Vetted Founders

“Founder building an agentic AI-based low-code platform for B2B enterprise applications, validated through enterprise client conversations and delivered via rapid paid MVP/POCs. Platform has seen production traction (6–7 apps, 1000+ daily users) and includes capabilities like QR scanning integrated with ERP/PLM systems. Experienced in business development and client relationships, with a pragmatic, ROI- and speed-focused approach to product and GTM under tight capital constraints.”

“VP of HR with 5 years in a design/manufacturing organization, leading full-cycle recruiting and training across engineering, design, IT, production, and operations. Has driven major org initiatives including employee value mapping, org development tied to revenue targets, and transitions to new PEO/payroll, healthcare, and 401(k) providers, using a structured RASCI-based project approach. Experienced managing distributed contractors across Canada, Jamaica, and the Philippines with clear core/flex-hour policies to handle time zones.”

“Founder/director of the music and event production company Tuned In, personally driving outbound BD to book underground LA talent and produce 25 events, including a major Lunar New Year collaboration with Alice Longyu Gao. Also ran multi-channel voter/community outreach for the Frankie Carrillo campaign (door knocking, 1,000+ SMS) and built automation tools (Apple widget; AI image-to-CSV workflow at Live Nation) to improve operational efficiency.”

“Senior Engineering Manager at Roche leading two Scrum teams building internally shared (“inner-sourced”) tools and libraries for a healthcare enterprise. Has led security/compliance-first architecture decisions (e.g., Python AI modules running inside a Java container) and front-end modularization (Angular monorepo to module federation), with a strong focus on developer experience via automated Swagger/OpenAPI documentation and robust testing/versioning practices.”

“Animation pipeline/cinematics specialist focused on Maya-to-Unreal workflows, known as the go-to person for resolving "impossible" fringe export and data-mismatch issues (FBX versions, OS differences, tool bugs). Worked on high-profile titles including Hogwarts Legacy (proprietary cinematics module), Fortnite cinematics, LEGO 2K Racers, and Judas, supporting shots end-to-end from cloth sim pre-roll to facial/body performance alignment.”

“AI/ML full-stack practitioner in a small-scale manufacturing/lab operations environment who deployed a production ML system to improve blood cell order fulfillment by predicting yield/success from donor characteristics. Experienced building custom multi-agent orchestration (Python, LangChain/LangGraph, MCP) and balancing reliability, data quality constraints, and token/ROI economics while communicating tradeoffs to VP-level business stakeholders.”

“Early-stage founder building an engineering alpha product and planning a structured path to pilot and general availability. Active mentor in TechStars and MassChallenge with a strong VC network, emphasizing PMF, MVP-in-market feedback, and early sales while maintaining a sustainable approach to entrepreneurship.”

“Built and productionized an LLM-based PDF extraction pipeline for Medicaid policy documents by fine-tuning Gemini Flash 2.0 and deploying via Vertex AI, adding validation/guardrails to improve trust and reliability. Also built and scaled a SaaS platform (cnotes) for cable operators and regularly partners with customers and sales teams through interactive demos, rapid iteration, and real-time workflow debugging.”

“Talent Acquisition leader (former Director of Talent Acquisition at Paramount Global) who has managed recruiter teams (1–7 direct reports) and can jump into high-impact executive searches. Experienced partnering with C-suite/EVP stakeholders and HRBPs on offer approvals and leveling/comp adjustments, and has implemented recruiting process/ATS workflows and team training programs across both startups and large enterprises.”

“Built and deployed profitprops.io, a sports betting player-props prediction product using ML/AI. Implemented backend APIs with FastAPI/Express.js and Supabase, trained models on AWS GPU (P3) using Docker + RAPIDS, and set up CI/CD with GitHub Actions while working around cost constraints and data-collection hurdles (EC2 proxy rotation/rate limits).”

“Operations-focused executive leader with experience spanning Fortune 500 and early-stage startups, known for building marketing and cross-functional operating systems from scratch. At Quinn Foods, introduced alignment frameworks (Four Helpful Lists, RASTI) and SOP rigor that helped achieve 5.5 ROAS and a 41% lift in household penetration; at Zoox, redesigned product development workflow and stage-gates, supporting 30% growth.”

“Engineering/exec leader (CEO experience) who built a lighting controls and building automation platform from scratch, choosing an Ethernet/PoE and Node.js web-centric architecture that anticipated market shifts and later became an industry pattern. Known for rigorous vendor QA (test-to-failure) and for delivering high-profile deployments (e.g., Black Desert Resort, Resorts World Villa 66) while leading globally distributed engineering teams.”

“Music editor/mixer specializing in narrative longform and YouTube-focused audio post, with documented experience shaping a 2018 documentary on Syriac chant traditions through chant-based drones, dynamic builds, and tightly timed musical phrasing. Works in Pro Tools with a template- and stems-based workflow, and uses retention data plus producer notes to iteratively improve pacing and engagement.”

“Healthcare diagnostics/health tech founder building Casandra.ai, an API-driven lab test catalog and ordering platform designed to standardize fragmented test catalogs and integrate into provider workflows via FHIR. Bootstrapped and built a deploy-ready product, drawing on prior startup experience and accelerator participation (Health Box, DreamIt Ventures).”