Managing Director, Activate Anywhere
Hannah Murnen is the managing director of the Activate Anywhere Community, supporting science entrepreneurs across the country. Murnen is a chemical engineer who is motivated by the intersection of technical progress and impact. She thrives on translating technical concepts and developments into tangible decisions about running businesses. Before Activate, Murnen was chief technology officer and VP of business development at Compact Membrane Systems Inc., a pioneer in membrane systems for energy transition applications. She previously co-invented and licensed a bicycle stabilization device marketed and produced by Gyrobike, and she was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. Murnen holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from U.C. Berkeley and a B.S. in engineering from Dartmouth College.
Managing Director, Activate Boston
Randy Allen is the managing director of the Activate Boston Community, where he mentors Activate Fellows in the greater Boston innovation ecosystem. Allen’s past experience encompasses venture capital, market research consulting, entrepreneurship, and scientific research. He has invented several new technologies, including designing new polymers and architectures for flexible pressure and temperature sensor arrays—the basis for his startup, Pascalor. Additionally, with his experience consulting large corporations to navigate innovation and new markets, Allen was able to source and support startups at three VC firms. Allen holds an M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Stanford University, and a B.S. in chemical engineering from Princeton University.
Managing Director, Activate New York
Andrew Chang is the managing director of the Activate New York Community, where he supports scientist founders building new decarbonization technology platforms. Before Activate, he was in Singapore building ASUS’ deeptech venture studio program. He spent the previous seven years co-founding and growing a digital health and wearable device company, bringing the company from seed to series B to acquisition. During the Obama administration, he served in the U.S. Department of Energy. He began his career as a climate and energy analyst for Al Gore’s non-profit and worked on the sequel to An Inconvenient Truth. Chang holds 13 patents and earned a master’s in climate and energy from Stanford University and a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.
Managing Director, Activate Berkeley
Jill Fuss is managing director of the Activate Berkeley Community, where she uses her technical and startup expertise to mentor fellows. She spent 20 years at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) researching the structural biology and molecular mechanisms of DNA repair enzymes. During her time at Berkeley Lab, she co-founded Cinder Biological, Inc., a biotech company producing industrial enzymes, and was an Activate Fellow in the 2018 cohort. An advocate for access to science and entrepreneurship, Fuss received the Berkeley Lab’s Director’s Award for Exceptional Diversity Achievement and the Visionary Award from the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, among other accolades. Fuss has a Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from U.C. Berkeley and a B.A. in environmental science from Wesleyan University.