Lisa S. Ahn Lisa Ahn is a research scientist at the Weill Cornell Medical College studying the role of the RNA interference pathway in the progression of Diabetic Retinopathy. She has a strong interest in regenerative medicine, Optogenetic technology and business. She is currently a graduate student at the Columbia University of New York studying Biotechnology at the Masters level.
Francesca Birks serves as the Arup Foresight Leader in the Americas. In that capacity, she has facilitated visioning, strategic planning and sustainability workshops with Arup clients around the world. She comes from a strategic planning background in media and advertising and has a strong interest in social sustainability, social media and social innovation. Francesca is particularly interested in human-centered foresight and in engaging public stakeholders in collaborative design processes.
Kamil Bojanczyk is a researcher and consultant in cleantech. His engagements include Cornell University, GTM Research, and Wireless Glue Networks. Kamil is an active board observer for the MIT Enterprise Forum of NYC, and helps out with the Enterprise Tech Innovation and Energy InfotechNYC groups. Kamil also consults for NYC startups and advises a fintech startup.
Fu’ad Butt is a Corporate VP at New York Life Insurance Company focusing on Web based Digital Marketing Strategies and Behavioral Economics. He has a strong interest in understanding entrepreneurial dynamics from the not for profit and startup sectors for application within the corporate arena. Fu’ad is active in multiple charitable organizations in the US and South Asia.
Andrés Carter researches slum upgrade for the UN Habitat – Project for Public Spaces partnership on informal settlements, focusing on a slum upgrade program in Rio de Janeiro called Morar Carioca. He is also founder of EcoHab Lab, an early stage venture using ecological design to address urban housing deficits [e.g. designing affordable ecological housing and public space]. He designed a prototype of an ecological home and plans to launch EcoHab Lab’s pilot project in Eastern Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Parneet Gosal is a digital strategist and founder of digital strategy consulting practice, Seedwalker. Previously, Parneet led digital strategy teams at Saks Fifth Avenue, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and American Express. She is also a prolific blogger on digital strategy and a syndicated writer for Business Insider and PSFK.
Jenn Kosinksi is a fashion model based in New York City. She studied communications in business marketing at The Ohio State University. Jenn is employed by a social networking company, in which she connects people with mutual business and charitable endeavors.
Yiannis Kourakis serves as a Board Member of the MIT Enterprise Forum. In that capacity, he has organized more than 30 events pertained to cleantech, venture capital, healthcare, consumer internet and entrepreneurship. He works as an engineer for Alta Vista Solutions, with a focus on large transportation infrastructure projects. Yiannis has a passion for disruptive technologies, and he earned his Master’s degree in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Brian Lawrence is a researcher and consultant for the medical device industry. Through his work at the Weill Cornell Medical College he has worked to develop a new class of biologically derived materials for use in regenerating eyesight. He is also co-founder of the start-up company Sarentis, which is working to develop a series of ophthalmic devices and pain therapeutics. He is currently a PhD candidate at Cornell University’s biomedical engineering department.
Prad Mohanty is a HBS alum and an accomplished Professional / Entrepreneur / Technologist with over 15 years of experience in the US and Indian Markets. He currently serves as VP / CTO and is a founding member of the Phi Group.
Anthony Placet is a producer in the entertainment and tech industries. While working at MIT Sloan, Anthony founded Palmar Digital, a company that consults startups and large businesses about Digital Media, Marketing, and Communications. Having worked around the world in Fashion, Music, and Film, he now lends his diverse skill set to projects that promote education and thought leadership.
Dave Rife is an acoustic consultant at the design firm Ove Arup & Partners, working on international projects ranging from the design of performing arts spaces to collaboration with sound artists. Educated with a background in physics, mathematics and music, he is also involved in sound design for both theatre and film, and has given a talk on emerging technology used for concert hall design at TEDx Tempe in 2010.
Dominic Ricci has a PhD in experimental condensed matter physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He serves as an officer of the MIT Club of New York and works as a financial risk manager for HSBC.
Safa Sadeghpour is a Harvard/MIT trained MD/PhD currently working at McKinsey consulting group as a senior engagement manager. Safa has founded multiple startups, and is also an active member of the NYC innovation community.
Rachel Sartaj is a research scientist based at Weill Cornell Medical College interested in organ and tissue regeneration using stem cell technology.
Ryan Schreiner is a research scientist at Cornell University where his studies focus on the fundamentals of cell biology. His work, while exploring basic biology, has direct clinical significance in kidney, eye and breast epithelia diseases. Ryan is also developing a collaborative project on biological data visualization, a project called 4dEye.
Amanda Slavin is a partner at The Fulton, a founder of Charityconnector, as well as the Event Director for Paige Management including The Ainsworth, Ainsworth Prime in Madison Square Garden, Dune, Southampton, the Hill, and Pub One. She graduated from University of Connecticut, Neag School of Education Caume Laude with a Masters in curriculum and instruction. She is a also a partner at CSPR, which is an event and marketing company specializing in connecting individuals with products, brands and sponsorship.