Team

MEET THE CITRIS FOUNDRY TEAM

We are dedicated to helping you build the next transformational innovation.

Marc Theeuwes

Managing Director

Over 30 years of experience in management, corporate development, venture capital, strategic partnerships, and engineering working with Fortune 500 and startup corporations. Specialized in mobile, consumer products, music / entertainment, digital advertising, artificial intelligence AI & SAAS, cloud computing, networking and security, 5G, design, healthcare, semiconductors and photonics, MEMS/sensors, robotics, Industry 4.0 and manufacturing. 300 due diligence engagements for the purpose of investment, M&A, and partnerships.

Thomas Azwell

X-Labs

Thomas Azwell is an experienced scientist with a demonstrated history of working in higher education. He is skilled in corporate sustainability, remediation, agriculture, and oceanography. Thomas is a strong research professional with a Masters in Science Education and a PhD in Environmental Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Maher Hakim

Program Advisor

Dr. Maher Hakim has spent 25+ years launching tech startups, leading software product development, teaching, and building innovation ecosystems. He is currently the Chief Innovation Advisor at Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council, and a partner with 212.vc – a venture capital firm based in Istanbul. He has been a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University since 2012.

Dan Gillette

Principle, Berkeley School of Public Health

Dan Gillette has spent his career mapping pathways between what technology and creativity allow and what real-world users appreciate. Since earning his master’s degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a focus on cognition and instructional design, Dan has developed technology products to assist individuals with autism, led the design of VR therapies for children with psychiatric disabilities, and more.

Sarah Parkes

Research & Operations

Sarah is an undergraduate Industrial Engineering & Operations Research student at the UC Berkeley College of Engineering. In addition to collaborating on CITRIS data projects, Sarah aims to build community among and facilitate the productivity of incubator cohorts by planning events and workshops for founders.

Janhavi Pillai

Design & Media

Janhavi is a second year studying Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley. She is from San Jose, CA. She currently works on outreach to faculty/student departments and creating collateral to help develop a consistent aesthetic for the Foundry, overall helping strengthen the CITRIS brand across web, print, data, and media.