Richard Collins (Engine Ventures)
Richard is Senior Director of Research at Engine Ventures, a venture capital firm spun out of MIT that invests in the next generation of Tough Tech founders. He leads the firm’s research function, generating insights that guide new investments and support the portfolio. He brings deep experience in strategic consulting on emerging technologies and holds a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Oxford.
Vera Schroeder (Safar Partners)
Vera Schroeder is a Partner and Investment Committee Member at Safar Partners. Vera brings broad experience in the fields of chemistry, nanoscience, and materials science to the Safar team. As a graduate student, she worked in the laboratory of Professor Tim Swager at MIT focused on carbon-nanotube-based chemical sensing. While at MIT, she also spent her time at Sloan and HBX learning about venture creation and strategy, as well as interning at MP Healthcare Venture Management fund. She holds a BS and MS in Chemistry from RWTH Aachen University and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from MIT.
Rahul Meka (Playground VC)
Rahul joined Playground in 2023 and focuses on deep tech investing across decarbonization, automation, and AI.
Rahul’s professional journey began at Magna International, where he focused on electrification, autonomy in mobility, and other aspects of manufacturing and robotics. Following his tenure at Magna, he contributed his expertise to Akasha Imaging, which was later acquired by Intrinsic, an Alphabet company based out of Google X. At Intrinsic, Rahul furthered his exploration of computational imaging and related technologies.
Rahul holds an MBA in Finance and Strategy from the University of Chicago, complemented by an MSc. in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University and a B Engg. in Mechanical Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology and Science.
When he is not busy sourcing deals and supporting companies, Rahul enjoys studying watches and playing soccer.
Vladimir Bulović
Vladimir Bulović is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, holding the Fariborz Maseeh Chair in Emerging Technology. He directs the Organic and Nanostructured Electronics Laboratory, co-leads the MIT-Eni Solar Frontiers Center, leads the Tata GridEdge program, and is the Founding Director of MIT.nano, MIT's new 200,000 sqft nano-fabrication, nano-characterization, and prototyping facility that opened in the summer of 2018. He is an author of over 250 research articles (cited over 45,000 times) and an inventor of over 100 U.S. patents in areas of light emitting diodes, lasers, photovoltaics, photodetectors, chemical sensors, programmable memories, and micro-electro machines, majority of which have been licensed and utilized by both start-up and multinational companies. The three start-up companies Bulović co-founded jointly employ over 400 people, and include Ubiquitous Energy, Inc., developing nanostructured solar technologies, Kateeva, Inc., focused on development of printed electronics, and QD Vision, Inc. (acquired in 2016) that produced quantum dot optoelectronic components. Products of these companies have been used by millions. Bulović was the first Associate Dean for Innovation of the School of Engineering and the Inaugural co-Director of MIT’s Innovation Initiative, which he co-led from 2013 to 2018. For his passion for teaching Bulović has been recognized with the MacVicar Fellowship, MIT’s highest teaching honor. He completed his Electrical Engineering B.S.E. and Ph.D. degrees at Princeton University.
Lisa DeCrescente
Lisa DeCrescente is an experienced Patent Attorney, currently serving as Intellectual Property Counsel at Revvity, Inc. At Revvity, Lisa manages an extensive patent portfolio of over 3,000 patents covering a broad array of technologies, including microfluidics, mechanical and electrical devices, medical devices, next generation sequencing, and chemical compounds. In her role, she also evaluates third party IP, conducts trademark and patentability analyses, evaluates and maintains trade secrets, and litigates IP matters. Lisa has a Juris Doctor with honors in Intellectual Property from Quinnipiac University School of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Quinnipiac Law Review, and a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where she was a research assistant in microfluidics in the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Research Center.
