Judges Panel

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.

Cristina Dolan is a renowned advanced technology executive, and executive cyber advisor for Crimson Vista, currently serving on the boards and audit committees of several prominent public technology companies involved with Industry 5.0 technologies. At RSA Security, Netwitness, she held key leadership roles, including Managing Director for LATAM, Head of the Americas Channel, and Global Head of Alliances.

An accomplished entrepreneur, Cristina launched startups such as iXledger, a cyber insurance marketplace focused on advanced technologies, and was CEO of an MIT AI Spin-off she commercialized before orchestration acquisition.  She is also a co-founder of Additum, a European 'Value Based Healthcare' ecosystem. Currently, Cristina is a Senior Lecturer at Columbia University’s Technology Management Program and has contributed to the World Economic Forum’s cybersecurity publications and authored books on ESG and Data. Her career includes executive roles at IBM, Oracle, Disney, and Hearst, as well as leading the MIT AI spin-out, Wordstream.

Cristina’s achievements have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Harold E. Lobdell Distinguished Service Award from MIT and the Coup de Coeur du CEFCYS Cybersecurity Europe award.  She earned a Master of Science degree from the MIT Media Lab and a Master of Computer Science and Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree.

Thomas Graham is the co-founder of Lightmatter, where his team is leading the evolution of computing, reducing its impact on our planet, and enabling the next great leaps in human progress through silicon photonics. Graham co-founded the company in 2017 out of MIT and has helped raise $850 million in funding by leading investors including Fidelity, Google Ventures, Sequoia, Spark, T Rowe Price, and Viking. Lightmatter was most recently valued at $4.4 billion and is now the largest silicon photonics company in the world. The company’s groundbreaking Passage™ platform—the world’s first 3D-stacked silicon photonics engine—connects thousands to millions of processors at the speed of light. Designed to eliminate critical data bottlenecks, Lightmatter’s technology enables unparalleled efficiency and scalability for the most advanced AI and high-performance computing workloads, pushing the boundaries of AI infrastructure.

Prior to Lightmatter, Thomas worked at Google in product management and operations. He completed his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, his MS in Computer Science from Columbia University, and earned his bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University.

Arina Shulga is a corporate and securities attorney with extensive experience representing startups and emerging growth companies. She often acts as outside general counsel, guiding clients from formation through initial financing rounds and beyond. Her services include entity formation, advice on U.S. operations, employment law, intellectual property matters, structuring complex joint ventures and distribution agreements, and facilitating investment and exit opportunities. Arina also advises angel investors and venture capital funds on their investments.

In the technology sector, Arina advises on the legal framework related to equity crowdfunding and the issuance of security and utility tokens in the United States. As a native Russian speaker, Arina assists Russian-speaking founders and investors in conducting and expanding their businesses in the U.S. or securing venture financing for exit transactions. She is active in the New York City startup community, a member of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, and serves as an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School, where she teaches Entrepreneurial Law.