Instructors and Mentors
The eLab instructors and mentors play a critical role in the shaping of our team’s business concepts. The instructors manage the eLab program while we rely on Cornell alumni with business and entrepreneurial backgrounds that can encourage startups to ask the right questions, solve hard problems and battle test their concept in a safe environment.
Michael Annunziata
Mentor

John Balen
Mentor

Marla Beyer
Mentor

Nichole Bestman
Mentor

Nate Cook
Instructor

Frank A. DeCosta, III
Mentor

Steven Gal
Instructor

Christophe Gerlache
Mentor

Jason Guss
Mentor

Andrés E. Gutiérrez
Mentor

Delia Hughes
Mentor

Erica Iannotti
Mentor

Andrea Ippolito
Instructor

Stéphane Jean-Baptiste
Mentor

Randall Kane
Mentor

Rob Karp
Mentor

Apoorva Kiran
Mentor

Nadine Kwebetchou
Mentor

Serdar Mizrakci
Mentor

Alex Meyers
Mentor

Elisa Miller-Out
Mentor

Nick Nickitas
Instructor

Ryoko Nozawa
Mentor

Greg Ray
Instructor

Ken Rother
Managing Director

Robert Raczkowski
Mentor

Stephen Sauer
Instructor

Tom Schryver
Instructor

Zach Shulman
Mentor

Justin Smithline
Mentor

Brad Treat
Instructor

Aaron Walls
Mentor

Beth Xie
Mentor

Eric Young
Mentor

Todd Zion
Mentor
eLab carefully selects a limited number of experienced mentors who play a number of roles based on the needs of each individual team. The advisory board helps students in the following ways:
Ask tough questions
Advisory board memebrs ask tough ‘critical path’ questions designed to help our team’s to improve their concepts.
Provide perspective
Advisory board members provide perspective on issues ranging from the start up process and fundraising, to product development and distribution of equity to employees. They bring their experiences and wisdom to the table to help our teams succeed.
Provide feedback
Advisory board members provide regular feedback on strategy, products, pricing, sales strategy, marketing plans, investor decks, legal factors and many of the other issues that entrepreneurs explore as they undergo their journey.