Our Team

Mohamed Fahmi

Position: Regional Managing Director at First Republic Bank

Mohamed Fahmi

Regional Managing Director at First Republic Bank

Ajay Agarwal

Position: Managing Director, Bain Capital Ventures

Ajay invests in early-stage software with a focus on front-office SaaS, AI/ML infrastructure, and supply chain technology. Prior to Bain Capital Ventures, Ajay led product and sales as an early employee at Trilogy, an enterprise software pioneer, growing annual revenues to $300 million.

Ajay’s primary investment themes include AI-enabled applications (Clari, Gainsight), the future of work (Homebase), bottom-up and developer led software (Sendgrid), supply chain and manufacturing transformation (FourKites, ShipBob, Vention), and automation (Ike). Ajay served as board director of several exited companies with combined outcomes of nearly $5 Billion, including SendGrid (acq. by Twilio), TellApart (acq. by Twitter), Kiva Systems (acq. by Amazon), and InfoScout (acq. by Vista Equity), and has been named multiple times to the Forbes Midas List Top 100 Venture Capitalists.

As employee #18 and SVP Product, Sales & Marketing at Trilogy Software, Ajay built a legendary recruiting program, signed multi-million-dollar contracts with Fortune 500 customers, and delivered breakthrough enterprise products, including market leading config-price-quote (CPQ) software. Ajay holds a patent for the “Method and Apparatus of Configuration Solutions”.

Combining his track record at Trilogy with 17 years of investment experience at Bain Capital Ventures, Ajay’s passion is working with early stage founders on team-building, culture, iterating on product-market fit, and scaling go-to-market operations.

Ajay invests in early-stage software with a focus on front-office SaaS, AI/ML infrastructure, and supply chain technology. Prior to Bain...

Ajay Agarwal

Managing Director, Bain Capital Ventures

Jack Dorsey, Emeritus

Position: Founder & CEO, Twitter Founder & CEO, Square

Jack Dorsey, Emeritus

Founder & CEO, Twitter Founder & CEO, Square

Karl Jacob

Position: Serial Entrepreneur

Karl Jacob

Serial Entrepreneur

David Peinsipp

Position: Partner, Cooley

David Peinsipp

Partner, Cooley

Dora Gougoufkas *DC*

Position: DC Regional Board Chair, VP Risk Management, Capital One
Top: 1

Dora Gougoufkas *DC*

DC Regional Board Chair, VP Risk Management, Capital One

Mike Portegello *NYC*

Position: NYC Regional Board Chair, Partner, Northeast Region Growth Markets Leader, Ernst & Young LLP
Top: 1

Mike Portegello is an Assurance Partner at Ernst & Young LLP, where he brings more than 30 years of international and domestic experience in public accounting serving publicly traded companies with operations in both the US and abroad. Currently, he serves as the Northeast Region Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) Leader to provide services that help companies navigate the various aspects of a growth-oriented enterprise. SGM is a global network of EY professionals advising the full spectrum of dynamic, fast-moving and groundbreaking companies around the world, including VC-backed/private equity companies and their investors, large private and family enterprises, IPO-bound companies, and public companies in the Russell 3000 and 2000 indexes.​

Throughout his career, Mike has worked with clients in New York and California, as well as internationally. He has served US registrants and foreign private issuers on SEC matters including initial public offerings (IPOs), public and private debt offerings, quarterly and annual filings, acquisitions, divestitures, and stock registrations. ​

Previously, he provided overall management and led high performing teams to deliver audit services to New York State and Connecticut area clients. He continues to work closely with multinational organizations as well as high growth phase companies in the software/technology, media and entertainment, and leasing industries.​

Prior to this role, Mike served as Strategic Growth Markets Leader for New York, leading a multidisciplinary team of dedicated professionals in providing perspective to and advising our emerging, IPO-bound, entrepreneurial clients on accelerating their growth. In addition, he has served as a Co-Director of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year New York program. ​

Mike graduated Suma Cum Laude from St. John’s University and received his MBA from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at NYU.

Mike Portegello is an Assurance Partner at Ernst & Young LLP, where he brings more than 30 years of international...

Mike Portegello *NYC*

NYC Regional Board Chair, Partner, Northeast Region Growth Markets Leader, Ernst & Young LLP

Afdhel Aziz

Position: Co-Founder/Chief Purpose Officer, Conspiracy of Love
Email: [email protected]

Afdhel Aziz

Co-Founder/Chief Purpose Officer, Conspiracy of Love

Trish Walker *Boston*

Position: Boston Regional Board Chair

Trish Walker *Boston*

Boston Regional Board Chair

Roy Hirshland *Chairman*

Position: National Board Chair, Chair, Innovation Savills
Top: 1
: Director1

Roy Hirshland *Chairman*

National Board Chair, Chair, Innovation Savills

Eldridge Gray

Position: Managing Director, Seven Post Investment Office LP

Eldridge Gray

Managing Director, Seven Post Investment Office LP

Doug Brien *Secretary*

Position: National Board Secretary, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Mynd

Doug Brien *Secretary*

National Board Secretary, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Mynd

Gagan Kanjlia

Position: Chief Product Officer, Silicon Valley Bank

Gagan Kanjlia

Chief Product Officer, Silicon Valley Bank

Michael Farb *California*

Position: California Regional Board Chair, CEO, Boatsetter
Top: 1

Michael has over 15 years of experience building, running and scaling technology companies and organizations across a wide range of industries. Leading the organization of Neon One brought together Michael’s skills and experience in growing entrepreneurial technology companies with his passion of supporting non-profit organizations to increase their impact in the world. In addition to now serving as CEO at Boatsetter, Michael serves as Board Chair for Build.org, a national education-based nonprofit that leverage entrepreneurship to empower students in underserved communities.

Michael has a Computer Science Degree from UPenn, and an MBA from the University of Chicago. After starting a career at Accenture where he built global technology systems in New York, London, Singapore, & Seoul, he co-founded CaptainU. Acting as President, he and his team scaled this sports technology platform to millions of customers and organizations. After CaptainU was acquired by Blue Star Sports, Michael joined the Blue Star team as Chief Revenue Office and GM of the Enterprise Software and Payments group, helping scale the organization and combining products to build a product suite for organizations to excel and flourish. Michael is now proud to leverage his background to help nonprofits and other mission-driven organizations drive impact and help them reach their goals more quickly.

Michael has over 15 years of experience building, running and scaling technology companies and organizations across a wide range of...

Michael Farb *California*

California Regional Board Chair, CEO, Boatsetter

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

WE DREAM BIG & GET THINGS DONE.

Download a Sample of Our Curriculum

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VIDEO PREPARATION GUIDELINES

HOW TO RECORD

1. iPhone, iPad, Zoom and Loom are all choices of recording tools for their video presentation 
2. Record with both students and their presentation in view
3. Record horizontally for the best view of the students and their presentation
4. Follow Presentation Diagram to the Right

PRESENTATION TIPS.

- Make eye contact with the camera
- Notecards may be used as cue cards
•Pro Tip: Notecards should avoid having a full script
- Even when you are not speaking, don’t forget the camera is still recording!
•Be aware of your body language while you and your business partners are speaking
- Everyone has an opportunity to speak
- Professional dress is encouraged
- Practice makes perfect
•Practice how you will transition from each speaker
•Project your voice when you speak​

Follow positioning format Above

Download a Sample of Our Curriculum

Fill out this form to receive a free sample of our curriculum and to receive occasional email updates on how to bring BUILD to your community.