Elliott Parker is the CEO of High Alpha Innovation. He earned a B.S. in Finance from BYU and an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Elliott built his career in strategy consulting at Innosight, the firm founded by Clayton Christensen, where he helped dozens of Fortune 100 companies build and execute their innovation strategies.

Elliott joined his friends at High Alpha, the Indianapolis-based venture studio, to lead business design and corporate innovation. After years of building within the venture studio model, they spun the team out to bring their playbook to corporations, universities, and governments.

Elliott is the author of "The Illusion of Innovation: Escape 'Efficiency' and Capture Radical Progress," a book that highlights the opportunity for scaled organizations to unlock transformation through rapid experimentation.

A firm believer in the power of entrepreneurs to bring about meaningful innovation, Elliott is driven by this mission. A California native and avid surfer, he seizes any chance to ride some waves, finding that he does his best thinking out on the water. In 2022, he competed in the Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim, placing in the top ten for his age group.

Matt Brady is the General Manager of the Build team at High Alpha Innovation. He brings over 15 years of experience as a strategy consultant and was a partner at Innosight, a firm founded by Harvard Business School Professor Clay Christensen. Throughout his career, Matt has worked with numerous large corporations in the defense, automotive, manufacturing, and healthcare industries. His time in strategy and innovation solidified his belief that while incumbents have a right to win, they often struggle with "the new." This insight led him to join High Alpha Innovation in 2021 to help shape the venture studio model in ways that leverage the natural advantages of large organizations. He sees startups as a solution to the Innovator's Dilemma that Christensen identified in corporate cultures.

Matt loves leading teams of curious and dedicated colleagues at High Alpha Innovation. The team is driven by the desire to make an impact on real-world problems such as the opioid crisis, healthcare inequity, and sustainability. He also enjoys partnering with large, complex organizations that share a commitment to tackling the challenges they face within their businesses and industries.

Matt lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts, where he grew up, surrounded by family and friends. He has three amazing kids and is a die-hard Notre Dame fan.

Lesa Mitchell is the General Manager of Go-to-Market at High Alpha Innovation. She began her career in a pharmaceutical company experiencing massive growth, giving her a front-row seat to multiple mergers and acquisitions and eventually leading her to become an entrepreneur. Before joining HAI, Lesa charted the course for economic growth in philanthropy and worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs at Techstars. Through these experiences, she realized that founders with access to advantages from day one move faster toward growth. In 2022, Lesa joined High Alpha Innovation to help catalyze these advantages and support the scale of the new companies they launch.

Lesa loves the opportunity to shape new companies with their partners, hiring founding teams and supporting their growth. Initially, the concept of "hiring" founders was foreign to her, but it has now become the absolute best part of her role on the Go-to-Market (GTM) team.

Lesa believes her special skill is finding people doing amazing work in vastly different fields and maintaining contact with them forever, a testament to her ability to build and nurture valuable connections.

Lesa Mitchell is a Managing Director, supporting High Alpha Innovation’s growing portfolio of founders to reach scale. Lesa has been an entrepreneur, corp executive and early stage investor for over twenty years. She was a General Manager and MD for Techstars NA, former executive at the Kauffman Foundation (3B assets) and former executive in the pharmaceutical industry. Her passion is creating opportunities for our founders and being bold in execution. Lesa a graduate of the University of Kansas and is based in Kansas City.

Melanie Kruger is the Chief People Officer at High Alpha Innovation. With over 20 years of experience in human resources, organization, and talent development, Melanie has built a career focused on dynamic, fast-paced, founder-led companies. She began her career at Accenture in Change Management consulting, but quickly found her niche helping founders navigate each stage of their company’s journey, aligning talent with evolving culture and changing business needs.

Melanie has led the people function for several founder-led companies. As VP of People & Culture at Conga, she oversaw the people strategy during a period of high growth, expanding from 17 to 250 employees, managing a change in ownership, and integrating three acquisitions. As SVP of People at Techstars, she focused on talent strategy, organization, and people development, spending significant time mentoring and coaching founders in the Techstars portfolio. Prior to joining High Alpha Innovation, Melanie served as SVP of People at Red Canary, where she led the talent strategy during a critical period of growth, doubling the company's size in six months and helping it cross the $100M ARR milestone after securing Series C investment.

Melanie wakes up every day excited to find new ways to empower the team to do their best work and show up as their best selves. She loves a good coming-of-age story, whether in a book or film, and reads several books a week.

Eduardo Altamirano is the Chief Financial Officer at High Alpha Innovation. His career began at Credit Suisse in Mexico City, but a move to New York City, initially planned for one year, has extended to nearly 20 years. After an extensive period in investment banking, Eduardo transitioned to the startup world, joining an online pharmacy and a real estate startup. His diverse experience also includes working in venture capital and launching a couple of companies along the way.

Eduardo joined High Alpha Innovation in 2022 and greatly enjoys working with the team, excited about the opportunities ahead. He loves working with partners to build companies, focusing on growth to enable additional employment and wealth creation. Working with world-class partners not only presents perks but also challenges him to continually improve and focus on personal growth.

Eduardo takes pride in being a well-rounded individual. He is as comfortable turning a wrench, cooking BBQ, or hitting the slopes or tennis court, showcasing his diverse interests and skills.

Sophie Fix is the General Counsel and SVP Business Affairs at High Alpha Innovation. She began her legal career as an IP licensing associate but soon left "big law" in San Francisco for an in-house role at a public company in Chicago. Eventually, the allure of sunny California and new opportunities drew her back to the West Coast. Throughout her career, Sophie has been fortunate to work in roles that allow her to closely collaborate with operations. As the first General Counsel for three organizations, she has experienced the challenge and satisfaction of building the legal function from the ground up.

At High Alpha Innovation, Sophie is surrounded by incredibly smart, thoughtful, and driven colleagues. Together, they remove barriers and create opportunities for partners, founders, and communities, making it some of the most fulfilling work she has ever been a part of.

Working with the HAI team and partner organizations to build enduring centers of innovation and opportunity is the most fulfilling work Sophie can imagine. Growing up in rural Kansas, she experienced firsthand the lack of opportunity but was imbued with a strong work ethic. Helping launch startups and venture studios, especially in rural areas, reminds her of the profound impact this work can have on individuals, families, and regions.

In addition to her professional achievements, Sophie is also a creative talent. She wrote and illustrated a children's book about catching leprechauns, showcasing her ability to blend creativity with her legal expertise.

Lauren Kellum is the Chief of Staff at High Alpha Innovation. Lauren studied visual communications design and started her career at a small creative agency, focusing on brand, messaging, and UI design. Her curiosity in the growing Indianapolis tech scene led her to join a seed-stage B2B SaaS startup as its first designer. Over several years, Lauren supported the startup through scale, establishing new business operations across product design, product management, sales, marketing, and customer support..

Lauren's exposure to the venture studio model during a High Alpha Sprint Week revealed a pathway to support founders, enabling them to focus on critical growth factors. She joined the High Alpha team and, in 2020, spun out with Elliott to help launch High Alpha Innovation. In her role as Chief of Staff, Lauren supports the CEO's special projects, spanning culture, operations, and strategy. Often the "first in role" across various business areas, she excels at converting strategy into executed initiatives.

Lauren loves the opportunity to solve big, ambiguous challenges with an amazing team. Despite growth, the team has maintained a curious and optimistic approach to solving significant problems. They continuously seek improvement with each new challenge.

Lauren is a lover of music and especially enjoys live music. She attended her first concert at 6 and has since enjoyed more than 60 concerts across a wide range of genres.

Hunter Babcock is an Associate on the Build Team at High Alpha Innovation. He earned a B.S. in Entrepreneurial Management, Marketing, and Strategy from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. His career began by leading Atland Ventures, the first independent student-run venture fund investing in Gen Z founders and trends. Following this, Hunter worked at Accenture, where he helped large corporations with digital transformation.

In 2021, Hunter joined High Alpha Innovation, drawn to its unique model of building startups. He thrives on identifying opportunities for startup creation that address some of society's most significant challenges. Hunter enjoys building the foundations of business models and rigorously testing and iterating on them through customer discovery. This role perfectly combines his experience in venture capital, strategy consulting, and startup building.

Outside of his professional life, Hunter writes a local newsletter sharing news and events in Denver with over 400 subscribers. He is also a competitive criterium and gravel cyclist, showcasing his passion for endurance sports. Additionally, Hunter has a knack for food eating contests and has completed multiple challenges, including the 29-scoop (8lb) "Lumber Jack" ice cream challenge.

Sandy Bacon is an Events Marketing Specialist at High Alpha Innovation. With over twenty years of experience planning private events for various organizations, non-profits, and individuals, she joined the High Alpha Innovation team in March 2024. When Sandy learned about the company’s goals, brand, and direction, she eagerly embraced the opportunity to help develop and align events that resonate with the company's vision.

Sandy loves the process of taking an end goal and deconstructing it to plan and organize an event. She finds great joy in delving into all the details, working hard, and ultimately bringing people together to enjoy the end product.

In her personal life, Sandy is a creative soul who has worn many hats. Over the years, she has hosted a public access TV show, sold handmade items in various stores, and currently teaches evening cooking classes at a local kitchen store. Her passion for creating and sharing her skills with others is evident in everything she does.

Nolan Bernard is the Portfolio & Network Director at High Alpha Innovation. He began his career in software at Salesforce shortly after their acquisition of ExactTarget. This experience provided Nolan with a deep understanding of what a top-tier SaaS sales engine looks like and offered him world-class training in GTM practices. Since then, he has helped shape sales and GTM strategy for several early to mid-stage SaaS companies, selling into a variety of industries.

Nolan loves working hand in hand with founders, recognizing the mental and emotional challenges they face. He is motivated by the opportunity to improve the lives of founders, particularly by helping them solve the puzzle of acquiring their earliest customers. He also enjoys the diverse nature of his work, introducing innovation and new products across different industries.

Outside of his professional life, Nolan has a strong enthusiasm for fitness and real estate.

Charley Berno is a Manager on the Build Team at High Alpha Innovation. His career began in management consulting, where he gained valuable experience before transitioning to a client role, helping to scale a corporate innovation experiment into a significant business unit. This experience taught him that, despite having some of the most talented people, corporations can still face challenges in executing ideas effectively.

In 2021, Charley joined High Alpha Innovation with the goal of helping entrepreneurs make a meaningful impact on the world by leveraging the resources and expertise of well-established organizations. He thrives on the excitement of bringing something new into the world alongside a talented and dedicated team.

Outside of work, Charley is a big fan of 90's hip hop, enjoying the nostalgic beats and classic lyrics that defined an era.

Matthew Bushery is a Content Marketing Specialist at High Alpha Innovation. With over a dozen years of experience in content marketing, he has worked with reputable marketing agencies like Brafton and B2B SaaS/technology firms such as HubSpot, Lever, and Placester. Throughout his career, Matthew has taken on various tactical, strategic, and project/client management roles. He joined High Alpha Innovation in early 2024 to develop, execute, and optimize a content marketing strategy aimed at positioning the company as the leading venture builder for large-scale organizations.

Matthew thrives on the dual aspects of content marketing, enjoying both the strategic and tactical elements. He takes pleasure in developing owned, earned, and paid media programs, as well as building editorial calendars and writing everything from short-form website copy to long-form blog posts and guides. The knowledge that his content contributes to enhanced brand awareness, digital engagement, and lead generation motivates him to continuously analyze and improve his work.

In his spare time, Matthew loves going to local independent movie theaters, writing screenplays, and exploring the Greater Boston Area. His passion for storytelling and creativity extends beyond his professional work into his personal interests.

Kathryn Carlisle is the Portfolio & Network Director for Fieldbook Studio. She began her career as a financial analyst and a founding member of the product innovation team at an International Economic Development NGO. Over several years, Kathryn consulted and worked on the founding teams for half a dozen crypto startups, including two of her own projects. From 2019 to 2023, she managed the Blockchain Center of Excellence at the University of Arkansas, created and taught a senior-level course at the Walton College of Business, and laid the groundwork to launch business incubation programs through the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Kathryn briefly worked in venture capital before becoming the Studio Director at Cartwheel Startup Studio.

Kathryn is thrilled to help Fieldbook Studio tap into the vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Northwest Arkansas. She believes deeply in the positive impact that Fieldbook will make on the economic and network expansion for the state of Arkansas and retail value chain industry leaders.

Kathryn has a deep expertise in digital assets, having earned a Master's Degree in Digital Currency from the University of Nicosia, the #1 program in the world for the subject, along with a full-ride scholarship.

Matt Casanova is the Chief Technology Officer of Fieldbook Studio at High Alpha Innovation. A startup veteran and technologist, Matt has amassed a wealth of experience across various industries including ecommerce, banking, litigation, travel, education, and web hosting. Before joining Fieldbook Studio, he served as the Director of Technology at Revunit, where he architected solutions and managed teams for high-profile clients such as Zappos, Keurig Dr. Pepper, and Gulfstream.

Matt loves the thrill of creating things and moving fast. For him, nothing is more rewarding than conceptualizing, building, and scaling solutions within seemingly impossible timeframes. He likens coding to being a modern-day wizard, with his skills as the means to cast his spells.

His passion for computers began before the internet became widespread, using his mom's Macintosh Classic and Aldus PageMaker to design, draw, and explore. His earliest entrepreneurial endeavor involved leveraging his uncle’s employee discount at Nestle to buy wholesale chocolate. Matt then sold Deluxe King-sized candy bars for a dollar throughout high school, demonstrating his entrepreneurial spirit from a young age.

Sean Chen is a Senior Brand Designer at High Alpha Innovation. He began his career in advertising, working with numerous large organizations to craft compelling brand work and design campaigns. After spending several years in the SaaS industry, Sean joined High Alpha Innovation in early 2024, driven by his passion for building brands and companies with a talented team.

What Sean loves most about his job is the opportunity to shape the identity of emerging brands from the ground up. He thrives on creative problem-solving and crafting unique visual narratives that capture the essence of new companies, setting them apart in their industries. The excitement of innovation and the potential impact he can make are his driving forces. There’s nothing more rewarding to Sean than seeing a brand he helped build come to life and achieve market success.

In his spare time, Sean loves DIY projects and woodworking. He also builds and scratches large custom canvases for local artists, combining his artistic skills with his passion for hands-on creation.

Sarah Chumbley is a Senior Experience Designer at High Alpha Innovation. She began her career in the sports industry, holding a dual role at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar, where she focused on brand strategy and event marketing. Over time, her responsibilities expanded to include exhibit design and curation at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. However, her ultimate goal was always to transition into UX design, and in 2020, serendipity and the global pandemic led her to High Alpha Innovation.

Sarah loves her job for two main reasons: first, the opportunity to dive deep into completely new industries every few months and tackle weird, interesting problems waiting to be solved; second, the privilege of being surrounded by a team of the most intelligent, curious, and impressive individuals who continually inspire her to reach for more.

In addition to her professional work, Sarah occasionally moonlights as a face painter, showcasing her creative talents in a different medium.

Molly Cross is a Director on the Build Team at High Alpha Innovation. Before joining High Alpha Innovation in 2024, Molly spent a decade building venture-backed digital health companies in strategic commercial roles. Most recently, she served as the Vice President of Payer Growth for Maven Clinic, a virtual clinic for women, where she led a team responsible for the growth of the company’s health plan business. Earlier in her career, Molly worked as a strategy consultant at Boston Consulting Group and Innosight.

Molly joined High Alpha Innovation to leverage her extensive startup operator experience to tackle new challenges. She fundamentally believes that collaboration between large corporations and startups is the key to unlocking transformational innovation.

Outside of work, Molly spends her time with family and friends - in particular, she enjoys outdoor adventuring with her wife and two young daughters.

Julie Doran is a Program Manager on the Build Team at High Alpha Innovation. She began her career as a bench chemist in the pharmaceutical industry, where she developed strong analytical skills and a keen attention to detail. After earning her M.S. in Entrepreneurship from Notre Dame, Julie joined the High Alpha Innovation team in 2020.

Julie loves working with different companies and industries, gaining unique perspectives and understanding the strengths and challenges of various sectors. She finds great motivation in training new team members, helping them feel confident in their roles, and honing their skills. Additionally, Julie is dedicated to ensuring that partner organizations fully understand High Alpha Innovation's processes and thought strategies, allowing them to actively participate and contribute to the collaborative efforts.

Outside of work, Julie is an avid mountain biker who plans most of her travel around mountain biking opportunities. Her passion for adventure and exploration is evident in both her professional and personal life.

Sydney Evans is an HR Generalist at High Alpha Innovation. She began her career at Anvl, a High Alpha portfolio company launched in partnership with Cummins. It was there she discovered her passion for the fast-paced startup environment. This realization led her to apply for a role at High Alpha Innovation, where she became a Talent Coordinator in 2021 and eventually transitioned to her current position as an HR Generalist.

In her role, Sydney supports employees throughout the entire employee lifecycle, including recruiting, onboarding, performance management, benefits, and more. She loves working with the incredibly smart, authentic, and humble team at High Alpha Innovation, finding daily inspiration in her colleagues. Sydney feels incredibly fortunate to be in a position where she can support such a remarkable team.

Since moving to Chicago in August 2021, Sydney has indulged her love for musicals, having seen over 30 productions.

Reis Fogarty is a Staff Accountant at High Alpha Innovation. She recently graduated from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, where she majored in accounting, marketing, and international business. After graduating in May 2024, Reis is now pursuing her CPA certification to further her expertise in the field.

Reis loves the work environment at High Alpha Innovation and appreciates the support from the team as she works towards her CPA. The collaborative and encouraging atmosphere helps Reis advance her career goals.

Outside of work, Reis has a passion for travel. She also participated in Indiana University's Little 500, biking for a year in the iconic race, showcasing her enthusiasm for both adventure and teamwork.

Matt Gardner is a Partner at the 1842 Fund, where he leverages his extensive background in technology commercialization and venture capital. He began his career contributing to the University of Utah's commercialization efforts, helping it achieve the top ranking in University Commercialization. This experience honed his skills in technology commercialization and venture capital.

At the University of Notre Dame, Matt established the innovation arm, creating pathways for diverse technologies such as therapeutics, deep tech, and software. He also served as a principal of the PitRoad Fund, a $23 million investment vehicle for early-stage tech. These roles paved the way for his current position at the 1842 Fund.

Matt loves his job for its focus on directing innovation towards societal good. Every day, he is motivated by the opportunity to drive meaningful change and make a positive impact through the commercialization of groundbreaking technologies. Knowing that his work contributes to advancements that can improve lives and address global challenges excites him and keeps him passionate about his work.

One surprising aspect about Matt is that, despite his primary focus on scientific research, he has a strong passion for philosophy and sociology. He enjoys diving into research and insights from these fields, which helps him approach innovation with a well-rounded perspective, considering both technical and human aspects.

Kaitlin Gawkins is an Associate on the Build Team at High Alpha Innovation. She earned her B.S. in Biology from the University of Dayton and completed a M.S. in Technical Entrepreneurship at the University of Notre Dame, where she developed a passion for startups. Following a brief stint with an early-stage startup, Kaitlin joined a rotational program with American Family Insurance, working on various projects related to corporate innovation and climate risk. In 2022, she joined High Alpha Innovation, drawn by the opportunity to collaborate with corporate and university partners to innovate through startup creation.

What Kaitlin loves most about her job is the opportunity to work with a team to tackle new problems. The most rewarding part of her work is seeing founders bring new companies to life.

A fun fact about Kaitlin is that in high school, she competed in the world championships for Irish dance. She also loves camping and hiking and makes it a point to visit a new national park every year.

Will Gillis is the Associate General Counsel and Director of Business Affairs at High Alpha Innovation. He began his legal career practicing in the Emerging Companies and Venture Capital Group at Perkins Coie LLP in Seattle, advising startups and VCs on financing, M&A, corporate governance, and other legal matters. Will found High Alpha Innovation by accident—mistaking it for High Alpha during his interview process—but was immediately drawn to the opportunity to roll up his sleeves to solve problems for partners and portfolio companies, and to be part of a category-defining organization that tackles new challenges every day.

Before practicing law, Will was a high school U.S. history teacher at Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School, a Catholic school serving underserved populations in the greater Philadelphia area. This background in education and service underscores his commitment to making a meaningful impact.

Will loves the variety in his role at HAI, where no day is ever exactly the same. The work spans many disciplines and is unlike anything that's been done before. He values being part of an exceptional team of smart, dedicated, accomplished—and most importantly, kind and generous—venture builders.

Hunter Haines is an Operations Associate on the Go-to-Market Team at High Alpha Innovation. He began his professional career as an Orr Fellow at Indiana University Health, where he worked in various roles in clinical operations, strategy, corporate partnerships, specialty care marketing, and brand strategy. These diverse experiences revealed his strength as a strategic generalist who excels at creating clarity, building relationships, and driving results in any special project he tackles. In 2023, Hunter joined High Alpha Innovation to reconnect with his third-generation entrepreneurial roots and learn from the brightest minds in venture building.

Hunter loves supporting co-founders in their journeys to solve some of the world's most compelling problems. Collaborating with the Grow team to strategize, build, and execute new ways to support talented entrepreneurs is a uniquely exciting experience for him. Seeing founders hit milestone after milestone and knowing he plays a part in their success is incredibly motivating.

Hunter has a rich and varied background. He co-founded and opened a brick-and-mortar ice cream and sandwich shop while a sophomore at Indiana University. He grew up on a farm in Northern Indiana with zebra-donkeys and started working at his grandparent's restaurant at the age of five. Additionally, he pitched and received a fully funded grant to build a sustainable shipping-container home with Habitat for Humanity.

Lars Hamilton is a Program Manager on the Build Team at High Alpha Innovation. He began his career in financial services at Fidelity Investments before joining Album VC during its genesis fund, investing in early-stage tech startups. He then moved to growth-stage startups in renewable energy with Vivint Solar (acquired by Sunrun) and comfort tech startup Purple Innovation as Head of Innovation & Strategy. Both companies reached unicorn valuations within 18 months and had successful IPOs.

Having experienced both sides of the table as an investor and operator, Lars combines his expertise with innovation theory and business design to identify opportunities for building new ventures. This unique blend of skills made him a perfect fit for the original High Alpha Studio in 2019, and he has been with High Alpha Innovation ever since.

What Lars loves most about his job is connecting with people to understand their real needs, gaining empathy for their situations, and championing tangible solutions to successful launches. He finds great fulfillment in working to make the world a better place, especially by breaking down barriers and advocating for those who can't advocate for themselves.

In his personal life, Lars has been to 36 of the 50 U.S. states, mostly on minivan adventures with his wife and five kids. He has also lived, worked, volunteered, and studied in 10 of the 31 states of Mexico. Lars qualified for the U.S. Swimming State Championships in both sprinting and long-distance freestyle events. Additionally, he is a named inventor on U.S. and international patents for a multi-billion dollar product line and related manufacturing methods.

Mike Joslin is a Partner at 1842 Fund and Build Director at High Alpha Innovation. His career began at Best Buy’s corporate headquarters, where he worked in marketing, merchandising, and new business growth, igniting his passion for creating and launching new ventures. While pursuing his MBA at Harvard Business School, Mike conducted independent research for the late HBS professor Clay Christensen on disruption in the telecom industry and interned at Innosight, an innovation consulting firm co-founded by Christensen. He later joined Innosight, further deepening his expertise in innovation and disruption.

Following his time at Innosight, Mike continued to pursue his passion for creating and investing in venture-backed startups. He launched tech-enabled startups from a Boston-based startup studio, established and led portfolio company support at a $15B+ AUM venture capital fund of funds, and incubated new internal ventures. Additionally, Mike established and managed the corporate venture capital program at Marriott International.

Mike loves creating opportunities for world-class entrepreneurs and startup employees to increase their odds of success. He finds great motivation in helping founders navigate the challenging journey of building a business and changing the trajectory for their ventures.

Outside of work, Mike is an avid snowboarder who enjoys hitting the slopes with his two young sons.

Danni Kane is a Design Manager on the Build Team at High Alpha Innovation. She began her design career in professional sports, working with the Indianapolis Pacers and the Indiana Fever, creating graphics and building design assets for game time and other marketing efforts. Danni loved the atmosphere of the game and the energy of a great team working toward a common goal, but she missed the opportunity to solve problems.

This desire led her to Adidas, where her curiosity and willingness to ask questions landed her a role helping the automation team write code to solve daily problems with internally built automation. Although she wasn't much of a coder, she discovered a passion for helping companies embrace innovation and build solutions that address business needs.

Danni joined High Alpha Innovation in 2021, finding a position that combined her favorite elements of her work experience: a deeply curious and collaborative team with a shared vision of partnering with businesses to solve challenges. She loves taking big, undefined challenges, breaking them down to understand them, and building new and interesting solutions around them. Watching these solutions evolve and take shape is the most satisfying aspect of her work.

Outside of work, Danni loves exploring new spaces and cities, finding that a lot can be learned by taking a walk down a city's alleys. Some of her favorite explorations have been in Cairo, Shanghai, and her home city of Indianapolis.

Casey Kelly Pérez is a Senior Brand Designer on the GTM team at High Alpha Innovation. Throughout her career, she has embraced various opportunities that satisfy her perpetual curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, growing, and giving back. Highlights of her diverse professional journey include working as an agency art director, earning an MFA in Design, serving as a professor at RIT, years of adjunct teaching, co-leading a small-but-mighty brand design studio for six years, and over a decade of freelance work with a wide variety of clients.

At High Alpha Innovation, Casey finds fulfillment in working with incredible people and building brands that bring good to the world. She loves the variety her role offers, working with different founders on their companies and brands each day. Together, they use design to address goals, ideas, and challenges. Casey especially enjoys getting to know the founders beyond their work, finding them to be an interesting, smart, skilled, and diverse group.

Outside of her professional life, Casey has an impressive background in road cycling. While earning her master’s degree, she traveled the country as part of a sponsored road cycling team. One of her most memorable experiences was racing against the World Champion at the Liberty Classic in 2011—a 60-mile pro bike race through downtown Philadelphia. Although she wasn't close to the front, this race remains a core memory for Casey, showcasing her adventurous spirit and dedication.

Rob Kimball is a Director on the Build Team at High Alpha Innovation. He began his career at the World Resources Institute, a sustainability think tank in Washington D.C., where he focused on changing how multinational corporations and institutional investors perceive and address water scarcity. This experience sparked his fascination with how large institutions make decisions and deploy capital to effect change. This interest led Rob to help shape innovation strategy for Fortune 100 companies at Innosight and execute transformation strategy at Nike.

In 2022, Rob joined High Alpha Innovation, drawn by the opportunity to join a remarkable team with the ambitious goal of addressing the Innovator's Dilemma through venture creation. What gets Rob out of bed every day is the chance to conceptualize and launch new businesses with a thoughtful, interesting, and diverse group of colleagues. He finds this work fun and fulfilling every day.

Outside of his professional life, Rob has thru-hiked the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail along the eastern United States. In his spare time, he enjoys building Lego sets and playing Dungeons and Dragons with his three kids. Rob also has a passion for singing and is an (extremely amateur) classically trained tenor.

Ryan Larcom is a Build Director at High Alpha Innovation, where he thrives on turning bold ideas into reality. Partnering with corporate executives at the world’s leading organizations, Ryan co-creates advantaged startups through a consultative business design process, leading venture building teams and yielding 19 new startups since 2021.

As a designer by nature, Ryan is passionate about improving the world through thoughtfully designed business models, products, and experiences. His portfolio spans strategy, product design, and innovation at global, publicly-traded companies such as Honda, Cummins, and Allegion, as well as venture capital and startups. As one of the first employees of High Alpha, Ryan co-designed the playbook used to launch 50 companies over the past eight years, pioneering the venture studio model.

Ryan is deeply involved in philanthropic and nonprofit endeavors, serving on several startup boards and being recognized as an Indianapolis Business Journal’s “Forty under 40” honoree. He co-founded Collective Works, partnering with entrepreneurs and non-profits to launch sustainable for-profit/for-good businesses addressing social problems. He also serves on the Advisory Board of Sinapis, a faith-based accelerator for entrepreneurs in emerging countries.

Originally from Connecticut, Ryan holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and industrial design from Rochester Institute of Technology. He now lives in Indianapolis with his wife and two children. In his spare time, Ryan enjoys homebrewing beer, restoring his home built in 1895, and was nationally ranked in fencing during college.

Jillian Lee is the Operations Manager at High Alpha Innovation. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Jillian attended Butler University in Indianapolis, where she earned a B.S. in Arts Administration and a B.F.A in Dance. She began her career as a professional ballet dancer, performing across the country before transitioning into non-profit roles in development, marketing, and fundraising. In 2021, Jillian joined High Alpha Innovation to support the Build team's operations, managing logistics, budgeting, and implementation of partner-facing programs to ensure timely and budget-conscious delivery.

Jillian loves the opportunity to work with some of the best people she has ever known at High Alpha Innovation. She values being part of an incredible team that is as smart as they are enjoyable to be around. The dynamic environment challenges her to consistently grow and take on new challenges, making her feel fortunate to be in such a rewarding place.

A former professional ballerina, Jillian has performed "The Nutcracker" more than 100 times and danced in over a dozen states. She continues to practice ballet and lives in Carmel, IN with her husband, dog, and two children.

Rachel Levitt is an Analyst on the Build Team at High Alpha Innovation. Her journey into the world of startups began with an internship at a nutrition-based startup at DSM Venturing, followed by another at Schneider Electric Ventures, where she developed a keen interest in venture capital and working with emerging companies. After graduating, Rachel continued her career at Schneider Electric in Sustainability Consulting, where she honed her skills and deepened her passion for innovation.

Drawn by the opportunity to work across various industries and tackle compelling problems in innovative ways, Rachel joined High Alpha Innovation in April 2024. In her current role, she thrives on diving into diverse industries, learning about different topics through programs and sprint weeks, and witnessing the evolution of ideas from concept to pitch, enjoying each iteration along the way.

Outside of work, Rachel has a competitive streak, honed during her college days playing ultimate frisbee, where her team was ranked in the top 10 nationwide. She is currently training for the NYC marathon, combining her love for running with her determination to reach new goals. In her free time, Rachel also enjoys cooking and exploring new restaurants, always eager to try new culinary delights.

Colin MacDougall is a Build Director at High Alpha Innovation. He began his career at Kroll, conducting anti-fraud and anti-money laundering research, identifying issues in companies across various industries and global markets. After transitioning from the diligence world, Colin joined Innosight, the strategy and innovation firm founded by Clay Christensen. At Innosight, he worked on strategic plans, new capability development, and new venture design with senior leaders in sectors such as health, food and beverage, news and information, consumer electronics, and the wholesale-retail marketplace.

Colin joined High Alpha Innovation in 2021, driven by a desire to find new ways to address urgent and unsolved problems using powerful modern tools. What Colin loves most about his job is the opportunity to meet and learn from diverse individuals, understand their circumstances and the problems they face daily, and then work to find innovative solutions. He finds it a privilege when someone invites him into their world and allows him to help, no matter how universal or niche the problem might be.

Mason McClelland is an Associate at Fieldbook, part of the High Alpha Innovation team. He began his career in Goodyear's IT Development program, where he discovered a love for technology and its transformative potential within organizations. He then joined RevUnit's Product Management team, helping companies create impactful technology solutions, ranging from some of the world's largest corporations to brand new startups. In 2024, Mason joined Fieldbook and High Alpha Innovation to help create economically viable startups in Northwest Arkansas.

Mason loves the early-stage ideation and exploration of turning problems into concepts. He enjoys working with subject matter experts to compile information into a compelling story that can serve as the foundation for building a company. The challenge and reward of this process, along with Fieldbook's mission to drive new economic growth in the region, are what Mason finds most fulfilling.

Outside of work, Mason is an avid outdoor enthusiast. He enjoys a wide range of activities including cycling, paddling, rock climbing, and skiing, embracing all that the great outdoors has to offer.

Cate Mollett is the Director of Talent at High Alpha Innovation. She began her career in Human Resources, helping small companies establish their HR and recruiting processes from scratch. Cate discovered a passion for recruiting and eventually specialized in executive recruiting, gaining valuable experience at the corporate and enterprise level. She then led executive search efforts for a venture equity fund and their portfolio of B2B SaaS companies.

In 2021, Cate joined High Alpha Innovation, initially as a Senior Internal Recruiter before moving into Founder Talent. She played a pivotal role in establishing the founder recruiting playbook and processes, successfully matching dozens of founders with startup ideas.

The best part of Cate's job is spending time talking to incredibly smart and accomplished founders who are looking for their next challenge. She also enjoys learning about new industries and the niche problems that partners are looking to solve. Cate is motivated by the challenge of finding the ideal candidate for hard-to-fill roles.

As a military spouse, Cate faces the challenges of frequent relocations but has also enjoyed amazing travel opportunities to countries like Germany, Switzerland, Scotland, and Belgium.

Nathan Newburn is the Controller at High Alpha Innovation. He began his career in public accounting with Somerset CPAs (now CBIZ Somerset), where he specialized in assurance work, including audits and transaction advisory in the SaaS and PEO industries. After a brief stint with a large corporate in Indiana, Nathan joined High Alpha Innovation in 2021, eager to be part of an agile and innovative team.

Nathan loves the energy and inspiration drawn from working with like-minded individuals who strive to build new things. He appreciates the team's forward-thinking approach and responsiveness to change, creating a dynamic and exciting work environment.

Outside of his professional life, Nathan has had some interesting pre-professional jobs. In high school, he worked as a fire extinguisher technician, servicing the community’s fire extinguishers. A fun (and practical) fact from that time: if a fire extinguisher doesn’t work during a fire, it might be because the powder has settled at the bottom. Turning it upside down and banging it against something hard can help loosen the powder.

In college, Nathan beta tested the automatic brake assist features now present in most vehicles. While he wasn’t a crash test dummy, he enjoyed sitting behind a computer and being part of the testing process. These unique experiences have given Nathan a well-rounded perspective and an appreciation for innovation and problem-solving.

Julie Rathert is a Principal Talent Partner on the Grow Team at High Alpha Innovation. She began her career in recruitment with Varsity Tutors, managing corporate recruitment and playing a pivotal role in scaling the company’s efforts. Julie then joined InVision as a Sales & Customer Success Recruiter, where she helped build strong teams for their leading design collaboration platform. At AWS, she served as a Technical Sourcing Recruiter, sourcing top technical talent for their global cloud infrastructure. Her journey continued at Mechanism Ventures, where she progressed from Senior Recruiter to Head of People and Talent, leading talent acquisition strategies for a diverse portfolio of startups.

In May 2024, Julie joined High Alpha Innovation as a Talent Partner, drawn by the company’s innovative spirit and dynamic team. She is responsible for building founding teams for pre-seed SaaS startups across various industries. Julie loves connecting exceptional talent with groundbreaking startups, finding great reward in building teams that drive innovation and solve real-world problems. She is motivated by the impact of her work on both startups and the individuals she places, continuously refining recruitment processes to move faster and more efficiently.

Outside of work, Julie has a unique hobby: she makes it a point to join a ghost tour in every city she visits. She loves the blend of history, storytelling, and exploring new scenery and has attended more tours than she can count.

Toby Roper is a Program Manager on the Build Team at High Alpha Innovation. He began his career in Strategy and Innovation Consulting with Innosight, where he developed a core skill set and gained insights into the challenges large organizations face in changing, innovating, and defining long-term plans for their evolution. Toby then spent several years in state government, leading a Medicaid strategy team tasked with turning high-level, ambiguous problems or policy goals into actionable plans and programs.

Recognizing parallels in the work of High Alpha Innovation, Toby decided to join the team. He was drawn to the opportunity to work with passionate, high-performing individuals and to test startups as a third "vector of positive change," alongside corporate innovation and government/policy.

What Toby loves most about his job is the potential for startups to address intractable problems in ways that other change vectors, such as corporate strategy or government policy, cannot. He finds it inspiring to see what small, motivated teams with big ideas and solid plans can achieve in improving the world.

Toby's diverse background includes growing up across three continents—in the UK, Singapore, and Canada—before coming to the US for college. His passions during high school and college were playing rugby and participating in Model UN. Remarkably, he has played organized rugby matches on five continents and run Model UN conferences on four.

Nate Schmidt is the Portfolio Success Director at High Alpha Innovation. With two decades of experience as a startup founder, Nate has experienced the highs of acquisitions and the lows of heart-wrenching failures. Throughout his entrepreneurial journey, he always made time to give back to others who were earlier in their journey. Nate started the first accelerator in Alabama and later ran Techstars EnergyTech in Birmingham. In January 2024, he joined High Alpha Innovation to continue doing what he loves: helping founders tackle some of the world's most pressing issues.

At High Alpha Innovation, Nate thrives on getting his hands dirty and working directly with founders to bring their ideas to life. One of his top criteria when joining HAI was a healthy and collaborative culture, and the experience has exceeded his expectations. He is proud to be part of an incredible team, laser-focused on the mission of building great companies, and appreciates the leadership that allows him to work in his zone of genius.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Nate has some unique talents. He can ride a unicycle and, as a child, even played on a unicycle hockey team.

Ashley Smith is a Senior Experience Designer on the Build Team at High Alpha Innovation. Her career began in 2016 as a student in the Master's program for Human-Computer Interaction at Indiana University. Since then, Ashley has worked as a Product Designer on scrum-based teams for various SaaS companies, creating products for marketing campaigns, sales, customer service, and healthcare. With five years of industry experience, she joined High Alpha Innovation in early 2023, where she can think more conceptually and explore new product ideas to bring to the world.

Ashley is motivated by the opportunity to design solutions that help people with complex, everyday problems. The most exciting part of her job is the idea that someone might actually use a solution she and her team come up with.

Outside of work, Ashley has a rich and diverse background. She used to be a competitive cheerleader, traveling around the region and even to Florida to compete with different teams—"Bring It On!" She is also a portrait painter who actively showcases her artwork and recently moved into a new studio. Additionally, Ashley was once a math whiz, with a SAT math score so high that her college direct-admitted her into the math program, though she admits she has lost some of her math skills over time.

Joshua Stanley is the Managing Partner of Fieldbook Studio at High Alpha Innovation. His career began with various product, project, and program management roles at well-known e-commerce companies such as Zappos, 1-800 Contacts, and Backcountry.com, where he developed a strong foundation in product management, corporate strategy, and digital innovation. Joshua then co-founded and led Teamvvork, a digital product studio and consultancy based in Las Vegas, which led to its acquisition by RevUnit, a strategic digital firm in Northwest Arkansas.

At RevUnit, Joshua progressed through several key roles, from V.P. of Product to Chief Operating Officer, eventually becoming President. He played a crucial role in driving years of double-digit growth, earning cultural awards, and steering the company through a significant private equity transaction in 2019. Along the way, he also co-founded ZenSales, a software-as-a-service business that achieved rapid growth and was acquired in 2020.

Discovering his passion for building and scaling startups, Joshua co-founded Cartwheel Studio, pioneering the startup studio model in Northwest Arkansas. As CEO, he facilitated the launch of three technology companies. Additionally, he has been an active advisor and leader in various startups, including Onsen Towels, Handled.com, and Teesnap, all of which were acquired, contributing product development advice, digital expertise, and strategic vision.

In his current role at High Alpha Innovation, Joshua leverages his extensive experience to build and scale innovative technology companies in Arkansas. He enjoys the dynamic work of exploring new problems, designing potential solutions with teams, and advising change agents and founders on their journey to build new products and companies.

A man of diverse talents, Joshua won a freestyle rap competition in Salt Lake City while in college and was a finalist in the Utah Real Estate Challenge at the University of Utah.

Ibby Tiplick is the Lead Accountant on the Finance Team at High Alpha Innovation. Since graduating college, Ibby has always held accounting roles, beginning in manufacturing, then moving to healthcare, and finally finding her passion in venture building. She joined HAI in 2022, drawn by the company’s mission, values, and the incredible people who make HAI what it is. Experiencing the company’s growth and evolution firsthand has been a rewarding journey for her.

What Ibby loves most about her job is the diverse involvement it offers within the company. While back-office roles typically don't engage much with others, her position allows her to collaborate with various departments. She works on expense budgeting with operations and program leaders, prepares financials for the leadership team, coordinates with HR for payroll and benefits, and discusses SOWs, contractors, and fund management with legal. Although she doesn’t work directly with the partners, Ibby finds great satisfaction in knowing that her work supports the team in launching new companies.

Outside of her professional life, Ibby swam competitively for 10 years, and her team won the championship all 10 of those years. She has also peaked five 14ers (mountain peaks over 14,000 feet) and finds joy in sunrise and sunset, her favorite times of day.

Julia Tofan is an Associate on the Build Team at High Alpha Innovation. She began her career at the Wesleyan Investments Office, where she gained a comprehensive view of the investable universe, spanning public equity, credit, and venture capital. This experience sparked her curiosity about the inner workings of the companies that investment managers choose to fund. Seeking to understand the micro-level intricacies of building companies, Julia joined Techstars to work directly with pre-seed stage founders. There, she learned to be scrappy and resourceful, developing a deep passion for the earliest stages of a startup's life.

In 2021, Julia brought her enthusiasm for creativity and early-stage innovation to High Alpha Innovation. She thrives in an environment where the team shares her optimism and dedication to envisioning and building a better world. Julia loves the challenge of thinking creatively and collaboratively to bring new ideas to life.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Julia once camped for thirty days straight while building mountain biking trails in Utah. This experience highlights her adventurous spirit and commitment to hands-on projects.

Courtney Ulrich Smith is the Program Manager for Fieldbook at High Alpha Innovation. She began her career in visual design for startups and transitioned to a UX/UI role after a company acquisition, working at a software agency specializing in data tooling for enterprise companies. In this role, she worked on digital transformation projects with Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies such as Walmart, Sam’s Club, and HEB. Her role gradually became more specialized in design research, and she eventually co-led the organization’s first strategy and innovation team. In 2023, she joined the startup studio that would eventually become Fieldbook.

Courtney is passionate about building business in Arkansas. She believes that Arkansas talent is often overlooked and vastly underestimated and hopes that Fieldbook's efforts will elevate venture investment across the entire state.

In addition to her professional achievements, Courtney is a two-time small business founder. She and her husband opened their first business in 2017 and their second in 2021. They are passionate about small business and have been involved in revitalization efforts in their historic downtown. Furthermore, Courtney is a non-profit founder, having started NWA Book Fest, Arkansas’s first community-organized book festival, which highlights authors from Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri.

Nick Wichert is a Business Development Manager at High Alpha Innovation. He began his career in early-stage venture capital, founding the country's first seed accelerator for US Military Veterans in partnership with the Obama Administration. Following this, he led corporate innovation at one of the largest financial service companies in the US, where he founded their Venture Studio. Drawn by High Alpha Innovation's unique position to bridge the gap between early-stage startups and corporate innovation, Nick joined the team in 2021.

Nick loves his job for the opportunity it provides to introduce new perspectives and capabilities to incredible organizations by co-founding innovative startups. He is driven by the goal of helping these organizations recognize the value of startups and learn how to strategically leverage them to achieve significant, tangible, and measurable outcomes.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Nick was a nationally-ranked hammer thrower in college. He also has a fraternal twin brother, and interestingly, they were born on different days.

Michael Wicks is a passionate engineer, startup co-founder, innovator, and venture builder. Currently, he is the Program Manager for the 1842 Studio, a High Alpha Innovation Venture Studio, dedicated to launching mission-driven startups that can be a force for good in the world. Michael has been the CEO of two early-stage startups, and he continues to serve on the Board of Directors for one of them.

Before joining High Alpha Innovation, Michael was the Director of Venture Design and Development at the University of Notre Dame's IDEA Center, where he launched new ventures with strategic partners and provided portfolio support for ND's Venture Capital fund startups. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, where he is also an adjunct professor in Computer Science and Engineering.

What motivates Michael to get up early in the morning is the opportunity to work on startups that can be a force for good in the world. His background is as unique as it is impressive; he used to be a rocket scientist.

Aaron Wilson is a Senior Experience Designer on the Build Team at High Alpha Innovation. His passion for product design and startup creation began during his time at Herron School of Art & Design, where he worked on a healthcare product focused on dementia care. This early experience ignited his interest in creating impactful solutions. After university, Aaron spent 3-4 years working on design for B2B and B2C SaaS startups with Design On Tap, honing his skills and gaining valuable industry experience.

In March 2020, Aaron joined High Alpha Innovation and, after a few years, transitioned to a High Alpha startup, Holder, to focus full-time on product design. There, he learned a great deal about designing new features, collaborating with customers, and working with a development team to refine the product. In March 2024, Aaron returned to High Alpha Innovation to continue his passion for creating startups.

Aaron finds great joy in the process of creating startups with a talented team, particularly during Sprint Weeks, which are a rush of excitement and an opportunity to dive into the magic of startup creation. These experiences motivate him to continuously improve his process, thinking, and product design.

Outside of work, Aaron is an avid pet parent to his dog, Banjo, and two cats, Sully and Boo. He enjoys music, whether playing one of his many instruments or listening to his vinyl collection. When he's not designing on his computer, Aaron enjoys leather-crafting, caring for his many plants, swimming, and tackling various projects around the house. One of his proudest accomplishments is joining his high school swim team in his senior year and, by the end of the season, reaching the school’s record board and receiving an offer to swim at university. This achievement serves as a personal reminder of his dedication to both his hobbies and his career.

Maxwell von Doepp is a Senior Analyst on the Build Team at High Alpha Innovation. After graduating from DePauw in 2022, he began his career as a contractor for a change management team at the Adecco Group. There, he honed his problem-structuring skills and gained insight into the inner workings of a large organization. Following this, Maxwell worked as a Data Migration Consultant, helping companies shape their future.

Maxwell joined High Alpha Innovation in 2024 and has been dedicated to building ever since. He loves taking big, ambiguous questions and whittling them down to their core, ultimately helping partners turn those problems into viable businesses.

In his personal time, Maxwell is passionate about skiing and enjoys hitting the slopes whenever he can.