CPO
Gerardo is an engineer and product leader with an MBA from ESADE, ranked among the top five globally for entrepreneurship. His career reflects a shift from impactful corporate roles to empowering startups, including a pivotal role at one of Europe’s leading banks in creating a banking solution for high-growth startups. As CPO at StartupScience.IO, Gerardo leads a platform aimed at reducing startup failure rates by equipping founders with essential tools for growth. His engineering background supports his expertise in managing teams and driving efficiency, from Fortune 100 projects to helping entrepreneurs realize their visions. Guided by his mantra, “Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast,” Gerardo is dedicated to building resilient solutions for a dynamic startup ecosystem.
Mexico | Guadalajara
CSO
Gary Horn has over 10 years of experience working with Startups. He’s seen them from the early stages all that way through liquidity events. Gary has worn multiple hats throughout his startup journey. This gives him a unique perspective when tackling problems. He’s got experience from all functional areas giving him the ability to see the whole picture. Gary is dedicated to helping both the founders we support and the impact leaders at Startup Assistance Programs achieve their ultimate goal, making a difference through startups. Gary also went to the University of Texas. Hook’Em
United States | Colorado
CMO
With over 8 years in digital marketing and e-commerce, Hassan Mahmood brings a blend of creativity, technical expertise, and out-of-the-box thinking to his role as CMO at StartupScience.io. Starting with Amazon PPC and product optimization, he expanded to managing paid social campaigns, email marketing, and high-conversion landing pages, creating a multi-channel approach that drove consistent client growth. Recognizing a demand for personalized outreach, he introduced cold outbound services to help businesses connect more effectively with prospects. Now, he leverages this skill set to design and execute impactful, scalable strategies that empower StartupScience.io’s mission to support startups.
Spain | Madrid
COO
Scott Tait has 30 years’ experience in innovation and entrepreneurship - both inside government and out. As a Naval officer and Captain of USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) he spearheaded programs to combine new operating concepts and emerging technologies. Post-Navy, as Executive Director of UC San Diego’s National Security Innovation Catalyst and as CEO of Pacific Science & Engineering he has transferred his experience to both the commercial and academic sectors. Scott joined Startup Science in February, 2024 because he believes in the world-improving mission of increasing success for all who participate in the early-stage startup ecosystem.
United States | San Diego
CTO
Daniel Dickson has over 15 years of experience in software management, having successfully managed projects for both Fortune 500 companies and startups. He specializes in coordinating teams, resources, and processes to deliver software on time, with a focus on Situational Leadership and training to foster team growth. Dickson has experience in various technologies, including PHP/Laravel, React, iOS/Swift, Android/Jetpack Compose, and MySQL/Postgres/SQLite.
United States | Oregon
CEO
Gregory Shepard has built and sold 12 businesses in BioTech, TransitTech, AdTech, and MarTech. Over his career, he has done startups, turnarounds, cleanups, and roll-ups. He is a Penguin Random House Author of The Startup Lifecycle “The definitive guide to building a startup from idea to exit”. He is a contributor and has been featured or quoted in publications like Forbes, Fortune, Entrepreneur, The New York Observer, The DEAL, and Thrive Global. A recipient of four private equity awards for transactions between $250M to $1B, Greg has appeared on TV, Radio, and popular Podcasts. Greg has also been a TEDX and Keynote speaker at multiple universities and conferences worldwide.
United States | San Diego
Chief Technical Officer
Experienced Architect. Knows how to code with the best of them. Pun Connoisseur.
Chief Operation Officer
Strategic Commander and our go-to for navigating both Zumwalts and Zooms!
Chief Marketing Officer
Our Go-To-Market Guy. Loves Ads and Emails way too much. Has a whole lot of hustle.
Chief Product Officer
Knows our product inside and out. Big on details. Likes GIFs instead of words.