic integration platform that helps new residents and immigrants in New Haven navigate mentorship, housing guidance, financial literacy, community services, and employment pathways through verified local partners and milestone-based support journeys. It transforms fragmented resources into coordinated, measurable progress that strengthens belonging, stability, and long-term economic mobility. Founder(s): Babs Williams (SOM ’20)
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Finalists
PEARL is a Connecticut-based nonprofit focused on reducing periodontal disease disparities among underserved adults through community-based oral health education, preventive screenings, hygiene kit distribution, and app-based education and appointment navigation to affordable dental care. We partner with trusted local sites to improve oral health literacy, access, and long-term preventive behaviors. Founder(s): Andja Demiraj (SPH ’26)…
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Mentors
Preeti Adhikary is the General Partner at Momo VC, a U.S.-based early-stage venture capital fund dedicated to supporting underrepresented founders. She is also the Founder of The Great Nepali Diaspora, a global nonprofit community uniting exceptional Nepali talent, and Empowered Women, an initiative uplifting Nepali women worldwide. With nearly two decades of experience spanning technology…
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Finalists
Pulse is a healthcare platform that connects underserved patients with culturally competent providers through identity-based matching, care style compatibility scores, and community-verified reviews tagged by reviewer identity. Founder(s): Yemajha Caraballo (SOM ’26)
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Finalists
Pyari Education is a Nepal-based global health venture improving adolescent sexual and reproductive health outcomes through culturally grounded, age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health education. Pyari develops evidence-informed curriculum and pedagogy that reduce stigma, build practical safety skills, and strengthen help-seeking. We deliver this content through schools and partner organizations and are now productizing it into…
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Finalists
QuarterMill turns the world’s unprocessed archives into living, searchable knowledge. Our AI reads historical documents and oral histories, discovers the people and places inside them, connects them across collections, and builds a verified knowledge graph, where every fact traces back to its source. Years of research, compressed to days. Founder(s): Keith Pemberton (YC ’27)
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Judges
Rashmi Pendse is an impact investing specialist whose work has centered of directing private capital into sustainable and socially responsible initiatives. She is currently a member of New York City’s Urban Design Forum’s “Lifelong” Forefront Fellow Cohort, focusing on helping older adults age in place. Formerly, she was Director of North America Social Impact at…
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Finalists
Denial Co-Pilot is an AI-powered platform that helps healthcare providers overturn insurance claim denials. By analyzing historical outcomes and predicting appeal success, we help community health centers and hospitals recover millions in lost revenue—keeping them financially sustainable and ensuring patients receive the care they need. Founder(s): Ahtasham Firdausi (SPH ’25)
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Finalists
Surge is a creator intelligence platform built from five years running a $3M influencer agency. We help brands find, track, and run short-form influencer campaigns based on what creators actually post – turning influencer marketing from manual guesswork into measurable performance. Founder(s): Christopher Huang (SOM ’26)
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Finalists
Rosetint Community Theatre is building sustainable, community-rooted musical theatre infrastructure in New Haven at a moment of rising cultural demand. Through bold artistic choices, strategic community partnerships, youth education, and diversified earned revenue, Rosetint expands musical theatre access for non-professional artists and underserved communities while strengthening the city’s creative economy. Founder(s): Charlotta Lebedenko (MED ’32)
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Finalists
Safari Strives is a nonprofit in Rwanda transforming precarious work into stable jobs and scalable ventures. We run a print and tailoring hub and a poultry farm funding venture acceleration with in-kind inputs, branding, marketing and bookkeeping. We are non-sectarian but partner with a church to provide land, workspace, verification. Founder(s): Elie Imani (GSAS ’27)
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Judges
Samantha Sweig is the founder of Calmware, a tactile mindfulness brand creating beautifully crafted tools that support stress regulation through everyday rituals. Her work bridges design, mental well-being, and creative entrepreneurship, with a focus on making nervous system care more accessible and human-centered. Samantha is an alumni of the Yale School of Management MBA program (’25) and the Tsai…
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Mentors
Shruti Parthasarathy, MPH, is the founder of Mindful Kala, a creative wellbeing platform that leverages culturally grounded arts to deliver scalable, accessible mental health support for children. She is a Health Administration Fellow at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, where she partners with senior leadership to drive strategic initiatives that enhance…
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Mentors
Skye Blanks, MBA, is an accomplished entrepreneur, educator, and operations executive currently serving as Chief Operations Officer at the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) and Premo Cannabis Company. Based in the New York City Metropolitan Area, Skye also holds the role of Partner at Premo Ventures and is a Council Member of the Forbes…
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Finalists
SkySoil is a digital MRV (measurement, reporting, and verification) platform using Multi-Sensor Data Fusion (MSDF) to automate soil carbon verification. By reducing costs from $100/acre to under $5/acre, we enable smallholder farmers to access high-integrity carbon markets through scalable, satellite-based technology and immediate blockchain-enabled settlement. Founder(s): Luke Schubert (YSE ’27) Andrew Saah (YSE ’27)
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Finalists
Spark is building a core-compute smartphone that drives zero-compute shells (laptop, tablet, desktop, etc.), coalescing your ecosystem of devices. When docked, the smartphone adapts to the form factor’s required interface, delivering a desktop-class experience from a single compute core. The result: a more accessible, integrated, and sustainable personal computing stack. Founder(s): Ahaan Bhansali (YC ’26)…
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Judges
Stafford (Staff) Sheehan is an American scientist and entrepreneur. He has founded, co-founded and developed core technology for companies that have generated more than US$250 million in investment and revenue, and employed over 300 engineers, scientists, operators, and other professionals. LinkedIn
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Mentors
Stephen B. Keogh is a seasoned attorney currently practicing at Keogh.Law in Norwalk, Connecticut. With over forty years of legal experience, he specializes in elder law, probate law, and litigation. Stephen is recognized for his commitment to pro bono service, having received the Glenn E. Knierim Pro Bono Award for his dedication to providing legal…
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Finalists
Studio B-Du is a creative venture focused on making craft education accessible to all. I provide handcrafted ceramics, instructional templates, and physical tools that guide makers of any skill level to create professional-quality work. By combining design-driven instruction with approachable, hands-on learning, the venture empowers both new and experienced makers to engage confidently with ceramics….
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Finalists
SummerStore is a moving and storage company for college students. We handle the full summer storage journey for college students: supplies, movers, coordinated move-out pickup, climate-safe storage, and coordinated move-in delivery. Founder(s): Kennedy Smith (YC ’26) Gabriel Haley (YC ’27)
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Mentors
Supriyo SB Chatterjee is a seasoned consultant, entrepreneur, and senior advisor specializing in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), technology innovation, and healthcare policy. He currently serves as Senior Advisor at the Advanced Air Mobility Institute, where he leverages over two decades of experience in business and economic development to integrate emerging technologies into enterprise and public…
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Judges
Tai Hutchinson currently serves on various boards including serving on the board of directors for the Housatonic Community College Foundation; Vice-Chairman of the Greater Bridgeport Business Regional Council and, also serves on the leadership committee of the American Bankers Association Black Banker Employee Resource Group. LinkedIn
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Finalists
The Micro-Clinic Project delivers high-quality, affordable primary care to rural communities in low- and middle-income countries through a rugged and versatile telehealth kit that empowers community health workers and connects them to physicians worldwide—all at under $1 per consultation. Founder(s): Rishit Shaquib (YC ’28) Shaunak Pandey (YC ’28)
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Mentors
Tiffany Hsu is a clinical operations leader and consultant, currently serving as Consultant, Clinical Operations at Veradermics. With a foundation as an emergency nurse and former CDC Public Health Advisor, Tiffany brings extensive experience in healthcare operations, public health strategy, and crisis management. At Yale University, she managed a COVID-19 taskforce of over 40 nurses,…
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Judges
Tomo Matsuo is a seasoned fintech and SaaS executive with over a decade of senior executive experience in global lending, payments, and analytics. He is the Founder & CEO of AdvanceIQ.ai, a data intelligence platform delivering portfolio and risk insights for the SMB alternative lending sector. Previously, he co-founded Yardline Capital (acquired by Thrasio) and…
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Mentors
Vasu Dev Rao Aitharaju is an accomplished AI and Digital Product Management Consultant, currently serving as Director of Data PaaS for the State of Maryland and Cofounder at Great Hills Consulting. With over two decades of experience, he has led cross-functional teams and driven strategic innovation across sectors including fintech, digital health, media, and eCommerce….
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Finalists
Vault Kinetics is building the first vertically integrated preventative-health ecosystem combining data collection (hardware), analysis (software), and implementation. Starting from the ground up, we embed proprietary sensors into the floor to quantify movement and enable data-based decision making. No wearables or labs. Sports science for everyone, everywhere. Founder(s): Paul Douglass (YC ’26) Joshua Gao (YC…
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Finalists
The development of robust, generalizable AI for robotics is heavily constrained by a lack of high quality infrastructure. Our solution is to build a vertically integrated pipeline for physical ai development. To that end we manufacture proprietary data collection hardware that services existing robotics workflows and address infrastructure constraints by building a facility for data…
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Mentors
Victor Padilla-Taylor is the Director at the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale University, where he leads the development of an interdisciplinary entrepreneurial ecosystem. In this capacity, he oversees staff, consultants, alumni, and partners, integrating immersive programming and technology to scale innovation across the university. His leadership has been recognized with the 2021 Linda…
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Judges
Wendy Jiang is the Director of the Yale Angel Initiative, a venture capital fund managing $2.5M annually to support and scale Yale-affiliated startups. She is also a former venture-backed startup co-founder in health-tech and gov-tech. She was part of the Founding Team at health-tech startup Upkeep Care, where she led go-to market strategy and partnerships….
