Meet the Advisors Powering Epipelagic Ventures

Since 2024, we’ve redefined venture capital through a studio model that unlocks 12 to 18 months of the support, partnership, and collaboration necessary to scale great startups.

At the heart of that model are our advisors. These leaders have built companies, weathered pivots, and know what it takes to turn ideas into solid results. Together, they bring more than 70 years of experience across operations, investing, technology, marketing, and leadership.

Meet the people behind the portfolio. They guide founders day to day, shape their growth, and share lessons every entrepreneur needs in their journey.

Janani Akhilandeswari

Chief Operating Officer

Before her transition to the venture capital industry, Janani earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom. She applied her expertise across both non-profit and for-profit sectors in such fields as agriculture, health, and education. In her most recent role, she worked as the Vice President of Global Programs at an international NGO that impacted over 70,000 students worldwide.

That experience gave Janani a unique perspective on what it means to manage a purpose-driven business. She takes a psychological approach when conversing with entrepreneurs, always trying to uncover the root of their “why.” “With founders, I’m always looking for their story,” Janani said during a recent interview. “Why are they doing what they’re doing? What are their motivators?”

As Chief Operating Officer at Epipelagic Ventures, Janani helps founders establish the backbone of their businesses – the details that are often overlooked or put off until they become urgent. Compliance, for example, is one of those unnoticed essentials that only becomes obvious in a crisis. “It tends to be one of the most painful lessons founders learn, and it’s totally avoidable if they set these documents up properly the first time.”

Working alongside founders in a venture studio, Janani finds that every day is a study in psychology. “People management is a real thing, and every situation requires a unique approach. I always try to adapt my mentorship and systems to the different ways people work.”

Her role as an advisor is to help founders build the structure and foundation from which their entire business grows. She leads founders toward decisions that are not only right for their business, but equitable for their employees and partners.

Operational Takeaways from Janani:

Whether they launched yesterday or have been operating for years, founders need to establish:

• Clear and scalable operational workflows and processes
• Payroll and finance management
• Legally compliant company policies

Benson Chang

Managing Partner

As Managing Partner, Benson is the go-to troubleshooter for founders and advisory mentors. His day-to-day work in the venture studio involves navigating the challenges of startups, from allocating and stretching resources to roadmapping unseen opportunities.

His guiding principle was always to help people in tangible ways, and that philosophy of hands-on support has shaped Benson’s leadership style. “I see myself more as a coordinator and a problem solver. My job is to get the puzzle solved. As Managing Partner, I want everyone in the Epipelagic Ventures ecosystem to see success, from operations to marketing.”

In that same spirit of mutual success, Benson shared the structure of a winning company pitch. “We invest in people first. If you’re coming to a VC for funding, explain your connection to the business and show your drive and dedication. The potential of the founding teams is what will determine how far the company goes.”

Prior to leading Epipelagic Ventures, Benson was an entrepreneur and angel investor for over a decade. In the EdTech field, he invested in several high-potential Boston-based startups and founded and scaled ventures of his own, gaining firsthand experience in building teams, shaping company foundations, and developing high-level growth strategies. His background in business and investment gives him a holistic understanding of what it takes to turn vision into execution.

Founder Takeaways from Benson:

• Invest in your people. The strength of a team defines the success of any venture.
• Being receptive to feedback is an underrated skill. Your openness will lead to growth.
• Meaningful innovation always starts with a clear “why.”
• Your product should originate from genuine need, not just a personal desire to create.

Louis Leblanc

Head of Investments

Louis Leblanc was a professional athlete before becoming the Head of Investments at Epipelagic Ventures. He played in the minors in both the United States and Canada before being drafted and playing in the National Hockey League and later overseas in Europe. After his hockey career, Louis returned to Harvard University, his alma mater, to finish his degree and where he was an assistant coach for the men's ice hockey team.

He has worked for more than a decade as a consultant, focusing on private equity transactions and navigating the due diligence for funds in the United States, China, and Canada.

Also an angel investor, Louis says that numbers alone don’t drive his decisions. Before he invests, Louis wants to know what is the founder’s “why.” “Who are they – not just as a leader – but as a person, and why are they called to build a startup?”

While Louis’ experience as an athlete and investor may seem different, they share a common trait; they both require a level of clarity and laser focus not achieved by many in their lifetime. When advising portfolio founders, Louis refers to the core objective of knowing who you are and what you want to do. “You have to establish a proper foundation of who you are as a founder, and then build off that. If you're just chasing something, then your team, operations, and objectives are going to crumble.”

Once an investment decision is made, Louis then helps portfolio companies prepare for future investment rounds. As an angel investor in EdTech, ecommerce, and other fields, he knows what investors are looking for and how to instill a sense of ambition he developed as an athlete in the startup founders he mentors.

Pitching Tips from Louis:

• Be prepared to show commitment in your business.
• Be prepared to answer these questions: Why are you going to succeed? Why are you different and unique?
• Clearly define who you are as a founder before meeting with investors.

Johnny Rice

Chief Technology Advisor

Johnny isn’t just an IT guru, he’s also a founder. Before joining Epipelagic Ventures as Chief Technology Advisor, he led Endeavor Spark, an IT consultancy. For over a decade, Johnny advised business leaders on the technology they needed to get the job done. He took an educational approach to establishing infrastructure and teaching teams how to use it, setting up internal teams for long-term success.

Within our venture studio, Johnny bridges the gap between founders of all levels and the technology they need to build and scale. He knows how crucial technology is for businesses of all sizes. “Everything in the cycle of managing a business happens digitally now, so there is a huge importance on making sure everything is tied up and working properly at each stage,” Johnny said during a recent interview.

Johnny has experienced firsthand the weight of responsibility entrepreneurs carry. This shaped his perspective and personally connected him with portfolio teams. For founders, this means learning from someone who knows technology and startups from the inside.

Many early-stage founders have great ideas but lack the technical know-how to execute them. That’s where Johnny and his team bridge the gap. “We’re an open book. Rather than wonder how something works, we’ll sit down with team members and train them. Not many VC firms offer that level of transparency.”

From finding and prioritizing tech solutions to full-scale front-end and back-end development, Johnny connects founders with the right tools and knowledge needed to scale up.

Founder Takeaways from Johnny:

• You don't need to be an expert, but you must stay curious.
• Partner with available experts to bridge tech gaps.
• Treat tech as a core part of your business, not an afterthought.

Erin Seo

Chief Marketing Advisor

For Erin, marketing isn’t just about visibility, it’s about clarity, empathy, and belief. Before joining Epipelagic Ventures, she built her career advising startups, serving on boards, and co-founding an EdTech company. Erin worked her way up from sales and business development to brand strategy, giving her a ground-level understanding of what it takes to build a company.

Those experiences shaped her as a marketer and as someone who understands the emotional and strategic decisions faced by founders. “Market validation doesn’t come from friends saying, ‘I’d buy that.’ It comes from dozens of real conversations that prove people actually will. The founders who do that early are the ones who find product-market fit before they run out of time.”

At Epipelagic Ventures, Erin leads the firm’s marketing advising and works side by side with founders, helping them tackle challenges, set milestones, and sharpen their marketing goals. Her objective, she says, is to help founders think like marketers and connect strategy with storytelling and turn ideas into traction.

Erin brings a calming and steady presence to help guide startups through the sometimes messy middle periods. She reminds founders that setbacks are lessons, not verdicts, and authenticity always outperforms polish.

Founder Takeaways from Erin:

• Don't guess, validate with 100 prospect conversations before building.
• Marketing isn't decoration; it's how you build credibility and trust.
• Coachability, ambition, and adaptability separate good founders from great ones.

The Heart of the Epipelagic Ventures Model Is Collective Wisdom

What makes the Epipelagic Ventures studio model stand apart? Meaningful access to a team of advisors who have been in the shoes of a founder.

Each advisor at Epipelagic Ventures brings a distinct blend of professional and personal experience that shapes their perspectives on what it takes to scale a successful startup.

Founders don’t have to figure it out alone. We promise a hands-on partnership with every 12- to 18-month engagement.

If you’re ready to accelerate your vision with a team committed to building alongside you, we invite you to apply.