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

Co-Founder and CEO,
Father Farms

John Balen

Mentor

Partner,
Canaan Partners

Marla Beyer

Mentor

Co-Founder & CEO,
Hopscotch

Nichole Bestman

Mentor

Founder & CEO,
Shipfair

Nate Cook

Instructor

Entrepreneur in Residence,
Cornell University

Frank A. DeCosta, III

Mentor

Partner,
Finnegan Henderson

Steven Gal

Instructor

Professor,
Cornell University

Christophe Gerlache

Mentor

Investor,
General Atlantic

Jason Guss

Mentor

Founder and CEO,
Iterate Labs

Andrés E. Gutiérrez

Mentor

Co-Founder,
Comake

Delia Hughes

Mentor

Founder,
Tazzy Candy

Erica Iannotti

Mentor

NYSERDA

Andrea Ippolito

Instructor

Executive Director,
Engineering Management Program

Stéphane Jean-Baptiste

Mentor

Co-Founder and COO,
Kreyol Essence, LLC

Randall Kane

Mentor

Managing Partner,
Profec Partners

Rob Karp

Mentor

Founder and CEO,
MilesAhead

Apoorva Kiran

Mentor

Co-Founder & CTO,
Iterate Labs

Nadine Kwebetchou

Mentor

Regional Director,
Inova Health System

Serdar Mizrakci

Mentor

Founder and CEO,
Element Farms

Alex Meyers

Mentor

Co-Founder and CEO,
MyWorkouts

Elisa Miller-Out

Mentor

Managing Partner,
Chloe Capital

Nick Nickitas

Instructor

CEO,
Rosie

Ryoko Nozawa

Mentor

Principal,
Cayuga Venture Fund

Greg Ray

Instructor

Entrepreneur in Residence,
CREA

Ken Rother

Managing Director

Entrepreneur in Residence,
Launch NY

Robert Raczkowski

Mentor

Partner,
Launch Factory

Stephen Sauer

Instructor

Senior Lecturer,
Johnson Graduate School of Management

Tom Schryver

Instructor

Executive Director,
CREA

Zach Shulman

Mentor

Director,
Entrepreneurship at Cornell

Justin Smithline

Mentor

Co-Founder and General Partner,
Triple Impact Capital

Brad Treat

Instructor

Entrepreneur in Residence,
Rev: Ithaca Startup Works

Aaron Walls

Mentor

Co-Founder and CEO,
BrewJacket

Eric Young

Mentor

Co-Founder and Partner,
Canaan Partners

Todd Zion

Mentor

Co-Founder, President, and CEO,
Akston Biosciences Corporation

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.

Interested in becoming an eLab mentor?

Get in Touch