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It takes a passionate team to backup each startup

SkyDeck offers all the benefits of a traditional accelerator along with the vast resources of the world’s number one ranked public university.

Formed as a partnership between UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, the College of Engineering, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, SkyDeck offers a powerful environment for startups to grow and launch. The robust and vibrant ecosystem includes a deep network of advisors, industry partners, and accredited investors.

SkyDeck Team

Caroline Winnett
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Caroline Winnett

Executive Director

Sibyl Chen
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Sibyl Chen

General Manager

George Panagiotakopoulos

George Panagiotakopoulos

Head of Europe

Jun Jiang
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Jun Jiang

Senior Manager, Global Innovation Program

Gordon Peng
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Gordon Peng

Operations & Platforms Manager

Ekin Günaysu
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Ekin Günaysu

Innovation Program Manager

Jamie Thomas
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Jamie Thomas

Program Coordinator

Kristin Chen
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Kristin Chen

Program Coordinator

SkyDeck Board of Directors

Tsu-Jae King Liu
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Tsu-Jae King Liu

Dean, College of Engineering

Kathy Yelick
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Kathy Yelick

Vice-Chancellor for Research

Ann Harrison
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Ann Harrison

Dean, Haas School of Business

Rich Lyons
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Rich Lyons

Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer

SkyAmbassador Network

Our SkyAmbassador network consists of invited individuals who promote SkyDeck at events, to individual startups, and to potential strategic, corporate, or global partners on behalf of SkyDeck. In addition, they help develop SkyDeck’s global network, elevate the visibility of the program, and provide a local contact for startups and others who want to learn more about SkyDeck. Our current SkyAmbassadors represent Southeast Asia, Central Europe, and Western Europe.

Karén Gyulbudaghyan
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Karén Gyulbudaghyan

Managing Partner

Strategic Value Ventures

Jeep Kline
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Jeep Kline

Professional Faculty

Haas School of Business

Aleksander Kuczek
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Aleksander Kuczek

Lecturer

AGH University of Sciences and Technology

Ciaran Quinn
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Ciaran Quinn

CEO

VEO2

Mitz Igarashi
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Mitz Igarashi

Founder

Simplex Holdings

SkyDeck DEI Committee

Our SkyDeck Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee consists of past and current SkyDeck founders, advisors, and mentors. Their role is to achieve more equitable access and greater diversity in future SkyDeck cohorts.

Francesca LeBaron
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Francesca LeBaron

Professional Faculty @ Berkeley- Haas

Kira Noodleman
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Kira Noodleman

Partner @ "Bee Partners"

Lucia Hick Williams
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Lucia Hick Williams

Chief Operating Officer at AnitaB.org

Mariah Lichtenstern
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Mariah Lichtenstern

Founding Partner @ DiverseCity Ventures

Elizabeth Redman Cleveland
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Elizabeth Redman Cleveland

Chief Strategist @ City of Berkeley

SkyDeck Faculty Advisors

Anca Dragan
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Anca Dragan

Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Director, Interact Lab

Amy E. Herr, Ph.D.
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Amy E. Herr, Ph.D.

Professor of Bioengineering

Faculty Director, Bakar BioEngunity Hub

Regis Kelly
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Regis Kelly

Professor, UCSF QB3 Quantitative Biosciences

Director, QB3 Institute

Kurt Keutzer
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Kurt Keutzer

Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Co-founder, DeepScale

Kris Pister
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Kris Pister

Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Ken Goldberg
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Ken Goldberg

Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Co-founder, Ambidextrous Labs

Gregory La Blanc
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Gregory La Blanc

Faculty Director,
Berkeley Fintech Institute

Michel Maharbiz
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Michel Maharbiz

Professor of Bioengineering

Co-founder, Iota Biosciences

Rikky Muller
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Rikky Muller

Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Co-founder, Cortera Neurotechnologies

Trevor Darrell
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Trevor Darrell

Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Founding Co-Director, Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research (BAIR), Berkeley Deep Drive (BDD)

Dawn Song
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Dawn Song

Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Co-founder, Oasis Labs

Allen Yang
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Allen Yang

Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Executive Director, FHL Vive Center for Enhanced Reality

Armando Fox
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Armando Fox

Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

David Schaffer
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David Schaffer

Professor of Bioengineering

Co-founder, 4D Molecular and Axent Biosciences

Michael Rape
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Michael Rape

Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology

SkyAdvisors: Industry experts

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