K2X Team

Meet the team at the heart of K2X. Founded by Paul Russo, the management and board have a track record spanning decades of successful hands-on experience in angel investing, entrepreneurship, and a broad network including many key angel groups.

Management

Paul M. Russo, PhD

Paul M. Russo, PhD

Chairman & CEO

Bonnie Tomei

Bonnie Tomei

Chief Strategy Officer

John Ricci

John Ricci

Director, Portfolio Management

Richard Ayllon

Richard Ayllon

Senior Advisor, Due Diligence

Joan Plastiras

Joan Plastiras

Chair, Life Science Screening

Hus Tigli

Hus Tigli

Chair, Technology Screening

Board of Directors

Paul M. Russo, PhD

Paul M. Russo, PhD

Chairman & CEO

GOVERNANCE/NOMINATION
INVESTMENT (chair)

Jon Saxe

Jon Saxe

Lead Director

AUDIT/COMPLIANCE (chair)
COMPENSATION (chair)
GOVERNANCE/NOMINATION
INVESTMENT

Mike Baghramian

Mike Baghramian

Director

COMPENSATION
INVESTMENT

Peter Staple

Peter Staple

Director

AUDIT/COMPLIANCE
GOVERNANCE/NOMINATION (chair)
INVESTMENT

Advisors

Our world-class team of 100+ expert advisors brings a wealth of global startup experience to our deal flow process. All advisors are investors in K2X and only compensated with stock options, to ensure interests are fully aligned. With 2,000+ person-years of startup experience, the K2X advisors are a startup investment decision machine that is 2nd to none.
Life Science Advisor

Jeff Amacker

Jeff Amacker

Redwood City, CA

Life Science Advisor

Dr. Chris Apfel

Dr. Chris Apfel

San Francisco, CA

Life Science Advisor

Richard Ayllon

Richard Ayllon

Mountain View, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Annie Baghramian

Annie Baghramian

Long Beach, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Mike Baghramian

Mike Baghramian

Fountain Valley, CA

Life Science Advisor

Ronald Berenson

Ronald Berenson

Mercer Island, WA

• Member •

Life Science Screening Team

Life Science Advisor

Friedhelm Blobel

Friedhelm Blobel

San Francisco, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Jim Bochnowski

Jim Bochnowski

Menlo Park, CA

Life Science Advisor

Keith Bostian

Keith Bostian

Short Hills, NJ

• Member •

Tech Screening Team

Tech & Business Advisor

John Brooks

John Brooks

San Jose, CA

Life Science Advisor

Jim Brown

Jim Brown

Cupertino, CA

Life Science Advisor

Daniel Burnett

Daniel Burnett

San Francisco, CA

Life Science Advisor

Frank Cano

Frank Cano

Los Altos, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Rich Carroll

Rich Carroll

Philadelphia, PA

Tech & Business Advisor

David Chen

David Chen

Saratoga, CA

Life Science Advisor

Jenny Chen

Jenny Chen

San Francisco, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Marcel S. Cohen-Hadria

Marcel S. Cohen-Hadria

San Jose, CA

Life Science Advisor

Lois Cormack

Lois Cormack

Toronto, ON, Canada

Tech & Business Advisor

Dr. Jay Desai

Dr. Jay Desai

Tampa Bay, FL

Life Science Advisor

Michael Detke

Michael Detke

Indianapolis, IN

Tech & Business Advisor

Steve Dowdell

Steve Dowdell

Palo Alto, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Tom Driscoll

Tom Driscoll

San Rafael, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Gwen Edwards

Gwen Edwards

San Francisco, CA

Life Science Advisor

Rob Eno

Rob Eno

San Francisco, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Austin Erlich

Austin Erlich

Palo Alto, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Jacques Farges

Jacques Farges

Vancouver, BC, Canada

Life Science Advisor

Phyllis Gardner

Phyllis Gardner

Stanford, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Daniel Gelbtuch

Daniel Gelbtuch

New York, NY

Tech & Business Advisor

Ker Gibbs

Ker Gibbs

Shanghai, China

Tech & Business Advisor

Gert Gremes

Gert Gremes

Brunico, Italy

Life Science Advisor

Mark Groper

Mark Groper

Ottawa, ON, Canada

Life Science Advisor

John Gu

John Gu

Woodbridge, CT

Tech & Business Advisor

Mike Heffernan IV

Mike Heffernan IV

San Francisco, CA

Life Science Advisor

Elaine Heron

Elaine Heron

Portola Valley, CA

Life Science Advisor

Robert Hess

Robert Hess

Walnut Creek, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Laszlo Horvath

Laszlo Horvath

San Francisco, CA

Life Science Advisor

Feng Hu

Feng Hu

Saratoga, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Michael Jamiolkowski

Michael Jamiolkowski

Menlo Park, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Stacy Joseph

Stacy Joseph

Toronto, Canada

Specialty Advisor

Philip Kaiser

Philip Kaiser

Somerville, MA

• Member •

Tech Screening Team

Tech & Business Advisor

Deepak Kamlani

Deepak Kamlani

San Ramon, CA

Life Science Advisor

Jim Kasic

Jim Kasic

Denver, CO

Life Science Advisor

Robert King

Robert King

Fremont, CA

Life Science Advisor

Kurt Kofler

Kurt Kofler

Innsbruck, Austria

Tech & Business Advisor

Larry Krauss

Larry Krauss

Toronto, ON, Canada

Tech & Business Advisor

Noteh Krauss

Noteh Krauss

San Francisco, CA

Life Science Advisor

Amit Kumar

Amit Kumar

San Jose, CA

• Member •

Tech Screening Team

Tech & Business Advisor

Benson Lam

Benson Lam

San Diego, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Jyoti Lamba

Jyoti Lamba

Los Altos, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Natalie Levy

Natalie Levy

Boulder, CO

Tech & Business Advisor

Gloria Maceiko

Gloria Maceiko

Pleasanton, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Mark Maldonado

Mark Maldonado

Los Gatos, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

David Mann

David Mann

Ottawa, ON, Canada

Tech & Business Advisor

Mike Marczi

Mike Marczi

Mountain View, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

John Marren

John Marren

San Francisco, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

MK Marsden

MK Marsden

New York, NY

Life Science Advisor

Mark McWilliams

Mark McWilliams

San Diego, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Chris Meyer

Chris Meyer

Portola Valley, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Michael Mo

Michael Mo

San Francisco, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Sid Mohasseb

Sid Mohasseb

Los Angeles, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Mauro de Moura

Mauro de Moura

São Paulo, Brazil

Life Science Advisor

Pejman Naraghi

Pejman Naraghi

Dublin, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Asif Nasim

Asif Nasim

Toronto, ON, Canada

Tech & Business Advisor

Vu Nguyen

Vu Nguyen

San Jose, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Zach Noling

Zach Noling

Princeton, NJ

Life Science Advisor

Liliana Nordbakk

Liliana Nordbakk

San Jose, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Bernie Notas

Bernie Notas

Alamo, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Robert Padulo

Robert Padulo

Vero Beach, FL

Life Science Advisor

Suresh Pai

Suresh Pai

San Francisco, CA

Life Science Advisor

Scott Pantel

Scott Pantel

Huntington Beach, CA

Life Science Advisor

Rajan Patel

Rajan Patel

Redwood City, CA

• Member •

Life Science Screening Team

Life Science Advisor

Craig Patterson

Craig Patterson

Lexington, MA

Tech & Business Advisor

Kurt Petersen

Kurt Petersen

San Francisco, CA

Life Science Advisor

Scott Phillips

Scott Phillips

Victoria, BC, Canada

Tech & Business Advisor

Yuri Pikover

Yuri Pikover

United States

• Chair •

Life Science Screening Team

• Member •

Tech Screening Team

Tech & Business Advisor

Joan Plastiras

Joan Plastiras

Palo Alto, CA

Life Science Advisor

Benjamin Pless

Benjamin Pless

Brookline, MA

Life Science Advisor

Mary Jo Potter

Mary Jo Potter

San Francisco, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Sri Purisai

Sri Purisai

San Francisco, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Mizan Rahman

Mizan Rahman

San Francisco, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

John Rapchinski

John Rapchinski

Philadelphia, PA

Tech & Business Advisor

John Ricci

John Ricci

Orinda, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Roswitha Rodrigues

Roswitha Rodrigues

New York, NY

• Member •

Life Science Screening Team

Life Science Advisor

Doron Sagman

Doron Sagman

Toronto, ON, Canada

Tech & Business Advisor

Hooman Salamat

Hooman Salamat

Toronto, ON, Canada

• Member •

Life Science Screening Team

Life Science Advisor

Wil Samson

Wil Samson

Saratoga, CA

Life Science Advisor

Jon Saxe

Jon Saxe

Los Altos, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Luc Schoups

Luc Schoups

San Jose, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Shane Shepherd

Shane Shepherd

Orange County, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Karna Shinde

Karna Shinde

Mumbai, India

Tech & Business Advisor

Greg Silas

Greg Silas

Toronto, ON, Canada

Tech & Business Advisor

Greg Smith

Greg Smith

San Francisco, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Jamie Smith

Jamie Smith

Austin, TX

Tech & Business Advisor

Ian Sobieski

Ian Sobieski

San Francisco, CA

Life Science Advisor

Armin Spura

Armin Spura

Los Altos, CA

Life Science Advisor

Peter Staple

Peter Staple

Menlo Park, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Amichai Steimberg

Amichai Steimberg

Israel

• Chair •

Tech Screening Team

Tech & Business Advisor

Hus Tigli

Hus Tigli

San Diego, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Steve Tokarz

Steve Tokarz

Ann Arbor, MI

Tech & Business Advisor

Andrew E. Tomback

Andrew E. Tomback

New York, NY

Tech & Business Advisor

Bonnie Tomei

Bonnie Tomei

San Jose, CA

Tech & Business Advisor

Thinh Tran

Thinh Tran

Saratoga, CA

Life Science Advisor

Srirama Venkataraman

Srirama Venkataraman

New York City, NY

Tech & Business Advisor

Dalia Vernikovsky

Dalia Vernikovsky

Union City, CA

Life Science Advisor

Tom Vogelsong

Tom Vogelsong

San Francisco, CA

Life Science Advisor

Amit Vohra, PhD, MBA

Amit Vohra, PhD, MBA

Oakland, CA

Life Science Advisor

Robert Warner

Robert Warner

Dallas, TX

Tech & Business Advisor

David Whiteside

David Whiteside

San Franciso, CA

Life Science Advisor

Jim Wilkie

Jim Wilkie

Lowell, MA

Tech & Business Advisor

Walter Wohlmuth

Walter Wohlmuth

Taipei City, Taiwan

Tech & Business Advisor

Sandy Wollman

Sandy Wollman

New York, NY

Tech & Business Advisor

Brent Young

Brent Young

Beijing, China

Tech & Business Advisor

Robert Young

Robert Young

San Jose, CA

Life Science Advisor

Raymond Zoeller

Raymond Zoeller

Ramsey, NJ