Robert Silvers

Undersecretary for Policy, Department of Homeland Security

Robert Silvers was confirmed by the Senate as the Under Secretary for Policy on August 5, 2021. He is responsible for driving policy and implementation plans across all of DHS’s missions, including counterterrorism; cybersecurity, infrastructure security, and resilience; border security and immigration; international affairs; and trade and economic security.

Mr. Silvers previously served in the Department of Homeland Security during the Obama-Biden Administration as Assistant Secretary for Cyber Policy. In that role he oversaw private sector engagement, federal government incident response, and diplomatic outreach pertaining to cybersecurity and emerging technology. Mr. Silvers also previously served as DHS’s Deputy Chief of Staff, managing execution of policy and operational priorities across the entire Department.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Silvers was a partner at the law firm Paul Hastings LLP, where his practice focused on cybersecurity and data privacy, government security review of foreign investments, and investigations and litigation at the intersection of law and national security. After graduating law school, he clerked for Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Mr. Silvers holds a J.D. from New York University School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. He taught as an adjunct professor in the M.S. in Cybersecurity Risk and Strategy Program co-offered by the NYU Law School and NYU Tandon School of Engineering. A New York City native, Mr. Silvers lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and their two children.

Gautam Sharma

Chief Executive Officer & Chief Investment Officer, BH Digital

Gautam Sharma is CEO & CIO of BH Digital, dedicated crypto division of Brevan Howard, a multi-manager, multi-strategy crypto hedge fund. Gautam previously led Principal Investments at Brevan, including overseeing Alan Howard’s Family Office strategic businesses in crypto & fintech. Prior to this, Gautam spent over 4 years at Steadview Capital, a tech-focused fund, and 5 years as an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Co.

Paul Rosen

Assistant Secretary of Treasury for Investment Security, United States

Paul Rosen serves as the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Investment Security. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate on May 23, 2022, Mr. Rosen leads the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the interagency committee established by Congress to review certain foreign investment into U.S. businesses for national security risks. Mr. Rosen advises the President and the Secretary of the Treasury about such risks including whether transactions should be cleared, blocked or otherwise mitigated to protect national security. The duties involve reviewing hundreds of transaction filings each year often amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars in merger and acquisition activity.

Mr. Rosen has more than 15 years of experience in national and homeland security, investigations and law enforcement matters. Prior to joining Treasury, Mr. Rosen served as a partner at an international law firm where he led the national security practice and worked on cybersecurity, privacy, and government investigation matters. Before private practice, Mr. Rosen served for over a decade in senior government roles, including as Chief of Staff of the Department of Homeland Security during the Obama‐Biden Administration, and in various roles at the Department of Justice including as a federal prosecutor in the Criminal Fraud Section of DOJ where he investigated and prosecuted financial crimes. For this work, Mr. Rosen was recognized by the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) with the Investigative Award of Excellence.

Mr. Rosen started his legal career as Counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee after clerking for United States District Judge Gary Allen Feess (Ret.) in the Central District of California. Rosen received his J.D. from the University of Southern California where he graduated Order of the Coif, and his bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Colorado.

Marc Raimondi

Chief of Staff to the Executive Director, Silverado Policy Accelerator

Marc Raimondi serves as the Chief of Staff to the Executive Director of the Silverado Policy Accelerator, a bipartisan Washington, DC based think-tank focused on cybersecurity, energy and environmental security and effective international trade policy that supports American competitiveness in the global marketplace.  Marc is also the founder of the strategic consulting firm LexStrat, LLC, supporting clients in the national security, public safety, cyber and technology markets.  From March 2014 through September 2021, Marc led the national security related communications and corporate outreach efforts for the U.S. Department of Justice, including serving stints as the Director and Deputy Director of Public Affairs.  At the Justice Department, Marc was the lead communications official for national security related matters including foreign and domestic terrorist incidents, mass shootings, cyber attacks, espionage and other critical issues.  Marc was detailed from the Justice Department as a career national security professional to the White House’s National Security Council (NSC) from late 2016 until mid 2018, where he served as Director of Strategic Communications and was the lead communications advisor to the Assistants to the President for Homeland Security, Counterterrorism and Cybersecurity during both the Obama and Trump Administrations.  While at the White House, Marc supported the counterterrorism, intelligence, cybersecurity and aviation security teams and directorates. Prior to joining the Justice Department, Marc served for several years in private industry as Director of Global Government Relations and Communications at L3Harris Corporation’s (LHX) Washington Operations.  Before moving to the private sector in 2007, Marc held senior communications positions at the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense and started his career as an infantryman in the U.S. Army.

Robert Nelsen

Co-Founder & Managing Director, ARCH Venture Partners

Robert Nelsen is a co-founder and a Managing Director of ARCH Venture Partners. He joined ARCH at its founding and played a significant role in the creation, early sourcing, financing and development of more than 150 companies, including 39 which have reached valuations exceeding $1 billion.

Some of his notable early-stage investments include Illumina (ILMN), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Juno Therapeutics (JUNO – acquired by Celgene), Beam Therapeutics (BEAM), Karuna Therapeutics (KRTX), Altos Labs, EQRx, National Resilience, Prime Medicine, Lyell Immunopharma (LYEL), Array BioPharma (acquired by Pfizer), Hua Medicine (2552:HK), Vir Biotechnology (VIR), Insitro, Agios Pharmaceuticals (AGIO), Sage Therapeutics (SAGE), GRAIL (acquired by Illumina), Gossamer Bio (GOSS), Ikaria (acquired by Mallinckrodt), Kythera Biopharmaceuticals (KYTH – acquired by Allergan), Receptos (RCPT – acquired by Celgene), Aviron (AVIR – acquired by MedImmune), Denali Therapeutics (DNLI), Syros Pharmaceuticals (SYRS), Sana Biotechnology (SANA), Verve Therapeutics (VERV), Brii Biosciences (2137:HK), Bluebird Bio (BLUE), R2 Technology (acquired by Hologic), Caliper Life Sciences (CALP – acquired by PerkinElmer), Trubion, Adolor (ADLR), deCODE Genetics (DCGN – acquired by Amgen), Editas (EDIT), 10x Genomics, Semma Therapeutics (acquired by Vertex), Element, and IDUN Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer).

Mr. Nelsen is a director of VIR, SANA, LYEL, National Resilience, Insitro, Prime Medicine, Nutcracker Therapeutics, Neumora Therapeutics, Brii Biosciences, and serves as Chairman of Hua Medicine, among others. He previously served as a Trustee of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute, the Institute of Systems Biology, and was a director of the National Venture Capital Association. Mr. Nelsen holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago and a B.S. from the University of Puget Sound with majors in Economics and Biology.

Leon Marshall

Head of Institutional Sales, Genesis Trading

Leon Marshall is Head of Institutional Sales at Genesis. Marshall leads the global institutional sales team and is responsible for accelerating Genesis’ client acquisition and revenue expansion strategy.

Marshall began his career on the sell-side at UBS as a commodity options trader. He subsequently held senior portfolio management roles at Swiss commodities firm Trafigura and US private equity firm Apollo Management. Prior to Genesis Marshall served as an advisor on strategy and business development and co-authored blockchain research papers for crypto firms in London and Berlin.

Marshall holds an MBA and is a recipient of the Sari Scholarship from London Business School. He also holds a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics & Economics from the University of Oxford.

Nazar Khan

Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Technology Officer, TeraWulf

Nazar Khan is the Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and Board Member of TeraWulf Inc. Mr. Khan brings tremendous experience in energy infrastructure and cryptocurrency mining and has led TeraWulf’s business strategy since day one. As COO and CTO, Mr. Khan oversees the development and implementation of TeraWulf’s day-to-day operations, including hardware procurement, site evaluation, infrastructure buildout and identification of future growth opportunities. Mr. Khan previously served as Executive Vice President of Beowulf Energy LLC for nearly 20 years, where he led the firm’s acquisition and development efforts. Prior to Beowulf, Mr. Khan worked at Evercore Partners Inc. in both investment banking and private equity. Mr. Khan received a B.S. and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

R.J. Hottovy

Head of Analytical Research, Placer.ai

R.J. Hottovy, CFA is Head of Analytical Research for Placer.ai. He has covered the restaurant, retail, and e-commerce sectors for nearly 20 years, most recently serving as a Fund Manager for Aaron Allen Capital Partners. He has held several analyst positions in the past, including Global Consumer Equity Strategist at Morningstar and equity analyst roles at William Blair & Co. and Deutsche Bank. Hottovy also brings a wealth of experience with early-stage investments as an investor and member of the investment committee for the Irish Angels/Vitalize venture capital group. Over the past three years, he has worked with more than 50 consumer and technology companies, advising on more than $200 million in early-stage capital raises and other buy- and sell-side M&A transactions. Hottovy is also a member of the Chicago Seed Co. network, a group of Chicago-area investors focused on early-stage food & beverage companies.

Hottovy's efforts have been recognized by several financial and trade publications, including CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, Barron's, BusinessWeek, Forbes, and The Economist. He is an active member of the CFA Society of Chicago and maintains a regular teaching schedule through the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business and the Girls Who Invest program. He was also a finalist for Crain's Chicago "40 Under 40" award in 2011. Hottovy graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Notre Dame with a BA in Finance and a second degree in Computer Applications.

Seth Ginns

Managing Partner & Head of Liquid Investments, CoinFund

Seth is Head of Liquid Investments, Managing Partner, and a key member of the Venture Investment Committee. He has twenty years of Wall Street experience, and has been deeply involved in the crypto community since his angel investment in Coinbase in 2012. He is also an angel in Chainalysis, participated in the Ethereum ICO in 2014, and loves traveling globally to developer events as a way to keep a finger on the pulse of the market. His angel portfolio also includes Instacart and DoorDash, and many earlier stage, high growth startups.

Prior to CoinFund, Seth invested in public growth equities over 18 years at Jennison Associates. He holds a BA in Mathematics and South Asia Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, where he is an Overseer at the School of Nursing and Co-Chair of the Innovation Committee, and serves on the International Advisory Board of the Center for the Advanced Study of India at the School of Arts and Sciences.

John Frankel

Founding Partner, ff Venture Capital

John Frankel is the founding partner of ff Venture Capital. He founded the firm in 2008 and has been a seed and early stage investor since late 1999.

Prior to founding ffVC, John worked at Goldman Sachs for 21 years in a variety of roles that involved technology development, reengineering and capital markets. At Goldman Sachs, he worked closely with some of the world’s leading hedge fund managers and developed a keen understanding of emerging technologies and portfolio risk/return management.

John started his business career in London with Arthur Andersen having earned a Master of Arts from New College, Oxford, where he studied Mathematics, Philosophy and Logic. He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. John also sits on The NYU Tandon School of Engineering’s Board of Overseers.

Tom Farley

Incoming Chief Executive Officer, Bullish

Tom will serve as Bullish CEO, responsible for creating, planning and implementing the company’s strategic direction. Tom is currently Chairman and CEO of Far Peak Acquisition Corporation (NYSE: FPAC) and Chairman of Global Blue Group Holding AG (NYSE: GB). He brings many years of executive leadership in the finance industry, including serving as President of the NYSE Group. Tom will be appointed CEO after closing the proposed business combination with FPAC.

Helen Clement

Director of Alternatives, Wellington Management

As a director of Alternatives, Helen helps lead our alternatives effort in the Americas by engaging with clients, consultants, and prospects on a variety of alternative-related topics. In addition, she is responsible for developing and enhancing the firm’s working relationships with alternatives-focused investment consulting firms. She also serves as chair of the firm’s Sponsored Funds Oversight Committee and as a director on several Wellington fund boards.

Helen was previously the business manager for Wellington Management Funds Global (WMF Global), the group responsible for the development and operation of the firm's non-US mutual fund businesses. Prior to joining Wellington Management, she held roles at Fidelity Investments, iPhrase Technologies, and McKinsey & Company.

Helen received her MBA from Harvard Business School, and her BA in politics, philosophy, and economics, with First Class Honours, from Oxford University. She holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations and is a member of the CAIA Association, the CFA Institute, and the CFA Society Boston.

Chantal Line Carpentier

Chief, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

Dr. Chantal Line Carpentier currently serves as Chief, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development New York Office of the Secretary-General, where she coordinates input into the Financing for Sustainable Development, Science, Technology and Innovation, and monitors progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) processes. She focuses on partnerships and innovative financing to support micro, small and medium enterprise, entrepreneurship and gender equality in transitioning to green, blue, purple, orange, resilient, inclusive and connected economic system.

Prior to joining the United Nations, she worked as Head, Environment, Economy and Trade Division of the North American Free Trade Agreement Commission for Environmental Cooperation (2000-2007), policy analyst for the Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture (1998-2000) and postdoctoral fellow for the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in the Brazilian Amazon (1996-1998).

Dr. Carpentier has consulted to UNDP, the World Bank, and the OECD and provided technical assistance to USDA, Environmental Defense Fund and the European Union and written and presented extensively on sustainable development including a book on Ethical Investment.

Dr. Carpentier obtained her PhD. in Agricultural and Environmental Economics from Virginia Tech University, as well as both her MSc. and BSc. in Agriculture Economics from McGill University.

Born in Quebec, Canada, she is fluent in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese. She competes in ultramarathon and ironmen.

Amer Bisat

Managing Director & Head of Emerging Markets Fixed Income, BlackRock

Amer Bisat, PhD., Managing Director, is Head of Emerging Markets Fixed Income and a member of the Fundamental-GFI Executive Committee. In this role, he oversees the team managing the firm's EM portfolios across hard currency, local and corporate debt instruments. Mr. Bisat's service with the firm dates back to 2013. Prior to BlackRock, he was a partner in two macro hedge funds (Traxis and Rubicon), and held portfolio management responsibilities at Morgan Stanley and UBS. Between 1991 and 1998, he was a senior economist at the International Monetary Fund where he helped negotiate high profile programs with Russia, Ukraine, and Egypt.

Mr. Bisat taught graduate level economics courses at Columbia University, co-authored a book on globalization, and academic and policy papers on growth and financial sector development. He is a trustee of a number of cultural and art institutions, sits on the Advisory Council of the Carnegie Middle East Center, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Mr. Bisat earned a BA in economics from the American University of Beirut and a PhD. in economics and finance from Columbia University.

Dmitri Alperovitch

Co-Founder & Chairman, Silverado Policy Accelerator

Dmitri Alperovitch is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator, a non-profit focused on advancing American prosperity and global leadership in the 21st century and beyond. He is a Co-Founder and former CTO of CrowdStrike Inc., a leading cybersecurity company. A renowned cybersecurity visionary, business executive, and thought leader on cybersecurity strategy, state tradecraft, and great power competition, Alperovitch has served as special advisor to the Department of Defense and currently serves on the Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's Cyber Safety Review Board. His writing on cyber and foreign policy issues has appeared in major news outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Foreign Affairs, and he is a regular contributor to national broadcast news programs including PBS Newshour and NBC News. Alperovitch is also an active angel investor and board member of multiple high-growth technology companies. He has been named as one of Fortune Magazine's “40 Under 40” most influential young people in business and Politico Magazine has featured Alperovitch as one of “Politico 50” influential thinkers, doers and visionaries transforming American politics. In 2013, Alperovitch received the prestigious recognition of being selected as MIT Technology Review’s “Young Innovators under 35” (TR35) and Foreign Policy's Leading Global Thinkers, and he was named a "D.C. Tech Titan" by Washingtonian Magazine in 2022. In 2021, he launched the Alperovitch Institute for Cybersecurity Studies at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Mohamed Nasser Al Zaabi

Chief Executive Officer, Investopia

Mohamed Alzaabi is the Director of the Ministry’s Executive Office, Advisor to the Minister of Economy, and CEO of Investopia, leadership roles which he runs concurrently. As a Director of the Executive Office and advisor to His Excellency the Minister of Economy, he focuses on delivering essential inputs to the Ministry’s local and global initiatives, and oversees major strategic projects of national and Global significance.

He also held several senior roles within the Ministry of Economy including Director of several Departments of which were Investment, WTO & Trade Negotiation and Trade Promotion, roles that saw him deliver several strategic initiatives and programs.

In his capacity as CEO of Investopia, Mohammed focuses on the strategic aims of developing a de facto global platform for thought leadership and a market place for investment, working with a team of senior experts and advisers in driving global investments, generating growth, accelerating innovation, and contributing to the prosperity of future generations

Mohammed’s progressive career trajectory spans over 18 years during which he accumulated a wealth of both public and private sector expertise. He held several leadership roles in various disciplines, including ALDAR Properties and MASDAR. He served as Managing Director of PTAH Group in Abu Dhabi.

Sufyan Al Issa

Head of Mission, International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Sufyan AL-Issa is Head of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in the UAE, part of the World Bank Group. Prior to this position, he was the Regional Head of Operations for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and a principal investment officer and regional program leader at IFC, covering both investment and advisory services, with a focus on skills, education and entrepreneurship in MENA, and a track record of working on strategic initiatives and in conflict-affected states.

Al-Issa has more than 20 years of experience in the global financial sector, including dealing with economic policies and issues, and connecting finance with investment opportunities and fund mobilization. Prior to joining IFC, he was a Senior Advisor to the Dean of the Board and Executive Director for the Middle East at the World Bank Group, following positions at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and University of Oxford. Sufyan is a certified public accountant and holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of London.

Tripp Hornick

Chief Operating Officer, Stage Access

Once hailed as a “whiz kid producer” by Variety’s legendary Army Archerd, Tripp continually strives to live up to the credit as an experienced “triple-threat”: an accomplished executive, line, and creative producer. He specializes in balancing creative vision with business needs, and has brought his talents to productions on both costs, including Teachers’ Lounge at the Abingdon Theater and The Melody Lingers On at the El Portal.

As Chief Operating Officer of Stage Access, Tripp is combining his production experience with his strong business background to expand the only company in North America that produces, distributes and licenses classical arts content across multiple platforms – theatrically, through a co-production relationship with IMAX, and through its own on-demand streaming service, STAGE ACCESS.

An avid volunteer, Tripp has served in senior leadership board positions for non-profit organizations focused on the arts and education, including president of The Mask and Wig Club in Philadelphia; the board of directors of Penn Alumni; and class president at the University of Pennsylvania, which awarded Tripp its 2017 Young Alumni Award of Merit.

As a theatrical producer, Tripp is managing member of Quince Street Productions, whose upcoming works include the highly anticipated revival of Me and My Girl and the play Public Charge.

As a motion-picture producer, his latest films, Renée Fleming’s Cities That Sing – Paris and Renée Fleming’s Cities That Sing – Venice, both premiere this fall in IMAX theaters worldwide.

Dr. Noubar Afeyan

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Flagship Pioneering

Dr. Noubar Afeyan is founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, a company that creates bioplatform companies to transform human health and sustainability. An entrepreneur and biochemical engineer, Dr. Afeyan holds more than 100 patents and has co-founded more than 70 life science and technology startups during his 35-year career. He is co-founder and chairman of the board of Moderna, the pioneering messenger RNA company addressing the global COVID-19 pandemic through life-saving vaccines, and chairs the boards of several private and public companies.

Noubar entered biotechnology during its emergence as an academic field and industry, completing his doctoral work in biochemical engineering at MIT in 1987. He was a senior lecturer at MIT’s Sloan School of Management from 2000 to 2016, a lecturer at Harvard Business School until 2020, and he currently serves as a member of the MIT Corporation. He teaches and speaks around the world on topics ranging from entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development to biological engineering, new medicines, and renewable energy. In 2022, Noubar was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

Dr. Afeyan has received multiple awards for his passionate advocacy of the contributions of immigrants to economic and scientific progress. He is the co-founder of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity and a number of other philanthropic projects focused on Armenia.

Mariusz Adamski

Partner, ff Venture Capital

Mariusz Adamski joined ffVC in 2019 as a Partner and established European office in Warsaw. Mariusz is responsible for fundraising for European funds and day to day operations in Warsaw. Currently Mariusz is managing European team of 8 investment professionals and is responsible for CEE investments from series seed to series B. In 2021 completed over 10 venture capital transactions in Poland, Estonia, France, Germany, and Ireland. Mariusz has over 10 years of experience in global capital markets and private equity / venture capital in different roles from a financial analyst to a portfolio manager. He worked in the past in Europe at mBank (Commerzbank) and in the US in New York City at Mitchell Madison Group and Pershing Square Capital Management. Mariusz graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Science in Business.