2025 Brown Venture Prize Finalists & Judges!

Ashley Ryder is a Partner at VamosVentures, a venture capital fund investing in early-stage companies focused on the Latinx and diverse opportunity across Health & Wellness, FinTech, Future of Work, and Sustainability. The fund does Pre-Seed to Series A deals with $500K-$2M checks. She started her career at Morgan Stanley in Capital Markets and moved into strategic roles at YC startup Shoptiques.com, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Estee Lauder focused on the intersection of the consumer and technology verticals. She was previously an investor at Brand Foundry Ventures, Founders Factory, and Dorm Room Fund across Commerce, Healthcare, and FinTech. Ashley holds a BA from Brown University and an MBA from MIT Sloan.

Lorine Pendleton is a seasoned venture capital investor and former media and entertainment attorney with a background spanning technology, media, sports, and entertainment. She has established herself in angel and venture capital investing ecosystem 11 years ago. She is the founder of launched 125 Ventures, a VC fund investing in sports, media and entertainment companies. She was previously an Investment Partner at Portfolia Rising America Fund I & I. She has received numerous accolades, including a Women of Influence in 2024 for Private Markets in the VC category by Private Equity International, one of Worth’s “16 Financial Powerhouses,” and Marie Claire’s “50 Most Connected Women in America.” She has served on prestigious boards like Storj and the Angel Capital Association and contributed as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Brown University. Her commitment to innovation and diversity continues to shape the future of venture capital and entrepreneurship. She is a graduate of Brown University and New York Law School.

Matthew Rodriguez is an angel investor, entrepreneur, and marketing strategist with experience scaling companies from startups to global brands, including Twitter, Facebook, Paramount, and Sundance. As the founder of 1985 Capital, he leads a venture lab dedicated to helping tech founders and filmmakers navigate structural challenges in their industries. A passionate advocate for innovation and storytelling, Matthew brings a unique perspective at the intersection of media, technology, and capital. Originally from South Korea and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, he now lives in New York City. He graduated from Brown in 2002 with an A.B. in Political Science.

Roja Garimella is the Founder of Kubera Health, a healthcare tech company focused on eliminating financial complexity in healthcare. Kubera’s flagship product, a managed care contracting analytics suite, helps healthcare enterprises optimize contract terms, payment performance, and payor policies to improve financial and patient outcomes. Roja’s diverse healthcare background includes research, consulting, start-ups (building/investing), medical training, and administrative roles at health insurers. She has published 15+ medical journal articles, contributed to changes in diagnostic guidelines and staffing workflows, and launched new ventures and value-based care models inside of multi-billion dollar enterprises. Her experience also includes investing at Winter Street Ventures and FCA Venture Partners, where she led diligence and supported investments in Seed to Series C healthcare companies. Roja is passionate about reducing administrative inefficiencies in the U.S. healthcare system to benefit patients and clinicians.

Roja holds an A.B. in Public Health and an M.D. from Brown University, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. While at Brown Med, she served as a Peer Entrepreneur In Residence at the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship and was part of the team that won the 2018 BVP audience award. She’s excited to return as a judge!