Our Team

Diverse experiences, passions, and expertise

Maryann Alspaugh

Director of Program

Fernando Fabre

President & CEO

Lisa Doherty

Vice President, Finance & Administration

Bailey Farrell

Senior Administrative Assistant

Katlyn Mease

Director of Operations

Kirsten Owens

Chief of Staff

Misty Papa

Events Manager

Katie Sarro

Senior Director, Brand & Communications

Daniela Terminel

Vice President of Network

Board Members

Itxaso del Palacio

Class 18

Class 

18

Notion Capital

General Partner

Christine Kenna

Class 23

Class 

23

IGNIA

Partner

Karen Kerr

Charter Class

Class 

1

Exposition Ventures

General Partner

Susan Mason

Class 

2

Aligned Partners

General Partner

Marlon Nichols

Class 

18

MaC Venture Capital

Co-Founder & Managing General Partner

Melissa Richlen

Class 

22

John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Director, Private Equities

Allen Taylor

Class 

16

Endeavor Catalyst, Alter Global

Managing Partner

Past Board Members

Tom Baruch

KF Mentor

Class 

Baruch Future Ventures

Founder

Trish Costello

Former CEO

Class 

Portfolia

Founder & CEO

Brian Dovey

Former Chairman

Class 

KF Mentor

Domain Associates

General Partner

Brad Feld

KF Mentor

Class 

Foundry Group

Managing Director

Jason Green

Founding Chairman

Class 

1

Emergence Capital

General Partner

Ashish Gupta

Class 

7

Helion India

Senior Managing Director

Mamoon Hamid

Class 

11

Kleiner Perkins

Partner

Jenny Lee

KF Mentor

Class 

GGV Capital

Managing Partner

Jeff Harbach

Former CEO

Class 

16

Harbach Family Investments

Managing Director

Audrey MacLean

KF Mentor

Class 

Stanford

Consulting Professor

Jenny Rooke

Class 

11

Genoa Ventures

Managing Director

Josh Stein

Class 

9

Threshold Ventures

Managing Partner

Patrick Von Bargen

Former CEO

Class 

Harley St. Associates

Founder

Christian Wedell

KF Mentor

Class 

Phil Wickham

Former CEO

Class 

1

Sozo Ventures

Founder & Executive Managing Director

Daniela Terminel
Vice President of Network

Best Advice

Fernando Fabre
President & CEO

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Misty Papa
Events Manager

Misty has over 20 years of experience in event management, including strategic development, design, logistics, and implementation of multi-day, global experiences. With a B.A. in Technical Writing from the University of South Florida and an M.S. in Hospitality & Tourism Management from the Rosen School of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida, Misty has worked with a variety of businesses, including Entertainment, Sporting, Consulting, Data/Cyber Security, Medical, Corporate, Government, and Non-Profit. In her role at Kauffman Fellows, Misty will use her hospitality and entertainment background to fine-tune and tweak the Events experiences to create WOW moments that will keep Fellows coming back for more.

Best Advice

Omnia Paratus.

Bailey Farrell
Senior Administrative Assistant

Bailey supports the Director of Events and Director of Programs in the delivery of the Kauffman Fellows two-year leadership program. She delivers impeccable customer service, administration, exceptional communication, and organization to support the team. Prior, she served as an Administrative Specialist at Meta, where she supported six senior-level leaders. She provided administrative support, travel and expense support, and helped organize the intern events at Meta. She managed high-volume calendar scheduling, established partnerships, and great communications with all clients and their teams. She has a master's degree in Psychology from Trinity College Dublin and over six years of professional experience in Administrative Specialist and Coordinator positions. She is a friendly, loyal, and ambitious individual who loves working with people and building relationships.

Best Advice

Dream big, but take it one day at a time.

Katie Sarro
Senior Director, Brand & Communications

Katie has over 13 years of experience in technology, startups, and venture capital, with a broad knowledge of communications and marketing. She’s spent most of her career supporting entrepreneurs at various stages of growth, and has developed a well-rounded background in roles spanning management, operations, partnerships, and early-stage investing. She has a successful track record developing programs with impact and scale, including the global rollout of Techcrunch’s Startup Battlefield. Katie also served as the Managing Director of MEST, a Pan-African entrepreneurial training program, seed fund, and incubator. As Kauffman Fellows' Director of Content and Communications, Katie leads all current brand marketing, digital communications, and research efforts while also supporting KF's global network of Fellows with their personal brand and firm MarCom strategies.

Best Advice

Be curious, not judgemental.

Maryann Alspaugh
Director of Program

At Kauffman Fellows, Maryann oversees the two-year program experience. She plays a pivotal role in developing an enriching curriculum, guiding and holding each Fellow accountable for their professional growth, and fostering meaningful connections throughout the network. Prior to her role at Kauffman Fellows, she excelled as the Director of Events and Programming at Capital Factory, where she spearheaded a talented team in championing the Texas entrepreneur community through innovative programming, engaging events, and strategic partnerships. With a rich background that encompasses both native Texan roots and formative years immersed in the vibrant theater scene of New York City, Maryann brings a unique blend of creativity, adaptability, and strategic thinking to her endeavors. Her expertise spans various disciplines, including events management, project coordination, strategic planning, account management, and marketing.

Best Advice

A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and process.

Katlyn Mease
Director of Operations

Katlyn Mease joined Kauffman Fellows in October 2016 and manages the recruiting and class selection process. Katlyn serves as the main point of contact for candidates as they move through the selection process from their initial application, through the interview process, to their ultimate transition to Fellow. She is uniquely adept at bringing organization to incredibly complex projects, and ensures our candidates and Fellows have seamless and exceptional experiences in their interactions with the organization.

Best Advice

Interesting people are interested!

Lisa Doherty
Vice President, Finance & Administration

Lisa started with Kauffman Fellows in 2008, one day a week, handling accounting, audit, and tax. Ten years later, she is the VP of Finance and Administration, still making sure all the numbers tick and tie. Previously, Lisa spent 15 years as a finance and accounting consultant for small companies, assisting several through successful acquisitions.

Best Advice

Listen with the intent to understand, not to reply.

Kirsten Owens
Chief of Staff

Kirsten joined Kauffman Fellows in September 2011 and plays a key role in driving cross functional initiatives including organizational strategy, business development, and team development. She leads all organizational partnerships and also partners closely with the Director of Content and Communications driving forward the overall brand, marketing, and communications strategy for the organization. 
 Prior to her current role, she worked as the Director of Learning Design, owning all of the content, programming and curriculum for the two-year program and drove the engagement strategies for the overall network. In previous careers, she gained eleven years of experience as part of an executive coaching and management consulting firm supporting start-ups and venture capital firms. 
 Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Kirsten moved her family to Bainbridge Island, Washington in 2014. She has a beautiful daughter, a passion for traveling, loves fitness (especially weight lifting), and enjoys great conversations over an amazing meal.

Best Advice

Lead with empathy.

Jeff Harbach
Harbach Family Investments
Managing Director

Jeff Harbach is an entrepreneur, an investor, and a mentor to both. As President and CEO of Kauffman Fellows, Jeff leads a diverse team in delivering a world-class experience for each investor participating in the Kauffman Fellows program. A graduate of the Kauffman Fellows program (Class 16), Jeff brings a unique perspective and passion to the organization while providing leading-edge content around venture capital formation and creating business networking opportunities to help Fellows maximize their personal and professional development. Jeff has been an entrepreneur and investor since 2002 and has served as the Executive Director of the Central Texas Angel Network, based out of Austin, Texas. He has led multiple startups and is also an angel investor with the Vegas Valley Angels. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Information Systems from Brigham Young University and an MBA from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, where he served as the Director of the Venture Fellows program and the Co-Founder of Texas Venture Labs. Through the Kauffman Fellows Fund, Jeff has invested in Zoom, Carta, finAccel, Flash, Groww, and Icon.

Best Advice

Always pursue learning with a growth mindset, because there's no growth in the comfort zone, and there's no comfort in the growth zone.

Itxaso del Palacio
Notion Capital
General Partner

Best Advice

Christine Kenna
IGNIA
Partner

Best Advice

Patrick Von Bargen
Harley St. Associates
Founder

Best Advice

Ashish Gupta
Helion India
Senior Managing Director

Best Advice

Trish Costello
Portfolia
Founder & CEO

Best Advice

Josh Stein
Threshold Ventures
Managing Partner

Best Advice

Tom Baruch
Baruch Future Ventures
Founder

Best Advice

Brian Dovey
Domain Associates
General Partner

Best Advice

Audrey MacLean
Stanford
Consulting Professor

Best Advice

Jenny Lee
GGV Capital
Managing Partner

Best Advice

Marlon Nichols
MaC Venture Capital
Co-Founder & Managing General Partner

Best Advice

Allen Taylor
Endeavor Catalyst, Alter Global
Managing Partner

Best Advice

Melissa Richlen
John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Director, Private Equities

Best Advice

Mamoon Hamid
Kleiner Perkins
Partner

Best Advice

Jenny Rooke
Genoa Ventures
Managing Director

Best Advice

Susan Mason
Aligned Partners
General Partner

Best Advice

Phil Wickham
Sozo Ventures
Founder & Executive Managing Director

Best Advice

Jason Green
Emergence Capital
General Partner

Best Advice

Karen Kerr
Exposition Ventures
General Partner

Best Advice

Christian Wedell

Best Advice

Brad Feld
Foundry Group
Managing Director

Best Advice