The people in your corner.
A small team runs student entrepreneurship at UVA, backed by operators who have built and sold things and now spend their time on other people's ventures.
The Foundry team
Brian Breslin
CLAS 2004, Northwestern MBA 2016. Has been building startups and tech ecosystems for over two decades, and leads program development for UVA Innovates’ student-focused entrepreneurship efforts. Previously led entrepreneurship initiatives at the University of Miami.
Adam Kerpelman
CLAS 2005, Southwestern JD. An entrepreneur, technologist, and marketing leader for almost 20 years, who has founded, run, or led marketing for companies in digital marketing, content creation, telehealth, legal-tech, and big data. He coined “marketing engineer” for the data-driven practice he helped define, and created the first “transmedia” web series. His research covers marketing, mass media, decentralized governance, AI, and intellectual property.
Will Lentz
A multidisciplinary facilitator whose route into entrepreneurship ran through craft, design, and the built environment — artist, designer, fabricator, project manager, and business owner. Driven by “what if,” he works across Grounds encouraging students chasing new ideas. MFA in Products of Design from the School of Visual Arts, a Core Fellowship from Penland School of Craft, and a BA in Studio Art from Hendrix College.
Entrepreneurs in Residence
Seasoned founders who mentor student ventures — real scar tissue, offered freely, on the way from an idea to a company.
Brian Jones
A technology executive and multidisciplinary engineer who has built, scaled, and exited two technology companies, and led global engineering for two industry leaders. At Plenty he set the vertical-farm, engineering, and AI strategy behind its international expansion; at Dun & Bradstreet he co-led a $100M division, integrating three acquisitions; as CTO of NetWise Data he built the most complete business identity graph and guided the company through its exit. He co-hosts the Zengineering Podcast and wants to help founders build companies that benefit the world at large.
Rachael King
Co-founder and CEO of Pod People, the largest independent branded podcast studio in the U.S., which she has built into a partner for Netflix, HBO, Disney, Marvel, EA, Red Bull, Mailchimp, and Intuit. Two decades at the intersection of media, technology, and storytelling; hundreds of series since 2018, with recognition from Tribeca, Sundance, and the Webby Awards, and a place on the 2024 Inc. 5000.
Students on staff
The Foundry is partly run by the people it is for. These are students who work in the office.
Venture Analysts
They meet founders early, read what a venture actually needs, and keep the matching honest.
- Karina Arakal
- Christopher Lastrappe
- Ahryanna McGuirk
Operations Support
They keep the space running, the events on time, and the door open.
- Isabella Maduro
- Sydney To
Student roles open up most semesters. Want to work at the Foundry?
Want to be in someone else's corner?
The mentor network is 200+ operators, investors, and alumni matched to a founder's stage and wedge. It takes an hour a month.
Become a mentor →