Dr. Ajay Jha
Dr. Ajay Jha, Board Member and Mentor of Youth Lab Colorado, USA, is a seasoned entrepreneur and trusted advisor for leading Fortune 500 companies. Alongside his role as a faculty member, he has guided numerous students over the past twenty years. At present, he imparts knowledge in Sustainable Innovation, technology commercialization, and Startup Business. Holding a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from University in Delhi, India, and an MBA from Colorado State University, USA. He is deeply involved in technology validation and transfer in India, Israel, and North America, particularly in the areas of AgTech, Biotech and CleanTech. He also oversees the incubation and acceleration of Healthcare/MedTech, ClimateTech, IoT, Immersive and Big Data startup ventures. Dr. Jha is committed to equip students with the essential skills through project-based learning for the job market and exposing them to entrepreneurship, higher education opportunities in the USA, India, Canada and other parts of the world.
Dr.(Pof.) Anchal Arora
Dr. Arora is International Director of Youth Lab Colorado, USA, and overseeing operations in India and other countries. With 20 years of experience in teaching commerce, business administration, strategy management, mentorship, and career counseling, Dr. Arora is dedicated to empowering women in India by equipping them with entrepreneurial and innovation skills to foster self-reliance and independence. A recipient of numerous international and national awards, Anchal is a multi-dimensional and multi-talented personality with a lifelong mission to enlighten, transform, and empower the youth.
Steve Stroud
Steve Stroud serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Youth Lab, bringing over 25 years of expertise in product innovation, business leadership, and senior program direction. With a background working for prominent companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Eli Lilly, Kraft, and Fujitsu, Steve's experience is extensive. Notably, he successfully raised $21,000,000 for a biomedical startup as a founder of Bohemian Group. His specialization lies in commercialization, executive management, funding, business and market strategies, partner and vendor management, business intelligence, licensing strategies, IoT, and directing startup organizations.
Eric Fitzsimons
Eric Fitzsimons, Youth Lab Colorado Advisor, brings extensive experience in working with high school and college students. He has played an active role in STEM at Colorado High School and AIMS Community College. Over the past 20 years, he has tackled industry and startup challenges at CNE Creative Enterprises, LLC, while also sharing his wealth of STEM knowledge. Since 2003, CNE has discreetly supported small businesses with product development and management consulting, making a significant impact on over 1500 water purification plants nationwide. The company boasts a state-of-the-art product development workshop and a skilled team of engineers, developers, and fabricators.