Judges

2025 Alumni Track Global Judges

Tina Henry Bou-Saba
Founder & Managing Partner, CXT Investments

Tina Henry Bou-Saba
Founder & Managing Partner, CXT Investments

Bio:
Tina Henry Bou-Saba is an investor, advisor, and entrepreneur in the consumer investment space, with a strong focus on beauty and personal care, health and wellness, e-commerce, and creators. She founded CXT Investments in 2016 to support purpose-driven entrepreneurs building the next generation of great consumer companies, including brands and enabling technology. Early investments include Beekeeper’s Naturals, Hill House Home, Kosas, Olive & June, and Saie. Tina is a thought leader and strategist whose extensive network, hands-on approach, and sharp instincts for commercial opportunities are highly regarded by investors, founders, and industry leaders. She balances strategy and investing expertise with a start-up owner mindset and a bias toward action and outcomes. A trusted partner and “first call” to entrepreneurs, Tina currently serves on the boards of Arrae, August, and Dae. Tina is uniquely fluent across the languages of public and private markets, large corporations and start-ups, and consumer brands and technology. She has worked closely with many founders over the past decade and has collaborated with numerous leading VC and PE firms. Tina enjoys working with start-ups across a range of areas including: · Fundraising and financing · Commercial strategy and execution · Start-up culture and operations · Business model development · Team building and coaching · New business development

Industry
Consumer Products and Services (B2C), Technology

Verticals
Beauty, E-Commerce, FemTech, Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (Lohas) & Wellness

Area(s) of Expertise
B2C, Building a Team, Co-Founder Dynamics, Company Culture, Customer Acquisition, Fundraising Strategies, Go-to-Market Strategy, Pitch Feedback, Scaling, Brand Building, Board Roles

Advice
#1 - Keep the pitch tight. Avoid confusing details or tangents. Focus on the key points that you want to get across. Investors can only take in so much information in one meeting #2 - Be clear on why YOU are the best person to lead this company. As an investor, I am always looking for strong "founder business fit" #3 - Be clear on why NOW is the time for investors to support you. Many investors like to "wait and see" how things go. It is important to convey a sense of urgency

Cesar Carvalho
Co-Founder & CEO, Wellhub

Cesar Carvalho
Co-Founder & CEO, Wellhub

Bio:
Cesar Carvalho is the CEO and Co-Founder of Wellhub, a corporate wellness platform that connects employees to the best partners for fitness, mindfulness, therapy, nutrition, and sleep, all included in one subscription. A champion of wellbeing, he is one of millions of employees who use Wellhub to move, eat, sleep, and feel better, leading to better engagement and productivity at work. At Wellhub, Carvalho and his team have developed a formula that more than doubles the number of employees engaged with wellness. Originally from Brazil and now based in New York, Carvalho launched Wellhub while attending Harvard Business School. He previously held leadership roles at McKinsey & Company and AC Nielsen. Carvalho has been recognized with a number of awards, including Best Large Company CEO by Comparably (2023 and 2024), Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, New York, Goldman Sachs 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs and one of the Top 25 Best CEOs for Diversity and Women. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Business from the Universidade de São Paulo.

Industry
Technology, Business Products and Services (B2B), Consumer Products and Services (B2C), Materials and Resources

Verticals
Big Data, CloudTech & DevOps, Mobile, AdTech, B2B Payments, E-Commerce

Area(s) of Expertise
Board Roles, Building a Team, Co-Founder Dynamics, Company Culture, B2B, B2C, Go-to-Market Strategy, Market Research, Marketing, Brand Building, Remote Work, Strategic Partnerships, Social Impact, Scaling, Product Roadmap, Pitch Feedback

Advice
Focus most of your energy on clearly articulating the problem (examples, quantifying pain, anecdotal stories, etc) and on how your product/services fully addresses those problems better than any other incumbent player.

Brandon Farwell
General Partner, Xfund

Brandon Farwell
General Partner, Xfund

Bio:
Brandon Farwell is a General Partner at Xfund. Prior to Xfund, he was an Investment Professional at DFJ focused on software investments including Box (NYSE: BOX), Yammer (acq., MSFT), Twilio (NYSE: TWLO), Newsle (acq., LNKD), SugarCRM, and Insight Squared, in addition to other frontier investments like Planet (NYSE: PL) and SpaceX. After DFJ, he helped build the 150-company portfolio at Rothenberg Ventures nearly from the beginning, including companies like SpaceX, Planet, Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD), Matterport (NASDAQ: MTTR), Vicarious Surgical (NYSE: RBOT), Nearpod (acq Renaissance Learning), Gusto, Patreon, Boom Supersonic, Andela, Bustle, Customer.io, VRChat, and others. This portfolio was awarded #1 in VR /AR and frontier technology by Goldman Sachs, CB Insights, and Pitchbook. Brandon spent time in sales operations and corporate development at Box. His passions and focus are mainly in enterprise technologies; notably applied machine intelligence (computer vision, natural language processing, and machine learning), VR/AR, robotics/autonomy, and space. He has been named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 Venture Capital list. Brandon is currently a formal advisor to CASIS, the organization designated by NASA to manage, promote, and broker research on the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory. Brandon received a B.A. in Economics and International Relations from Stanford University. He helped run BASES (Stanford’s leading entrepreneurship organization) and was awarded Pac 12 All-Academic Team honors as a varsity rower. He also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School where he was a Rock Ventures Fellow.

Industry
Business Products and Services (B2B), Technology

Verticals
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, CloudTech & DevOps, Cybersecurity, Supply Chain Tech, Virtual Reality, Saas, Robotics and Drones, Space Technology, Real Estate Technology, Micro-Mobility, Marketing Tech

Area(s) of Expertise
Accounting & Taxes, B2B, B2C, Co-Founder Dynamics, Customer Acquisition, Go-to-Market Strategy, Fundraising Strategies, Pitch Feedback, Market Research

Advice
Start with the problem and illustrate why your team is uniquely positioned to solve it

Benjamin Faw
Venture Partner & Founder, Dynamism Capital

Benjamin Faw
Venture Partner & Founder, Dynamism Capital

Bio:
Ben is partner at Dynamism Capital, a Co Founder and CEO of AdVon Commerce and its affiliated entities, and an advisor to several other companies. Ben Faw is also a Co Founder and former COO (Chief Operations Officer) at BestReviews. Ben can support start-ups around: -Product development -Go-to-market -Strategy -Forecasting -Partnerships -Hiring Prior to BestReviews Ben was at LinkedIn, Tesla, UBS investment banking, the Army Corps of Engineers, the US Army, as well as founding companies. Ben served as an Infantry Platoon Leader in the US Army in North Iraq from 2008 - 2009, and is a graduate of several military schools, West Point, and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Ben is also a volunteer or board member with: Harvard Business School, UCLA’s Medical Center, GRIT non-profit, Service2School, and various other education related causes.

Industry
Technology

Verticals
AdTech, E-Commerce, Telecoms, Media & Technology (TMT), Mobile Commerce, Digital Health, Marketing Tech

Area(s) of Expertise
B2B, B2C, Board Roles, Building a Team, Co-Founder Dynamics, Company Culture, Customer Acquisition, Customer Discovery, Go-to-Market Strategy, Market Research, Marketing, MVP Development, Pitch Feedback, Pivots, Product Roadmap, Scaling, Strategic Partnerships

Advice
Know what differentiates your company (what is your insight or edge) Know yourself Practice with different people to maximize feedback

Lara O'Connor Hodgson
CEO, Roxwrite, Rule 1 Ventures

Lara O'Connor Hodgson
CEO, Roxwrite, Rule 1 Ventures

Bio:
Lara recently joined Rule 1 Ventures as CEO of portfolio company, Roxwrite, a company dedicated to automating underwriting and ongoing risk management of small business customers/borrowers. Lara co-founded NowAccount, an innovative B2B payments company that enables small businesses to get paid immediately in a way that feels like accepting a credit card for payment and served as its CEO for 14 years. During that time, she raised over $350M in debt and equity financing. Prior to Now, she co-founded Nourish, a patented children's product that was distributed through traditional and online retail channels. Lara Co-Authored the best selling book, "Level Up: Rise Above the Hidden Forces Holding your Business Back," published by Portfolio Penguin with Stacey Abrams. She serves on the board of The Weisiger Group, a $1.5B distributer of heavy equipment and power systems. She serves as a lecturer and coach for Georgia Tech's Create-X Program and served as an EIR at HBS. Lara has a BS in Aerospace Engineering and serves on the advisory board of the Ga Tech Aerospace department as well as serves as a Trustee of the Ga Tech Foundation. Lara can support early stage startups with strategies for scale, customer acquisition and channel strategies, access to capital, strategic partnerships, product positioning, founder dynamics and effective board management.

Industry
Business Products and Services (B2B), Financial Services

Verticals
B2B Payments, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Industrials, Space Technology

Area(s) of Expertise
B2B, Board Roles, Building a Team, Co-Founder Dynamics, Company Culture, Customer Acquisition, Pivots, Pitch Feedback, Scaling, Social Impact, Strategic Partnerships, Non-traditional financing

Advice
First sell the problem, then your solution. Why does this problem need to be solved, why you/your solution, why now, why this investor? Many people forget the last part. Use storytelling! People need to connect with a use case. Nonverbal communication is the key to credibility. Be able to tell your story without looking at slides and don't read the slides - they are just the backdrop to your story.

Carlos Reines
Co-Founder, Shape Ventures Group

Alejandra Rios
Executive Chairman at Ambrosia | Angel Investor and Shark at Shark Tank Mexico, Ambrosia | Meraki Ventures

Alejandra Rios
Executive Chairman at Ambrosia | Angel Investor and Shark at Shark Tank Mexico, Ambrosia | Meraki Ventures

Bio:
Alejandra Ríos is an investor, entrepreneur, and business leader with over 15 years of experience in strategic management, innovation, and finance. As the President of Ambrosía, she has transformed the company into a leading player in the hospitality and gastronomy industry in Mexico, driving sustainable growth and diversity. She holds a degree in Finance from Tec de Monterrey and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Alejandra is also an angel investor and Shark on Shark Tank Mexico, where she has invested in over 25 startups, primarily in e-commerce and food & beverage. Her experience has positioned her as a thought leader in inclusive leadership, startup investing, and customer experience.

Areas where I support early-stage startups:
Scaling strategies and growth acceleration
Business model innovation
Diversity & inclusion in startup teams
Building strong organizational culture
Fundraising and investor readiness

Industry
Consumer Products and Services (B2C)

Verticals
FoodTech, Restaurant Technology, Impact Investing

Area(s) of Expertise
B2C, Board Roles, Company Culture, Pitch Feedback, Social Impact, Brand Building

Advice
How to Craft and Deliver a Compelling Pitch

Tell a powerful story
The best pitches are not just about numbers—they tell a compelling story. What real problem are you solving? Why does it matter? How does your solution change lives or industries?
Show traction and validation
Investors want proof of concept. Demonstrate real traction—customer growth, revenue, user retention, or any key metric that proves market demand.
Clarity and conciseness
You have limited time to capture investor attention. Be direct, avoid unnecessary jargon, and clearly communicate the problem, solution, market opportunity, and business model.
Highlight the team: Investors bet on people
Ideas matter, but execution is everything. Showcase your team's strengths and why you are the right people to make this happen. If you have key advisors or mentors, mention them.
TAM, SAM, and SOM: Show the market opportunity
Demonstrate the market size with solid data. Investors want to see that the opportunity is big enough and that you have a competitive edge to win.
Clear and sustainable business model
Explain precisely how your company makes money and how you plan to scale. If you have a clear path to profitability, highlight it.
Anticipate tough questions
Be prepared for challenging investor questions. Show that you have thought about the risks and have strategies to mitigate them.
End with a strong call to action
Don't leave your pitch open-ended. Clearly state what you are asking for: "We are raising $X to expand into X market, hire X talent, and achieve X milestone within the next 12 months."

Bonus Tip: You're not just selling your business; you're selling an investment opportunity. Make investors feel that if they don't invest now, they are missing out on something big.

Shereen Shermak
COO of Dannce.ai, Founding Angel at TBD Angels

Shereen Shermak
COO of Dannce.ai, Founding Angel at TBD Angels

Bio:
Shereen is a founder of multiple Boston-based startups, most recently Dannce.ai, a digital biomarker company and Choose K, a cryptography company. She also co-founded Nth Party (acq. MGNI) and Atlantic Quantum. She was previously a Boston-based venture capitalist, entrepreneur and active angel investor. Previously, Shereen served as a Fund Manager and CEO at Launch Angels, a Boston-based seed stage VC firm, where she managed the Where Funds investments in 13 early stage companies. She co-founded BuysideFX, where she led Product and was a member of the management team, and held a similar role at Boston-based Currensee (acq. Oanda). Her earlier career consisted of launching internal fintech ventures for large financial services firms, after joining the technology strategy firm DiamondCluster (acq. PWC) in its early days. Shereen also spent six years working as an environmental engineer after graduating from Duke University. Shereen received her M.B.A. from MITs Sloan School and holds an M.P.A. from Harvards Kennedy School. Can support startups with: - Early team issues - Fundraising prep - Commercialization support

Industry
Business Products and Services (B2B), Technology

Verticals
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Saas, Marketing Tech

Area(s) of Expertise
B2B, Board Roles, Building a Team, Co-Founder Dynamics, Customer Discovery, Fundraising Strategies, Go-to-Market Strategy, Market Research, Pitch Feedback

Advice
A compelling pitch focuses on the idea itself, what the problem is and what the solution is. Pitches often get lost in detail, when in the early days the vision is more important.

2024 Alumni Track Global Judges

Marty Blue
Board Member - Advisor

Benoit Dupont, PLD 20
CSO, Pinterest

Leslie Feinzaig, MBA 2007
General Manager, Graham & Walker

Lara Hodgson, MBA 1998
President and CEO, Now Corp

Alex Iskold
Managing Partner, 2048 Ventures

Malgorzata (Gosia) Karas, MBA 2017
General Partner, Actuator Capital

Juan Leung Li, MBA 2014
Partner, Tectonic Ventures

Donna Levin
CEO, Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Babson College

Alex Meyer, MBA 2005
Managing Partner, Origin Ventures

2023 Alumni Track Global Judges