Houston Spring 2027
Houston Mentors
Program Mentors join weekly feedback sessions, host office hours, and in general provide you feedback every step of the way.
See the list of current and past mentors for the Houston program below.
Aaron Chavez
Managing Partner @ (un)conventional ventures
Aaron Hines
Co-founder @ Darbe
Aaron Gathmann
Executive Director @ North Texas Angel Network
Abdellah Aouf
Chief Executive Officer @ GO PLATFORM
Abe Chu
Co-founder & CMO @ NextSeed
Adeo Ressi
CEO @ Decile Group / VC Lab
Ali Syed
CEO / Founder @ Nocodehero
Alice Gong
Founder @ Alice G Astra
Alicia Locheed Goodrow
Founder @ Goodrow Holmes, PLLC
Allie Danziger
Founder @ Integrate
Amina Buric
CEO @ Atlas Advisory Collective
Amit Bhanot
Venture Partner @ Loyal VC
Amy Tran
B2B AI-Blockchain-Cyber Venture Builder @ IMPAVIDUS
Ana Rojas Bastidas
Founder & CEO @ Orolait
Andreea Marinescu
CEO @ Tech Add-Venture
Armando Mualumene
Founder and Project Developer & Team Leader @ The iDEASLab
Ashley DeWalt
Managing Director @ DivInc
Atul Patel
CEO and Founder @ Orbee
Austin Langley
@ Cofounder Ventures
Bade Aluko
Managing Partner @ White Hibiscus Capital
Ben Stacey
CEO @ Pitchverk
Bram Cohen
Founder/Chief Scientist @ BitTorrent
Brandy Guidry
Executive Director @ The Cannon
Byron Mitchell
Associate Attorney @ Goodrow Holmes, PLLC
Carliss Chatman
Professor / SME @ SMU Dedman School of Law / iLAW
Carolyn Rodz
Founder and CEO @ Hello Alice
Cassandra Iku
Community and Operations Coordinator @ SheSpace
Charles Dauber
CEO @ Warm Commerce
Christa Clarke
2x Founder. Coach. @ Operations Strategist
Christine Galib
Founder @ road less traveled enterprises
Christy Cardenas
Managing Partner @ Grit Ventures
Curt Olivares
2x Founder | Startup Advisor | Tech Career Coach @ Product Saint
Curt Lockhart
IP Attorney @ Lockhart IP
Dana Marruffo
Principal @ Buzz Public Relations, LLC
Dana Abramovitz
Founding Team @ SXSW
Denise McGettrick
Managing Attorney @ McGettrick Law PLLC
Didar Bekbauov
Founder and CEO @ 2xswap
Eduardo Buelna
Director Structured Products @ BP Energy
Elisa Sepulveda
FI Mentor @ Mentor
Elizabeth Tsai
Founder & CEO @ HiOperator
Eric Fishhaut
President @ MKB Services
Erin McClarty
Principal @ Erin McClarty, PLLC
Fareed Zein
Founder and CEO @ Unytag
Farell Duclair
CEO @ Starborn Solutions LLC
Fernando Moguel
Creator @ The Syneverse
Franklin Kamnang Ngansop
Co-Founder @ Vitamin CS Coaching
Gabe Zichermann
CEO @ Failosophy
Gina Bianchini
Cofounder @ Ning
Giselle Bisson
Managing Director @ Chain Reaction Marketing
Grace Rodriguez
CEO @ Impact Hub Houston
Graciela Perez
Founder & Lean Start Up Coach @ Lean Sigma Tech, LLC
Gustavo Sanchez
Founder @ Pandata Tech
Guy Parker
Chief Strategy & Creative Officer @ Ambient Way
Harini Bhamidipati
Founder & CEO @ Bearable
Haris Ali
Founder and CEO @ Vertechx Technologies
Harishan Lingan
Founder & CEO @ Oryntech AI Technologies Inc.
Harvin Moore
@ Frontera Technology Ventures
Heath Butler
Founder/Managing Partner @ Gestalt Growth Advisors
Heather Harde
Former CEO @ TechCrunch
Huan Le
General Counsel @ DiCentral
Indrajit Datta
Co-founder & President @ Equipt Innovation, Inc.
Ivelin Ivanov
Venture Advisor @ Founder Institute
Jag Singh
Managing Director @ A.R.M. Consulting
James Kaskade
CEO @ Conversica
James Phelan
Co-founder and CEO / Shareholder @ ZPTTLR Inc. / The Cannon
James Adams
Director of Operations @ Gallant
Jason Assir
Principal Consultant @ Opex Digital Consulting
Jason Trahan
Javy Martinez
Managing Director | Startup Advisor | Event Host @ Founder Institute North Texas
Jay Jamison
Jc Garrett
Chief Executive Officer @ Dashfire
Jeff Scott
CoFounder/ CEO @ Workflow Logic AI
Jeff Murphy
Founder and Managing Member @ Murphy Advisory Solutions ·
Jian Ruan
CTO @ Orbbit
Joe Betts Lacroix
CTO @ Vium
Joey Jones
Founder/CEO/Chief Compliance Officer @ RWA Ventures Ltd
John Young
principal @ Alkimie Pte. Ltd.
John Ngo
DBA @ John&Partners Global
Jorvik Tazeen
Founder & CEO @ AI Bleak
Joshua Wang
CEO @ Jōsh Foods
Joy Hutton
Founder and CEO @ Joy of Consulting
Juliana Garaizar
Lead Investor @ Portfolia
Julie Hartman
Founder/President @ J. Hartman
Justin Moore
CEO @ Axcient, Inc.
Kate McGinley
Scaling Health Tech Startups with Buyer-Aligned Growth | Fractional CGO/CRO @ 210 Healthcare
Katerina Zhukova
Director of Business Development @ JohnDuttonLaw PLLC
Katie Wallace
Founder @ Hux Sustainables
Kelsey Ruger
Chief Product & Technology Officer @ Hello Alice
Ken Cohen
Managing Principal @ Grow Associates, LLC
Kenley Clark
Founder and CEO @ TC Energy
Kennie Matthews
Chairman & CEO @ M Infrastructure, Inc.
Krishna Vattipalli
Founder and CEO @ Imaginnovate Techsolutions
LaGina R Harris
CEO / Founder @ LaRae Infinity LLC
Laketta Brooks
Founder @ TraceWrap
Levi Baer
Co-Founder @ Second Shift
Levi Velez Reed
Venture Partner @ Startup425
Lila Smith
Founder @ #SayThingsBetter
Lina Mateus
Founder and CEO @ Digi-Clicks
Lindsay Eulenfeld
Senior Director of Operations @ MassChallenge
Lori Freese
Principal @ FreeseMediaGroup
Manpreet Kohli
Senior Principal @ Adobe
Marcos Polanco
CEO @ Prelatent
Marcos Semola
Director (2017-2020) @ Founder Institute Rio
Mariana Muntean
Founder & CEO @ Cinevva
Mario Soave
Founder @ CleverFi
Martín Martinez
Founding & Executive Director @ Founder Institute Texas
Matt Mandell
Principal @ PayCard.com
Mehrab Momin
Human-Centered AI Architect & Advisor @ aiCTO Services
Mery Ramirez
Founding Partner @ DataNexum Consulting
Miao Yan
Global Product Manager-Alternate Energy @ Xylem
Michael Umansky
Co-Founder & CEO @ Edgy Labs
Mike Breck
Principal @ Acuity Thinking
Mitra Miller
President & Board Member @ Houston Angel Network
Mona Defrawi
CEO & Founder @ Radivision
Munjal Shah
CEO @ Like.com
Muriel Foster
Chief Operations Strategist @ Intentionally BLCK
Naeem Vehvaria
Director of Information Technology @ Meticul Solutions
Natasha Gorodetsky
Founder&Head of Product @ Product Pursuits
Neal Murthy
Chairman @ Haven Holdings
Noah Wallach
Founder @ Hope OS
Noah Fons
Coordinator @ Greater Houston Partnership
Olayinka James
President/CEO @ CYBEROPS INC.
Oleg Lysiak
Partner Success Manager @ Honeycomb Software
Paul O'Brien
Author @ Startup Ecosystems
Paul Kwiatkowski
Co-Founder and CTO @ GroupRaise
Payal Patel
Principal @ Softeq Ventures
Phil Libin
Founder & CEO @ All Turtles
Philip Kaplan
Founder and CEO @ ADHD Labs
Rafael Kartaszynski
CEO @ TechEdge Dynamics
Rahul Agarwal
Principal Technical Product Manager @ Hasura
Rahul Brahmbhatt
Investor / Mentor @ Day One
Raja Mawad
Founder @ Thrv.health
Rajesh Setty
Rajesh Setty - Serial Entrepreneur and Author @ WittyParrot
Rajneesh Dwivedi
Co-Founder and CEO @ Second Medic
Ram Prasad
Fractional CPO/CTO @ Delence
Rebecca Councill
Chief Social Officer @ CLR Digital Media Services
Richard Jones
Partner @ Healthseers
Richard Seline
Cofounder @ Resilience Innovation Hub
Riley Knox
CEO & Co-Founder @ Leviathan Air
Robert Pieroni
Managing Director, Strategic Partnerships & Business Development, Advisor @ gener8tor, Ecliptic Capital
Ron Palmeri
Founder/CEO @ Layer, Inc/MkII Ventures
Russ Fradin
Chairman & CEO @ Dynamic Signal
Saima Siddiqui
Director of Product Management @ Joyride.com
Salvatore Grignano
Marketing Officer @ Italian Trade Agency (ITA) - Houston
Sameer Sortur
Founding Partner @ SquareCircle Ventures
Sanjaykumar Patel
Founder -Patent & Trademark Attorney @ EXCELON IP - Patent & Trademark Attorneys
Santiago Sanchez
Founder & CEO @ Etailers Ecommerce
Sarah Hein
CEO @ March Biosciences
Scott Ferguson
Founder & Chief AI Officer @ Ferguson Analytics
Sebastien Long
Founder & CEO @ Lodgeur
Shlomi Podgaetz
Director/CEO @ Rizasmart Consulting
Sloan Foster
Principal @ Envisage Associates
Sneha Lundia Agrawal
Founder & CEO @ Step2Growth
Sophia Clark
Founder & Creative Director @ Galiatea
Stephen Meade
Founder & CEO @ MonetaPro
Steve Jennis
Founder and CEO @ Jennis Consulting Group
Tabbie Saenz
Founder @ Business and Trade Alliance
Talha Bin Shuja
Startup and Business Consultant @ High Hope International
Taneallea Feddis
Co-Director Jamaica @ Founder Institute
TC Lien
Mentor @ Founders Institute
Telha Ghanchi
Managing Director @ Valhalla Investment Group
Tiana Laurence
GP @ Laurence Innovation
Tim De Silva
Founder & CEO @ Culture Pilot
Tom Boinski
Management Consultant / CTO @ TechEdge Dynamics (TED STUDIO)
Tosin Ojo
Founder and Fractional CISO @ CITSAP
Tovit Neizer
Chief Storyteller @ Yellow Bricks
Tracy De Jarnett
Founder and CMO @ The Brandsoup Agency
Ty Audronis
Founder/ ceo @ Tempest Droneworx
Vern Chan
Certified Startup Coach @ Your Pivot
Vladimir Pletyukhin
Founder and Creative Director @ Launch Deck
Wade Pinder
Founder @ Product Houston
WAEL DOUKMAK
CEO @ AHLAN, Inc.
Wenceslao Casares
CEO @ Bling Nation
Will Bunker
Entrepreneur @ Co-Founder of One-and-Only (became Match.com)
Willy Verbrugghe
@ SCORE & Vehoco
Winston Choe
Founder/CEO @ Innoscape
Yared Akalou
CEO/Founder @ Alcove Group
Yemi Oluseun
Growth & GTM For FinTechs @ The Change Hive
Yj Lin
Senior Program Manager @ Dell
Ziv Gillat
Co-Founder @ Recogni Inc.`
The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our AI-native company-building programs have helped over 9,000 entrepreneurs raise over 2BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.
About us
Support
Resources
Copyright © 2026, Founder Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved