Innovation Works

Meet the Team

We’re a team of problem solvers.

We are brainstormers, innovators, and entrepreneurs alike. We’ve raised funds, launched products and won over the hearts of customers. We know how to help because we’ve all been there before. We believe that entrepreneurs just like you will lead the charge of solving the world’s toughest problems. We know that diverse teams make innovation possible. Our perspectives have been uniquely shaped by our individual experiences, and those experiences help us bring different ideas and creativity to everything we do.

We have worked closely with entrepreneurs and seen first-hand the growth of companies through different stages and the lessons learned from product, customer acquisition, and funding strategies. Our team has seen first-hand all of those funding transactions that made up the $2B+ of follow-on funding, we have the unique perspective to understand how they came together so that company operational/growth plans are aligned with the realities of the fast-changing funding environment. And our passion fuels us to help your startup reach its next milestone.

IW Board Members

Ron Bianchini | Distinguished Engineer, Microsoft | Former Founder & CEO, NetApp (Acquired by FORE Systems) |Founder & CEO, Avere Systems (Acquired by Microsoft)

Stephen C. Chen | General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Duolingo, Inc.

Joe Ferrara |Chief Executive Officer, Security Journey

Tom Jones | Board Chair| Managing Director, Draper Triangle Venture

Donna Myers | Chief Executive Officer, Salsa Labs

Steven Reis, MD |Vice Chancellor for Multidisciplinary Innovations, Health Sciences | Director, Clinical and Translational Science Institute | Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

David K. Roger | President, Hillman Family Foundations

Rob A. Rutenbar | Senior Vice Chancellor for Research | Professor of Computer Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

William (Bill) Sanders |Dean of the College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University | Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, of computer science, and in the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University

Jimmy Williams Jr., Ph.D. | Senior VP and Chief Technology Officer, ATI