Our Team
Our diverse team collaborates with founders to accelerate the success of science & technology innovation for impact on our planet.

Founder & CEO
Rohit Shukla

Chief Strategy Officer
Carlos Gutierrez

Chief of Staff
Hilary Bendon

Head of Operations
Judy Hsieh

Head of Programs & Evaluation
Vaishali Paliwal

Director, CleanTech & Energy
David Berokoff

Controller
William Yu

Director, Information Services & Software Architect
Nickolay Kolev

Senior Manager, Venture Studio (Fellows Program)
Christina Lila Wilson

Senior Manager, Innovation: Brand, Marketing & Communications
Julie Mai

Operations Manager
Cindy Rodriguez Mora

Program Manager
Kaitlyn Nguyen

Program Manager
Tobias Varntoft

Program Operations Associate
Hannah Nguyen

Program Operations Associate
Troy Nueva

Program Operations Associate
Kacee Doan

Program Operations Associate
Vlad Kozyrev

Program Operations Associate
Leslie Huang

Brand, Marketing, & Communications Associate
Danielle Pachuta

Business Analyst
Pelin Oner

Senior Advisor, Sustainability
Gunjan Siroya

Senior Advisor, Marketing
Jermaine Reid

Senior Fellow, Sustainable Innovation
Lewis D. Rowe
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Larta Institute is committted to providing an accessible, safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for all.
Our Anti-Discrimination Policy aims to ensure that all members of Larta Institute community – including our staff, startup founders, mentors, government officials, industry executives, investors, speakers, sponsors, donors, advisory board members, and other community members – are treated with dignity and respect in an open culture that is free of harassment, discrimination, violence, and other inappropriate conduct.
Larta Institute is committed to diversity, equitable access, and inclusion.
Our Board of Directors

Founder and CEO
Rohit Shukla

Chairman of the Board
Robert Ashley

Board Member
Timothy J. Cooley

Board Member
Elliot Gordon

Board Member
Shezad Rokerya

Board Member
Caprice Young, Ed.D
Our Fellows

Distinguished Fellow
Maria Contreras-Sweet

Distinguished Fellow
Phillip A. Singerman, PhD
Our team of 125+ expert Mentors & Principal Advisors.
Our programs are led by seasoned industry experts with deep sector knowledge. Each startup is assigned a dedicated Principal Advisor to guide their journey from idea to sustainable enterprise.

Principal Advisor
Kwame Ulmer

Principal Advisor
Sydney Edwards

Principal Advisor
LeAnne C. Tourtellotte

Principal Advisor
Sunil Maulik

Principal Advisor
David Whelan

Principal Advisor
Olga Yermolenko

Principal Advisor
Rachel Costello
