2018 Innovation & Inclusion Awards – Honoree Bios

Marcus Ellington

Head of Industry, Media & Entertainment
Google/YouTube

Marcus Ellington has worked in digital media for 12+ years helping brands tell new stories, reach new audiences and drive business results. Marcus is currently the Head of Industry for Media & Entertainment at Google/YouTube where he oversees an ad sales team focused on partnering with TV networks.

Marcus began his career at CBS where he developed integrated marketing campaigns for CBS on-air franchises such as March Madness, Grammy’s and US Open Tennis. After CBS, he worked at Radio One as Director of Ad Sales where he focused on helping brands reach multicultural consumers. Marcus is a member of the 2018 class of NYC Television Week’s Top 40 Under 40.

Marcus holds a BA in Communications from Temple University and is a graduate of Duke University’s Google Global Business Academy. He also serves on the Board of Directors of The Laundromat Project, a NYC based Non-Profit that focuses on providing artists a platform to become community leaders to drive positive social change.

Gail Evans

Chief Digital Officer
Mercer

Gail was recently anointed as Mercer’s Chief Digital Officer and will continue to be a part of the Executive Leadership team. As Mercer’s first CDO, she leads a dedicated team focused on driving and delivering Mercer’s digital transformation strategy, partnering with a variety of teams across Mercer.

Prior to her CDO appointment, Gail was Mercer’s Global Chief Information Officer as a part of the Executive Leadership team. In this role, she oversaw transformation and modernization of Mercer’s technology with an emphasis on innovation and security of Mercer’s data assets. She directed the development and implementation of MercerOS, a cloud-based digital ecosystem designed to enable secure collaboration, innovation, and program development. She also oversaw the implementation of Indigo Knowledge Fabric which enabled the use of big data and artificial intelligence for multiple use cases across Mercer. Other key contributions of hers have included the introduction of Agile 2.0 program development methodology and the technology oversight of MMC’s first robotics program.

Prior to joining Mercer in 2016, Gail held various positions throughout her career as Group Partner Program Manager, Microsoft working across Microsoft Business Groups, Product Engineering, and IT teams; Vice President and General Manager, Hewlett Packard; Technology Senior Vice President, Bank of America, and started her career at Eastman Kodak Company as a Technology Executive and as CIO of Consumer Digital leading digital transformations.

Ms. Evans holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Nazareth College, an MBA from the Simon School of Business, University of Rochester, and most proudly an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Nazareth College.

Anjali Sud

CEO
Vimeo

Anjali Sud is CEO of Vimeo, the world’s largest ad-free online video platform. Anjali leads a global team of over 400 individuals dedicated to empowering creators with the tools, technology and community to tell their stories. Anjali previously served as General Manager and Head of Marketing at Vimeo, where she oversaw the growth of over 80 million members using the platform. Before that, she held various positions in e-commerce, finance and media at Amazon and Time Warner.

Anjali has been included in Fortune’s 40 under 40, Adweek’s Power List and The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Gen Under 35. She grew up in Flint, Michigan and now lives in New York City with her husband and a little one on the way.

Rodney Williams

CEO & Co-founder
LISNR

Rodney Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of LISNR, the global data-over-sound leader. LISNR is a secure local proxy for data transmission using sound with over +40 industry awards and powering almost 30 million devices across numerous industries. As the CEO of LISNR, Rodney has been recognized as the Entrepreneur of the Year in Connected World Communications by EY, the NAACP Inspiring Innovation 2017, the 2016 Black Enterprise Tech Entrepreneur of the Year and Breakout Star of the Year and named to Ad Age’s Top 40 under 40.

Williams has grown LISNR from a single idea to a promising global standard, with over +40 industry awards, most notably named to the 2015, 2016 & 2018 CNBC Disruptor 50 Lists, Cannes Gold Lion in Mobile Software Innovation and a 2017 CES Honoree in Mobile Software. An alum of the R/GA Accelerator powered by Techstars, Williams is an innovative and out-of-the-box strategic thinker, always looking for new ways to connect consumers more effectively with technology. His newest venture has been as a co-founder of SoLo funds, a peer-to-peer lending exchange for the underbanked population that provides affordable access to low-value funds.

Prior to LISNR, Rodney spent over four years at Procter & Gamble as a brand manager and is most noted as the first marketer there to co-write digital patents. Prior to P&G, Williams spent 2 years in New Business Development for Lockheed Martin and over 4 years leading a collegiate digital agency focusing on consumer acquisitions and CRM management. Rodney achieved these honors after earning four degrees in Finance and Economics, including an MBA from Howard University, by the age of 24.

Outside of Rodney’s pursuit professionally, he’s a celebrated speaker, mentor, and advisor to many. He currently sits on the board of VC funded startups Wyzerr and SoLo Funds and remains the youngest member of the Howard University School of Business Board of Advisors. Rodney is also currently serving on the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees and has been inducted into West Virginia University’s B&E Roll of Distinguished Alumni and Procter & Gamble’s Roll of Distinguished Alumni. When Rodney is not leading or assisting, he’s teaching and was most recently chosen to be a Forbes contributing author – covering innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership and disruptive technologies.

Erica Branch-Ridley

VP, Creative Development & Production
HITN Learning
HITN (Hispanic Information & Telecommunications Network)

Two-time Emmy Award winning Erica Branch-Ridley is VP of Creative Development and Production for HITN Learning, a division of the Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network where she oversees mulit-platform approaches to bi-lingual learning for preschoolers by combining video, touchscreen apps and games, with traditional learning methods to address the academic and socio-emotional needs for young Hispanic children and their families.

Prior to HITN, Erica worked at Sesame Workshop, where she led digital strategy for the children’s TV show The Electric Company before becoming VP of Production for a new area in the company called Sesame Learning. Prior to her work at Sesame, Erica worked at Viacom as Sr. Director of TV Land Digital and Nick at Nite Digital, and she also served as Sr. Producer at Nickelodeon Online where she created the first fully interactive experiences for Blues Clues, Dora the Explorer, Little Bill and many other notable kids shows. Erica received several awards for her work in digital production including two Emmy Awards: Best Children’s Website for Sesame Workshop/PBS KIDS with The Electric Company, and Best Interactive TV Enhancement for TV Land Online.

Erica’s television industry work included positions with CBS-NEWS, WNBC, and BET, where she created and produced the award winning multi-cultural children’s storytelling show STORYPORCH, with Maya Angelou which was honored by the National Education Association  and was recognized with 2 NAACP Image award nominations.

Erica was one of 30 people chosen by the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) to participate in their prestigious Executive Leadership Development Program at the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management.  In 2013, Broadcasting & Cable Magazine honored Erica with an award for her role in reflecting on-screen diversity in digital media, In 2016 she was named one of the Top Women in Digital Media by Cynopsis Media, and she was honored by Syracuse University with its George Arents award (the highest honor awarded to alumni) for Excellence in Media and Education.

An active speaker and panelist, Erica is a founding member of a startup coalition called Diversity in Apps, charter member of the SI Newhouse Alumni Board of Directors at Syracuse University, a former judge for the National STEM Video Game Challenge for elementary students (an initiative begun by the Obama Administration) and sits on the New Media council of the Producer’s Guild of America (p.g.a.)

Sandra Garcia Lowery

Founder
Encounter Marketing & Public Relations

A Sales and Marketing strategist and creative with over 11 years of experience working at organizations such as Clear Channel Outdoor, Time Warner Cable Media, PEOPLE, PEOPLE StyleWatch, CNNMoney.com, Money Magazine, and Fortune Magazine developing marketing strategies and compelling sales programs. Sandra has strategized for brands such as Toyota, L’Oreal, Almay, Estee Lauder, SnapChat, Apple, Verizon Wireless, Sephora, Pepsi, and American Express to name a few. She is now the founder of Encounter Marketing & Public Relations (EMPR) where she develops and executes strategies to elevate the presence of small to mid-size businesses and non-profits.

Sandra has led marketing teams at Clear Channel Outdoor and at Time Warner Cable Media developing strategic marketing programs that merchandised data driven products for use by sales to grow revenue. In her Product Marketing and Digital role at Time Warner Cable Media she implemented digital strategies and go-to-market plans that differentiated the brand from the competition as a Product Marketing expert for all digital products: Online, Mobile, Social, Search, Addressable, and Video On Demand. She also spent time at PEOPLE.com and CNNMoney.com, the financial website for CNN and the online destination for FORTUNE Magazine and Money Magazine.

For 4 years she managed her own event planning company, POSH Agency LLC. In 2012, she launched Afro-LatinaBeauty.com, an online destination for stories of Afro-Latinas sharing the same intercultural experience.

She is the current NY Chapter President of the National Association of Multi-ethnicity In Communications (N.A.M.I.C) and serves on the board of America Needs You. Sandra was a Forbes 30 Under 30 2016 nominee, and was awarded by Latino Leaders Magazine, a Top 25 Future Latino Leader (ages 25-35).

Everette Taylor

CEO
ET Enterprises (PopSocial, MilliSense, GrowthHackers)

Everette Taylor is a serial entrepreneur and marketing executive. He started his first company at the age of 19 and successfully sold it 2 years later. Since the start of his entrepreneurial journey, Everette has built four million-dollar companies before the age of 30.

He now serves as CEO of ET Enterprises, an assortment of brands that include social media software company PopSocial, marketing firm MilliSense, software company/website community GrowthHackers, drug & alcohol addiction app Hayver and most recently Art Noire – a platform to highlight visual artists of color and provide them with business tools.

As a marketing executive, he helped lead both Qualaroo and Skurt to successful acquisitions, oversaw growth for new mobile apps for Microsoft China, and led e-commerce company Sticker Mule to unprecedented growth as their youngest executive ever at the age of 25.

He has been called a “marketing genius” by Forbes, a “marketing star” by Fortune Magazine, and “an innovator who’s changing the consumer marketing game” by Black Enterprise. Most recently he was named one of the “100 Most influential African-Americans” by the Root and Forbes 30 Under 30.

Melissa Potter

Head of Social Impact & Communications
Odyssey Impact & Transform Films

Using film, technology, entertainment and new media as a catalyst for social change, Melissa C. Potter is at the forefront of impact innovation. As Head of Social Impact and Communications for Odyssey Impact and Transform Films, she has engaged communities across the nation in dialogue around today’s most pressing social justice issues, uplifting the voices and lived experiences of our nation’s diverse and oft-underrepresented populations.

Melissa has been an Impact Producer on several documentary and short-form pieces that focus specifically on the issues of criminal justice, sexual and gender-based violence, and gun violence. Many of which have won awards at Tribeca Film Festival, Peabody Awards, and Venice Film Festival.

In addition to creating inclusive spaces in digital and new media, Melissa is focused on using technology to foster sustainable social impact in underserved communities nationwide. In the past year, she has coordinated over 200 screenings of “MILWAUKEE 53206,” a documentary which tells the story of the ZIP code in America with the highest rate of incarcerated African American males. These screenings have served as the catalyst for national campaigns, as well as the formation of prison ministries, community coalitions and reentry and support programs.

Prior to her work with Odyssey, she focused on entertainment and advocacy. Melissa worked in public relations with chart-topping artists such as The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, and Grandmaster Flash and partnered with Amazon, Audible, Scholastic, and Netflix with Think Big… Think You!, always building a philanthropic dimension into her work, an outgrowth of her own interests in bettering the world around her.

She built lasting awareness of issues while at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and ACLU. However, when she joined Odyssey Impact she was able to combine these fields with the dimension of follow-up among the public and policy-makers in long-term social impact campaigns.

Jorge M. Torres

Managing Director
HBCU.vc

Jorge M. Torres is a venture capital investor, attorney, and educator.

He currently serves as a Managing Director at HBCUvc, a not-for-profit organization connecting and equipping the next generation of black and Latino technology innovators and venture capital investors. Through its student investor fellowship, the organization offers a unique opportunity for students attending select historically black colleges and universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions the chance to learn the how to invest in early-stage technology companies while earning real world experience.

Most recently, Jorge was a Venture Partner at Silas Capital, a firm that provides capital to entrepreneurs starting and scaling high-growth branded consumer businesses.He is a graduate of the Kauffman Fellows program, which is the premier global leadership development and capital formation training program for professionals who invest in innovation.

Before becoming an investor, Jorge was a trial attorney who represented companies in complex disputes involving the rights to patented life sciences technologies. This experience built on his earlier work conducting biophysics research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medical College.

Jorge is a Lecturer at Yale University, where he teaches a popular undergraduate venture capital seminar. He also invests time mentoring entrepreneurs through organizations such as Startup Weekend, Endeavor Global, and Praxis.

Jorge holds a BS in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is a member of the bar of the State of New York and a registered patent attorney.

Jorge is a native New Yorker with roots in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Darius Walker

Senior Executive Producer
CBS Interactive

Darius Walker is the Senior Executive Producer for CBSN, CBS News’ 24 hour streaming network. In this role, Walker oversees the day to day and long term strategic vision for CBSN’s domestic and international programming, production, editorial and operations. CBSN continues to drive record viewership growth, delivering its #1 quarter to date in Q2 of 2018.

Prior to joining CBS News, Walker was the Vice President and NY- Northeast Bureau Chief for CNN. In this capacity he oversaw all editorial resources and assignments for CNN’s team of correspondents, producers, photojournalists and editors based in CNN’s largest national bureau. Before his New York assignment, Walker was the Senior Director of newsgathering for CNN’s Washington, D.C., bureau.

Walker also served as vice president of CNN Business News, where he managed business news coverage across various CNN platforms; Supervising producer for CNNfn’s Atlanta operations; and as senior producer for the business news program, Lou Dobbs Moneyline. From 1996 to 1998, Walker worked for CNN’s national desk in Atlanta as a senior editor and producer.

Before joining CNN, he was the Managing Editor and Executive Producer for special projects at NBC’s flagship station, WNBC in New York. From 1992 to 1994, he worked at WAGA-TV, the CBS affiliate in Atlanta, where he was the Managing Editor and led the Emmy Award-winning coverage of the Atlanta stadium fire.

Walker has received Emmy, Peabody and Dupont awards. He is also the recipient of the 2002 New York Association of Black Journalists Inaugural “Trailblazer” Award for Excellence in Journalism and the Tuck School of Business (Dartmouth College) award for Business Reporting.

Willie Jackson

VP/Director, Solutions Architect
Starcom USA

Willie Jackson has over 10 years of experience using data and analytics to inform media investment strategies, and create value across brands including Kraft Heinz, SC Johnson, U.S. Cellular, ESPN, and Del Monte. Consulting on and delivering advanced analytic solutions around attribution, Willie brings a powerful combination of quantitative knowledge and rigor, with a strong appreciation for how that connects to a client’s overarching business strategy.

Prior to Starcom, Willie worked at Diamond Management & Technology Consultants (now part of PwC), where he provided consulted Telecom, Electronics Retail, Transportation, Consumer Goods, and Financial Services industries. Focuses included e-commerce strategy and execution, growth and operating strategy development, operational improvement via process / organizational design, and project management. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in both Economics and Philosophy from the University of Chicago.

Rachana Kumar

Director of Engineering
Etsy Inc.

Rachana Kumar is a global minded technology leader with a passion for using innovative technology to help others. In her current role as Engineering Director at Etsy, she leads several product engineering teams, directing engineering initiatives that impact over 2 million creative entrepreneurs and 36 million active buyers.

Rachana is driven by the intersection of technology, social impact and helping everyone do their best work. Her passion is technical product development – building and leading diverse product and engineering teams to solve hard problems, drive business impact and have fun doing so. Her experience spans multiple countries and industries ranging from media and ecommerce in the US, the sociopolitical space in India, and international development in Cambodia.

Rachana shepherds engineering organizations through explosive growth, navigating the change, challenge and opportunity that comes with it. She is passionate about using technology for good and has worked with the UN, Council on Foreign Relations, and ran her own non profit. When she is not busy working or chasing her two year old son, she likes traveling, dancing and reading.

Markus Robinson

VP, Innovation, Tech & Design
iOne Digital

Markus Robinson is VP of Innovation & Design at iOne Digital, where he oversees the company’s technology, creative, data and strategy across all business platforms. Prior to joining iOne Digital, Markus created a consulting firm called Robinson Innovations, where he consulted, designed and developed custom web applications and mobile apps for several businesses, including Radio One and Connxus.

Before his consulting work, Markus was the co-founder of Black Web Media (Flagship site Black Web 2.0), where he led editorial, operations, finance, and engineering.

Markus has also served as the Director of College of Human Sciences at Florida State University, where he coordinated all aspects of technology support for more than 5000 students, faculty and staff. He was the former Director of Technology for Florida State University’s Police Department, Computer Support Technician for Florida State University User Services, and a Helpdesk Technician. Markus is also an accomplished speaker; he was the Keynote Speaker for a blogging forum Blogging While Brown, and a panelist at SXSW. Markus also speaks on entrepreneurship/technology, African-Americans in technology, and the digital divide. A graduate of Florida A & M University with a Bachelor’s in Computer Information Systems and a minor in Business Administration, Markus is married with 3 kids and currently resides in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Kristopher Francisco

Founder & CEO
Evolute

Kristopher Francisco is the Founder & Chief Technology Officer of Evolute, a new Silicon Valley startup focused on enabling the next generation of Fortune 500 IT Innovators to create scalable enterprise clouds capable of achieving the same as Apple’s Siri and Google Search.

Kristopher is known in the container community for his contributions of docker-stats, leading internet-scale containerization structures, as well as the development of cross-platform cloud innovations. Evolute is valuated at 8 figures, with little pre-seed capital, and is currently positioned to rapidly and effectively deploy new technology to completely change how the tech industry approaches cross-platform cloud functions.

Kristopher brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new venture having provided new technologies and research, as well as technical direction, for a team of 200 software engineers at Apple as the company’s first cross platform architect; enabling major capital projects at Chevron; and enabling open source communities like Docker with his contributions being a part of the software’s core commands.

He largely credits the lessons he learned in martial arts during his formative years for his success, noting that those values have permeated every aspect of his life and have shaped his approach to business. “In martial arts, every detail matters–even your finger placement.”

And, indeed, details matter to Kristopher, who lives by the French saying, “La Dieu est dan les details” — God is in the details. Unlike many tech visionaries in Silicon Valley, Kristopher believes the most important aspect of Evolute is not purely technical capabilities, but in its ability to help others actualize their dreams.

He views Evolute as a ‘ministry of sorts’ with a mission of bringing new technology to scale to have the greatest impact for the good of society. According to Kristopher, “Evolute is simply a vehicle to impact a larger audience. … My goal is to change people; technology is the foundation in which I’ve been given the ability to do so.”

These principles are also reflected in Kristopher’s leadership style in that he believes in galvanizing team members and inspiring others by asking a critical question, “What is it that is keeping this person from being his/her best?” His quest to answer this question is manifested in his passion for mentorship. Kristopher has mentored startups and entrepreneurs at the Founder Institute, the Alchemist Accelerator and the Kapor Center and has enabled them to reach 6 figures within their first 7 months of graduation. As Kristopher continues to grow his own company, his mentorship is reflected in his onus for service and ministry to enable others to reach their best potential.

Kristopher graduated from Louisiana State University’s School of Information Systems and Decision Sciences and attended Carnegie Mellon University for his Masters of Science in Information Technology.

Kristopher lives in Silicon Valley with his wife; is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity; and serves consistently through participation on the board of advisors at his undergraduate alma mater, ministry and continued mentorship in academia and entrepreneurial pedagogy.

Monica Williams

VP, Business Operations, Technology & Strategy
Content Distribution Digital Products
NBCUniversal

Monica Williams is Vice President of Business Operations, Technology & Strategy in Content Distribution Digital Products for NBCUniversal. In this role, she oversees business operations, technical product development, customer experience, technology and program management for the group, which is responsible for driving consumption and monetization by making NBCUniversal’s networks content available on all digital platforms.

Previously, as Director of Technical Accounts for Operations and Technical Services for NBCUniversal, Monica was instrumental in building digital fulfillment strategies to ensure business priorities were met and measured. Monica first joined NBCUniversal as a Six Sigma Black Belt for Studio Operations in 2005. She began her career with GE in the Operations Management Leadership Program.

Active in the community, Monica is a founding member of Asian Pacific Americans @ NBCUniversal, one of the seven employee resource groups within NBCU. A regular guest speaker on leadership, women in technology, and diversity, Monica now serves as the NBCUniversal lead, and as a board member of the Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) Southern California Chapter. She also serves as the Comcast NBCUniversal TechWomen Los Angeles Chapter Co-Chair.

Monica has received several industry awards, including Cablefax Magazine’s “Most Powerful Women in Cable – Top in Technology” and “Most Influential Minorities in Cable” (2017 & 2016), plus “Women in Tech – Woman of the Year” by Multichannel News in 2015.

A graduate of Harvard Business School’s Cable Executive Management Program, she also holds an MBA from Claremont Graduate University, and a Bachelor of Science and Engineering in Industrial Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Monica and her husband, Jeffrey, reside in Los Angeles with their three sons, Kingsley, Anderson, Lexington, and their beloved dog, Maximillian, and cat, Sebastian.

Shirley Yang

Founder & CEO
MUSES

Shirley Yang is the Founder and CEO of Muses, a global creators’ network that helps entrepreneurs and creatives build and mobilize networks for growth. Muses is in 121 countries and has over 300 million social media network reach. Shirley started her career at MySpace, led teams at NBC and Amazon, and have worked with thousands of YouTube stars and brands to rise to fame. Shirley is a startup mentor at Techstars and is on the Advisory Board for Women Tech Founders and DoSomething.org.

Shirley has a background in technology and led technical product teams at NBC, Amazon, Sony, and Fox.  She has worked in influencer marketing from a 360 perspective: Brand, Agency, Influencer, and helped thousands of YouTube and Instagram stars rise to fame as well as thousands of companies from small businesses to the Fortune 50’s strategize social media and influencer marketing strategies.

She has also successfully raised 7-figures for her company as a female tech founder and is a huge supporter of other female entrepreneurs and communities. Additionally, she has developed an online presence with over 100K+ followers across social media platforms.

National/International brands that she has worked with include: Nike, The Four Seasons, Women’s Health, W Hotels, Bloomingdales, NARS Cosmetics, Bare Minerals, etc.

Sandee Kastrul

President & Co-founder
i.c.stars

Sandee Kastrul is president and co-founder of i.c.stars, an innovative nonprofit leadership and technology training program that prepares inner-city adults for technology careers and community leadership. A pioneer of the social enterprise model, i.c.stars has graduated more than 400 community leaders, and recently began expanding into new cities. Under Sandee’s leadership, i.c.stars has been recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Brookings Institution.

Prior to i.c.stars, Sandee designed interactive programs for GED students at Jobs for Youth, implemented a professional development program with Harold Washington College Career Center, and developed experiential learning modules for over 70 schools. Additionally, as a consultant for the Illinois Resource Center, Sandee provided schools with diversity training and cross-curricular teaching methodologies. Sandee is a board member of Goodcity, The Ryan Banks Academy, and HIC; and an advisor for the Axelson Center, Chicago Leadership Alliance, and Chicago Ideas Week. In 2017, Sandee was selected as a Racial Equity Fellow by Chicago United for Equity.

Jessica O. Matthews

Founder & CEO
Uncharted Power

Jessica O. Matthews is the Founder & CEO of Uncharted Power, an award-winning renewable power company that specializes in harnessing the energy from motion to create entire ecosystems of power for communities around the world. The company was founded by Jessica when she was only 22 years old. Jessica was invited by President Barack Obama to the White House to represent small companies for the signing of the America Invents Act in 2012. In 2016, she raised what is presently the largest Series A ever raised by a black female founder in history, and was selected to ring the NASDAQ opening ceremony bell, representing all Forbes 30 Under 30 alumni.

Jessica’s research and career centers around the intersection of disruptive technology, renewable energy, human behavior, and the psychology of self-actualization. A dual citizen of Nigeria & the U.S., Jessica has a degree in Psychology and Economics from Harvard University, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and is listed on over 10 patents and patents pending—including her first invention of the SOCCKET, an energy generating soccer ball, at the age of 19. Her list of accolades include Fortune’s Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs, Forbes 30 under 30 list, Inc Magazine 30 under 30, and Harvard University Scientist of the Year.

Natalia Oberti Noguera

Founder & CEO
Pipeline Angels

Dubbed “The Coach” by Marie Claire, Natalia (aka Ms. Oberti Noguera) is Founder & CEO of Pipeline Angels. Pipeline Angels is changing the face of angel investing and creating capital for women and non-binary femme social entrepreneurs. Natalia is also Creator & Host of Pitch Makeover, a podcast on pitching and investing that spotlights startups launched by women, non-binary people, and men of color. She holds a BA in Comparative Literature & Economics from Yale, as well as an MA in Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. Natalia serves on the boards of Walker’s Legacy, Women 2.0, and iRelaunch.

Inc. Magazine selected Natalia as one of “The Most Impressive Women Entrepreneurs of 2016,” Latina.com included her in their list of “25 Latinas Who Shine in Tech,” and Women’s eNews recognized her as one of 21 Leaders for the 21st Century for 2012. StartOut, a network of LGBTQ entrepreneurs, honored Natalia (a cis queer Latina) with the 2017 Nixon Peabody Trailblazer Award, “recognizing an entrepreneur whose pioneering approach or vision has set a trend for an entire industry.”