VC Panel

Emily Knight

CEO and President | The Engine

Emily Knight is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Engine, the nonprofit incubator and accelerator spun out of MIT dedicated to supporting tough tech startups — early-stage companies advancing breakthrough science and engineering solutions for global challenges.

In her role, Emily leads The Engine’s strategic direction and partnerships with researchers, investors, industry partners, and educational institutions to help founders bridge the gap from discovery to commercial impact. She has been with The Engine since 2017, serving in operational leadership roles before becoming CEO, and brings deep experience in building ecosystems and operational frameworks that enable technology-driven ventures to scale. Emily holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and is widely recognized for her commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration, and community within the tough tech ecosystem.

Ashley Ryder

Partner | Vamos Ventures

Ashley Ryder is a venture investor and operator focused on early-stage technology and consumer companies. She is a Partner at VamosVentures, where she works closely with founders to support product, growth, and strategic development across diverse sectors.

Before joining VamosVentures, Ashley was part of the investment teams at Founders Factory, Brand Foundry Ventures, and Dorm Room Fund, contributing to sourcing, diligence, and portfolio support for emerging ventures. She brings experience across both investing and operations, with a track record of working with early-stage founders to scale products and build teams. Ashley is active in the startup community and shares insights through her writing and social media engagement. Her background blends analytical rigor with a founder-centric approach, helping innovators navigate early growth challenges and connect with mission-aligned capital partners.

Jenny Fielding

Co-Founder & Managing Partner |

Everywhere VC

Jenny Fielding is one of the most active global pre-seed investors, having invested in 300+ companies as the first money in. As the cofounder and Managing Partner of Everywhere Ventures, Jenny has built a thriving community of 500+ founders and operators who help source, diligence, and invest in the next generation of startups across 3 core verticals: money, health, and work.

Prior to launching her own fund, Jenny spent 7.5 years as the Managing Director of Techstars where she invested in a portfolio of companies with a current market cap over $10B. Jenny is a 2x founder, a lawyer by training, and an adjunct professor at Columbia University and Cornell Tech.

Laura Rippy

Managing Partner & Board Member | Alumni Ventures

Laura is a leader of multiple funds at Alumni Ventures and serves on the Board. While at Alumni Ventures, she built Green D Ventures (Dartmouth-centric) to be the largest alumni fund at AV. In her expanded role, she now leads the Yard Ventures (Harvard-centric) and the Alumni Ventures Women’s Fund. In 2024, her team launched the U.S. Strategic Tech Fund (an Alumni Ventures Fund).

She was a three-time CEO, Board Member, and executive in many technology startups in Boston, Seattle, and DFW. She has previous experience at Microsoft across enterprise software and founding startup teams over seven years. Laura did strategy consulting in Germany during the economic unification of West and East Germany. Laura Rippy holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an AB in Government from Dartmouth College.

Stephanie Oestreich

Managing Director | Myeloma Investment Fund of the MMRF

Stephanie Oestreich is Managing Director of the Myeloma Investment Fund (MIF) and serves on the faculty of MIT. She is a member of Springboard Ventures and advises grIP Venture Studio, Invitris, CelineTx, and more.

Previously, Stephanie was Chief Business Officer at Galecto, Vice President at Mnemo Therapeutics, Venture Partner at RA Capital, and Executive Vice President at Evotec, where she built its North American investment arm and co-founded an incubator with Samsara BioCapital. Earlier in her career, she held roles at Roche and Novartis. She earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard Medical School, conducting research in the lab of a Nobel laureate, and holds an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. A semi-professional violinist, Stephanie performs in Carnegie Hall and leads workshops drawing parallels between orchestral leadership and team dynamics.

Judges Panel

Emily Young

CEO & Co-founder | Moving Health

Emily Young is an engineer-turned-social entrepreneur and the CEO & Co-Founder of Moving Health, a nonprofit designing, building, and distributing locally manufactured emergency ambulances to improve maternal and medical transport access in rural Ghana and other underserved regions. An alumna of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Emily developed the concept for Moving Health while studying mechanical engineering and human-centered design, and has since led the organization’s growth from a student project at MIT D-Lab into a scalable global health innovation. Her work emphasizes community-driven solutions, low-cost technologies, and equitable health infrastructure that bridges gaps in emergency transport where traditional ambulances are scarce or unaffordable. Under her leadership, Moving Health’s tricycle ambulances have expanded access to life-saving care for thousands of people in rural northern Ghana. Emily continues to advocate for design-led impact, collaboration across sectors, and scaling sustainable solutions in global health and development.

Cindy Cook

Board Chair | New York Angels

Cindy Cook is the Chair of New York Angels (NYA), a prominent angel investment group based in New York. Appointed in April 2024, she is the first woman to lead the organization. Since joining NYA five years ago, Cook has been an active member, serving on the Board and contributing to key committees such as Member Engagement, Marketing, and Screening. She has also led several investment deals and holds Board Observer roles with companies like Allstar and Kidas.

Before her tenure at NYA, Cook amassed over 30 years of experience in senior operating roles across industries including entertainment, healthcare, education, and consumer packaged goods. Notably, she played a pivotal role in launching "World of Warcraft" during her time at Vivendi Games and spearheaded digital transformation initiatives at Universal Music Group, Cengage Learning, and Elsevier. Her extensive background in marketing and strategy informs her investment approach, focusing on sectors where she has substantial expertise.

Matt Bobrow

Corporate Partner | Fox Rothschild

As part of Fox Rothschild’s Private Equity and Investment Funds team, I represent investors and sponsors throughout all stages of a fundraise including fund formation, the offering process, side letter negotiations, placement arrangements, secondary transactions, and regulatory and governance matters. I have experience advising a number of well-known sponsors and investors, including some of the world’s largest investment fund sponsors and several of the nation’s largest and most active institutional investors. Before joining the firm, I practiced as a corporate attorney, counseling emerging growth companies and small startups on how to raise private capital; complete an acquisition, merger, restructuring, or sale; and conduct a de-SPAC or an initial public offering, including completing related public filings.