About

Julie le Blanc Duvergé is the Director of Marketing at VentureOut and the Managing Director for Europe. A seasoned startup executive having helped a number of foreign startups to launch and build their brand in the U.S. market, Julie joined the VentureOut team in April 2017 and is responsible for branding, communication, and partner and sponsor relationships. She has been based in France since January 2018.

Prior to VentureOut, Julie spent 10 years working in sales, marketing and business development roles for tech companies in 4 different countries across 3 continents. A French citizen, Julie earned her Master’s of Management from ESCP Europe where she studied Marketing.

Fay-Louise is the Program Director at VentureOut, overseeing strategy and operations for all accelerator programs. A veteran startup advisor, Fay joined VentureOut after eight years working with investors and startups on cross-border and global market strategy across Latin America, Asia & North America. In her role at Venture Out, Fay manages all programming, supporting the startups, mentors, and clients related to those programs, and is a key member of the executive team.

Prior to VentureOut, Fay worked for several years in Private Equity where she managed a portfolio of alternative assets with Acquisition Group Inc and she played a key role in leadership and operations while working as a strategy analyst at Global Impact. Fay has also traveled to over 52 countries and is passionate about working with international startups.

Fay-Louise studied Economics & Political Science at University of Sydney.

Sam is the Director of Business Development at VentureOut. As a seasoned business operator in and out of the startup ecosystem, Sam brings over 10 years of experience and legal background to the team. In his role at VentureOut, Sam is responsible for developing the pipeline of upcoming programs, sponsor and partner outreach, and overseeing the entire startup application, interview, and selection process. Prior to VentureOut, Sam has counseled founders and various companies on a wide range of issues including strategy, investor relations, incorporation, and intellectual property rights. He also ran Operations for several years at a regional automotive parts distributor with a wide range of responsibilities from sales, developing an eCommerce platform, and logistics. Sam received his BA from Colgate University and his JD from the GGU School of Law.

Anna Eva Kotyza is the Head of Content at VentureOut. She leads the strategic development, practical application, and ongoing tactical management of content in all of its many formats across the enterprise.

Prior to VentureOut, Anna spent 10 years working in the film industry.  As a filmmaker, entrepreneur, and VR innovator, Anna's background includes opening the world's first VR museum at the Gallatin Arts Festival, and winning "Best Presentation" in one of the largest and most innovative accelerator programs and startup competitions in the world: the NYU $300K Challenge.

Anna studied Business Development, Innovation, and Technology at NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study.

Brett Brody is the Director of Business Development at VentureOut and an advisor to a number of top startups in NYC. Brett was the first employee of VentureOut, joining the team in 2013, and enabled a lot of the growth and success they have seen in the past 3 years. As the Director of Business Development, Brett is responsible for developing the pipeline of upcoming programs, sponsor and partner outreach, and overseeing the entire startup application, interview and selection process.

Prior to VentureOut, Brett’s career covered consulting, finance, and sales working at PetCareRx, Kyriba and Sterling AMG. Brett earned a Bachelor's of Science in Management at Tulane University where he studied finance and music.

Nathan joined VentureOut in February of 2020, after finding success in New York building a number of hospitality businesses. He brings a unique skillset to the team, with a background in economics and mathematics, and a varied career that focused on leading diverse teams in many different industries.

Originally from Perth, Australia, Nathan more or less accidentally ended up in New York City, cultivating a creative energy and a willingness to take risks. Outside of the office, he can be found in local coffee spots in Brooklyn with a Frisbee or skateboard in hand, pining for a beach in Sydney.

Nathan studied a Bachelor of Economics at the University of Sydney, Australia. He is looking to apply and accelerate his operational and management skills in the tech industry.

Alexandra Frumberg is the CMO of VentureOut and  Creative Director & Founder of ALX Creatives - a full-service, strategically-driven creative digital agency. Fueled by opportunity, creativity, community, and coffee, she has spent over a decade helping companies find their voice and build their brand from the ground up.

Alexandra uses her knowledge of working with a team of talented specialists to bring to brands an integrated, holistic approach. By empowering our clients to find their own vision, she helps their big ideas become one powerful story across multiple platforms.

Before founding ALX, Alexandra was the Creative Director at Elite Brand's byways of a successful career in fashion and editorial photography. The agency is headquartered in New York City and recently expanded to Chicago

Lisa Stapleton joined the VentureOut team in January 2020 and is now the acting Marketing Manager. Prior to VentureOut, Lisa worked in a range of industries from fashion to hospitality, and entrepreneurship.

Growing up in Silicon Valley culture, Lisa is particularly interested in incubators and accelerators. Eventually, she wants to start her own company and go on to be a Venture Capitalist. When she’s not working, she’s writing music and playing piano, guitar, or singing. Lisa is originally from Austin, Texas but plans to stay in New York indefinitely as she’s in love with the hustle culture here.

Nikhil joined VentureOut in July 2020 as a research analyst for the business development team. He is currently a junior at UC Berkeley studying math and data science. He is passionate about the sustainable development and has done noteworthy research in this field.

Interested in creative problem solving, he joined VentureOut to learn about how businesses can be made into real-world solutions to pressing problems. Previously, he has worked in a Congressional Office, consulted for two companies, and held multiple research roles. He hopes his diverse background and analytical skillset will allow him to contribute a unique perspective to VentureOut. 

Sarvadnya, an ambitious and driven individual is an incoming Columbia University Masters candidate with a Masters in Management degree from London Business School and has a mechanical engineering background. He has been working with fast-growing startups since the past six years in the form of internships and part-time roles and recently completed his stint at Teooh, a virtual events tech startup as a project manager.

Betsy joined VentureOut to learn the ins and outs of startups and accelerators. She loves real-life puzzles, so she’s fascinated by entrepreneurial solutions to unique problems. Her background is a varied hodge-podge of experiences ranging from restaurant management to remedial construction. Most recently Betsy has been exploring the world of policy, working in the world of policy research at think tanks in NYC and D.C. Along with the hands-on knowledge she brings from her past work, Betsy offers a perspective sharpened by her studies in politics, philosophy, and economics.

Melinda joined VentureOut in May of 2020 as a business development analyst. She is currently a sophomore at Scripps College and is majoring in Economics and Public Policy. Previously, she has worked in the law field as well as marketing for a non-profit organization.

She joined VentureOut New York to learn more about the start-up environment in New York and explore how international start-ups make the transition into the US. She brings her experience with lead generation through marketing analytics as well as experience in business management. She is excited to help VONY with connecting with new start-up clients into the VentureOut community.

Ahyoung joined VentureOut in March of 2020 as a social media marketing analyst. Prior to VentureOut, she has partnered with brands in several fields through her various social media channels to promote their brands. She brings her experience in collecting and analyzing data related to social media marketing to VentureOut.

She is eager to learn new areas of marketing and do an excellent job of growing our following and creating consumable content. Ahyoung is genuinely interested in learning about NYC’s innovation ecosystem, and the various ways VentureOut interacts with the innovation community.

She is originally from Seoul, South Korea, and studied Business Administration and Marketing at Southern Utah University.

Alex joined VentureOut in February of 2020 as a business development analyst. He is currently in his last year of studies for a Bachelor’s degree in International Business in South Korea. Previously, he has studied abroad, completing his high school education in Sydney, Australia.

He joined VentureOut NY to explore the business environment in the USA especially to learn about the venture ecosystems and how venture companies expand globally. He hopes the experience here in VentureOut will equip him with various managerial and communication skillsets. He is excited to broaden his perspectives globally and in the future become an entrepreneur. Outside of work, he loves drinking coffee and has experience working as a barista at Starbucks Korea.