Founders & Builders
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Chaitali Patel, Founder & CEO
Chaitali is a passionate entrepreneur at heart. A highly reputable finance, social impact, banking, and fintech executive -she is a leading expert in the sustainability sector; she founded Evergood, a sustainability and impact investing advisory firm, in 2017 to help investors and companies design sustainability strategies and frameworks.
Chaitali spent several years in the fintech sector as a go-to-market strategy expert; she led the B2B finance arm of Fundation Group, a New York-based financial technology firm as Head of Catalyst Solutions. During her banking tenure, she held senior executive positions at major financial institutions, including Bank of Hawaii, Zions Bancorp, PNC Bank, and HSBC Holdings. Her fifteen-plus years in the sector included extensive experience with business strategy, product management, bank operations, channel management, and financial reporting. She also served as Chief External Affairs Officer overseeing revenue development and external public and private sector relations functions at one of the nation’s largest military family advocacy organizations based in Washington, DC. Most recently, she served as Chief Impact Officer, leading impact investment strategy at 100 Women in Finance, a global association of women executives in asset management with 32 locations worldwide.
Chaitali holds a BBA in Finance from the University of North Texas, an executive certificate in Financial Planning from Georgetown University, and an MBA from the University of Utah’s Eccles School of Business.
As an entrepreneur, sustainability expert, and investor actively engaged in the academic community, she speaks and shares knowledge on business strategy, risk management, impact investing globally. She serves on the boards of commercial and social impact organizations around the world, including Hong Kong based HKmomtrepreneurs. She is also a member of the board executive committee and investment committee at UI Advisors, a donor-advised fund based in Utah.
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Debbie E. Miller, Co-founder & CMO
Debbie is a seasoned marketing leader with over 25 years of experience driving growth and innovation across diverse sectors, including education, financial services, technology, and startups. As the Founder and CEO of WyndMiller Marketing, she brings a wealth of expertise to the table, spanning marketing communication and strategy, partnership development, public relations, and content creation. Debbie is also passionate about supporting women in business and STEM, demonstrated through her mentorship and involvement as a Board member at Stem for Her.
Debbie excels at crafting compelling messaging and executing integrated marketing campaigns that seamlessly blend traditional and digital channels. Her career is distinguished by a consistent track record of generating revenue, onboarding and nurturing partnerships, enabling sales teams, and cultivating lasting customer relationships. A skilled problem-solver and collaborator, she thrives on building strong internal and external relationships to bring creative ideas to fruition.
Debbie holds a B.A. from Smith College and an MBA from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. Her impressive career includes key marketing positions at prominent companies such as Fundation, Sallie Mae, Digital Globe (now Maxar Technologies), Blackboard, and Borden Foods, prior to founding WyndMiller Marketing.
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Stephanie Barrows, Co-Founder & CRO
Stephanie is a seasoned sales executive in the financial services sector, driven by a passion for entrepreneurship and impact investing. Currently serving as a Sales Director at S&P Global, she oversees key relationships with some of the world’s largest banking clients. Additionally, she is the founder of HIRAYA, a plant-based skincare brand dedicated to promoting natural beauty and wellness.
With extensive experience in financial services, Stephanie has a proven track record of advising banks and investment firms on enhancing efficiencies and implementing automation solutions. During her eight years at JDX, a financial services consulting firm, she played a pivotal role in establishing the US brand, successfully scaling the business from one employee to over 200. Her efforts also led to the development of multi-million dollar accounts with major investment banks.
Stephanie earned her BSc in Psychology from the University of Essex and an MSc in Occupational Psychology from the University of Hertfordshire in England.
Since launching HIRAYA, she has become a strong advocate for women pursuing small business ventures alongside their careers, actively engaging with small business communities. Residing in New York City with her husband and their Corgi, Stephanie has seamlessly integrated her passions for entrepreneurship, finance, and skincare.
Senior Leadership
Aiyaz Husain, PhD
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Aiyaz Husain is Senior Director of Higher Education Partnerships at Motherboard. A historian and former public servant with deep ties to the U.S. academic community, he was most recently the National Partnerships Director for the World Affairs Councils of America, helping that organization find external partners to work with the 90 Councils in its nationwide network. Prior to that, he served as Head of Research at Evergood Impact, a sustainability consulting firm in Arlington, Virginia. He is a twelve-year veteran of the U.S. Department of State, where he produced internal studies of U.S. policy at the Office of the Historian and led an outreach initiative to educate universities, think tanks and journalists about the Office's research and publications.
Throughout his career, Aiyaz has helped forge connections between academic researchers and practitioners--including policy makers in government and the nonprofit sector. He is a former member of the American Historical Association and the Society of Historians of American Foreign Relations, and briefed participants in the Washington Decolonization Seminar on the work of the State Department from 2010 to 2015 during that annual summer program.
Aiyaz holds a bachelor's degree in History from Yale University, where he was a National Merit Scholar, and Master's and PhD degrees from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he was the C.V. Starr Scholar. His book Mapping the End of Empire was published by Harvard University Press in 2014.
Ceph Pereira
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Ceph Pereira serves as Senior Director of Programs at Motherboard, where she leads curriculum design, technical execution, and program delivery across high school and collegiate cohorts.
With over nine years of experience in technology, Ceph brings a rare blend of software engineering depth, global project management expertise, and entrepreneurial insight. She holds a Master’s in Computer Science from Harrisburg University and a Master’s in Entrepreneurship from Boston University — a dual foundation that allows her to bridge technical architecture with business strategy.
Throughout her career, Ceph has worked across international markets, leading cross-functional teams and delivering complex software initiatives in fast-paced, multicultural environments. Her experience spans systems architecture, product development, agile program management, and technical instruction.
At Motherboard, Ceph designs execution-based learning environments where students do not simply study innovation — they build, ship, iterate, and lead. She is deeply committed to cultivating technical fluency, disciplined problem-solving, and real-world capability in the next generation of builders.
Emerging Co-Founders & Leaders
Serena Aurora
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Serena Aurora is a builder focused on turning ideas into structured, scalable systems. As Co Founder and Director of Innovation, she leads platform development and strategic initiatives designed to bridge the gap between education and real-world execution, helping emerging professionals develop the judgment, responsibility, and capability today’s workforce demands.
A graduate of the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, Serena brings a foundation in finance, strategy, and organizational analysis to her work. Her experience spans financial modeling, impact measurement, and cross-functional execution, allowing her to translate ambition into measurable progress. She approaches innovation with discipline, aligning vision, operations, and long-term growth.
In addition to her work at Motherboard, Serena co founded HerHealth Foundation, guiding its early strategy, partnership development, and operational structure. That experience reinforced her belief that meaningful impact requires both bold thinking and consistent execution.
Serena is committed to building platforms that expand access, strengthen capability, and create sustainable pathways for growth.
Aarav Patel
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Aarav Patel is an emerging entrepreneur and strategy-focused builder working at the intersection of finance, technology, and venture growth. As Head of Strategy within the Emerging Builders program, he focuses on translating innovative ideas into scalable businesses and sustainable revenue models. Aarav studies Finance and Statistics at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, where his academic and professional interests center on enterprise software companies and how strategic finance can accelerate their growth.
Aarav has hands-on experience helping build and scale early-stage ventures. He worked on a pothole detection startup that developed hardware and data solutions to help municipalities identify infrastructure issues more efficiently, where he contributed to growth strategy, commercialization planning, and investor communication. He also worked on an RPA-driven automation venture focused on improving operational efficiency for organizations through workflow automation. Across both ventures, Aarav concentrated on market research, monetization strategy, and product positioning, helping translate technical innovation into clear economic value.
In addition to his entrepreneurial work, Aarav has gained experience in private equity where he supported investment research and evaluated strategies for scaling companies. He will be joining BNY Mellon as a Financial Analyst this summer and will join Barclays as an Investment Banking Analyst the following summer, further developing his expertise in strategic finance and capital markets.
Aarav builds because he enjoys transforming ambitious ideas into real systems that create value. He is motivated by helping innovative technology companies scale through disciplined strategy, strong financial foundations, and thoughtful execution.
Siena Baglio
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Siena Baglio is a first year at Wake Forest University, and is currently on the pre-business track. She is so excited to be Motherboard’s Head of Customer Success and Customer Experience. Siena is a high-achieving student and hands-on leader who builds community-centered initiatives from the ground up. As President of The Princess Ball Junior Board, she led planning and execution for a large-scale annual charity event, overseeing logistics, sponsorship elements, team delegation, and on-site operations. In the arts, she served as a lead in Enchanted Garden Dance, where she redesigned performances, modernized costumes, and launched a K–12 mentorship program to strengthen retention and culture. Siena has also executed inclusive programming through dance instruction for adults with disabilities and supported equine therapy sessions, blending leadership with service-driven impact. Her core capabilities include event strategy and execution, team leadership and delegation, and operational organization. She builds to create spaces where people feel empowered, included, and inspired to lead. She believes entrepreneurship and leadership are tools for turning vision into tangible impact within communities. Outside of this, Siena has trained as a dancer for over a decade and has used dance as an outlet for creative expression and connection.
Aman Patel
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Aman Patel leads Customer Experience at Motherboard, where he focuses on designing structured, high-quality experiences for students, families, and institutional partners. He is an Entrepreneurship and Marketing major at Suffolk University with hands-on experience across operations, service design, and organization building.
At Suffolk, Aman founded and scaled the university’s Entrepreneurship Club from the ground up, establishing its structure, programming, and engagement systems to support student founders. He built processes, coordinated teams, and created repeatable frameworks that enabled the organization to grow and serve aspiring student entrepreneurs.
In addition to his leadership work on campus, Aman developed strong operational expertise at Woodbury Market, where he optimized inventory control procedures, supported supplier relationships, and contributed to frontline service operations in a fast-paced retail environment.
He has also supported large-scale community events through Patidar Samaj of New England, managing check-in systems, ticketing, records, and on-site coordination while implementing feedback-driven improvements to elevate overall experience quality.
Aman brings a builder mindset to his work. He values ownership, accountability, and execution, and is motivated by initiatives that create long-term value for both individuals and communities.
Aisha Myneni
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Aisha Myneni is the Head of Digital Delivery & Distribution of Emerging Builders and a Supply Chain Management and Business Analytics student at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business who builds at the intersection of operational efficiency and emerging technology. She has taken initiative in growing Women Impacting Supply Chain Excellence (WISE), leading corporate sponsorship outreach, developing partnership strategy, and building relationships with industry professionals to secure funding and long-term engagement. Through logistics and transportation workshops, business fraternity leadership, and hands-on analytics projects, she has executed initiatives that translate data into structured, actionable decisions. Aisha is comfortable taking on responsibility when projects require structure and follow-through, managing recruitment operations for 150+ candidates, designing systems that improve accountability, and leveraging Excel, analytics modeling, and AI tools to optimize processes. Her core capabilities include corporate partnership development, data-driven decision making, operational process design, market research, and team leadership. Outside of her work, she enjoys going on long walks, staying active, and spending time building meaningful relationships within her community.
Dia Aurora
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Dia is a junior studying business at Indiana University with hands‑on experience in leadership, organizational strategy, and analytical problem‑solving. Dia has led recruitment initiatives for Kappa Eta Phi, a business fraternity, strengthening community engagement and building inclusive pipelines for new members. Her background also includes technical and creative projects across accounting, financial modeling, and AI‑driven research, as well as collaborative work in environmental trend analysis. Dia thrives in roles that blend structure, creativity, and impact. Her core capabilities are financial analysis and modeling, market and industry research, and pitch and communication skills. Dia builds to create systems and communities that are inclusive, efficient, and future‑focused. Entrepreneurship matters to her because it offers a way to turn ideas into real structures that help people grow, connect, and solve meaningful problems. Dia is an avid tennis player who loves the strategy and focus the sport demands, often drawing on those same qualities in their academic and leadership work.
Armaan Goraya
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Armaan Goraya is a computer science student at George Mason University with a strong interest in artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and the future of digital innovation. He is particularly passionate about understanding how rapidly evolving technologies can reshape industries and create new opportunities for problem solving at scale.
Armaan enjoys exploring the intersection of technology, strategy, and real-world application. His work and academic focus center on learning how AI and advanced computing systems can be used to build smarter tools, improve efficiency, and unlock new capabilities across industries.
Driven by curiosity and a forward-looking mindset, Armaan is committed to staying at the forefront of technological change while continuing to develop the technical and analytical skills needed to contribute meaningfully to the next generation of innovation.
