Women Startup Challenge 2018 Emerging Tech Jury

Erica Duignan Minnihan is Managing Partner at 1000 Angels, a private digital venture investment network. We provide a platform for high net worth individuals, family offices, and Venture Funds to make direct investments in a curated selection of high-growth, early-stage investment opportunities. We typically invest in companies raising Seed and Series A rounds, and focus primarily on the technology sector, although we are open to all opportunities with exceptional risk adjusted return potential.

Iana is a Director on the GE Ventures Healthcare Investing team. Prior to joining GE Ventures, Iana spent most of her career in the healthcare sector. She was one of the first employees of ProCure Treatment Centers, a start-up that raised $700mm to develop and operate a nationwide network of radiation (proton) therapy centers. After leaving ProCure, she joined Alvarez & Marsal’s Healthcare Group where she helped Private Equity firms evaluate potential investments and improve portfolio company operations. Iana holds a BA and an MBA from Columbia University.

John Ason has been a professional angel investor for 18 years. Over that span, he has funded 60 startup companies and currently have over 20 active companies. The majority of these companies were pre revenue with many consisting of one or two people in a kitchen or garage. In about half of the companies, he was the lead angel. Some examples of the companies he has invested in are: Xlibris.com, Diapers.com, Soap.com, FulcrumGallery.com, AppyCouple.com, TuckerToys.com, CallunaVineyards.com, Ology.com, Koding.com, WeHostels.com, DoodleDeals.com, MotionMathGames.com, etc. His notable exits have been Xlibris, LiveLook bought by Oracle and Diapers.com, bought by Amazon for $545 million.

Marilyn Waite’s vision is a world where sustainability's values of social cohesion, environmental consciousness, intergenerational equity, and economic health drive decision-making and business practices. A multi-lingual engineer, project manager, and author, she has experience across four continents in investment (Lincoln International in China), renewable and nuclear energy (AREVA in France), education (Kaplan and Shanghai Normal University), economic development (United Nations in Madagascar), tourism and Internet start-ups (SustainableVisit), and public policy (National Academy of Sciences in the United States). As the author of Sustainability at Work (Routledge-Earthscan 2016), Marilyn has addressed global audiences worldwide on sustainability in careers, manufacturing, climate change, water, and energy. She also founded SustainableVisit, an app and online platform that provides users with sustainable travel and tourism suggestions for locations worldwide. Marilyn holds a Master’s degree with distinction in Engineering for Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering (magna cum laude) from Princeton University. Marilyn currently leads the energy practice at Village Capital; serves on the Board of Directors for Engineers for a Sustainable World; and is a Senior Research Fellow at Project Drawdown.

Abby heads up business development and strategic partnerships at DAQRI, a human-machine interface company changing the future of work. Their flagship product, DAQRI Smart Helmet™, is improving efficiency and safety for workers on the job. She is also an advisor to several startups including Entry Point VR and SilVRscreen Productions. Follow me on Twitter: @abba7

Adam is the founder of Fosterly, an Eisenhower Fellow, an advisor to numerous startups, an angel investor, and former intrapranuer and VC at Discovery. He now consults for organizations, universities, and governments -- often with a sustainability and future facing technology impact focus -- around the world. A solutions-focused executive, thought leader, and board member with more than ten years of success across the entertainment media, startup, nonprofit, finance, legal, and CPG industries,, Adam leverages extensive experience leading strategic planning and partnerships. His broad areas of expertise include business development, key partnerships, rapid ideation, marketing, and project management. In addition to providing commentary for CNBC nearly two dozen times, he's also enjoy speaking opportunities related to innovative technology trends, trust/authenticity, and the future. Adam has keynoted private and public events (ranging in size from intimate gatherings to large conferences for Fortune 100 companies), and has served as a panelist, moderator, judge, presenter, and emcee at events around the globe. Just a few of the brands he has collaborated with include American Airlines, Anheuser-Busch, Box.com, Discovery, DocuSign, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, NASA, Pfizer, and Verizon. Follow me on Twitter: @Adamz

Chris Fralic is a Partner at First Round and is based in our New York office. He joined the firm in 2006 and has focused on a number of the firm's investments in areas such as Advertising and Marketing Technology, Social/Mobile, eCommerce/Travel, Connected Devices and Gaming. Some of his investments that have been acquired include Flurry (Yahoo!), Invite Media (Google) and Demdex (Adobe), and two are now public companies, ScanScout/Tremor (NYSE:TRMR) and MyYearbook (NYSE: MEET). Some of the current investments he works directly with include Warby Parker, Hotel Tonight and Refinery29. Chris has 30 years of technology industry experience, with significant Internet business development roles since 1996. Chris was VP of Business Development at social bookmarking and tagging company del.icio.us through the Yahoo! acquisition. Chris was also one of the early employees and VP of Business Development at Half.com starting in 1999, and after the eBay acquisition spent six years with eBay in a variety of business development, media and entertainment roles. He has attended the TED Conference for over 20 years and worked with them in 2006 to help launch TEDTalks, which have now been viewed over 2 billion times.

A veteran journalist turned digital and social media strategist who led cross-functional teams to develop creative content and community experiences for popular media brands like Vibe, Spin, and Fast Company, as well as for a host of B2B and B2C brands. Although always a technologist and storyteller, Lynne got her start in the content/community space at the original social network, BlackPlanet.com. Currently working as a Content + Community Engagement Consultant developing brand marketing strategies and campaigns, with a focus on insights, strategy, planning, and execution to help brands reach their business goals by better engagement with their target audience through the power of storytelling. Also a tech evangelist and still a journalist covering popular culture, as well as various aspects of emerging media and technology, such as the augmented reality and wearable technology markets, for various media outlets. Lynne is currently writing a diversity tech column for Ebony.com, called "The Upload" and has often appeared as a guest on TWIT TV's "This Week In Google."

Penny Lee is a seasoned political and communications strategist with over 20 years of experience. She has worked extensively with the executive branch, as well as elected officials in both houses and across the aisles of Congress, State Government, and in the private sector. Lee is presently a Senior Advisor at Venn Strategies, LLC, having served as the firm’s President for the past four years. Venn Strategies, LLC is a public affairs and government relations firm located in Washington, DC. She has provided federal, state, and local advocacy, strategic positioning, guidance, crisis communications ad-vice, and political strategy direction to clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to non-profits. As an avid golfer, Lee has also served on the First Tee of Greater Washington Board, and the Advisory Board for Bloomberg Government. Lee has lectured at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, Georgetown University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Diane works on communications, events and programs for Mozilla's 1000+ global staff. Previously, she worked in Mozilla's MDN Web Docs group supporting web developers worldwide. She joined Mozilla to run WebFWD, Mozilla’s accelerator for open source startups. She currently works on internal communications; previously she was Program Manager for Mozilla’s Developer Relations team. Pre-Mozilla she did communications, marketing, product management, and business development at various startups as well as at Charles Schwab. She got her MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and her BA in History from Stanford.

Over the last 12 years, Angela’s placed 60 angel investments and advised startups spanning everything from mobile to consumer products to clean tech. Angela proudly maintains multiple leadership roles in the flourishing Portland startup ecosystem. In addition to being Co-Managing Director of Portland Seed Fund, she’s also Director of Portland State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship, which has housed more than 30 emerging tech companies to date. Angela is a past Chair of Angel Oregon and past President of Keiretsu Forum Portland chapter. An entrepreneur herself, early in her career, Angela launched, secured funding, and managed several ventures including a clean water educational nonprofit. She can also regale you with tales from the three years she sailed around the world professionally as a tall ships sailor. Angela holds a B.A. in English and History from Boston University and a M.A. in Environmental Studies from University of Oregon.

Frank Gruber grew up in the Midwest heartland and is an entrepreneur, new media journalist and angel investor. He is the author of Startup Mixology: Tech Cocktail’s Guide To Building, Growing and Celebrating Startup Success published by Wiley. He cofounded Tech.Co (formerly Tech Cocktail) in 2006, which has grown into a hub for the creative class, offering tech startup focused news, events, and resources. Frank has built and launched products for the masses while at AOL, Tribune and Classified Ventures along with startup efforts like Thankfulfor, Splog Reporter and more. As a journalist his works have been featured in a number of top media publications like Tech.Co, TechCrunch, Fortune, HuffPo, etc. Frank is an advisor to many startups including TurboAppeal, Zuldi, and Umba. Frank was nominated for 2013 Entrepreneur of Year in Nevada, honored as a “Washingtonian Tech Titan” in Washington, DC in 2009, 2011, and 2013, and was named by Forbes as one of the most connected people in tech. His alma maters include Purdue and Northwestern respectively. You can find him on Twitter at: @FrankGruber and @TechCoHQ.

Jen is cofounder and co-CEO of Established. Previously, she cofounded, operated and sold Tech.Co, a news, content, and events organization focused on better connecting and educating entrepreneurs, and amplifying startup communities everywhere. Consalvo is also a startup investor and advisor, and a founding member of NextGen Venture Partners. Prior to Established and Tech.Co, Consalvo led product development teams in a range of product areas such as digital imaging, community & social platforms and personalization. Much of her career was at AOL, planning and building products used by millions of people globally. Jen has served on the digital advisory boards for The Nature Conservancy and for the Master of Arts in Media Entrepreneurship at American University. She was nominated by Nevada's TBAN for 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year, listed by Business Insider in their 100 Most Influential Tech Women On Twitter, named a 2013 and 2011 Tech Titan by Washingtonian Magazine, was has been featured in Forbes, the Washington Post, Huffington Post, DC Modern Luxury Magazine, and others.

Sandy Carter is the Vice President of Amazon Web Services, helping companies leverage their Microsoft assets. 

One of the leading pioneers in the digital business revolution, Sandy Carter was a driving force of Innovation at IBM for the last decade. Most recently serving as IBM’s worldwide General Manager of Ecosystem Development, Sandy was the global evangelist responsible for connecting emerging technology companies and accelerators with enterprises to increase productivity and creativity while fostering a community of innovation. As a warrior for workforce diversity, she is the founder of “Super Women’s Group,” the longest running and largest diversity group at IBM. Sandy Carter is an international speaker who has presented in 80+ countries and author of 3 best-selling books, including “The New Language of Business,” “The New Language of Marketing” and “Get Bold” which was translated into 9 languages. Her latest eBook “Geek Girls are Chic” was featured in USA Today. 

Ligaya launches new markets for consumer technology companies. She kickstarted Airbnb’s international development as Global Head of Offline Marketing & Community during their most rapid growth phase. Prior to that, she was a Marketing Manager for Yelp, helping the company expand their footprint across the US. Ligaya now angel invests and advises startups and serves as a mentor for 500 Startups. She is also a regular speaker at SXSW, various TEDx, and CMX Summit. Ligaya was also selected as a 2014 TechWomen by the US Department of State.

Sibyl is the Executive Director for DC Innovates (DCI), a nonprofit organization with the mission of fostering and supporting a diverse tech innovation economy in DC. DCI manages the Digital DC Technology Fund (DDCTF), a $1 million fund and customized mentorship program dedicated to promoting the success of early and growth stage technology ventures in the District. Sibyl is also the President of DC Web Women (DCWW), one of the longest-running tech nonprofits for women in D.C, which supports and advocates for women and girls in technology. For over a decade, Sibyl has created successful digital campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, non-profit associations, and startups.

Jason Leder has over 20 years experience developing and launching new businesses, products, and strategic partnerships. He is currently Google’s Head of VC & Startup Partnerships (US) based in New York City. Jason works across Google to accelerate partnerships with startups’ C-Level Executives/Founders and their teams by up-leveling support, uncovering new product opportunities and generating custom partnerships.

Stephanie Redish Hofmann leads the WPP Holding Co team at Google responsible for driving digital media investment across GroupM (Mindshare, Mediacom, MEC, Maxus) and leads the team responsible for x-Hold Co digital capability development for the Google Agency Development Team. Previously, Stephanie launched and led Google's Shopping Solutions team dedicated to developing digital solutions that enabled retailers and manufacturers to win the shopping 'moments that matter'. Other prior roles at Google, over her eight year tenure, include Director of Agency Development for IPG & Specialty Agency (Shopper and Multicultural agency development) and leading Agency learning & development. Before joining the Agency Development team, Stephanie was Head of Industry Marketing for Google's CPG vertical where she led research efforts focused on proving the efficacy of digital advertising for CPG manufacturers. Prior to Google, Stephanie spent 16 years working at brand marketing and consumer promotion agencies on CPG brands including Clorox, Del Monte, Dole, Revlon, among others and started her career in non-profit fundraising and development. Stephanie is an undergraduate of Penn State University and received her Masters in Communication from Seton Hall University. She's an avid sports fan, (any team Peyton plays for!), former marathon runner, and passionate wife, and mom of Cooper (6 years) and Ellie (2 years). Fun fact: "Most School Spirit" -- H.S. Superlative

For more than 15 years, Melissa has been at the forefront of the intersection of technology, media, and social impact as a prominent author, speaker and entrepreneur. A former field producer for CNN and Associated Press Television News, she is the co-founder of Resolve, a specialist accelerator partnering with sector-leading organizations to help startups across the globe scale internationally, and connecting business hubs to emerging markets. Resolve is an extension of The Toolbox, a humanitarian tech platform, which Melissa led with legendary musician and activist Peter Gabriel. Melissa provides content strategy, partnership development and tech consulting to Fortune 500 companies, startups and social enterprises, while meeting the growing demand among leading organizations to extend market reach and build global ecosystems. She is a frequent speaker and moderator at major industry conferences supporting social justice and innovation. Her published work as an author includes features for BBC News, Fast Company, CBS News, NBC, Mic.com, Mashable, Village Voice Media, MTV, TechCrunch, and more. Melissa is a champion for women’s rights and young people using science, tech, engineering, art and math (STEAM) to transform communities. Additionally, she mentors global teen activists with the We Are Family Foundation. She is currently based in London, but is a compulsive traveler always on the lookout for ways to promote global entrepreneurship, discover new music and hike adventurous trails.

Nahid is the Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Backstage Capital. She leads the intelligent control system development a solar startup. Earlier, she founded Litehouse – a voice platform for connected home products. Recently, she mentored wearable/IoT startups at Intel for the reality TV show America’s Greatest Makers broadcasted at TBS. Previously, she was a Sr. Design Engineer at Intel where she worked on car infotainment products, low power microprocessor design and led efforts for Maker Movement inside Intel. She spoke at various conferences including TEDx, Google panel etc. and was featured at GigaOM, MacLife Magazine, EEWeb etc. She built and sold a mobile messaging startup during her college days at Bangladesh. Follow her @nahidalam

Suki Fuller is a startup advisor and globally recognized speaker, mentor and analytical storyteller. From national security to non-profits; China to Middle East, Suki is sought for her experience in the early adoption of emergent technologies and ability to translate the quantitative into qualitative insights. She is the CEO of Salaam Ventures and Founder of Miribure; a Strategic & Competitive Intelligence company. She is also a board member and NED to several startups. An Advocate for Tech, she is the Mentor Ambassador for Tech London Advocates (TLA) – Women in Tech Group. Suki was also recently named one of the 30 Change Makers for London Tech Week 2018.

Veronica envisions a world where technology retains it humanity. She is a dreamer and an optimist engineer. Fascinated by the many ways in which people communicate, learn and share knowledge, led Veronica to discover a new way to interact and scale her presence in the digital era instilling trust and empathy in digital communication. Veronica completed her PhD in Computer Graphics in Barcelona many years ago. She is a professor at Porto University and the Founder and CEO of Didimo. Veronica recently gave a TEDx talk to over 1000 people, won first place in Women Who Tech's Women Startup Challenge in New York City and won the IBM scientific award. Veronica's inventions have been used by Universal Studios, Sony, Microsoft, Amazon and European and Portuguese research funded projects. She loves to be outdoors and talk with people: random people, close friends, everyone. She like creating new things, inventing and going beyond what her imagination can envision. Veronica's everyday life motto is: breath, learn, learn, learn, observe and then share.

Arvind is Cofounder and CEO of Cricket Health, a health care company in San Francisco on a mission to eliminate the burden of kidney disease. Before Cricket Health, Arvind spent six years at LinkedIn, in a variety of senior leadership roles, including leading LinkedIn's entry into new markets all over the world, and developing the company's China strategy. Prior to joining LinkedIn, he spent nine years (five as CEO) at Grassroots Enterprise, a technology and services firm that built online grassroots marketing and influencer programs for Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and issue campaigns.

Carissa cofounded Entry Point VR, the world's first web-based interactive 360 video player, because I recognized that a lot of people were excited about VR, but many others still don’t "get it." We're on a mission to move VR beyond the hype and make it more accessible. Entry Point is bringing everyday people into virtual reality experiences—from any device, anywhere in the world. We’re building a cross-platform distribution solution that is accessible on desktop, mobile, and tethered HMD and has unique interactive elements that allow users to stay emerged in the virtual worlds and seamlessly traverse between experiences. Follow me on Twitter: @EntrypointVR

Charles is Co-Founder and CEO of Zapnito, a publishing platform that allows organizations to build their own online, branded knowledge networks. Together with his co-founder, Charles created, bootstrapped, developed, and pivoted Zapnito from an idea to a thriving SaaS business that won Digital Startup of the Year at the 2015 Professional Publishers Association Awards. Prior to Zapnito, Charles worked as Chief Technology Officer at Informa Business Information. In this role, he managed a portfolio worth $400 million for one of Informa's most successful business units. Charles also worked as Interim Chief Product Officer and Digital Systems Director at Nature Publishing Group, where he created and developed the first product office for Nature.com. A former triathlete and triathlon coach, Charles excels at helping founders build their businesses from bootstrap to profit. Creating world-class digital products with outstanding colleagues gets Charles out of bed each morning.

Stacy M. Plum, Ph.D, is a seasoned entrepreneurial scientist. Throughout her career she has focused on the development of novel therapeutics to tackle a number of indications, including oncology, autoimmunity, infectious and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, Dr. Plum has leveraged scientific knowledge with big data to develop enhanced clinical approaches leading to optimized output for patients. With a focus on start-up companies, Dr. Plum has advised and been involved in fostering innovative and groundbreaking scientific endeavors.