The iVenture team.
The incredible iVenture ecosystem is led by a small full-time staff. Current and emeritus staff members have led the 20+ programs that comprise the entire ecosystem.
Director
Director
Manu Edakara
Manu Edakara
Hello, I'm Manu. In my role, I coach a diverse array of ambitious young people on career — especially those inspired to pursue entrepreneurship. A significant portion of my time is spent thinking through career, vision, impact, and life goals, often in very uncertain and risky future scenarios.
Mayank Mehta
Mayank Mehta
Hello! My name is Mayank, and I exist at the intersection of social impact, brand strategy, and human centered design. With a spiritual lens, I'm always looking to see how impact at scale begins and create a stronger foundation for all change-makers to create a brighter impact in our world.
Assistant Director
Assistant Director
Staff, emeritus
Staff, emeritus
iVenture wouldn't be where it is without them here first.
iVenture wouldn't be where it is without them here first.
Co-Founder
iV1-8
Professor Noah Isserman is the reason iVenture exists, plain and simple. A Gates Scholar from Cambridge focused on the financing and future of social goods, Professor Isserman worked with hundreds of nonprofits, companies, and government boards, mostly at the board level, on six continents. A former CEO with two successful exits, Noah is the founder of iVenture Accelerator and Illinois Social Innovation and the inaugural Faculty Director of the Origin Ventures Office of Entrepreneurship. His visionary leadership led to our extraordinary values and community. Today, he continues to advise and invest in the next generation of founders.
Co-Founder
iV1-8
Professor Noah Isserman is the reason iVenture exists, plain and simple. A Gates Scholar from Cambridge focused on the financing and future of social goods, Professor Isserman worked with hundreds of nonprofits, companies, and government boards, mostly at the board level, on six continents. A former CEO with two successful exits, Noah is the founder of iVenture Accelerator and Illinois Social Innovation and the inaugural Faculty Director of the Origin Ventures Office of Entrepreneurship. His visionary leadership led to our extraordinary values and community. Today, he continues to advise and invest in the next generation of founders.
Co-Founder
iV1-3
Ryan Singh is the cofounder of iVenture Accelerator and Illinois Social Innovation. As our lead coordinator, Ryan was instrumental in building the operations and community of our office. He is also the co-founder and COO of Loop Health (an iVenture 1 startup), where he's focused on pioneering value-based and preventative healthcare in India.
Co-Founder
iV1-3
Ryan Singh is the cofounder of iVenture Accelerator and Illinois Social Innovation. As our lead coordinator, Ryan was instrumental in building the operations and community of our office. He is also the co-founder and COO of Loop Health (an iVenture 1 startup), where he's focused on pioneering value-based and preventative healthcare in India.
Kristin Walters
Communications Coordinator
iV1-6
Kristin Walters was part of the iVenture founding team as our Communications Director and guided our messaging through challenging times such as the pandemic.
Kristin Walters
Communications Coordinator
iV1-6
Kristin Walters was part of the iVenture founding team as our Communications Director and guided our messaging through challenging times such as the pandemic.
iVenture Fellowship
The iVenture staff is supported by incredible Fellows. From operations to events to data to social media to videography to DEI, the iVenture Fellows span a wide variety of professions across a diverse number of colleges, majors, and dreams.
Multi-cohort fellows.
They loved iVenture so much they decided to come back again and again.
Lead Program
iV4, 6
Sarah Brincks
Lead Program
iV4, 6
Operations
iV4, 6
Pooja Deshmukh
Operations
iV4, 6
Marketing
iV4, 7
Bianca Chan
Marketing
iV4, 7
Outreach
iV5
Chuck Miller
Outreach
iV5
Design
iV5, 6
Sanya Rupani
Design
iV5, 6
Videography
iV5, 6, 7
Joseph Abe-Bell
Videography
iV5, 6, 7
Lead Program
iV4, 5, 6, 7
Gabriel Price
Lead Program
iV4, 5, 6, 7
Marketing
iV6, 7, 8
Joshua Jay James
Marketing
iV6, 7, 8
Lead Program
iV6, 7, 8
Sathwik Reddy
Lead Program
iV6, 7, 8
Social Media
iV8, 9
Rebekah Phaiboun
Social Media
iV8, 9
Events
iV8, 9
Rishi Sadanandan
Events
iV8, 9
Design
iV6, 7, 8
Karolina Guerrero
Design
iV6, 7, 8
DEI
iV8, 10
Aasiyah Adnan
DEI
iV8, 10
DEI
iV9, 10
Benji Chung
DEI
iV9, 10
Lead Program
iV9, 10
Karan Jain
Lead Program
iV9, 10
Lead Program
iV9, 10
Mohammad El-Jawhari
Lead Program
iV9, 10
Operations
iV10, 11
John Rimando
Operations
iV10, 11
New year, new Fellow friends.
The iVenture Fellowship grows every year. We couldn't be who we are without them being who they are.
Lead Program
iV3
Shanat Barua
Lead Program
iV3
Outreach
iV5
Veena Yeleswerapu
Outreach
iV5
Lead Program
iV5
Min Soo Kim
Lead Program
iV5
Operations
iV5
McKayla Carruthers
Operations
iV5
Operations
iV7
Albert Chen
Operations
iV7
Writing
iV7
Steven Li
Writing
iV7
Events
iV8
Michelle Enright
Events
iV8
Operations
iV8
Prachi Nerkar
Operations
iV8
Writing
iV8
Nour Longi
Writing
iV8
Writing
iV8
Alexa Smith
Writing
iV8
Data
iV9
Aishani Sahoo
Data
iV9
Outreach
iV9
Will Lawson
Outreach
iV9
Social Media
iV9
Samantha Palazzolo
Social Media
iV9
Social Media
iV10
Rachel Sigrist
Social Media
iV10
Social Innovation
iV10
Ella Bruks
Social Innovation
iV10
Social Media
iV10
Emily Chen
Social Media
iV10
Director
Manu Edakara
Hello, I'm Manu. In my role, I coach a diverse array of ambitious young people on career — especially those inspired to pursue entrepreneurship. A significant portion of my time is spent thinking through career, vision, impact, and life goals, often in very uncertain and risky future scenarios.
Mayank Mehta
Hello! My name is Mayank, and I exist at the intersection of social impact, brand strategy, and human centered design. With a spiritual lens, I'm always looking to see how impact at scale begins and create a stronger foundation for all change-makers to create a brighter impact in our world.
Assistant Director
Staff, emeritus
iVenture wouldn't be where it is without them here first.
Co-Founder
iV1-8
Professor Noah Isserman is the reason iVenture exists, plain and simple. A Gates Scholar from Cambridge focused on the financing and future of social goods, Professor Isserman worked with hundreds of nonprofits, companies, and government boards, mostly at the board level, on six continents. A former CEO with two successful exits, Noah is the founder of iVenture Accelerator and Illinois Social Innovation and the inaugural Faculty Director of the Origin Ventures Office of Entrepreneurship. His visionary leadership led to our extraordinary values and community. Today, he continues to advise and invest in the next generation of founders.
Co-Founder
iV1-3
Ryan Singh is the cofounder of iVenture Accelerator and Illinois Social Innovation. As our lead coordinator, Ryan was instrumental in building the operations and community of our office. He is also the co-founder and COO of Loop Health (an iVenture 1 startup), where he's focused on pioneering value-based and preventative healthcare in India.
Kristin Walters
Communications Coordinator
iV1-6
Kristin Walters was part of the iVenture founding team as our Communications Director and guided our messaging through challenging times such as the pandemic.
iVenture Fellowship
The iVenture staff is supported by incredible Fellows. From operations to events to data to social media to videography to DEI, the iVenture Fellows span a wide variety of professions across a diverse number of colleges, majors, and dreams.
Multi-cohort fellows.
They loved iVenture so much they decided to come back again and again.
Sarah Brincks
Lead Program
iV4, 6
Pooja Deshmukh
Operations
iV4, 6
Bianca Chan
Marketing
iV4, 7
Chuck Miller
Outreach
iV5
Sanya Rupani
Design
iV5, 6
Joseph Abe-Bell
Videography
iV5, 6, 7
Gabriel Price
Lead Program
iV4, 5, 6, 7
Joshua Jay James
Marketing
iV6, 7, 8
Sathwik Reddy
Lead Program
iV6, 7, 8
Rebekah Phaiboun
Social Media
iV8, 9
Rishi Sadanandan
Events
iV8, 9
Karolina Guerrero
Design
iV6, 7, 8
Aasiyah Adnan
DEI
iV8, 10
Benji Chung
DEI
iV9, 10
Karan Jain
Lead Program
iV9, 10
Mohammad El-Jawhari
Lead Program
iV9, 10
John Rimando
Operations
iV10, 11
New year, new Fellow friends.
The iVenture Fellowship grows every year. We couldn't be who we are without them being who they are.
Shanat Barua
Lead Program
iV3
Veena Yeleswerapu
Outreach
iV5
Min Soo Kim
Lead Program
iV5
McKayla Carruthers
Operations
iV5
Albert Chen
Operations
iV7
Steven Li
Writing
iV7
Michelle Enright
Events
iV8
Prachi Nerkar
Operations
iV8
Nour Longi
Writing
iV8
Alexa Smith
Writing
iV8
Aishani Sahoo
Data
iV9
High school shadow
iV9
Will Lawson
Outreach
iV9
Samantha Palazzolo
Social Media
iV9
Rachel Sigrist
Social Media
iV10
Ella Bruks
Social Innovation
iV10
Emily Chen
Social Media
iV10
iVenture Accelerator
The educational accelerator for startups ready to scale within the U of I system.
iVenture Accelerator
The educational accelerator for startups ready to scale within the U of I system.