Our Team

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

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Founder & CEO

Rohit Shukla

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Chief Strategy Officer

Carlos Gutierrez

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Chief of Staff

Hilary Bendon

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Head of Operations

Judy Hsieh

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Head of Programs & Evaluation

Vaishali Paliwal

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Director, CleanTech & Energy

David Berokoff

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Controller

William Yu

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Director, Information Services & Software Architect

Nickolay Kolev

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Senior Manager, Venture Studio (Fellows Program)

Christina Lila Wilson

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Senior Manager, Innovation: Brand, Marketing & Communications

Julie Mai

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Operations Manager

Cindy Rodriguez Mora

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Program Manager

Kaitlyn Nguyen

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Program Manager

Tobias Varntoft

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Program Operations Associate

Hannah Nguyen

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Program Operations Associate

Troy Nueva

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Program Operations Associate

Kacee Doan

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Program Operations Associate

Vlad Kozyrev

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Program Operations Associate

Leslie Huang

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Brand, Marketing, & Communications Associate

Danielle Pachuta

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Business Analyst

Pelin Oner

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Senior Advisor, Sustainability

Gunjan Siroya

Jermaine Reid
Senior Advisor, Marketing

Jermaine Reid

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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

Rohit Shukla
Founder and CEO

Rohit Shukla

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Chairman of the Board

Robert Ashley

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Board Member

Timothy J. Cooley

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Board Member

Elliot Gordon

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Board Member

Shezad Rokerya

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Board Member

Caprice Young, Ed.D

Our Fellows

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Distinguished Fellow

Maria Contreras-Sweet

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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.

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Principal Advisor

Kwame Ulmer

Kwame Ulmer brings 20+ years of experience evaluating medical technologies in the government and serving in senior operating roles at medical device companies.
Sydney Edwards
Principal Advisor

Sydney Edwards

Executive experience working with startups on product and strategy development and incrasing portfolio values in the Biotech and Life Science Industry
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Principal Advisor

LeAnne C. Tourtellotte

CEO and Co-Founder of JL Biosciences, experience in IP management, business development, strartup management, and commercializing technology in startups
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Principal Advisor

Sunil Maulik

Sunil has held management positions at Pangea Systems, Tripos (NASDAQ:TRPS), Hoffmann-La Roche (NYSE: ROCHE), Oxford Molecular (LSE: OXMOL), and IntelliGenetics.
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Principal Advisor

David Whelan

David is the CEO of BioScience LA.
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Principal Advisor

Olga Yermolenko

Olga advises family office clients on social impact and venture investment opportunities and has diligenced over $450m worth of deals.
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Principal Advisor

Rachel Costello

Rachel led project management and business development for Tesla’s Energy Products Team.
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Principal Advisor

Rita Hansen

Rita Hansen is CEO of Onboard Dynamics, a company that seeks to lower fuel costs and carbon emissions by removing refueling infrastructure barriers to driving natural gas vehicles.

The Ventures Fellows program is a 9-month hands-on experience – we invest in diverse innovators to pilot good ideas that help communities become more resilient in response to the impacts of climate change.

The Ventures Fellows program is a 9-month hands-on experience – we invest in diverse innovators to pilot good ideas that help communities become more resilient in response to the impacts of climate change.

The Ventures Fellows program is a 9-month hands-on experience – we invest in diverse innovators to pilot good ideas that help communities become more resilient in response to the impacts of climate change.

Initiatives

SBIR Commercialization Assistance Programs (CAP)

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