TMV - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Organizational Psychologist at Wharton
Alexia has 20+ years of demonstrated expertise in private equity, venture capital and investment banking. Prior to joining TMV, she served as Director of Finance and Operations for Everside Capital Partners, a credit-focused private equity fund, where she built the infrastructure to support the firm's essential operations. Alexia also served as Vice President of Strategic Planning and Business Development at Deutsche Bank, creating the business plan and building the P&L for the company's co-branded brokerage solution. She began her career in financial services at Credit Suisse First Boston.
At TMV, Alexia oversees and delivers comprehensive financial and operational analyses with acute attention to detail, using her institutional experience to build a solid shell around a robust existing structure and develop new solutions for effective financial operations across each of TMV's existing funds, as well as those to come.
Alexia is actively involved in the global financial community. She serves as Board Member and Treasurer of the non-profit SWEA International Inc., Board Director of HABA, a non-profit for finance professionals, and Board Director of Empire Equity Fund, LLC. She is an advisory Board Member of MetaVentureLab, a digital incubator for metaverse startups.
Alexia was born and raised in Sweden; she earned her B.A. in Economics from University of Linköping and her M.B.A. in International Finance from University of Massachusetts, Amherst Isenberg School of Management.
Alexia lives in New York City with her family; she loves literature, arts, and fitness.
Job Titles:
- Brand Communications Lead
Anna Stoessinger is the Editorial Lead at TMV, where she collaborates on all brand communications for TMV and its portfolio companies. To date, Anna has provided branding and content support for TMV investments Preveta, YOKE, Portcast, Watson Living, ShipSkart and Channel19, among others. She also collaborates closely with the TMV team to create content for the TMV newsletter, as well as feature articles for the firm's Medium channel and other platforms.
Anna's key full-time leadership roles have included Copy Director at VOGUE and Senior Vice President of Brand Communications at heritage brand L.L. Bean. Her agency background includes work for McCann Erikson, PMH, Omnicom, Hill Holiday, Toth & Co., SHADOW, Laird & Partners, Erwin Penland, Mullen Lowe, and Via, among others. Anna has 16+ years of leadership expertise in brand positioning and storytelling across venture capital, CPG, sustainability, F&B, healthcare & wellness, luxury hospitality, commercial & residential real estate, fine jewelry & luxury goods, clean beauty & skincare, as well as B2B SaaS and e-commerce.
At TMV, Anna's sharp understanding of business strategy and financial objectives, coupled with her agile creative eye and deep expertise in translating a brand's vision into a clearly articulated message, enables her to help guide TMV's early-stage founders toward a lasting and resonant description of their vision.
Anna speaks fluent French, conversational Mandarin and Spanish, and basic Italian. She was named a James Beard Finalist for her New York Times essay, I Won't Have the Stomach for This-also anthologized in Best American Food Writing 2012-and is a former contributing columnist to the Portland Press Herald's Food & Dining section. She earned her B.A.in Classics from Brown University, J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, and completed the Finance for Senior Executives program at Harvard Business School. Outside of work life, Anna loves swimming, sea kayaking, reading, art, music-and sharing it all with her family.
Job Titles:
- Investor
- General Partner, MWF
Azzi Agnelli is an impact investor, philanthropist, and advocate for mental well-being. At the heart of her work and academic research is a commitment to elevating mental health consciousness, advancing pioneering solutions, and leading systemic reform.
At TMV, Azzi jointly manages a fund addressing today's mental health epidemic. Driven by the scale and urgency of this crisis, the fund enables entrepreneurs and practitioners who are building creative, market-based solutions to push the field forward. TMV's portfolio includes best-in-class healthcare companies such as Kindbody, Parsley Health, Cityblock Health, Preveta, and more.
MWBF is TMV's latest commitment to making all forms of care more accessible to all: through it, the Fund will continue to partner with companies that treat the whole person, take into account mental and social factors rather than just symptoms, and employ cutting-edge data and technology to empower individuals and the people that care for them. Azzi serves on the board of the Youth Anxiety Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital, and holds an MSc in Psychology from Regent's University, London.
Job Titles:
- Business Owner at Bantam Tools
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder and CEO at Scope3
"In today's world, it's becoming more and more imperative to commoditize AI and put the power of building and running ML models into the hands of citizen analysts, rather than just a handful of programmers."
Darshan Somashekar is an entrepreneur and Venture Partner at TMV, where he specializes in Ed Tech and the Future of Work. Darshan has led key TMV investments in Obviously AI and Tutored By Teachers.
Prior to joining TMV, Darshan co-founded drop.io, a media sharing startup acquired by Facebook in 2010, as well as Imagine Easy Solutions, a research and citation platform, acquired in 2016 by Chegg-a publicly traded education company. Following the acquisition, Darshan served as Chegg's Vice President of Product for its newly formed Writing Tools group. He began his career as an Associate Consultant at Bain & Company.
Darshan is a seasoned operator with deep technical and business expertise-a result of his time spent as the tech co-founder of all his ventures, as well as the consulting experience he gained while at Bain. He advises startups on product development, engineering, and product market fit, focusing on helping founders align their engineering and product with a robust business strategy. His hands-on technical expertise includes financial modeling, programming and hiring support. Darshan is currently building Unwind Media, a casual gaming platform whose main brand is Solitaired.
Outside of work, Darshan is an avid amateur player of pickleball, the country's fastest growing sport. He is also learning German, damit er mit der Familie seiner Frau sprechen kann.
Emma Silverman is a Principal at TMV, where she invests in companies building innovative solutions for the Care Economy and Future of Work. At TMV, she has led investments in Ours, Millie, Bonside and Great Wrap, and works closely with additional companies including Preveta, Sunny Day Fund, and Alleyoop.
Prior to joining TMV, Emma served on the executive team at Truebird Coffee, where she oversaw marketing, strategy, finance and HR. At Truebird, she drove the launch campaign that yielded 2x adoption vs. projection and doubled the team, while also leading fundraising through two raises and a round of venture debt. Before Truebird, Emma was the first hire at Flamingo, the inaugural brand launched by Harry's Labs; in addition to overseeing the nationwide launch of Flamingo at Target, she headed consumer insights and product innovation. Emma began her career as a consultant at Bain & Company, where she split her time between the Private Equity Group, Retail and Industrials working on due diligence, growth strategy and organizational design. Emma studied English, Creative Writing and Economics at the University of Pennsylvania; she graduated summa cum laude in 2015.
As an operator who has built and scaled brands across multiple sales and marketing channels, Emma works closely with the TMV portfolio as they prepare and execute their go-to-market strategies and accelerate growth engines. Having designed organizations at scale for enterprise clients, as well as transitioned organizations through various stages of growth, Emma works alongside founders to hire teams and design structures that deliver early efficiency and medium- to long-term scale. Given Emma's background in early-stage finance, fundraising and management consulting, she dives in with founders from all angles as they prepare to raise seed and Series A rounds of financing.
Emma is an avid runner-you can find her on the track at McCarren park most mornings-and a mediocre tennis player. She's a token millennial brand loyalist who will advocate for her favorite brands over the long haul (you'll rarely find Emma without a Spindrift in her hand).
Job Titles:
- CEO and Co - Founder of Mavely
- Venture Partner
Evan Wray is the CEO and co-founder of Mavely, a venture-backed social commerce platform that helps influencers earn commissions and products via a network of curated brand opportunities and top retailers. In 2021 Mavely was acquired by Nu Skin (NASDAQ: NUS), where Wray continues to run Mavely as an independent subsidiary of the public company. Evan has been recognized by Forbes' "30 Under 30" (2017) and has deep experience in the digital advertising and technology industries.
Prior to Mavely, Evan co-founded Swyft Media, the first emoji ad network, where he pioneered the idea of delivering native branded content directly to consumers in their favorite OTT messaging applications. In 2015, Monotype Imaging (NASDAQ: TYPE) acquired Swyft, where Evan continued to lead the organization as the VP of the newly formed Consumer Division. Following Swyft, he went on to be a founding partner of Irish Beef, a quick service restaurant franchise roll-up focused on implementing culture and technology to accelerate growth. Irish Beef was acquired by the private equity group Equicorp Partners in 2018.
Evan also serves as a Venture Partner for TMV, a leading early-stage holding company overseeing two venture funds. Given Evan's Evan's operational experience and multiple exits to public companies, he focuses on product market fit, distribution and go-to-market strategies, and partnership opportunities. In addition, Evan sits on the Venture Builders Advisory Board and the Department of Economics Advisory Board at his alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, where he received a BA in Economics in 2012 and was a walk-on to the varsity football team. Evan lives and works in Chicago, IL, where he loves spending his free time with his wife and daughter, traveling, and working with emerging entrepreneurs.
Job Titles:
- SVP Product Design at the New York Times
For 20 years, Jason has led and supported projects across a variety of sectors, from technology and media, to arts and culture. He's passionate about social innovation, creative expression, and climate, and collaborate with organizations and individuals who share these values and interests.
Jason was the first head of communications for Kickstarter, the funding platform for creative projects, where he worked from its launch in 2009 through 2018. Prior to that he was Vice President at a boutique PR agency in New York where I led communications campaigns for clients such as: GOOD Worldwide, Public Education Needs Civic Involvement in Learning (PENCIL), Abyssinian Development Corporation, Amazon Watch, The Fortune Society, Wikimedia Foundation, National Voting Rights Institute (NVRI), and AOL.
Prior to joining TMV, Joshua was a shipbroker in the tanker industry for 6 years in London. The first 3 years at Vortex Shipbroking, where he worked as a time-charter broker, securing long-term contracts between shipowners and charterers. Joshua focused on all oil tanker vessels, ranging from 30,000 deadweight (DWT) Handysize vessels upto 320,000 DWT VLCC's (Very Large Crude Carriers). After 3 years in time-charter broking, Joshua then moved to SSY (Simpson Spence Young) where he worked as a Suezmax (160,000 DWT) spot broker, negotiating single voyage contracts for shipments of crude oil between shipowners and oil majors/trading houses. During his time at SSY, Joshua often travelled to Athens and Geneva to grow and maintain his relationships with his shipowning and chartering clients.
Joshua has a Bachelors in Law as well as a Masters with Distinction in International Shipping Law from Queen Mary University, London. He is also academically published on the US Jones Act in the Journal of International Maritime Law (JIML).
Outside of work, Joshua is learning Greek, is an avid gym-goer, regards football as his second religion and requires sushi and souvlaki several times a week.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Director BNY Mellon
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Founder
- General Partner
- Industry Leader
Marina Hadjipateras is a General Partner and co-founder of venture capital firm, TMV, where she invests in early-stage founders building companies that will reshape industries and inspire new ones-with a key focus on transforming the supply chain, transportation and logistics industry to become more efficient and sustainable. She has sourced and led TMV investments into Shipskart, Freightify, Portcast, Secro, Trackstar HQ.
Prior to TMV, Marina served as Vice President of Investor Relations for Dorian LPG, her family's 200-year old maritime business, where she led their in-house roadshow, raising 135 million ahead of going public successfully with the ticker LPG.
At Dorian, Marina spearheaded the internal restructuring of the company and oversaw key areas of operations, including scale, compliance and private-to-public transition. She also formed Filotimo Partners in order to build out the private investment arm for her family, which included the development of a next-gen investment plan and deployment of multiple venture investments on behalf of the company. In 2018, she received the NYOT Innovators and Disruptors Award for Venture Capital. In 2023 Marina received the Llyod's List top ten in finance award given to those who have been the most influential people in commercial banking, investment banking and alternative finance as it pertains to the shipping industry.
Marina has served for over a decade as Vice Chair of the INTERTANKO Environmental Committee, where she collaborates closely with the IMO (International Maritime Organization) to develop lasting, innovative solutions that create a positive impact on our oceans and surrounding environment. She is a mentor for Endeavor, a leading global community of high-impact entrepreneurs committed to building thriving ecosystems in emerging and underserved markets across the world.
As a founder of TMV, Marina is an industry leader in supply chain innovation, the future of shipping and logistics, and tech-enabled, sustainable transportation solutions. She is a supportive, approachable leader and mentor, and leverages her wealth of sector and business expertise to drive exceptional returns for TMV investors, as well as the success of founders building businesses with the potential to shift the course of industry. Marina is an avid champion of LGBTQ+ rights, ardently committed to helping build a future of companies that support a diverse and inclusive world.
Marina is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy's STCW program and earned her B.A. from Georgetown University.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder at Warby Parker
Sean Villafranca is the Creative Director for TMV, where he leads all design initiatives, including brand identity, social, pitch decks, and marketing.
Sean's 25 years of design leadership experience have honed his results-driven, thoughtful approach. Sean looks at each project with an equal dedication for meeting business goals and capturing the vision, objective and aesthetic to maximize its overall impact.
Prior to joining TMV, Sean served as Design Director for RollingStone.com, TIME.com, Money.com and Bloomberg.com, as well as Design Manager for NYTimes.com. He is an Adjunct Instructor at The College of New Jersey, where he teaches the craft of graphic design to the next generation of creators and has also taught a design class to graduate students at NYU.
Sean lives in Edison, New Jersey with his wife, two sons, and dog Koko. He's a guitar and ukulele aficionado and when he's not playing those instruments, he's playing pickleball.
"Success is more permanent when you achieve it without destroying your principles."
Soraya is an entrepreneur, investor, and longtime advocate for human rights. She is a General Partner and founder of TMV, an early-stage venture firm that champions ambitious founders aiming to reshape industries and inspire new ones. With $200 million in assets under management, TMV backs startups across the care economy, sustainability, the future of work, and logistics, including Cityblock Health, Kindbody, Ridwell, Smalls, Topline Pro, Clockwise, Forta Health, and Freightify. Before her tenure at TMV, Soraya was an early investor in companies that went on to go public, such as FIGS, Casper, and pre-IPO CloudFlare, as well as startups like Gimlett and Lightwell, which were successfully acquired by Spotify and Twitter. She is also the founder of Transact Global, a large and fast growing group of international venture capital fund managers.
Soraya began her career as the Manager of Digital Partnerships & Social Media at The New York Times, where she positioned the global news leader on then burgeoning social networks such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, partnered with startups large and small, and established award-winning campaigns. She went on to co-found Foodspotting, named by Apple as "App of the Year," and later acquired by OpenTable, later Priceline. Soraya was a two-season host of "Business Schooled - a "Top 20 Business Podcast" by Synchrony for which she traveled the country interviewing persevering founders who have made it past their startup days.
For her work at The Times and startups, Soraya has been featured on the cover of Fast Company's "100 Most Creative People in Business" issue and on the cover of Brandweek's "Digital Best" issue. Soraya was named an Inc. magazine "30 Under 30" honoree (2012), and was featured in Fortune magazine's "40 Under 40: Women to Watch" (2015). She is a World Economic Forum "Young Global Leader," a six-time mentor to TechStars New York, three-times named a "Mentor of the Year."
Soraya graduated with high honors from Georgetown University and completed the Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century module program at the Harvard Kennedy School. She currently serves on the board of directors for Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Resultid AI, Tali AI and lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.
Job Titles:
- Designer, Producer, Creative Executive
- Venture Partner
Tim Shey is a designer, producer, creative executive, and the VP of Studios + Content at Duolingo. Prior to Duolingo, Tim co-founded two industry-leading startups: the first, Proteus, launched while he was in college, was later acquired by Oslo-based Telitas; the second, Next New Networks, was acquired in 2011 by Google. Tim then spent seven years as an executive at YouTube, launching worldwide programs such as YouTube Creators, YouTube Spaces, and YouTube Originals, where he produced original series and films with hundreds of creators and studios including Lionsgate, Blumhouse, and Dreamworks Animation, and collaborations like the Sundance New Voices Lab and the YouTube Music Awards.
At TMV, Tim works with founders on personal and leadership development, achieving product-market fit, and building practices including design thinking, diversity, equity, and inclusion, audience participation, and storytelling into their overall work.
A Brooklyn-based dad, Tim spends most of his time with his family, who tolerate his excessive levels of interest in art, music, and food.