Castor Ventures Team

Bio: Chris has over 20 years’ experience in tech investing, product development, and sales engineering. He has invested over $60M in companies from seed to venture stage. Most recently, he was Vice President at Edison Partners, where he focused on investments for Enterprise 2.0 and mobile. Previously, Chris was a Director of Business Development with biomedical venture accelerator BioEnterprise and Director of Business Development with Chrysalis Ventures. Earlier, at JumpStart, a nationally recognized venture development organization, he sourced and executed seed investments. Chris has an SB EE from MIT (’88) and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
Notable Deals: MoneyLion, eSentire, Uptivity, HealthMedia

Bio: Cainon has a background in finance and entrepreneurship. At Boston Consulting Group, he conducted due diligence across the semiconductor, transportation, and medical device industries. At PBM, a $500M healthcare-focused VC firm, he led the due diligence process and worked as an operating partner within portfolio companies. He is also an active angel investor in several MIT startups. In addition, Cainon co-founded University Laundry, which was acquired by a national operator and would be sold to Proctor & Gamble’s marquee Tide brand. He has an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, and a BS from the University of Virginia in Systems and Information Engineering.
Notable Deals: University Laundry, Human Design Medical, RapidSOS, Vesper

Bio: Isaac is an experienced investor and analyst, leading research, sourcing deals, and coordinating diligence for venture and growth equity firms. Prior to joining Castor, he was an Investment Consultant to Tiger Global Management and founded Buttonwood Gaming, developing a digital economic simulation game with collaborators at MIT and worldwide. Earlier, Isaac served as Senior Analyst, Business and Research at Catalyst Investors, and an Associate at Samson Capital Advisors (now Fiera Capital). Isaac has an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, an AB from Brown University in Economics and Political Theory, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.

Bio: Alain has 30+ years of experience as a VC, angel investor, CEO, serial entrepreneur, Board Member, and advisor. He was Co-founder of Common Angels, New England’s leading investment group; Managing Director and CEO of Navigator Technology Ventures, a high-tech VC firm funded by Draper Lab; and CEO of Viewlogic, an innovative chip design software company. Alain has mentored over 100 MIT high-tech spinoffs and served on the MassTech Board through the terms of six governors. He was honored as Inc Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year. He has BSEE and SB Math degrees from MIT, SM Computer Science from Harvard, and OPM from Harvard Business School.
Notable Deals: Viewlogic, Applix, EverQuote

Bio: Stephanie spent more than 15 years in higher education advancement as a fundraiser and alumni relations professional, getting her start at Tufts University. She also worked at Northeastern University, where she led the programming and engagement for 200,000+ alumni worldwide. Earlier in her career, she had her own consulting practice, which focused on fundraising, board development, and communications strategies in the non-profit sector. A strong advocate for mentorship and networking, she brings those passions to investor engagement at AVG. She holds a BA from the University of New Hampshire, where she was a member of the women’s soccer team, and a MA from Emerson College.

Bio: Taylor graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a B.S. in Finance/Economics. Prior to joining Alumni Ventures Group, Taylor spent the early part of his career at Fidelity Investments as a licensed Financial Advisor, providing existing 401k clients with financial planning advice.

Bio: Mustafa is a business growth strategist, investor, and advisor to tech companies, with experience taking innovative ideas to successful product launches. He is an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, where he has helped global technology, energy and automotive companies on new product development, go-to-market strategy, transformational performance improvement, M&A target scans, and due diligence. Prior to McKinsey, Mustafa worked in product management and software engineering at both startups and enterprise companies. He has a Bachelor in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Auburn University, Master in Systems Engineering from Cornell University, and an MBA from MIT. In his spare time, Mustafa enjoys mentoring young entrepreneurs and supporting non-profits focused on education.

Bio: Nestor has 15+ years of experience of running an independent M&A and strategy advisory team. While having maintained his interest in venture investing since 2015, he is now increasingly focused on exploring early stage & deep tech VC opportunities via Fund of Funds approach. His non-VC engagements ranged from raising capital or seeking exit opportunities for privately held metals & mining projects globally to exits in regional fixed/mobile players in Russia, his country of birth. His career started at McKinsey, followed by stints in investment banking and private equity. His most recent work engagement involved overseeing the largest industrial assets, primarily in non-ferrous metallurgy and power generation, of a Global Forbes 1000’s Family Office.

Bio: Zeid is an entrepreneur in high-tech companies, focused on novel approaches to biotech, healthcare, and financial services. He is Director at Scimitar, driving cutting-edge initiatives for life-science firms in healthcare, new product launches, portfolio optimization, and more. Previously, he was Co-founder and COO of hedge fund Flyberry Capital, leading fund formation, fundraising, and business development. He also served as a Senior Manager with PwC and as a Co-founder of Aura Biosciences, a drug delivery company focusing on orphan indications. Zeid received a BA in biochemistry from Bowdoin College, an MA in biotechnology from Harvard, and his MBA from MIT.

Bio: Kirstan is Managing Partner of KBB Capital, investor in biotech, medical devices, SaaS, consumer tech, and fintech companies. She has 20+ years’ experience in management, M&A, financing, regulatory, strategic, operating, and Board. She was a partner at leading investment advisory Bracebridge Capital, playing key roles in risk, operations, management, and legal and regulatory affairs. She also founded and is Chairman of SheGives, applying a collective angel investing model to philanthropy. Before that, Kirstan ran financing and M&A deals at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault. She has a BA from the University of New Hampshire, a JD from Georgetown, and an MBA from MIT.

Bio: Carlos is an experienced innovator, entrepreneur, and manager in advertising, marketing, and high tech, as well as a nine-time company founder and active angel investor. He is currently Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Thras.io, an e-commerce operating company. Carlos is also Managing Partner of Internet marketing company ConstellationCK. Over the past 20 years, Carlos has worked with many successful startups as an executive, founder, investor, and advisor. He also co-founded CourseAdvisor, a leading search engine marketing firm in post-secondary education (acq. Washington Post), and Opus360 (NASDAQ: OPUS, sold to Artemis International) where he and his team created the first free agent marketplace, FreeAgent.com, in 1998. Carlos has a custom BS degree in Information Systems from MIT.

Bio: William is the Lead Programmer and Systems Architect at Tower Research Capital. He specializes in high-volume automated-trading systems, simulation design, risk management systems, hedge funds, and client-server architecture. Previously, he was an Athena Consultant at MIT, Staff Consultant and Programmer at Polytronics, and Consultant at Bose. William holds a BS EECS and Biology and MS EECS from MIT.

Bio: Sandra is an operating executive with over 20 years leading through periods of growth, restructuring and transformation on Wall Street: improving business returns, launching new businesses and managing reputational risk of organizations. As US Chief Operating Officer across Finance and Risk at Barclays she is an expert at leading global, enterprise-wide transformation and risk management and brings a track-record of curating technology and data solutions in an evolving landscape to benefit clients, customers and investors. She has a reputation for cultivating talent and advising aspiring entrepreneurs. Sandra led strategic planning, portfolio management, product development and technology across Lehman Brother and UBS, and was a fintech entrepreneur in Tokyo, Japan.  Sandra holds BS in EECS from MIT

Bio: Karl has 20+ years’ experience as a CEO, Board Member, advisor, and venture investor, driving revenue and business growth. He is Managing Partner of Leawood Venture Capital, a professional investment firm that manages private venture funds. Previously, he was founder and CEO of Elecsys Corporation (NASDAQ: ESYS), a leader in industrial IoT technology and cloud-based data management solutions that was acquired by Lindsay (NYSE: LNN). He has also served as President of DCI, VP of Operations at Airport Systems International, and Director of Manufacturing at Goodrich Aerospace. Karl has a BS Aerospace from MIT and a Master’s of Engineering from Boston University.

Bio: Dan has been an active info tech and services executive, investor, entrepreneur, and consultant for many years. He has founded several companies from software to insurance, materials science, and accounting. Currently he is a Principal at Apollo Partners, specializing in health insurance services. Previously he was Co-founder and CSO of Immedia Semiconductor, and served as President of tech consultant Chainwave Systems. He was also Chairman of Uniform Metal Powders and VP Technology & Director at Jackson Hewitt Tax Service. He has been a long-time member and served as Director of CommonAngels. Dan received his BS, MS, and PhD EECS from MIT.

Bio: Kathleen is a distinguished entrepreneur, startup founder and advisor, philanthropist, and computer network specialist. She is a mentor with MIT’s Venture Mentoring Service, as well as with the MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund Program and Graduate Women at MIT. Kathleen was Co-founder and CEO of Pico Innovation, an energy utilities services startup using smart technologies, and Founder and CEO of Silver Beech Networks, sending content services over high-speed data networks. Prior to that, Kathleen was Co-founder and VP of Business Development for Iron Bridge Networks, a carrier-class terabit router company. Kathleen holds a BS EECS from MIT.

Bio: Kerry is Director of International Distribution of Boston Partners Global Investors, overseeing all non-U.S. sales efforts. Previously she oversaw U.S. institutional sales, consultant relations, relationship management, and marketing services. Prior to that, she was a Senior Product Specialist for Boston Partners based in Europe and working with non-U.S. clients and prospects. She has over nineteen years of experience including time in equity trading at Goldman Sachs, business development at Wellington Management, and sales and equity analysis at Morgan Stanley. She serves on the MIT Sloan Alumni Board and the board of uAspire Massachusetts. Kerry has a BS in Management from MIT and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.

Bio: Bart is a multi-faceted executive with 20+ years of experience in the industrials, maritime shipping and financial sectors, spanning start-ups, restructurings and growth vehicles. Currently he is CEO for Chembulk Tankers, a PE-backed global operator of 25 chemical tankers, and previously served as the company’s CFO and Chief Strategy Officer. Prior to Chembulk, Bart was COO and acting CFO for the shipping asset manager Principal Maritime from the company’s formation with private equity shareholders through its exit. He has experience as an equity analyst covering machinery, industrials and renewable energy at Bear Stearns and as a merchant banker and project finance arranger investing in and lending to the renewable energy, oil & gas, and shipping industries. Earlier in his career, he served as an officer onboard oil tankers and held management positions in the cruise industry and with a leading naval architecture firm. Bart earned a BE in Naval Architecture from SUNY Maritime College, an MS in Ocean Systems Management from MIT, and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Bio: Val is a customer strategist with broad cross-industry, cross-function experience. He is part of Deloitte Consulting’s customer strategy practice where he currently focuses on helping high tech and health care clients improve their marketing, pricing, and go-to-market strategies. Val specializes in customer segmentation and identifying opportunities for organic growth. Through his consulting, Val has led numerous projects with startup organizations, both within and outside of large cap clients; this experience helps inform his perspective on venture opportunities. Val graduated from Davidson College with degrees in Math and Economics. He also holds an MBA from MIT Sloan where he focused on entrepreneurship and innovation.

Bio: Chee-We is a partner at Oak Seed Ventures, a VC firm that seeds and helps daring entrepreneurs shape a better world. Having written his own virus scanner and word processor when he was 14, he’s passionate about deep tech and enterprise tech: AI, Big Data, 5G, Internet of Things, Fintech, SaaS and Lithium Batteries. He currently advises and sits on boards of a number of tech startups across Autonomous Vehicle, SaaS and Big Data. Previously, Chee-We led Cisco’s investment team in China, was a McKinsey consultant and as a product manager, created infosecurity products that are still award winning after 18 years. He holds an M.Eng and S.B. in EECS from MIT and MBA from Harvard.

Bio: Bhavesh T. Patel has 20+ years of experience in general management, finance, mergers and acquisitions, operations and engineering spanning multiple technology-based industries including software, aerospace/defense, health IT, and IOT. He is currently CEO of Constellant, a pioneering provider of SaaS software for digital business ecosystem management. Bhavesh received a Bachelor’s degree in aerospace systems engineering from University of Southampton (UK), a Masters degree in aeronautical/astronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School. Bhavesh is married and loves to spend time with his lovely wife and two young sons. In his spare time, he is an avid triathlete, marathon runner, and mountain climber. He is a technology enthusiast, plays Indian drums, and loves to volunteer and raise money for children’s charities.

Bio: Hermann is a software architect specializing in designing and implementing flexible enterprise systems. He has worked for startups and large companies like Oracle and SAP and in several industries including semiconductor manufacturing and healthcare. His latest job was at rfXcel where he designed systems that track pharmaceuticals to ensure counterfeits cannot make it into the supply chain and harm patients. He has done some angel investing and is a real estate investor. Hermann holds a MS in EECS from Stanford and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.

Bio: Ray Zoeller has over 30 years of leadership experience and demonstrated results. An entrepreneur, strategist, and adept P&L/turnaround manager, he has held key operating and consulting positions with premier consulting firms, international information-based conglomerates, and his own enterprises. During his 16 years with Thomson Healthcare, Ray helped grow its revenue from $114M to over $500M, directing strategic planning, acquisitions, and new business development across the company’s businesses. Thomson enjoyed a windfall exit of those properties, which in large part are now assimilated in IBM Watson as Truven Analytics. Ray’s earlier roles with Cincinnati Bell Informations Systems, Planning Research Corporation, and Strategic Planning Associates (now part of Mercer) helped shape his forthright style and team building skills. Ray earned a BS in management and an MS from Sloan in a self-designed, cross-registered program with Harvard Business School in just four years, while engaged in ROTC, volunteer work, and consulting.

Bio: Ashley Aydin is currently a first-year MBA student at MIT Sloan. Prior to Sloan, she worked on strategic projects for Estee Lauder’s Global Omnichannel & Online Strategy team. Before Estee Lauder, she worked on the Strategy, Insights & Analytics team at Saks Fifth Avenue and Business Development team at Y Combinator e-commerce startup Shoptiques.com. She started her career on the Equity Capital Markets desk at Morgan Stanley where she covered the consumer space. Ashley also serves as an Investment Partner for Dorm Room Fund. She graduated from Brown University with an AB in Economics and Political Science.

Bio: Navin is an experienced Health tech and product executive with experience in Strategy, Product development, Enterprise software, Analytics, M&A, and Divestiture. Currently, he is a director of IT at RTI Surgical, a medical device company. In the past, Navin worked at CVS Health where he developed and launched patient-facing health care products for growth. Earlier, he worked with Wipro Technologies and Hewlett Packard managing technology consulting teams and overseeing client relationships for fortune 500 clients in Europe and the United States. His first job was in a technology startup firm Talisma, based out of India. Navin has also co-founded Allthatrealestate, a technology-based real estate startup that is funded by the MIT sandbox innovation fund. Navin holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management and a Bachelor of Engineering from Bangalore University in Electronics and Communication.

Bio: Heather has an extensive background in life sciences, healthcare, analytics, and information technology. In 2016, she founded Fraser Consulting and currently provides strategy, operations, analytics services to life sciences and healthcare companies, including the Fortune 100 and seed stage entrepreneurs. She is also a life sciences entrepreneur/founding CEO of a stealth mode synthetic biology therapeutics company. Heather has an MBA from MIT, an MS in Public Health from UNC-CH, a BA from PSU, and was a Fulbright Scholar in New Zealand.

Bio: Lola is passionate about retail, CPG and e-commerce. She has more than more than 10 years of international experience in building strategy, designing supply chain, leading change management and leading customer success teams. Skeptical by nature, she loves to challenge the status quo.  Lola graduated with a Master of Science in France and recently with a Master of Business Administration from MIT. She is interested in seeing how technology, data and AI will transform the retail and CPG industry.

Bio: Arooshi is currently a chief resident in neurology at New York University Grossman School of Medicine. She has co-authored several publications with focus ranging from software applications to enhance patient management systems and diagnose neurodegenerative disorders, basic molecular neuroscience, and clinical vascular neurology. She additionally helped lead the Committee on Health Information Technology for the American Medical Association – Medical Student division and has worked at the World Bank conducting due diligence for a project combatting a fatal eye disease in Africa. She is particularly excited about innovative technologies that can lead to better health outcomes. Prior to completing medical school, she received SB in Brain and Cognitive Science with a concentration in Public Policy from MIT in 2013.

Bio: Mandana has a background in chemical and biomedical engineering, and extensive leadership experience in biomedical research. Throughout her career, she has driven interdisciplinary, innovative research in both academic (MIT, Duke, NIH) and start-up biotech settings (Sesen Bio, formerly Eleven Biotherapeutics), and holds multiple patents from her drug development pursuits. She is currently a Research Fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she devises and manages a variety of projects integrating nanomedicine, biotechnology, and machine learning approaches to improve cancer therapy. Mandana has an SB from MIT in Chemical and Biological Engineering, and a PhD from Duke University in Biomedical Engineering.