Previous and Current Judges

Judges for the high school presentation competition are distinguished individuals selected for their expertise in various fields. They bring a wealth of experience and a keen eye for evaluating the clarity, creativity, and impact of each presentation. Their role is to provide fair and constructive feedback, ensuring a positive and educational experience for all participants.

Dr. Jack McGourty

Venture for All® Founder

Dr. Jack McGourty is the Director of Community and Global Entrepreneurship at Columbia Business School and a faculty member teaching courses about entrepreneurship, venture creation, and product innovation.

Dr. Anas Chalah

Model Entrepreneur® Competition Judge

Dr. Anas Chalah is the Assistant Dean for Teaching and Learning at Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He is an active member of Harvard’s Teaching and Learning Consortium. Dr. Chalah received the prestigious Harvard Heroes Award from the President of Harvard in 2023.

Dr. Paul Shih

Model Entrepreneur® Competition Founder

A true believer in education equality, Dr. Shih earned his MBA from Columbia University and founded IEG Global Association to deliver transformative programs for underserved students at institutions like Columbia, Caltech, Harvard, Stanford, and Berklee. As the founder of MEC, he aims to empower youth worldwide through real-world business experiences, global collaboration, and access to opportunities that spark meaningful change.

Martin Andersons

Model Entrepreneur® Competition Judge

Martin Andersons is the President of American Latvian Association and memeber of Columbia Business School Hermes Society, he brings extensive experience in corporate and strategic initiatives. He has held leadership roles in sales and compensation at General Electric, LinkedIn, and AssetMark. He previously worked at J.P. Morgan on Wall Street, financing over $20 billion in M&A and corporate deals. Martin received Phi Beta Kappa honors at Northwestern University

Elia Brodsky

Model Entrepreneur® Competition Judge

Elia Brodsky is an executive professional in information technologies, marketing, and healthcare strategy. He’s also the co-founder and CEO of Pine Biotech, a Big Data Analysis company with a vision to enhance human health and well-being by enabling Biological Research and Discovery with relevant data. He received his MBA from Tulane University.

Herman Chan

Model Entrepreneur® Competition Judge

Herman Chan earned his B. Eng. and M. Eng. in Computer Engineering from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), as well as an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM). Herman serves as an adjunct faculty member at AGSM, where he teaches IT-led business transformation.

Dr. Shelby Forbes

Model Entrepreneur® Competition Judge

Dr. Shelby Forbes received her Ph.D. in communication and teaches related courses at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill. Her expertise lies in crisis communication and organizational communication, particularly as it applies to the healthcare industry. She serves as an affiliated researcher for Johns Hopkins University’s Inclusive Innovation Initiative.

Jennifer Lai

Model Entrepreneur® Competition Judge

As the founder and CEO of ECIS Advisory, Jennifer brings over 20 years of experience in business strategy, private client services, and global residency planning. Her work spans key markets including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. She also serves as Managing Partner of Female Entrepreneurs Worldwide – Japan, and is a Fellow Member of the Investment Migration Council.

Steve Bernstein

Model Entrepreneur® Competition Judge

Dr. Zelo Mangombo

Model Entrepreneur® Competition Judge

Dr. Zelo Mangombo obtained his Ph.D. Degree in Natural Science from the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. He has expertise in Forensic Science, Research & Development, Mentoring as well as Teaching.

Patrick Pan

Model Entrepreneur® Competition Judge

Patrick Pan received his MBA from Columbia University and BA from the University of Toronto and is currently an alum interviewer for Columbia Business School. He is the founder of Smartnext Edu, an ed-tech firm dedicated to improving financial literacy and business acumen for global youth.

Tatsuhito Sugaoi

Venture for All® Professor

In 2016, Tatsuhito Sugaoi launched the Japanese Venture For All® Program in Japan. Beyond this, Tatsuhito also develops corporate training programs and delivers training as an instructor to Global Fortune 100 companies. He received his MBA from Hitotsubashi University, one of the top business schools in Japan.

Dr. Joseph Rios

Venture for All® Professor

Dr. Joseph Rios received his Ph.D. in International Comparative Education: Cultural Anthropology and Linguistics from Stanford University, his MA from Middlebury Institute of International Studies, and his BA from University of California, San Diego. He is currently a senior consultant at Google.

Manoj Pooleery

Venture for All® Professor

Manoj Pooleery is the Founder and CEO of M-Phi Innovators, a specialized technology services company that provides full range of innovation services to businesses. He provides end-to-end technology and business strategy definition and implementation to both startups and established businesses. He has helped many companies get started, out of the Columbia Business School as well as outside.

Roy Lee

Model Entrepreneur® Competition Judge

Roy is the Superintendent and Principal of Wagor International School, he is also leading expert in AIGC and education innovation, and formerly served as Executive Secretary of Taiwan’s Open Education Consortium. A nine-time national and one-time Asia impromptu speech champion with Toastmasters, he has reached over 10,000 learners through his AI-focused programs.