Cleantech Group

Genet Garamendi

Genet Garamendi is a founding team member and the Head of Strategic Relationships and Communications for Checkerspot, a design-centric advanced materials company. As a passionate story teller, relationship and team builder, connector, and IPO veteran, she is an advocate for solutions that are better for people and our planet. Checkerspot is already breaking new ground on solutions as advances in our understanding of biology, chemistry, and materials science are converging with advances in computational, experimental and fabrication tools, unleashing performance capabilities that we once only imagined.

Previously, Genet served as TerraVia’s SVP for Global Corporate Communications, Sustainability and Government Relations. She led engagement and outreach to stakeholders including mediaNGOs, partners and Government on environmental and policy issues around TerraVia’s leading role in algae innovation, food and sustainability.

Genet brings with her deep experience in a variety of sectors from government to television media. She was also the communications leader on the successful Solazyme IPO. Before joining TerraVia (formerly Solazyme), she was VP of Communications at Premier Retail Networks, the in-store media network that was located in over 6000 stores for retailers like Walmart and some of the largest grocery stores nationwide. In addition, Ms. Garamendi has worked for Discovery Networks U.S. as the Director of Publicity and Communications for TLC Network where she worked on many acclaimed series such as The Great Egyptians, Windsor Restored, Tobacco Wars, and the Oscar nominated documentary, On the Ropes.

Prior to her work in television she worked in Congress for Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and Congressman Vic Fazio (former Chairman of the DCCC and member of the House Appropriations Committee) as a Deputy Press Secretary, Press Secretary and Legislative Aid focused on health care issues, agriculture, women’s issues and Medicare.

Arvind Gupta

Arvind founded IndieBio, the world’s largest biotech program based seed fund. Using a blend of scientific method and design thinking Arvind and the IndieBio team funds startups that can impact over a billion people or address markets over a billion dollars.

Beginning his professional life as an options market maker in the Pacific Coast Exchange in the Microsoft pit, Arvind left trading in search of a career with deeper meaning. Arvind set out and discovered design when IDEO hired him. As a design director of product development and strategy at IDEO, he led the team that designed the Samsung Galaxy Curve, amassed 8 patents, received many international design awards and moved to Shanghai to build the Asia product design team.

Further, Arvind co-founded Starters, a personal fitness app that gained thousands of users in 98 countries. Joining SOSV in 2013, Arvind became a venture capitalist to invest in biotech and deep science technologies including AR/VR and new user interfaces.

He is a regular speaker at TEDx, TechCrunch Disrupt, Slush conference, Startup Iceland and SFMOMA among others. His writing appears in Nature, Rotman, Forbes and Design Observer. He has been awarded 8 US Patents and has had his work in the SF Museum of Modern Art.

Arvind received his B.S. in Genetic Engineering from UCSB and studied Industrial Design at SFSU.

Arvind is married with two daughters. He is 2016 world champion in No Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has climbed El Capitan and other big walls, was a BASE Jumper and big wave surfer. He is currently trains MMA and BJJ.

Riccardo LoCascio

Jenny Rooke

For over a decade, Genoa Ventures’ founder and managing director Dr. Jenny Rooke has been deploying capital at the frontiers of life sciences innovation, with a penchant for technology-fueled solutions and category-defying opportunities. Jenny got her start in venture at Fidelity Biosciences, a Cambridge-based healthcare VC, during their Fund I formation. Jenny then brought her unique toolkit of genetics domain expertise, strategic business acumen, and venture investing to the Gates Foundation, where she deployed and managed over $250M in funding in genetic engineering, diagnostics, and synthetic biology. She also played a key role in establishing the foundation’s investing function.

In 2014, Dr. Rooke began independently investing under the brand 5 Prime Ventures, financing her investments using what has become the largest life sciences syndicate on AngelList, and one of the highest-performing AngelList syndicates of any sector. Jenny founded Genoa Ventures in 2018, building on the 5 Prime Ventures track record, in order to scale a proven, differentiated investing strategy, to ensure continued access to the very best deals, and to maximize portfolio returns.

Sarah Reisinger