Staff
Angela Kujava, Managing Director
Angela is responsible for the execution and development of Desai’s business acceleration program, including mentoring and counseling startups and selecting and managing investments. She works closely with the region’s business communities for the benefit of not only the participating startups but also the broader entrepreneurial landscape. Her areas of expertise include storytelling, design thinking, human-centered design, customer discovery, strategic planning, creative leadership, and innovation narratives. Angela earned the Foundations in Creative Leadership, Leading for Creativity, Cultivating Creative Collaboration and Storytelling for Influence certifications from IDEO and previously held the Certified Financial Planner™ and Certified Investment Management Analyst certifications. Angela earned a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Design Methods from the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology.
Katia Kassof, Program Manager
Katia Kassof supports the execution and development of the Desai Accelerator program, including managing the elite student internship program. She serves as project manager for work submitted by participant startups that is executed by internal and external multidisciplinary teams. Prior to joining Desai, Katia worked as a Program Coordinator at the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies where she managed the Dare to Dream Grant program for student startups and coordinated additional student programs that fostered innovation and entrepreneurship. Katia earned an MBA from the University of Florida Warrington College of Business and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Michigan State University, with minors in Bioethics and Health Promotion.
Satish Malnaik, Entrepreneur in Residence
Satish Malnaik is a technology and venture creation enthusiast driven by a passion for innovation. He is CEO and co-founder of NextServices, leading a global team delivering a cloud health technology platform and knowledge-based revenue cycle services. Satish is also a co-founder at Fantelope, a collaboration marketplace for personalities, designers and charities.
Kim Gamez, Entrepreneur in Residence
For the past seventeen years, Kim has founded businesses in both the US and Mexico. Most recently, she was featured in Forbes, The Today Show, and has been dubbed Tech Start Up Darling with her latest endeavor, Mi Padrino. Kim is the founder of Mi Padrino, an event-planning, crowd-gifting platform for Hispanic families all across the US and Mexico. With over 1 million users in the past year, Mi Padrino makes it easy for families to plan weddings, quinceañeras, and more with ease, online. Kim is proud to be representing women entrepreneurs and serving the largest growing demographic in the United States.
