Alumni Spotlight is pleased to announce The Top 100 University of Chicago Alumni in Technology of 2021. The University of Chicago, globally recognized for its strength in intellectual traditions, devotion to rigorous and open inquiry and strong critical analysis, was once home to many alumni who continuously seek creative solutions to complex problems. Alumni Don Katz knew that technology was on the verge of a big change when he founded Audible in 1995, forever changing the way many people around the world listen to stories. Other alumni are leading technology-focused venture capital firms that are backing companies who have invented new technologies that have yet to be seen.

The University of Chicago alumni around the world are guiding companies that will change the course of our future. Several awardees today like Brad Brooks of TigerConnect, Kulmeet Singh of Twistle and Daniel Nathrath of Ada Health are revolutionizing the way the healthcare industry operates with new technologies, creating a better system for today and years to come. Others like Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, are advancing already successful technology companies into new territories year after year. All of this year’s awardees demonstrate their commitment to social impact through technological advancements. Please join us in celebrating the achievements of the Top 100 University of Chicago Alumni in Technology of 2021.

 

1. Matthew Prince
Cloudflare, Inc.

Matthew Prince is the CEO and Co-Founder of Cloudflare. Cloudflare protects and accelerates any internet application online without adding hardware, installing software, or changing a line of code. Internet properties powered by Cloudflare have all traffic routed through its intelligent global network, which gets smarter with each new site added. Prince has 18 years in the internet industry. He began his career in 2002.

Before founding Cloudflare, Prince was an Adjunct Professor of Law at The John Marshall Law School. Prince graduated from Harvard Business School with an MBA, from The University of Chicago Law School with a JD, and from Trinity College-Hartford with an undergraduate degree in English and Computer Science.

 

6. Satya Nadella
Microsoft

Satya Nadella is a Chairman and CEO of Microsoft. He first joined the company in 1992. Microsoft is on a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more through digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge.

Nadella first joined the company as an Engineer before being promoted to Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Business Solutions in 2001. He was later employed as the Vice President of R&D for the Online Services Division before moving on to his current role as CEO. Nadella earned a master’s in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He also earned an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal.

 

10. Omar Darwazah
AAF Management Ltd

Omar Darwazah is a Managing Director and General Partner at AAF Management Ltd. (AAF), an early stage venture capital firm he co-founded in 2016. AAF has over $100M in assets under management and focuses on top tier venture-backed Seed and Series A investment opportunities in US-based startups that have international expansion potential. AAF’s portfolio includes Current, Flutterwave, Even Financial, Synthego, Sure, Hello Heart among others. Prior to launching his career in venture capital, Darwazah spent 10 years at OCI N.V. where he worked on $35 billion worth of corporate transactions.

As an angel investor, Darwazah has put money into early stage rounds of Andela, FiscalNote and Blockstack. He is an advisor to Yale University’s Center for Digital Health and Innovation, a mentor at NYU’s Steinhardt’s EdTech Accelerator and a judge at the Wharton School’s Venture Lab. He is a Kauffman Fellow (Class 25) and was named one of Wharton’s 40 under 40 in 2017. Darwazah earned his Master’s in Business Administration degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

 

12. Shaun So
The So Company

Shaun So is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of The So Company. He first founded the company in 2012. The So Company was founded on the principle that the US government needed a better way to adopt new technology to make a lasting impact on how to better serve the people. Since founding The So Company, its employees have used human-centered design and agile development methodologies to explore and build better processes for once broken government systems.

Previously, So was a Founder and CEO at Cubby and before that the Defense Contractor at McNeil Technologies. Earlier in his career he worked with the Defence Intelligence Agency as an Intelligence Analyst. So earned an MBA from the City University of New York and an undergraduate degree in Political Science from The University of Chicago.

 

18. Evan Sharp
Pinterest

Evan Sharp is the Founder of Pinterest. He first founded the company in 2011. Pinterest's mission is to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love. It’s the biggest dataset of ideas ever assembled, with over 100 billion recipes, home hacks, style inspiration and other ideas to try. More than 440 million people around the world use Pinterest to dream about, plan and prepare for things they want to do in life.

Previously, Sharp was a Product Designer at Facebook. Sharp earned an undergraduate degree in History from The University of Chicago.

 

23. Sue Wagner
BlackRock

Sue Wagner began her professional career 37 years ago. Today, she is the Co-Founder and Director of BlackRock. BlackRock is a global investment manager and technology provider. They invest in consumers’ financial well-being.

Wagner first got her start in 1984 as a Vice President at Lehman Brothers. Wagner graduated from The University of Chicago with an MBA and from Wellesley College.

 

26. Alexis Borisy
EQRx

Alexis Borisy began his professional career 12 years ago. Today, he is the Founder and Executive Chairman of EQRx. EQRx is committed to making innovative medicines at dramatically lower prices for the benefit of people and society. Through strategic partnerships with stakeholders from across the healthcare ecosystem and cutting-edge science and technology, they aim to provide high-quality, patent-protected medicines more efficiently and cost-effectively than ever before.

Borisy first got his start in 2009 as a Co-Founder and CEO at CombinatoRx. From there, he went on to Foundation Medicine, before eventually co-founding Relay Therapeutics where he served as CEO, his most recent position prior to founding EQRx. Borisy graduated from Harvard University with a master's degree in Chemistry and Chemical Biology and from The University of Chicago with an undergraduate degree in Chemistry.

View the complete list of awardees.

 

34. Don Katz
Audible, Inc.

Don Katz is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Audible. Audible is the leading producer and provider of original spoken-word entertainment and audiobooks that redefined the ways people access, discover, and share stories. Katz has 46 years in the internet industry. He began his career in 1975.

Before founding Audible, Katz was a Founder of Newark Venture Partners. Earlier in his career he worked as a journalist and author. Katz graduated from London School of Economics and Political Science and from New York University with an undergraduate degree in English and Political Science.

 

39. Hanif Joshaghani
Symend Inc.

Hanif Joshaghani is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Symend Inc. He first founded the company in 2016. Symend's digital engagement platform uses behavioral science and data-driven insights to empower customers to resolve past due bills. Symend combines behavioral science with advanced analytics to treat at-risk individuals with empathy and dignity.

Previously, Joshaghani was a Manager of Corporate Finance at Capital Power Corporation and before that an Investment Banking Associate at TD Securities. Joshaghani earned an MBA in Finance from the University of Toronto - Rotman School of Management and an undergraduate degree in Economics from The University of Chicago.

 

41. Marcus Westin
Aldyn

Marcus Westin began his professional career 15 years ago. Today, he is the Founder and CTO of Aldyn. Aldyn is a technology-focused healthcare company positively transforming the menopause experience. Their mission is to empower women in midlife and beyond to live healthier, longer lives.

Westin first got his start in 2006 as a Senior Engineer at Meebo. From there, he went on to Clover Network, before eventually founding ASAPP where he served as CTO and advisor, his most recent positions prior to founding Aldyn. Westin earned an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from The University of Chicago.

 

43. Michael Polsky
Invenergy

Michael Polsky is the Founder, President and CEO of Invenergy, a leading global privately-held developer and operator of sustainable energy solutions. They have successfully developed nearly 150 projects, including wind, solar, and natural gas power generation technologies as well as advanced energy storage facilities.

Prior to founding Invenergy, Polsky founded SkyGen Energy which was later purchased by Calpine Corporation. Earlier in his career Polsky co-founded and was the President of Indeck Energy Services Inc. Polsky holds an MSME degree from Kiev Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

 

48. Mark Fasciano
Rover Diagnostics

Mark Fasciano is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rover Diagnostics. He first founded the company in 2018. Rover’s primary mission is to help meet the urgent global need for a cost-effective, highly sensitive, mass-produced point-of-care COVID-19 instrument and test kit system.

Previously, Fasciano was a Co-Founder and CEO at Clarapath and before that a Managing Director at Canrock Ventures. Earlier in his career he co-founded Wire Software and served as their Chairman and CEO. Fasciano earned a PhD in Computer Science from The University of Chicago and an undergraduate degree in Computer Science and English from Cornell University.

 

53. Brad Brooks
TigerConnect

Brad Brooks began his professional career 23 years ago. Today, he is the Co-Founder and CEO of TigerConnect. TigerConnect is healthcare’s most widely adopted communication platform – uniquely modernizing care collaboration among doctors, nurses, care teams, and patients.

Brooks first got his start in 1998 as an Associate in Corporate Finance at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. From there, he went on to DIC Entertainment, before eventually rising to Managing Director at Imperial Capital, his most recent position prior to founding TigerConnect. Brooks graduated from The University of Chicago with an MBA in Finance and Accounting and from the University of California, Berkeley with an undergraduate degree in Economics.

 

58. Michelle Sun
First Code Academy

Michelle Sun is the CEO and Founder of First Code Academy, a leading coding and STEM education institute that teaches coding to kids from 4 to 18 with hands-on workshops, camps and regular programs.

In addition to founding First Code, Sun founded AppJamming Summit, the largest app development competition that attracts thousands of submissions from students (8-15 years old). She is a visiting instructor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sun started her career with Goldman Sachs as an Equity Analyst. She graduated from The University of Chicago with a degree in Economics.

View the complete list of awardees.

 

64. Aza Raskin
The Center for Humane Technology

 Aza Raskin is a Co-Founder of The Center for Humane Technology, which is leading the charge in reversing the way technology undermines society, to realigning technology with humanity’s best interests.
He is also the co-founder of Earth Species Project and sits on the World Economic Forum Global AI Council. He was also featured in the documentary The Social Dilemma, which recently won 2 Emmy Awards. Previously, Aza Raskin helped build the web at Mozilla as head of user experience, was named to Inc and Forbes 30-under-30 and became the Fast Company Master of Design for his work founding Massive Health, an early consumer health behavior change company. The company was acquired by Jawbone, where he was VP of Innovation. Before that, he founded Songza.com (acquired by Google), Humanized (acquired by Mozilla), and was a dark matter physicist at both The University of Chicago and Tokyo University.

 

67. Daniel Nathrath
Ada Health

Daniel Nathrath began his professional career 22 years ago. Today, he is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ada Health. Ada Health delivers a revolutionary virtual healthcare service that gives patients instant access to doctors and tailored medical information, and helps doctors make the best decisions for their patients.

Nathrath first got his start in 1999 as a Legal Counsel and Manager of Business Development at Lycos Europe. From there, he went on to become the Managing Director of Business Development for Europe at viagogo Ltd., his most recent position prior to founding Ada Health. Nathrath graduated from The University of Chicago with an MBA.

 

70. Rick Kimball
TCV

Rick Kimball began his professional career 37 years ago. Today, he is the General Partner Founder of TCV. TCV is the leading provider of capital to growth-stage private and public companies in the technology industry.

Kimball first got his start in 1984 as a Managing Director at Montgomery Securities. Kimball graduated from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business with an MBA and from Dartmouth College with an undergraduate degree.

 

74. David Rodnitzky
3Q Digital

David Rodnitzky is the Founder of 3Q Digital. He first founded the company in 2008. 3Q Digital is an online marketing agency headquartered in Silicon Valley with nine offices across the US and Europe. They specialize in helping companies build or optimize paid search, SEO, mobile, social and display campaigns on Google AdWords, Yahoo/Bing, Facebook, and display ad exchanges.

Previously, Rodnitzky was a Vice President of Advertising at Mercantila and before that a Senior Director of Marketing at Adteractive. Earlier in his career he worked with Cascino Vaughan Law Offices as a Legal Assistant. Rodnitzky earned a JD in Law from the University of Iowa College of Law and an undergraduate degree in History from The University of Chicago.

 

78. Maxwell Blumenfeld
SentiLink

Maxwell Blumenfeld is a Co-Founder at SentiLink. He first founded the company in 2017. SentiLink has built the only comprehensive industry solution for stopping synthetic fraud. SentiLink combines proprietary data, deep insight from risk analysts and a machine learning approach that drives targeted output.

Prior to founding SentiLink, Blumenfeld was a Data Scientist and Fraud Strategy Lead at Affirm, Inc., and Lead Associate at Novantas. Mr. Blumenfeld graduated from the University of Chicago with a bachelors Mathematics and Economics.

 

84. Asima Ahmad
Carrot Fertility

Asima Ahmad is the Co-founder and CMO of Carrot Fertility. Carrot is a complete global fertility solution for today's modern employers and payers, providing flexible financial coverage and expert care navigation across the U.S. and 60+ countries. They are committed to the most cutting-edge technology and complete emotional support for their patients. Ahmad has 13 years in the health field. She began her career in 2008.

Before founding Carrot, Ahmad was a Clinical Resident in Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale-New Haven Hospital and before that the Founder and President for the Future Physician Society at Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America. Ahmad is currently a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Specialist at Fertility Centers of Illinois. Ahmad graduated from The University of Chicago - The Pritzker School of Medicine with an MD and from The University of Chicago with an undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences and Economics.

 

87. Joe Doliner
Pachyderm

Joe Doliner is the Co-founder and CEO of Pachyderm. Pachyderm provides industry leading data versioning, pipelines and lineage that allow data science teams to automate the machine learning lifecycle and optimize their machine learning operations. Doliner has 11 years in the computer software industry. He began his career in 2010.

Before joining Pachyderm, Doliner was a Software Engineer at Airbnb. Earlier in his career he worked with RethinkDB. Doliner graduated from The University of Chicago with an undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Computer Science.

View the complete list of awardees.

 

91. Sami Moughrabie
ATMOS Ventures

Sami Moughrabie is the Managing Partner of ATMOS Ventures, a deep tech Venture Capital fund focusing on investing in defensible and transformational technologies that address the world's largest problems. Moughrabie specializes in verticals such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantum computing, Quantum technologies, Space and Robotics.

Previously, Moughrabie was the Managing Partner at Technologies Capital where he led the disruptive digitization of all major industrial sectors and advised the world’s leading academic institutions on their R&D commercialization strategies. Having facilitated over $15 Billion in global corporate transactions over the span of his career, Moughrabie is an advisor to numerous Governments and Fortune 100 companies, advising them on future-proofing their growth strategies and implementing frontier technologies. Moughrabie started his career at Bank of America’s Hedge Fund Group. He also serves as a Technology consultant to the film industries in the US and the UK. He earned a bachelors in Economics from The University of Chicago.

 

93. Kuan Chen
Infervision

Kuan Chen is the Founder of Infervision. Infervision is an artificial intelligence high-tech company specialized in medical AI and committed to applying deep learning technology to assist medical image diagnosis as efficient and accurate solutions. Chen has 7 years in the information technology and services industry. He began his career in 2014.

Chen graduated from The University of Chicago with a PhD and an undergraduate degree in Economics and Mathematics.

 

97. Suzanne Xie
Stripe

Suzanne Xie began her professional career 15 years ago. Today, she is the Business Lead of Invoices at Stripe. Stripe is a technology company that builds economic infrastructure for the internet.

Xie first got her start in 2006 as an Analyst at UBS. From there, she went on to Goldman Sachs, before eventually rising to Director of Product Management at Twitter, her most recent position prior to joining Stripe. Xie graduated from The University of Chicago with an undergraduate degree in Economics.

 

98. Jason Blumberg
Energy Foundry

Jason Blumberg is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Energy Foundry. He first founded the company in 2012. Energy Foundry invests venture capital in today’s most promising energy innovators, and they work with the world’s leading energy companies to build and scale new ventures.

Previously, Blumberg was a Co-Founder at Energy Results and before that a Vice President of Corporate Development at Interpublic Group. Earlier in his career he worked with Arthur Andersen Business Consulting in the Transactions Advisory Group. Blumberg earned an MBA from The University of Chicago - Booth School of Business and an undergraduate degree in Business from Michigan State University.

View the complete list of awardees.