TEAM BIOS
Lina Constantinovici, MBA
Founding Partner
•15 years early-stage commercialization experience as investor, advisor, founder
•Founder of Innovation 4.4 Oceans Funders, NEXUS Impact investing group, startupnectar, nasa award for innovation
•Board of Schmidt Marine Technology Partners, center for environmental health, environmental health sciences
Founding Partner
•15 years early-stage commercialization experience as investor, advisor, founder
•Founder of Innovation 4.4 Oceans Funders, NEXUS Impact investing group, startupnectar, nasa award for innovation
•Board of Schmidt Marine Technology Partners, center for environmental health, environmental health sciences
EXPERIENCE:
•Over the past 14 years, reviewed over 6,000 business plans and pitch decks for impact companies, and served as judge and mentor at hundreds of pitch and business plan competitions.
•2008 lead a research project for Lawrence Berkeley National Lab on the rate of commercialization of technologies coming out of the lab and the market failures around early stage commercialization.
•2008 Lead a project for the Environmental Protection Agency to design sustainability standards
•2008 for the San Francisco Department of Environment, wrote legislation towards the city’s zero waste goals (Waste Offset Fee)
•2008 lead economic research for the Inaugural State of Green Business Report
•2008 lead the design of the sustainability strategy (including payback analysis of rooftop wind) for W Hotels that was later adopted as the Starwood Global Strategy
•2012 launched in the world's first biomimetic technology incubator, StartupNectar, that received a finalist award from NASA in 2013 for Best Solution for Planetary Sustainability.
•2014 served as NewSpace Bootcamp Coach for the Space Frontier Foundation.
•Since 2014 Applications Review Board member for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.
•2015 curated and produced a sold out Risk and Value Creation Forum at NASA Ames to attract more traditional investors to invest in impact.
•2016 at the United Nations, launched Innovation 4.4 with the mission to commercialize and globally deploy technologies most relevant to the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In addition to collaboration with several UN agencies, Innovation 4.4 is the entrepreneurship partner for NASA's Centennial Challenge Program on Vascular Tissue.
•2016 worked with NASA Division Chief, NASA SBIR team, and Space Technology Mission Directorate Chief to design an incubator for NASA technologies.
•2017 advised a Norwegian incubator focused on inclusion and advised on launching an impact investing fund from the top family offices in Norway.
•Since 2008 mentor and judge in the Global Finals for the Cleantech Open.
•2012 – 2017 co-produced the Biomimicry Europe Innovation and Finance Summit for in Zurich every other year, with support from the city of Zurich.
•Currently on the Advisory Board of Schmidt Marine, a division of the Schmidt Family Foundation, focused on vetting and funding the commercialization of ocean technologies - serving as a due diligence and venture development expert. Schmidt Marine currently has over 40 startups in its portfolio.
•Board Member, Center for Environmental Health
•Board Member, Environmental Health Sciences
AWARDS:
- 2008 RE:STORE International Award for a future of retail design (In the domain of the future of cities, sustainable architecture, and built environment innovation)
- 2013 NASA/SSV Award at the Showcase of Solutions for Planetary Sustainability
•Over the past 14 years, reviewed over 6,000 business plans and pitch decks for impact companies, and served as judge and mentor at hundreds of pitch and business plan competitions.
•2008 lead a research project for Lawrence Berkeley National Lab on the rate of commercialization of technologies coming out of the lab and the market failures around early stage commercialization.
•2008 Lead a project for the Environmental Protection Agency to design sustainability standards
•2008 for the San Francisco Department of Environment, wrote legislation towards the city’s zero waste goals (Waste Offset Fee)
•2008 lead economic research for the Inaugural State of Green Business Report
•2008 lead the design of the sustainability strategy (including payback analysis of rooftop wind) for W Hotels that was later adopted as the Starwood Global Strategy
•2012 launched in the world's first biomimetic technology incubator, StartupNectar, that received a finalist award from NASA in 2013 for Best Solution for Planetary Sustainability.
•2014 served as NewSpace Bootcamp Coach for the Space Frontier Foundation.
•Since 2014 Applications Review Board member for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.
•2015 curated and produced a sold out Risk and Value Creation Forum at NASA Ames to attract more traditional investors to invest in impact.
•2016 at the United Nations, launched Innovation 4.4 with the mission to commercialize and globally deploy technologies most relevant to the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In addition to collaboration with several UN agencies, Innovation 4.4 is the entrepreneurship partner for NASA's Centennial Challenge Program on Vascular Tissue.
•2016 worked with NASA Division Chief, NASA SBIR team, and Space Technology Mission Directorate Chief to design an incubator for NASA technologies.
•2017 advised a Norwegian incubator focused on inclusion and advised on launching an impact investing fund from the top family offices in Norway.
•Since 2008 mentor and judge in the Global Finals for the Cleantech Open.
•2012 – 2017 co-produced the Biomimicry Europe Innovation and Finance Summit for in Zurich every other year, with support from the city of Zurich.
•Currently on the Advisory Board of Schmidt Marine, a division of the Schmidt Family Foundation, focused on vetting and funding the commercialization of ocean technologies - serving as a due diligence and venture development expert. Schmidt Marine currently has over 40 startups in its portfolio.
•Board Member, Center for Environmental Health
•Board Member, Environmental Health Sciences
AWARDS:
- 2008 RE:STORE International Award for a future of retail design (In the domain of the future of cities, sustainable architecture, and built environment innovation)
- 2013 NASA/SSV Award at the Showcase of Solutions for Planetary Sustainability
Doug Lorenzen
Founding Partner
•Early founder, CFO, and investor in startups that now account for over $1.65B of market capitalization
EXPERIENCE:
•Unique mix of capabilities as an investor and CFO, guiding the initial growth stages of several successful startups over the past 15 years, accounting for over $1.65B of current market capitalization.
•Held Partner and EIR roles at top decile performance funds including the Seed Stage VC firm, Moore Venture Partners, focusing on SaaS and health-tech startups, as well as AllMobile fund, which focuses on AI-enabled software
•Fractional CFO for portfolio companies, running capital campaigns, and bringing a hands-on approach to building value for both entrepreneurs and Limited Partners
•Began career at American Express Financial Advisors, achieving top investment manager status in Irvine, CA, and shortly after exiting AMEX, started own private venture fund, which invested in real estate and edtech.
•Took a role as CFO and cofounder was Open English which has subsequently grown to over 1,000 employees and has raised $120 million dollars. Open English is now the world’s #1 online ESL school with operations in most of Latin America.
•Further developed LA-based edtech investment thesis as early CFO at Talespin VR/AR, which deploys virtual reality simulations that put employees inside of immersive environments, teaching skills in a way that is fun and effective. Talespin has subsequently raised over $30M and recently closed their Series C.
•Helped fund over $20M into Vessel Health, which does instant health testing at-home, democratizing low cost healthcare for anyone across the globe.
•Dedicates time to non profit initiatives that leverage churches to provide education and healthcare to some of the most rural parts of the world.
•Launched Daily Hope Radio, which is the daily inspirational radio program from Pastor Rick Warren, as well as The Daniel Plan, which in partnership with Dr. Oz, promotes health and wellness throughout global religious institutions.
Founding Partner
•Early founder, CFO, and investor in startups that now account for over $1.65B of market capitalization
- •12 years of experience across early stage health-tech, ed-tech, and saas companies
- •Former Partner at Moore Venture Partners
- •Finance roles at American Express, Purpose Driven, Open English, Talespin, Tapin2, and Vessel
EXPERIENCE:
•Unique mix of capabilities as an investor and CFO, guiding the initial growth stages of several successful startups over the past 15 years, accounting for over $1.65B of current market capitalization.
•Held Partner and EIR roles at top decile performance funds including the Seed Stage VC firm, Moore Venture Partners, focusing on SaaS and health-tech startups, as well as AllMobile fund, which focuses on AI-enabled software
•Fractional CFO for portfolio companies, running capital campaigns, and bringing a hands-on approach to building value for both entrepreneurs and Limited Partners
•Began career at American Express Financial Advisors, achieving top investment manager status in Irvine, CA, and shortly after exiting AMEX, started own private venture fund, which invested in real estate and edtech.
•Took a role as CFO and cofounder was Open English which has subsequently grown to over 1,000 employees and has raised $120 million dollars. Open English is now the world’s #1 online ESL school with operations in most of Latin America.
•Further developed LA-based edtech investment thesis as early CFO at Talespin VR/AR, which deploys virtual reality simulations that put employees inside of immersive environments, teaching skills in a way that is fun and effective. Talespin has subsequently raised over $30M and recently closed their Series C.
•Helped fund over $20M into Vessel Health, which does instant health testing at-home, democratizing low cost healthcare for anyone across the globe.
•Dedicates time to non profit initiatives that leverage churches to provide education and healthcare to some of the most rural parts of the world.
•Launched Daily Hope Radio, which is the daily inspirational radio program from Pastor Rick Warren, as well as The Daniel Plan, which in partnership with Dr. Oz, promotes health and wellness throughout global religious institutions.
STRATEGIC ADVISORY NETWORK OF 100+, INCLUDING:
Katherine Hill Ritchie
Founder, CIO/CEO Private Capital Investments, LLC
Worked for 8 Family Offices, 4 Billionaires
18 years of finance, investment, sourcing, diligence and portfolio management experience
Investment Committee - University Impact VC Fund, ACG Vice Chair of Family Office Committee
Michael Kleeman
Senior Executive
VP, Boston Consulting
Founding Exec at Sprint
Senior Executive
VP, Boston Consulting
Founding Exec at Sprint
Nick Gogerty
Finance Innovator
Bridgewater
Thoughtful Capital Group
Author: The Nature of Value
Finance Innovator
Bridgewater
Thoughtful Capital Group
Author: The Nature of Value
Paul Holthus
Founder and CEO
World Ocean Council
Founder and CEO
World Ocean Council
