Rishi Dubey is a dedicated technologist and graduate student at the Cockrell School of Engineering, where he specializes in Operations Research, supported by a strong foundation in Industrial Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi. Throughout his career, Rishi has demonstrated a commitment to leveraging technology to solve real-world problems, with significant contributions to startups and larger enterprises alike. He has developed expertise in data security, analytics, and engineering, designing ETL pipelines for machine learning models and implementing robust data security measures. His projects reflect a deep dedication to helping people, such as optimizing battery warehousing with machine learning and summarizing public debates using NLP tools. Rishi’s diverse skill set includes Python, SQL, Power BI, and AWS, which he applies with a passion for innovation and efficiency in all his endeavors.
Christian Enciso – TVL Founder in Residence (FIR) Fellow
Christian Enciso is a proud first-generation American. After serving as an infantry combat adviser in the United States Marine Corps, he pursued his studies at Florida State University. He later joined Accenture as a technology consultant, where he was introduced to the capabilities of digital architecture and technology. Driven by a desire to deepen his knowledge in AI, finance, and strategy, he applied to the McCombs MBA business school, where he is currently working towards his MBA. Christian is also working to create IntroFit, a platform designed to track exercise progress and offer personalized training by using generative AI.
Sarthak Kaul is a current Master of Science in Technology Commercialization (MSTC) student. Over the past 4 years, he has been early in product and operations roles, first at a startup accelerator in Austin serving founders in 80+ countries and then in early stage fintechs building products for enterprises and consumers. Aside from his passion for taking products from 0 to 1, he acts as a bridge between founders and creatives in USA & South East Asia (particularly India) to build partnerships and promote knowledge sharing between economies.
Originally from Wisconsin, Kyrsten has an impressive background in tech sales with over seven years of experience, working with industry giants like Salesforce, DocuSign, and Airtable in San Francisco. She specialized in aiding small businesses and startups to enhance their tech stacks and embrace AI technology. Currently a member of the McCombs MBA Class of 2025, Kyrsten has taken on multiple leadership roles, including President of the Golf Club, President of the Food and Beverage Innovation Club, and VP of Events for the Tech Club. Her involvement in these clubs reflects her deep passion for these fields.
During her MBA, Kyrsten has also contributed as a Marketing Consultant in the McCombs + Project for a Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) company in Austin, where she utilized financial statements, data-driven insights, and customer analysis to develop a strategic marketing plan that significantly elevated the company’s brand awareness.
A fervent advocate for women in leadership and entrepreneurship, Kyrsten’s commitment extends to health and wellness, areas she is deeply passionate about. As an avid golfer, she actively promotes the sport, especially among women, and enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and walking her dog, Benny.
Alex is originally from Taipei, Taiwan. He holds a BA in Political Science from National Taiwan University and an MS in Accounting from the University of Texas at Dallas. Before pursuing his MBA at McCombs School of Business, Alex held various positions in the financial industry, including roles in investment research, portfolio management, and corporate development. His most recent responsibilities involved credit research and bond trading, where he enjoyed analyzing cutting-edge technology and identifying investment opportunities.
In addition to being a TVL Startup Fellow, Alex is a Longhorn Impact Fellow and holds leadership positions in Net Impact and the CleanTech Group. In his free time, he enjoys swimming, playing golf, and exploring parks and trails with his wife and two children.
Michael is part of the McCombs MBA Class of 2025, focusing on Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship. He works as a Venture Fellow with Mucker Capital and as a Board Fellow for Austin Sunshine Camps. Additionally, Michael holds leadership roles in the Graduate Entrepreneurship Society and the Graduate Business Adventure Team.
Before McCombs, Michael spent six years in Boston, starting his career in Healthcare Data Science with Optum and then moving to a Project Management role at the Shah Family Foundation, where he used philanthropy to implement innovative, entrepreneurial strategies to address local community challenges.
Originally from Chicago, Michael graduated from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, majoring in Business Intelligence and Analytics. He is passionate about the outdoors, sports, and is a dedicated supporter of Creighton basketball and Longhorn football.
During his time with the TVL Startup Fellows, Michael is building his business, Bromigo, to address the issue that 1 in 5 men admit to not having a single close friend.
Caitlin is a member of the Texas McCombs MBA Class of 2025, concentrating in Entrepreneurship and Finance. Caitlin serves as VP of Placement for Venture Fellows and VP of the Graduate Entrepreneurship Society. She is a recipient of the Forté Fellowship for Women in Business and is an active member of the Graduate Women in Business Club (GWIB).
Prior to McCombs, Caitlin helped grow revenue at both large and small tech companies. She did four years of tech sales at ServiceNow before joining a cloud service provider startup to focus on product marketing and lead generation.
Caitlin graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Management Information Systems.
Margaret is a member of the McCombs MBA Class of 2025, concentrating on Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital. Originally from Columbia, South Carolina, Margaret graduated summa cum laude from Wake Forest University with a B.A. in Communications & Journalism. She has eight years of experience in Digital Marketing and Strategy, and most recently led trendspotting and social listening for brands including Budweiser, Bud Light, and Michelob Ultra at Anheuser-Busch in New York. She is the Vice President of Career Treks for the McCombs Venture Fellows program and is currently interning at Springdale Ventures, focusing on Seed and Series A investments in CPG companies. She is passionate about the food and beverage industry, and during her time as a TVL Startup Fellow, she will be working at an early-stage coffee-based cocktail startup, Bold Move Beverages.
Taylor Starks was born and raised in Houston, Texas and received a B.A. in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin. She spent her career working on large-scale implementation consulting before pursuing her MBA degree at the University of Texas to explore the venture capital and finance industries.
Kate is a member of the McCombs MBA Class of 2025 and now a proud member of the TVL Startup Fellows cohort. She is also a Venture Fellow with Wild Basin Investments, Co-President of Net Impact and Board Fellow with the Center for Child Protection. She is a recipient of the Forté Fellowship for women in business and is an active member of Graduate Women in Business, Graduate Entrepreneurship Society and Graduate Business Adventure Team. Her time at McCombs has sparked new fascinations with non-market strategy and the intersection of tech and impact.
After working with non-profits in New York, Uganda and Serbia, Kate graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a master’s degree in global crime, researching power dynamics in the global market between state and non-state actors. But then she couldn’t resist the opportunity to build a business in a different kind of complicated context: The explosively-developing, wild-west pickleball industry.
