Please join us for our Meet the VC Series brought to you by the Office of Innovation & Commercialization.
The Office of Innovation & Commercialization’s Meet the VC is an incredible speakers series that is your invite to hear from venture capitalists directly.
This month CEO Kris Lichter of TL Foundation will serve as host as we meet Daniel Rich of Mastercard Start Path Ventures, who leads partnerships with high-growth startups shaping the future of cybersecurity, fraud prevention and digital payments.
Whether you’re a student with a burgeoning business concept or a seasoned professional seeking fresh insights, our series is your platform for education, connection, and bringing innovative ideas to life. Immerse yourself in this transformative community and unlock your entrepreneurial potential.
More about Our Guest Daniel Rich
Dan has nearly 30 years of experience in product management, innovation management, and corporate strategy, holding senior roles at Oracle, FICO, and now Mastercard.
In his current role, Dan oversees Mastercard’s award-winning startup engagement program, Start Path, driving partnerships and investments with growth-oriented tech companies. Dan is an advisor for several companies and serves as a Fellow for Mastercard’s Policy Center for the Digital Economy. Dan completed his undergraduate studies at UCLA and received his MBA from Santa Clara University.
More About Our Host Kris Lichter
Kris Lichter is a global innovation leader with more than twenty years of experience building high performance teams and strategies that develop and apply emerging technology to solve complex issues, develop new markets and accelerate existing opportunities. He is a deep technology operator, investor, and board member.
Kris is Chief Executive Officer of TL Foundation, San Diego’s philanthropic venture fund. TL enables a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem to prosper and grow by investing in the region’s brightest startups. He is also an Operating Partner at Victory Six, a Washington, DC, based defense investment and advisory firm, and Co-founder of DuMonde Ventures, an early stage venture consultancy.
Prior to this, Kris was Chief Executive Officer of Ardica Technologies, the world’s leading provider of solid hydrogen energy solutions. Kris also had a successful thirteen-‐year career at IBM leading many of its innovation and emerging technology initiatives.
Kris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology and economics from Bucknell University, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Georgetown University. He resides in San Diego, California.
