We envision a world where AI permeates every industry, transforming how we live and work

Kush Bavaria is an Investing Associate at Link Ventures, where he leverages his expertise in computer science, finance, and machine learning to support data-driven investment strategies.

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Kush has gained diverse experience across consulting, finance, and tech. During his time at Shape Therapeutics as a Machine Learning Science Intern, he developed advanced generative algorithms and contributed to RNA technology advancements. Additionally, as a Machine Learning Systems Engineering Intern at NXP Semiconductors, he optimized edge-processing algorithms, enhancing image processing performance on NPUs and GPUs, and created a custom change detection model submitted for patent consideration. In addition to his industry experience, Kush conducts research at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), where he focuses on deploying machine learning experiments across hybrid cloud environments.

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Outside of work, Kush is an avid triathlete and runner, enjoying the outdoors and endurance sports.

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Kush holds a S.B. in Computer Science and S.B. in Finance from MIT

Cynthia Blanco is the Chief Financial Officer of Link Ventures. Prior to joining Link, Cindy was a Senior Associate in the Business Valuation Practice at Vitale, Caturano & Company, Ltd., where she was responsible for performing valuations of closely-held businesses for tax and financial reporting purposes. Previous to her position at Vitale, Caturano & Company, Cindy worked as an Investment Banking Analyst at H.C. Wainwright & Co., Inc. and as a Senior Auditor at KPMG LLP. Cindy, a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst, is a member of the Boston Security Analysts Society, Inc. Cindy has a BA in Economics from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and an MBA and MS in Accounting from Northeastern University.

Dave Blundin is a serial entrepreneur and Founder & General Partner at Exponential Ventures (XPV). Dave is also Managing Partner at Link Ventures, a VC firm investing in early-stage technology startups. He has co-founded 23 companies, at least five of which have achieved $100M+ valuations, and has served on 21 private and public boards.

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XPV's mission is to harness talent and deploy capital to entrepreneurs leveraging aligned AI to positively impact humanity by addressing the world's grand challenges. The incubation process has led Dave to become chairman of 12 companies, including EverQuote (NASDAQ: EVER). Dave is also the Chairman and founding CEO of Vestmark, which manages over $2TN in US assets, and is a General Partner at Vestigo Ventures, a fintech-focused fund.

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Dave pioneered quantizing neural networks as early as 1992, deploying them on custom inference-time hardware at Scan-Optics. This innovation dramatically reduced computational overhead and power consumption, enabling neural network scalability before most recognized its potential. Dave's early work cements his reputation as the "godfather of quantization".

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Dave is passionate about mentoring and coaching young entrepreneurs & management teams to accelerate the impact of technology on society. Dave is currently an instructor at MIT teaching the class "AI for Impact: Venture Studio", which is vastly oversubscribed and has about 100 students.

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Dave sits on the Board of Directors of XPRIZE and received his B.S. in Computer Science from MIT where he researched neural network technology at the AI lab.

John D. Blundin is a Managing Director, Investor Relations Director at Link Ventures. Prior to joining Link, John spent over 28 years on Wall Street, primarily in Institutional Sales and Trading. He has been a Managing Director at numerous large firms, including Wells Fargo Securities, J.P. Morgan, Bear Stearns, and Raymond James. In these roles, he has been responsible for cross-selling each firm's equity product offerings while also acting as a Relationship Manager to Hedge Funds, Pension Funds, and Family Offices. Most recently, John helped with the capital raise for Link Ventures 2. John is a graduate of Rollins College with a B.A. in Political Science.

Erik Brynjolfsson is the Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Professor and Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), and Director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. He also the co-founder of Workhelix, which helps organizations identify and measure the value of AI. He holds additional appointments at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Stanford Department of Economics, as well as the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).One of the most-cited authors on the economics of information, Brynjolfsson was among the first researchers to measure productivity contributions of IT and the complementary role of organizational capital and other intangibles. He has done pioneering research on digital commerce, the Long Tail, bundling and pricing models, intangible assets and the effects of IT on business strategy, productivity and performance. Brynjolfsson speaks globally and is the author of nine books including, with co-author Andrew McAfee, best-seller The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies, and Machine, Platform, Crowd: Harnessing Our Digital Future as well as over 100 academic articles and six patents. He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from Harvard University in applied mathematics and decision sciences and a PhD from MIT in managerial economics. His papers can be found at https://www.brynjolfsson.com/research

Roman combines engineering, strategy, and multinational management to develop innovations and negotiate solutions. He serves as Managing Director and COO of Link-XPV.

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He served over 18 years spanning East Asia and Latin America at Samsung Electronics, a global top 5 brand, most recently as a Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. He led Samsung to dominate both the TV and mobile phone segments in Latin America, and aspart of the Global Strategy Group, was a thought leader in global innovation and competitive strategy.  

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With over 25 years of international business experience in automotive and electronics sectors, he is culturally attuned to East Asia, North and South America, and has a differentiated communication skill that enables him to contribute thoughtfully. Roman is also a multi-lingual professional being fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese with proficiency in Korean,Japanese and French and loves to travel and immerse in other cultures. His family shares his knack for multiple passports, with a Korean wife and daughter and a Brazilian son.

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He majored in Mechanical Engineering at MIT, and one of his early roles was as a Vehicle Engineer withFord and Mazda working in the US and Japan. His advanced degrees include an MA in East Asian Studies and Japanese from the Lauder Institute at Wharton / University of Pennsylvania, where he completed an MBA in Multinational Management.

Peter Diamandis, MD is an esteemed entrepreneur, author, and speaker, recognized by Fortune as one of the "World's 50 Greatest Leaders." XPRIZE Foundation: Peter is the founder and executive chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, renowned for its large-scale incentive competitions driving innovation across various fields. He serves is the founder of Singularity University, a leading institution in Silicon Valley advising global leaders on technology.

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With a portfolio of over 20 companies, Peter has ventured into areas such as longevity, space, venture capital, and education. Notable ventures include BOLD Capital Partners, a $500M venture fund investing in exponential technologies, and Celularity, Inc., a cellular therapeutics company.

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As a New York Times bestselling author, Peter has penned three influential books: "Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think," "BOLD: How to go Big, Create Wealth & Impact the World," and "The Future is Faster Than You Think."

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Renowned for his captivating speaking engagements, Peter is hailed as "the best and most dynamic speaker in the industry." He holds degrees from MIT and Harvard.

Lisa has a background in predictive analytics in consumer and enterprise.

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Lisa is a Managing Director with Link Ventures, where she focuses on early stage companies leveraging large datasets and cutting edge machine learning and AI technologies to help enterprises and consumers with personalization, risk assessment, predictive analytics, automation, and decision making.  Lisa and team is a long-term partner to propel past the seed stage, offering proven GTM playbooks and leaders with decades of technical and industry experience. Lisa understands the transformative impact of AI and is dedicated to translating groundbreaking ideas into companies that will define the future.

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Across five categories, Link is focused on portfolio companies utilizing an edge in data science, machine learning and AI, helping businesses with: Personalization, Risk assessment, Predictive Analytics, Intelligent Decision making, and Automation.

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Lisa was lead partner in the sourcing and underwriting of Mercor (AI recruiting marketplace), Trust & Will (Digital/AI Trust & Will), Canela Media (Digital TV), Kintsugi (AI applied to sales tax compliance), Caribou (auto insurance and refinancing marketplace), Payzen, and Anomaly (AI applied to healthcare payments), Canela Media and Diddo (Digital Streaming category leader and digital TV shopping using computer vision)

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Lisa serves on the following Link Ventures portfolio companies boards: Control Plane, Kintsugi, Shop Diddo, Charm as a Board Director and Trust & Will, Healthcare.com, nsKnox, Canela Media, Creatively, Anomaly, Catalan.ai, Cruisebound, Smarter Travel  as a Board Observer.

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During Business School, Lisa founded Savile Row Society, a men's shopping platform. Lisa was responsible for product and business development. Before Columbia Business School, Lisa worked in finance at JPMorgan's Investment Bank, American Express, and at Samson Capital Advisors (now Fiera Capital).

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Lisa earned her B.A. in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University and her MBA from Columbia Business School. Lisa currently serves as an active member of the Johns Hopkins Second Decade Society.

Boaz Fachler is a Principal in the investment team of Link Ventures.

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Previously, Boaz worked for GB Investment Partners, a Boston-based growth equity firm, leading sourcing, diligence, and financial analysis, while investing in early-stage startups as an angel investor.

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Boaz has a diverse background of working with leading technology companies both as an advisor and as an operator. He joined Herzog, Fox & Neeman, Israel's leading law firm, as a high-tech M&A lawyer, representing Fortune 100 companies such as Meta, Salesforce, and Tencent. He has operating experience as an executive at smarTrike, an innovative riding toys brand, as a software analyst at Via, an on-demand shared transit platform startup of unicorn status, and as an AI fintech startup founder, which got funding from MIT Sandbox and the Media Lab.

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In addition to his work as an Investor, Boaz is passionate about supporting founders and is a mentor in several courses and programs at MIT and Harvard, including the Media Lab's AI for Impact and HBS' Field X and in notable accelerators such as Techstars Boston.

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Boaz holds an LL.B. in Law and a B.A. from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.

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Boaz, his wife, and their two children live in Boston, MA.

Karen began her career in outside sales with Avnet Computer, where she quickly made her mark in the fast-evolving world of the internet and the worldwide web. Over her time with Avnet, Karen became the number one sales representative for nine consecutive years, solidifying her reputation for exceptional performance and results.

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In 1997, Karen was blessed with a child and made the decision to stay home and focus on raising her children. During this period, she founded Rosaries from the Heart, a business that creates lasting keepsakes, such as rosaries and jewelry from special occasion flowers in memory of loved ones. Karen continues to operate the business today.

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In 2017, Karen joined SmarterTravel, a Link portfolio company, as an Office Manager where she quickly demonstrated her organizational skills and attention to detail. In 2022, Karen transitioned to Link Ventures, supporting Link Studio and its portfolio companies. Recently, she was promoted to Office & Culture Director, where she oversees office management and promotes a positive corporate culture across the Link Ventures portfolio. Needless to say, she has carried the experience of being a mom into the culture she now supports, creating a nurturing and supportive environment for all.

KJ Hardrict is a Technical Principal Investor at Link Ventures, where he leverages his experience in cutting-edge AI technologies, entrepreneurial grit, and passion for mentoring to identify and support exceptional talent while driving innovation in the Boston and Cambridge tech ecosystems.

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An MIT graduate, KJ's career spans roles at the forefront of autonomous systems, voice AI, and large language models (LLMs). After leaving Stanford Grad School, he joined ChipBrain, a VC-backed startup, as its first full-time hire, advancing to product lead and interim CEO. There, he developed conversational AI systems designed to enhance communication and emotional intelligence. At Posh, a Series A conversational AI startup, he excelled in backend development and client solutions, refining voice AI systems based on client feedback as a senior software engineer on the team.

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Beyond his technical achievements, KJ is a prominent content creator. With a personal brand reaching over 130,000 followers and 13 million views, he has collaborated with Fortune 500 companies to produce engaging, high-quality content showcasing innovative products. He also inspires aspiring tech professionals through VLOGs, educational videos, mentorship programs, and courses, empowering others to unlock their potential.

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KJ holds an S.B. in Aerospace Engineering with an Information Technology Option from MIT.

Dominic Lloyd is a Managing Director at Link. Prior to joining Link, Dominic was a partner with a national law firm focusing on corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and securities. He has worked with Link and its portfolio companies for more than 10 years, advising on company formations, financing structures and sales of companies, and participating in all significant transactions. Dominic has worked closely with the executive teams at public and private companies for 30 years on mergers, acquisitions and equity and debt financings. As a trusted advisor to emerging companies, he has worked with them through all stages of growth, often to liquidity events.

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Dominic graduated with a B.A. in Economics from Middlebury College and a JD from the University of Denver. Often quoted in articles on securities laws and private funds, Dominic also frequently speaks on these topics. He has been recognized by Chambers USA and the Best Lawyers in America as a leading corporate and M&A attorney.

John leads Link Studio, one of the earliest studios at the time of its founding by Dave Blundin in 2006. With his entire career spent in and around startups, John has deep technical and product expertise that he uses both directly within Link Studio incubating companies and within the broader Studio ecosystem that Link supports. As someone with a passion for building, working with sharp entrepreneurs on early-stage startups is more fun than work for John, who has also been known to take on sizable home renovation (or building!) projects. Having held customer-facing leadership positions at CoreStreet and Evernote, John brings a broad view of business operations to his role at Cogo Labs. He holds a B.A. in Computer Science from Dartmouth College.

Dan Oliveri joined Link Ventures in 2018, bringing a strong background in top-tier executive support, event management and business operations. In his role as Chief of Staff, Dan serves as a strategic partner to the Managing Partner and plays a critical role in driving firm-wide initiatives and internal operations. With a keen understanding of the venture ecosystem, Dan ensures alignment across the investment and platform teams, helping Link scale with clarity and purpose.

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Prior to joining Link, Dan was Regional Director of New England for Zero Gravity Basketball, where he planned and executed tournaments, leagues and camps throughout the region for one of the largest grassroots basketball operators in the United States. Prior to his time at Zero Gravity, Dan worked for Boston marketing agencies state6 and Altus Marketing and Management in a variety of roles. At both organizations, Dan supported the CEO as Chief of Staff, as well as managed and planned events - such as charitable golf and bowling tournaments, restaurant grand openings and fundraisers - for some of Boston's top athletes, celebrities, corporations and hospitality groups. Dan also has worked in Game Operations for the Boston Celtics, where he assisted in coordinating the pre-game performers, half-time entertainment, game night giveaways and in-game entertainment.

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Dan is a native of Saugus, MA and currently resides in North Reading with his fiancé, Jessica. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management & Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was a Commonwealth Honors College Scholar with Great Distinction.

Dr. Yianni Psaltis is a Managing Director at Link Ventures. An entrepreneur, investor, and trusted advisor, Dr. Psaltis brings a wealth of experience in building, guiding, and scaling innovative companies across AI, biotech, and energy sectors.

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Previously, Dr. Psaltis held the prestigious role as "Strike Force" Entrepreneur-in-Residence at PHD Ventures, serving as Dr. Diamandis' primary thought partner where he played a strategic advisory role for XPRIZE Healthspan, BOLD Capital Partners, Fountain Life, and Singularity University. He was also the primary curator of Dr. Diamandis' exclusive Longevity Platinum Trips. Alongside Dr. Diamandis, Dr. Psaltis has co-advised numerous cutting-edge companies, including Insilico Medicine, Haute.AI, Colossal Biosciences, Openwater, and Immunis, providing critical support and strategic guidance to accelerate their missions.

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Through his work as an entrepreneur and investor, Dr. Psaltis has engaged with a wide array of global leaders, spanning governments, institutions, and investors. In collaboration with Dr. Diamandis, he has advised renowned business leaders and world authorities on the transformative potential of AI and other exponential technologies across sectors, with a particular emphasis on applications to human well-being and healthspan.

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Dr. Psaltis' passion for driving innovation is rooted in his interdisciplinary research background at the nexus of cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, and cancer biology. His doctoral thesis at Georgetown University focused on uncovering novel therapeutic mechanisms for breast cancer patients suffering from heavy metal exposure.

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Dr. Psaltis earned his B.S. in Biology from Boston College, followed by an M.S. in Biotechnology and a PhD in Cancer Biology from Georgetown University. Driven by the transformative power of science and technology, he is dedicated to advancing AI-driven solutions that improve lives and elevate the human condition. Outside of work, he enjoys optimizing his own well-being during summers in Greece.

Matt Rita is a Managing Director at Link and a formerfederal and state court litigator. He is an AV-rated attorney licensed topractice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as before the U.S.Supreme Court and a number of lower federal courts. Before joining Link, formore than two decades, Matt represented both public and private companies in avariety of industries, including logistics, information systems, healthcare,and financial services. In contrast to his past advocacy before trial judgesand appellate tribunals, much of Matt’s work for Link takes place behind thescenes and off the record. He serves as a ready (and discreet) sounding boardwhen challenging compliance issues, sensitive personnel matters, or otherpotential distractions to our management teams arise. And, as the legal issuessurrounding AI proliferate, Matt keeps our portfolio companies updated on thelatest legislative, regulatory, and judicial developments relevant to theirbusinesses.

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After graduating from MIT with his Bachelor of Sciencedegree, Matt earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Cornell LawSchool. Since returning to the vicinity of his first alma mater, Matt has livedwith his family in nearby Charlestown, logging thousands of miles of BLUEBikesrides between there and our Kendall Square offices (with occasional detours toFenway Park). He serves as an alumni nominee to the MIT Corporation VisitingCommittee for Libraries and sits on the board of St. John School in Boston’shistoric North End. As the father of multiple daughters, he looks forward tothe day when women are as well represented in the tech and VC worlds as theyare in his family!

Jason Ryder brings over 25 years of experience in income tax planning and compliance to Link as Tax Director. He has focused on developing tax-efficient solutions for various global investment opportunities, concentrating on private equity, venture capital, family, and operating partnerships in numerous industries with substantial diversified growth. Jason likes the kind of cutting-edge problem-solving opportunities he encounters at Link Ventures, as well as helping the team navigate the tax implications of different investment strategies and vertical markets. Originally from Salisbury, Massachusetts, Jason has a BA from Bentley University. He has three daughters that play ice hockey and has been fortunate to help to coach them for years. Jason also enjoys running, having completed both full and half marathons in the same weekend at Disney World's Goofy Challenge.

John Werner has created a career out of bringing ideas, networks and people together to generate powerful results. John is an MIT Senior Fellow, 5x-founder, columnist in AI for Forbes& Managing Director/VC investing in AI. Currently, John serves as Managing Director and Partner at Link Ventures. John is a Visiting Lecturer in MIT AI Venture Studio course fall and spring semesters.

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Previously, John was a VP at Meta, a Y-Combinator augmented reality startup based in Silicon Valley. John's also served as the Head of Innovation and New Ventures at the MIT Media Lab's Camera Culture Group, and the Managing Director of Emerging Worlds SIG, where he led the launch of collaborative innovation centers in Mumbai, Nashik, and Hyderabad.

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John channels his passion and curiosity into cultivating platforms for thought and exchange. He is the Founder & CEO of Ideas in Action a non-profit that creates and produces, Imagination in Action, that takes place during the World Economic Forum in Davos and at MIT; TEDxMIT (which was recognized as best event at MIT 2022 & 2023) academic years, and TEDxBoston (formerly known as TEDxBeaconStreet), whose talks have accumulated 300+ million YouTube views.

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John is also the Co-Founder of Citizen Schools, an advisor for Everquote, Liquid.AI, Brelyon, PhotoButler, Bloomertech, Ubicept, Vestigo Ventures and Founders Forum (Boston), an MIT Connection Science Senior Fellow, a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard University's Graduate School of Design and a graduate of Hamilton College.

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John was recognized by Harvard Business Review for his leadership; by Boston Globe in 2024 as one of New New England's Top 50 Tech Power Players, BostonInno in 2014 as a top 50 on Fire in Boston; Boston Chamber with a TOYL (Ten Outstanding Young Leaders) Award in 2006.

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In his free time, John is a passionate photographer and an accomplished triathlete (qualified for the worlds and 4x nationals). John and his family live in Brookline, MA.

Dr. Alexander D. Wissner-Gross is an award-winning computer scientist, entrepreneur, advisor, and investor. He has taught at Harvard and MIT, received 128 major distinctions, authored 23 publications, been granted 26 issued, pending, and provisional patents, and founded, advised, and invested in more than 35 technology companies.

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In 1998 and 1999, respectively, he won the USA Computer Olympiad and the Intel Science Talent Search. In 2003, he became the last person in MIT history to earn a triple major, with bachelor's degrees in Physics, Electrical Science and Engineering, and Mathematics, and graduated first in his class from the MIT School of Engineering with a Marshall Scholarship. In 2007, he completed his Ph.D. in Physics at Harvard, where his research on neuromorphic computing, machine learning, and programmable matter was awarded the Hertz Foundation's Doctoral Thesis Prize.

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A thought leader in artificial intelligence and cyber-physical systems, he is a contributing author of the New York Times Science Bestseller, "This Idea Must Die," and the Amazon #1 New Release, "What to Think About Machines That Think." A popular TED speaker, his talks have been viewed more than 2 million times and translated into 27 languages. His work has been featured in more than 200 press outlets worldwide, including The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, CNN, USAToday, and Wired.