An Introduction to Strawberry Creek Ventures

Matt is a two-time venture-backed founder/CEO with a decade of startup operating experience. Before joining Strawberry Creek Ventures, he was an Investing Partner at Spike Ventures, where he participated in over twenty investments. He’s an active angel investor and leads an AngelList syndicate with over 1,000 backers. Prior to joining Alumni Ventures, Matt was a leader of the innovation team at Nike where he oversaw a portfolio of projects and led global cross-functional teams. While at UC Berkeley, Matt founded Aurora Biofuels, which grew to over 100 employees and raised more than $100m in capital before being acquired by Reliance Industries. He’s a longtime Judge / Mentor at LAUNCH: The University of California’s Startup Accelerator and a Mentor at Berkeley-Haas Entrepreneurship. Matt holds an MBA with a Certificate in Entrepreneurship from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and a BS in Biochemistry from Georgetown University.

Krithika is a member of Strawberry Creek Ventures where she brings experience in venture capital, entrepreneurship, and scientific research to the team. Krithika has led diligence and sourced deals as a Venture Partner at Humboldt Fund and a Senior Venture Fellow at Castor Ventures. Prior to venture capital, she co-founded a cognitive fitness company to enhance brain performance across the age spectrum. She also served as the Director of Business Development at Prime Biologics where she established strategic partnerships in the US, EU, and emerging markets. Krithika did her postdoctoral research studying the gut microbiome at Cornell University and has a Ph.D. in biological sciences from Texas A&M University.

Deborah has over 25 years of experience working with social impact entrepreneurs and mission-driven leaders. Prior to joining AVG, Deb was an independent consultant for business development and growth strategies, guiding founders through the early startup and launch phases of new social ventures and nonprofit organizations. Her clients included an MIT professor and former dean launching a venture to transform the higher education landscape, social ventures focused on national security and foreign policy, and a national organization building a global joint initiative for world leaders. She has worked in higher education advancement, nonprofit management, and as a Capitol Hill lobbyist, beginning her career as committee staff in the US Senate. Deborah holds a BS in political science from Birmingham-Southern College and a MA in Communication from American University.