Activate Alumni Are Ready to Support the Next Generation of Science Entrepreneurs

Activate’s new mission emphasizes community—and our alumni are an essential part of that.

As we celebrate ten years of Activate, we’re reflecting on the many paths our fellows have taken. Some have risen to industry leadership, some have created entirely new categories, and others have transitioned into new roles (like values-driven venture capitalist and becoming a guide for other deep-tech founders). Some have joined the Activate team, and some have even done all of the above—more on that later!

“It all comes back to driving science into impact,” said Kristyn Fusco, Activate’s Senior Manager of Alumni Relations. “Activate invests in people, not companies. We’re constantly asking: How can we best support science entrepreneurs to go out and improve the world, whether or not they stay with the companies they founded during the Activate Fellowship?”

While Activate alumni make their mark in every corner of the hard-tech ecosystem, they also remain part of our tight-knit community and give back to current fellows in myriad ways—programming, mentorship, and being accessible peers.

“I've worked for a lot of fellowship programs, and I've been blown away by how supportive and engaged Activate Fellow alumni are,” said Fusco. “These are busy people running companies,” she said—yet they readily sign up to mentor current cohorts, offer their connections, and respond when a fellow poses a question or asks for advice.

Many of our alumni have found their way back to Activate to serve as leaders. Andrew Hsieh (Cohort 2016) recently joined our board of directors. Now, Etosha Cave (Cohort 2015) has returned as interim lead of the Activate New York Community, following in the footsteps of Jill Fuss (Cohort 2018), who became Managing Director of the Activate Berkeley Community in 2022.

Etosha Cave’s Full-Circle Journey Back to Activate

After being a fellow in Activate’s very first cohort in 2015, Etosha Cave has returned to Activate as an Executive-in-Residence. She will directly support fellows in the Activate New York Community in an interim Managing Director capacity, alongside Kevin See, Activate’s Head of Ecosystem.

"Etosha embodies what Activate is all about, bold science leaders turning their vision into real-world impact", said Activate CEO Cyrus Wadia. “She’s not only built something extraordinary as a founder, she’s now coming back to help others do the same. That full-circle story captures the power of our community."

Cave is a proud success story for Activate: turning down a job at NASA Ames to become an Activate Fellow, she co-founded and served as CSO at Twelve, an industry-disrupting carbon transformation company that uses electrochemistry to turn CO2 into essential products, including sustainable aviation fuel and a range of consumer products. Founded in 2015, Twelve has revolutionized the industry of sustainable aviation fuel and raised over $800M along the way.

Cave, who will still serve as an Emeritus Technical Co-Founder at Twelve, has been widely recognized for her leadership in tech and business; she has been called a visionary by the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Department of Energy, and multiple media outlets, including Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair. Before co-founding Twelve, Cave earned an M.S. and Ph.D in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.

Now, she looks forward to using her own experience to guide current Activate Fellows. “Each fellow navigates a unique maze, and it’s hard to know what’s around the corner,” Cave said. “As someone who’s a few steps ahead, I’m excited to provide a flashlight for other folks who are navigating their maze in the dark.”

“I'm just really excited about being back in the mix of early-stage startup creation,” she continued. “That's where my favorite moments happen—in those chaotic early days when there are so many directions to go and you're doing all the things: customer discovery, writing grants, doing research, trying to figure it out. I see myself as being a thought partner in this process.”

Expanding Alumni Support

With an ever-growing alumni network, Activate is seeking to deepen alumni support in a couple of key ways, with more on the horizon.

First, through transitions. “As fellows exit their companies, whatever that looks like—if they’ve been acquired, are moving into a different role, or just leaving—how can we better support those alumni?” asked Fusco. “Ultimately, we want to train these science entrepreneurs to be leaders who can go out and teach what they’ve learned, and activate the next generation of entrepreneurs.”

Related, Activate is positioning alumni as thought partners in their respective fields. For example, last month during Climate Week NYC, Activate hosted an event with Microsoft on water recycling and data centers. Several current and former Activate Fellows brought their expertise to the room, demonstrating how entrepreneurs can make an impact by engaging directly with a corporate leader on an urgent challenge. Likewise, fellows like Leah Ellis (Cohort 2020) have brought their expertise to Congress to inform policymaking—in Ellis’ case, testifying at a hearing on opportunities to decarbonize industry.

We’re more excited than ever about the future of the Activate community, especially how our alumni will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible—and continue to reach back to support current fellows who are just behind them on the journey.

Interested in becoming an Activate Fellow? Apply by October 28 for Cohort 2026, and attend an upcoming event to learn more.