Masterclass Live! How We Evaluate a Venture Deal

Overview:

Laura Rippy is a Managing Partner and Board Member at Alumni Ventures. She runs the Harvard-focused fund (The Yard Ventures), the Dartmouth-focused fund (Green D Ventures), the Women’s Fund at Alumni Ventures, and helps our US Strategic Tech fund. Alumni Ventures is “America’s Largest Venture Firm for Individuals” with $1.5B raised, and 1500 portfolio companies. AV is one of the top 3 most active venture capital firms globally, per Pitchbook 2018-24.

Previously, Laura was a serial CEO, Chairman, Board Member, Advisor, and Executive in high-technology companies including Microsoft. Business Insider ranked Laura in the Best Early Stage Investors of 2024 and 2025.

Laura Rippy holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an AB in Government from Dartmouth College.

Funds Actively Worked On:

• Yard Ventures
• Green D Ventures
• Women’s Fund
• US Strategic Tech Fund

Investment Lens:

Laura’s investing areas at AV leverage her operating experience in consumer internet, enterprise software, and novel technology innovations. She is inspired by founders aiming to build “N of 1” companies, ideally with IP or other moats. Business Insider ranked Rippy in the Top 100 Early Stage Investors of 2024 and 2025, and #1 in the Top Female Seed Investors of 2025.

Darrin is an investment professional with an extensive background in financial services and B2B. Throughout his 25 year career, he has worked with individual investors, investment advisors and their clients, and institutional (foundations and endowments) clients, with various investment vehicles including mutual funds, separately managed accounts, socially responsible portfolios, and alternative investments. He earned a BA in Economics & Public Management from UMaine and an MBA from Boston College.

Charlotte Jenkins is a Principal at Alumni Ventures, where she invests in early-stage companies across sectors, with a focus on AI and emerging technologies reshaping everyday life and work. Before joining Alumni Ventures, Charlotte helped build and scale startups spanning AI, consumer technology, and logistics, with operating experience from pre-seed through Series B. She brings an operator’s perspective to investing and is particularly drawn to the 0-to-1 stage, where creative problem-solving, rapid learning, and unconventional ideas can lay the foundation for transformative businesses.

Actively Works On:

• Green D Ventures
• Women’s Fund
• Next-Gen Consumer Syndicate

Investment Areas of Focus
Charlotte focuses on AI and emerging technologies reshaping how people live, work, and interact with the world. Her investment interests span AI-native services, consumer technology, AI applications, and infrastructure, with a particular interest in products that move beyond enabling tasks to delivering outcomes. She approaches emerging technologies through a behavioral lens, exploring how new capabilities change what people expect from software, how they make decisions, and how businesses deliver value. She is particularly drawn to opportunities where technological shifts unlock entirely new products, services, and business models.

Drew has worked in high-growth industries as both an investor and operator, focusing on how people and technology interact within organizations. As a long-time investor with Alumni Ventures, he has worked across multiple funds and internal initiatives. He has worked on National and State level political campaigns, focusing on Small Business and Entrepreneurial policy. Drew holds a BS from Northwestern University in Education and Social Policy, specializing in Learning & Organizational Development. He also served as an Ambassador for Northwestern’s Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and was recognized in Chicago Inno’s 25 under 25.

Luca Giani is a Senior Principal, investor, and serial entrepreneur with a track record across venture creation, M&A, and translational science. He specializes in bridging science, strategy, capital, and talent to help build mission-driven ventures.

Luca was the Founder & CEO of Ilios Therapeutics, a neuroscience company developing a novel chemistry platform to address ALS, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease. Under his leadership, Ilios built a diversified preclinical pipeline, advanced lead optimization, filed foundational IP, and positioned the company for strategic partnerships.

Luca is a Termeer Fellow, part of a global network of emerging biotech CEOs mentored by industry leaders. He previously served as a Blavatnik Fellow in Life Science Entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School, and as a Technology and Public Purpose Fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center, appointed by and working with former U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, where he authored policy work on accelerating treatments for neurodegenerative diseases under the mentorship of Dr. Robert Langer.

Earlier in his career, Luca co-founded Innbiotec Pharma; led international investments in MedTech and digital health at 5Lion Ventures; and co-founded and commercialized Somnifix, a patented sleep apnea and snoring therapy. He began his career in M&A at Credit Suisse, followed by strategy consulting at Bain & Company in London, advising clients on market expansion, transformation, and operational optimization.

Luca holds a Master with Distinction from Harvard, has completed programs at Harvard Medical School, Harvard Business School, and MIT Sloan, and earned his B.S. magna cum laude from Georgetown University.