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Where NYU's most promising founders learn from the best.

This summer, the NYU Entrepreneurial Institute is proud to welcome a stellar lineup of speakers to our Summer Launchpad—NYU's premier startup accelerator. These founders, investors, operators, and creatives will join us to share their insights with the next generation of NYU entrepreneurs. Meet the leaders who will be inspiring this year's Summer Launchpad cohort:

• Alex Iskold (Courant ‘00) is a 5x founder, NYU instructor, and Partner at 2048 Ventures. Formerly Managing Director at Techstars NYC, Alex brings a systems-thinking approach to early-stage investing. He’ll lead a session on How to Manage a Board.
• Andrew Kangpan (Stern ‘13), Co-Founder at Metalayer Ventures, specializes in early-stage blockchain investments. He’ll join us to discuss how to define and track Metrics that Matter.
• Ash Blackmon, CMO at Eventbrite, brings her extensive marketing leadership and expertise from her career journey across Restream, Pathstream, and Zillow Group.
• Ayman Mukerji (Silver ‘21) Founder of Jivika, integrates neuroimmunology, mindfulness, and AI to address burnout in healthcare. Ayman will speak with our SLP cohort about Founder Wellness and Mental Health best practices.
• Britt Martin (GSAS ‘17) is a strategic consultant and founder of Food Period, a functional food startup. With deep expertise across product and growth, Britt will facilitate a conversation on Startup Operations.
• Caren Maio (Gallatin ‘07), is the CEO of 100, a platform designed to make rental applications and screenings more efficient, secure, and equitable. A recognized PropTech leader and one of Inc.’s Women to Watch in Tech, Caren will join us for an Ask Me Anything session.
• Caroline Huber (Stern ‘23), is the Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Jones, a company focused on combating nicotine addiction through intentional consumer products. Caroline will share strategies for building an audience and fostering community.
• Chris Lysiuk (Tandon ‘17), Senior Product Manager at Gusto, has launched startups and built business lines across multiple industries. He’ll join us to share insights on all things Product Management.
• Dasha Rettew (Gallatin ‘14), Co-Founder of Reservoir Advisors, is an executive coach and longtime advocate for NYU founders. Now in her eighth year supporting our accelerator, she’ll lead an in-depth session on defining Startup Mission, Vision, and Values.
• David Isaacs (Gallatin ‘99), Creative Director at R/GA, has supported over 200 startups in raising $3.5B through the power of design and storytelling. He’ll join us to share insights on effective Pitch Deck Design.
• Giff Constable is a seasoned product leader and author of Talking with Humans and Testing with Humans. He has led product teams at Meetup and Axial. Giff will join us to discuss how to translate customer needs into product decisions.
• Gina Gotthilf led Duolingo’s growth to its first 200 million users and is now building a new edtech startup, Outsmart College. She’ll lead a Customer Acquisition Tactics workshop, sharing proven strategies for scaling users.
• Johnnie Walker, Director at Rooled and former Impact Investing professor at Columbia, advises growth-stage startups on finance and social impact. He’ll speak on Accounting for Startup Founders, offering practical guidance tailored to early-stage teams.
• Kunal Mehta (Stern ‘11), Partner at Isos Capital and former investor at Hearst Ventures. Kunal will join us to explore how to assess competition and build a true moat.
• Manya Ellenberg, SVP at Thyme Care, has built and scaled People teams at top startups including Hyperscience and Bowery Farming. Manya will share her expertise on talent strategy — from hiring to firing and everything in between.
• Phuong Ireland, Partner at Interplay, runs a high-touch startup incubator and brings deep e-commerce experience from leading consumer brands. Phuong will speak about crafting and optimizing revenue models.
• Rebecca Sperling (Stern ‘18), is a former IDEO design strategist who now advises startups on product and service innovation. Rebecca will lead a session focused on problem validation and MVP refinement.
• Rich Fulop (SPS ‘07, Stern ‘14) is the founder and former CEO of Brooklinen who one of NYC’s most beloved brands. Rich will host an Ask Me Anything session.
• Sebastian Jimenez (CAS ‘18), Founder of Rilla and Cloud 100 Rising Star, specializes in AI-driven retail intelligence. Sebastian will also lead an Ask Me Anything session.
• Thomson Nguyen, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Saga, is a serial entrepreneur with multiple exits and strong expertise in data science. Thomson will host an Investor Ask Me Anything session.
• TJ Allison is an early-stage sales expert and former Google strategist who helps startups achieve their first $1M in sales. TJ will present on closing your first sales.

This incredible roster reflects the depth and diversity of the innovation ecosystem built to power NYU’s entrepreneurs with the knowledge they need to scale flourishing ventures. We’re excited for our founders to learn from these startup experts—and we can’t wait to see what this summer brings!

(Left to Right) Britt Martin (GSAS '17), Lia Wonograd (Stern MBA '19)

Dasha Rettew (Gallatin '14)

(Left to Right) Caroline Huber (Stern '23), Hilary Dubin