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.