Entrepreneurs in Residence
Every academic year, the Pillsbury Institute invites successful entrepreneurs to the Ithaca campus through the Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) program. The program enables students to learn through ongoing personal interaction with successful entrepreneurs. The Entrepreneurs in Residence meet one-on-one with students to help them with business development, networking and career planning.
Current Entrepreneurs in Residence
Click on a name to read their bio and explore their areas of expertise.
Brandon Barton ’03
Chief Executive Officer, Bite
Tom Botts, P ’26
President, Upgrade
Steve Chasen ’91
Founder & Managing Partner, Deep Channel Partners, LLC
Elaine Chon-Baker
Founder and Managing Director, Mokja Ventures
Jen Collins ’99
Co-Founder & President, Procure Impact
Mike Greene ’13
CEO & President, Skylark
Kim Hehir ’94
Co-Founder & President, Brutus Broth
Meli James ’00
Co-Founder, Mana Up; President, Hawaii Venture Capital
Daniel Leyva ’14
Founder & CEO, Taco Azul
Felix Litvinsky, P ’23
Managing Director, Launchpad Ezra
Jason Spillerman ’92, P ’25
Co-Founder and Principal, Vibrant Development Group
How it works
- Students interested in meeting with an entrepreneur-in-residence should sign up through StartupTree.
- Create an account – Students should create a StartupTree account.
- If you already have a StartupTree account, arrange to meet with EIRs by clicking their “meet with” buttons below.
- The events page provides information on when the entrepreneurs-in-residence will be on campus.
- Questions should be directed to pihe@cornell.edu.
If you are interested in participating as an entrepreneur in residence or if you have questions, please contact us.
Contact us
Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship
149C Statler Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853