AIF

Arun Gupta is Executive Chairman of the Board at Parallel Systems, an autonomy company developing battery-electric, self-propelled rail cars and software for autonomous freight operations. He has held leadership and board positions at more than ten technology startups including Quartet Health, iD Tech, Accolade, and Palantir Technologies, and previously served as a General Partner at Accretive, a venture builder that created multiple public companies. Gupta holds a Master's degree from Harvard Kennedy School and a bachelor's degree from Duke University, and currently serves on private and not-for-profit boards while advising investors and corporations on technology and innovation.

Brian O'Callaghan founded CPI in 1996, a firm that works with investment firms and their portfolio companies on hiring, talent retention, internal assessments, and growth analysis, and he leads the company's seven verticals while managing senior searches. He co-founded CPI Capital Services, which co-invests with independent sponsors, and the Autism Impact Fund, a health care venture capital firm, and he created Hearts, Minds & Souls, an online forum launched during the Covid pandemic that expanded to cover topics such as health, science, business, and social reform. Prior to founding CPI, he was a Vice President at Jones Lang LaSalle and an Analyst in real estate investment banking at Morgan Stanley, and he is a graduate of The Lawrenceville School and Denison University.

Jason Eichenholz is founder and CEO of Relativity Networks, where he focuses on addressing power scaling challenges in artificial intelligence. He has over thirty years of experience as a serial entrepreneur and executive in laser and photonics innovation, holding more than ninety U.S. patents and serving as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, SPIE, and Optica. Eichenholz also leads Jonathan's Landing Foundation, a nonprofit developing an intentional community for adults with autism that provides housing and employment solutions.

Krishnan Nandabalan is President, Chairman, and CEO of AlphaMeld Corporation and President and CEO of InveniAI Corporation, a technology spinout focused on applying big data analytics and machine learning to drug and target discovery. With over two decades in pharmaceutical and biotechnology R&D, operations, and business development, he has completed licensing and M&A transactions with major industry players and previously served as VP of Corporate Development at Genaissance Pharmaceuticals and Group Leader of Functional Genomics at CuraGen Corporation. He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Indian Institute of Science, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University, and has 12 issued patents and publications in peer-reviewed journals including Cell and Science.

Laurence Derose is founder and CEO of AdvaStim, Inc. With over 40 years of experience in senior executive and founding roles, he has built high-tech manufacturing companies focused on active implantable medical devices, including neurostimulators, cardiac assist devices, and auditory devices. Derose also provides consulting and advisory services to early-stage medical device firms and private equity investors.

Tom Insel is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who served as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health from 2002 to 2015 and later led the Mental Health Team at Verily from 2015 to 2017. Since 2017, he has co-founded multiple behavioral health companies including Mindstrong Health, Vanna Health, and Benchmark Health, while holding a consulting professorship at Stanford University's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has authored "Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health," published in 2022.

Christopher Male is associated with Autism Impact Fund (AIF), a venture and growth capital healthcare technology and innovation firm investing in behavioral health, mental health, autism, and complex chronic conditions. AIF positions itself as the investment and innovation arm of the autism community, backing early- and growth-stage companies that address gaps in diagnosis, treatment, and lifelong support across a market it estimates at over $1 trillion. The firm takes an ecosystem-driven, hands-on approach, connecting capital with healthcare, research, advocacy, and policy relationships. Its portfolio spans diagnostics, therapeutics, care delivery, and employment platforms.

Elizabeth Horn is Executive Director of 2m Foundation, an organization developing an ecosystem for precision health in autism that convenes individuals with autism, care teams, researchers, policymakers, and investors. The foundation supports technology-enabled innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration to advance personalized health approaches for autism spectrum disorder.

Robbie Allen is an Operating Partner at AIF with over 25 years of experience in clinical services and healthcare operations, where he supports portfolio companies and assists the investment team with diligence. He is CEO of US Heart and Vascular, a cardiology platform, and previously served as CEO of One GI and Envision Orthopedics, and founded Neuromatrix, a telemetry services provider later acquired by Specialty Care. He holds a BS in Psychology and an MBA in Finance from Kennesaw State University and studied Chemical and Polymer Systems Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Lauren Ingram is a Principal at AIF, where she works on fundraising, portfolio management, and deal sourcing. She previously helped build partnership development at Frist Cressey Ventures, worked on growth strategy at Greater Good Health, and held several roles at Quid, with a career focused on healthcare and technology. She holds an MBA and an M.A. in Medicine, Health, and Society from Vanderbilt University and a bachelor's degree in Cultural Anthropology from Princeton University.

Ashok Srinivasan is a scientist with a background in molecular genetics, genomics, and clinical research. He spent seven years as a Translational Research Scientist for NSABP Foundation/NRG Pittsburgh working on breast and colorectal cancer trials, directed a Next-Generation Sequencing facility at the University of Pittsburgh, and has held roles at NHLBI/NIH and as a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh. He holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Pittsburgh and completed postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, and currently serves as CSO of the non-profit Lipedema Foundation.

Brian Jacobs is the founder of Jacobs Impact and a technology investor with several decades of experience across multiple sectors including semiconductors, consumer electronics, fintech, cloud services, and digital photography. He has invested in and worked with companies including Intacct, Bill.com, BigFix, HireRight, WebTV, Lexar Media, and Microchip Technologies. Jacobs lectures on venture capital finance at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Cuong Do is Executive Chairman at Seneca Therapeutics, Inc., and also serves as CEO of BioVie and Founder & Chairman of M6P Therapeutics. He brings 17 years of management consulting experience focused on high technology, healthcare, and corporate finance, along with prior roles as chief strategist and M&A leader at leading pharmaceutical and technology companies. His background includes advising boards and executives across healthcare, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, high technology, and other industries on strategy, operational improvement, and corporate transactions.

Dan Tarman has over 30 years of professional and executive experience, beginning his career as a litigation attorney before moving into corporate roles in marketing, brand strategy, and communications at several companies. He works with senior business leaders on growth-focused services including revenue model transformation and brand and marketing strategy.

David Amaral is a Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at UC Davis Health System who joined the university in 1995 following postdoctoral work at Washington University and earlier research at the Salk Institute. He holds a joint PhD in Psychology and Neurobiology from the University of Rochester and has spent over 25 years researching autism spectrum disorder through postmortem brain studies, magnetic resonance imaging, and nonhuman primate models. Amaral directs the MIND Institute, the Autism Phenome Project, and an NIH-funded Autism Center of Excellence; he previously served as President of the International Society for Autism Research and Editor-in-Chief of Autism Research, and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2019.

General John Allen is a Strategic Advisor at Microsoft with over four decades of public service. His military and diplomatic career includes command of NATO's International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, as well as service as Special Presidential Envoy to the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS. He previously engaged in Middle East peace efforts and counterterrorism operations in Al Anbar.

Heidi Holcombe is Chief of Staff at AIF, where she manages operational execution, internal infrastructure, and cross-functional coordination, partnering with leadership on strategic initiatives across fundraising, portfolio, and fund operations. Her background spans operations, executive support, and systems development, with a focus on operational efficiency and scalable workflows. Before AIF, she supported senior leadership at entrepreneurial and mission-driven organizations.

Jacob Hooker is President and CEO of Sensorium Therapeutics, a company focused on brain and mental health conditions. He holds scientific training in chemistry and has worked in neuroscience research and biotech entrepreneurship.

Johan Andresen is the owner and chair of Ferd AS, an investment firm focused on industry, finance, and social entrepreneurship. He directs the company's strategy toward creating long-term value across its portfolio.

Keivan Stassun is the Stevenson Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Vanderbilt University, with secondary appointments in Computer Science and Management. He holds fellowships in the American Physical Society, American Astronomical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and serves as a deputy lead investigator on multiple NASA missions including UVEX and AXIS. Stassun founded and directed the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program from 2004 to 2015, has published over 600 peer-reviewed articles on stars and exoplanets, and currently directs the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, which focuses on workforce development for autistic individuals and those with other forms of neurodiversity.

Linda Avey is Managing Partner at Humain Ventures and Co-Founder of the LifeSpan Project. She previously co-founded 23andMe, where she served as co-President from 2006 to 2009, and founded and led Precisely from 2017 to 2022. She serves on the board of the Human Immunome Project and as an advisor to several biotechnology and investment organizations, including Colossal Biosciences and the Autism Impact Fund.

Mike Edmonds is VP of Agentic Commerce and Commercial Growth at PayPal, where he leads product strategy in the agentic commerce space. He has worked with B2C and B2B organizations across retail, CPG, automotive, foodservice, and other verticals in the US, China, and Europe. Edmonds also teaches at Northwestern University and has experience in product management, design, and technology strategy.

Mike Smart is a Partner at Dominus Capital with extensive experience in middle-market private equity transactions focused on manufacturers, distributors, and service companies in industrial and consumer products sectors. His expertise encompasses deal sourcing, growth strategy development, and management team building at portfolio companies. Smart serves on multiple corporate boards and has held leadership roles including Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Blanket Holdings and Chairman and President of Sqwincher Holdings.

Nikhita Kulkarni manages investor communications, outreach, and investment materials at AIF, and supports the fund's process through preliminary due diligence and deal memo preparation. She previously worked as a Research Associate on the healthcare team at Brandes Investment Partners, later co-founding Houston Venture Labs, a healthcare-focused venture studio, and launching a founder-investor matching program at the Ion. She holds a BBA in Finance with an Accounting minor from the University of Texas at Austin.

Pramila Srinivasan is the founder and CEO of MedicalMine Inc., which develops CharmHealth, an electronic health records and practice management platform. She also founded The Brain Foundation, an organization focused on improving outcomes for individuals on the autism spectrum. Srinivasan holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University.

Robert Sarrazin is associated with Autism Impact Fund (AIF), a healthcare technology and innovation firm that invests in behavioral health, mental health, autism, and complex chronic conditions. The firm positions itself as the investment and innovation arm of the autism community, backing early- and growth-stage companies across diagnostics, therapeutics, care delivery, and neurodiverse employment. Its portfolio spans companies working on autism diagnosis, precision medicine, behavioral health infrastructure, and lifelong support for neurodiverse individuals.

Thomas Frazier holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Case Western Reserve University and serves as Chief Clinical Officer at CentralReach. He is a Professor of Psychology at John Carroll University and a National Board Member at Autism Speaks, with prior experience as Chief Science Officer at Autism Speaks. His professional background encompasses academic medicine, non-profit management, and clinical expertise in autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, behavioral medicine, and developmental disabilities.