EISNERAMPER, CHIEF AI OFFICER

David Frigeri is a Partner and the Chief AI Officer in the firm, leading the firm’s AI strategy and innovation initiatives. With more than 25 years of experience, David is ranked one of the top 10 global AI leaders and consultants helping businesses navigate AI adoption with a focus on responsible and effective implementation.

David works closely with leadership to align AI initiatives with the firm’s vision, identifying areas where AI can improve operations and deliver measurable value. He bridges the gap between technology and business, guiding teams in leveraging generative AI, machine learning, and automation. He has deep expertise in guiding organizations on governance frameworks that promote transparency, mitigate bias, and ensure regulatory compliance. He integrates AI tools, RPA, and machine learning platforms to optimize internal processes and scale solutions for clients. 

David brings a wealth of experience in building and managing a high-performing team of AI specialists and overseeing the full AI development lifecycle from concept to deployment. He also plays a key role in expanding EisnerAmper’s digital transformation efforts, working with the Managing Partners of Advisory to develop AI-driven service offerings. 

Prior to joining the firm, David was a Managing Director at a global business and technology consulting company.

David Frigeri is a recognized AI thought leader with contributions in cybersecurity, AI governance, and predictive analytics. He has co-authored Physical and Cyber Security Working Group, Public Network and Wireless Best Practices, and CIO Wisdom II: More Best Practices. He also holds patents in AI-driven healthcare solutions, including A Method and System for Predictive Analytics for Wound Care Environments and A Machine Learning Training Method and Resulting Expert System for Identifying Wound Type, Size, and Condition. His work bridges AI research with real-world applications, shaping the future of AI-driven security and healthcare solutions.

EISNERAMPER, PARTNER

John Pennett is the Partner-in-Charge of EisnerAmper’s National Technology and Life Sciences Group, recognized as one of New Jersey’s “Innovate 100” leaders for driving economic impact and innovation across the state and nationwide. With 35 years of public accounting experience, John has become a trusted advisor to hundreds of public and private technology and life sciences companies, supporting entrepreneurs through strategy, capital market advice, and operational excellence.

He is the publisher of Catalyst, EisnerAmper’s acclaimed industry newsletter, and a frequent national speaker whose insights support founders, investors, and executives in navigating technical, financial, and regulatory challenges. John’s leadership has shaped the success of more than 50 IPOs, private financings, and M&A transactions—to date exceeding $3 billion in combined valuation—and he is deeply committed to growing the US innovation economy as a mentor, advisory board member, and program leader for organizations including BioNJ, CCIT, Rutgers University, Life Sciences Pennsylvania, and numerous startup incubators.

In addition to leading EisnerAmper’s risk, compliance and advisory practices, John’s recent work includes enabling post-pandemic growth for early-stage ventures, advancing the firm’s Outsourced Accounting Services, and helping companies unlock critical data insights for strategic decision-making. He is a champion for diversity, entrepreneurship, and community-building at major industry summits, including BIO International and regional tech conferences in New York, Philadelphia, and Austin.​​

Previously, John served as an Audit Partner for an international accounting firm and holds a BS in Accounting from Rutgers. He is a CPA and active in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and New Jersey Society of CPAs. Whether shaping capital strategy, mentoring founders, or building programs that connect entrepreneurs to resources, John Pennett remains at the forefront of innovation in life sciences and technology.

UK DEPT OF BUSINESS & TRADE, NT TECH LEAD

Amy Auton-Smith is a public servant, UK qualified attorney, founder, and innovator whose career bridges the US, UK, and Germany across public service, law, technology, and education.

Currently serving as Senior Trade and Investment Officer for the British Government in New York, Amy is a driving force behind transatlantic technology and innovation initiatives—most recently playing a key role in promoting and supporting the historic UK-US Tech for Prosperity Deal, a £31 billion partnership to accelerate collaboration across AI, quantum computing, clean energy, and digital infrastructure. Her work has directly contributed to unlocking record-setting investment and expanded corporate-university partnerships in the tech sector, enhancing opportunities for startups, scale-ups, and global companies in both countries.

In New York, Amy is recognized for advancing the city’s tech and innovation ecosystem. She leads major convenings with founders, academics, and tech leaders, connects UK innovators to the NYC market, and champions responsible, inclusive tech policy as a frequent speaker and mentor in both government and entrepreneurship circles. Amy also served as an Adjunct Associate Professor at NYU, designing courses on AI ethics, public service leadership, and inclusive innovation.

A Solicitor/Attorney of the Supreme Court of England and Wales, Amy holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from NYU, a law degree from Southampton University, and a Certificate in Artificial Intelligence from MIT. She is celebrated for her commitment to ethical, human-centered AI and her impactful leadership in forging partnerships that foster prosperity and responsible growth on both sides of the Atlantic.​

GEEK VENTURES, MANAGING PARTNER

Ihar Mahaniok is the Founder and Managing Partner at Geek Ventures, a New York-based venture fund focused on investing in immigrant founders, particularly those building revolutionary companies in AI, robotics, and technology. Originally from Belarus, Mahaniok studied computer science and is an accomplished engineering leader with over 20 years of experience building code, machine learning models, and engineering teams for both startups and major tech companies, including Google and Meta.

He moved to the US in 2013 and became a prolific angel investor, backing more than 150 startups. His investments include notable unicorns such as Instacart, PandaDoc, People.ai, Airbyte, Chainalysis, and Jeeves. Mahaniok started Geek Ventures in 2021 with the mission to advance equal opportunity for visionary immigrant entrepreneurs by providing capital and community, helping break down barriers to the US venture ecosystem.

Mahaniok is also known for his advocacy of diversity in tech and enjoys geeking out about Game of Thrones, Manchester United, science fiction, photography, and hiking. Geek Ventures closed its first fund in 2023, raising $23 million to back pre-seed and seed founders worldwide.

GORDON & FROST, CO-CEO

With more than two decades of leadership, Ryan is an established visionary at the forefront of data-driven communications and growth strategy across technology, energy, life sciences and healthcare, fashion and finance, and real estate sectors. His proven track record includes launching transformative campaigns for clients such as Microsoft, Burberry, Novartis, and many others—accelerating digital disruption and shaping new industry paradigms. Ryan has deep roots in transformative initiatives centered in New York City, from spearheading the iconic guerilla launch of the MSN brand, to campaigns selling out luxury high-rise condos, to developing and executing the strategy that created the multi-billion dollar casual footwear industry as it exists today - trusted in stewarding more than $2 billion in investment, Ryan has led growth for companies contributing to an aggregate mark cap now in excess of $4.6 trillion dollars. 

At Gordon & Frost, Ryan heads a team working with leading entrepreneurs and global organizations at the forefront of AI, energy, and the new industrial economy. His work has been recognized with multiple industry awards—including Mosaic, HSMAI, DTC Gold honors—and AdWeek’s ‘Media All-Star’ for guiding organizations to resilience and growth through technological and economic transition. Ryan’s leadership continues to shape the conversation around transformative innovation, technology-enabled growth, and the future of the new industrial era.

Ryan's commitment extends beyond the boardroom: he is deeply invested in giving back to communities. Through ongoing pro bono work, mentorship, and dedicated support for small businesses, Ryan ensures that organizations and entrepreneurs, regardless of scale, are prepared for the challenges and opportunities stemming from AI, macroeconomic shifts, and next-generation technologies. This work includes workforce development initiatives and partnerships with social impact organizations in the U.S., Africa, and globally to amplify community resilience and empower inclusive growth. More broadly with the firm Ryan and his partner deploy mission-oriented strategies that ensure both businesses and communities benefit as new technologies are adopted.

Ryan and his team have also spearheaded the launch of a collaborative market entry platform with London-based partners International Management Answers: the Transatlantic Expansion Alliance (TEA), forging a vital bi-directional bridge for strategic capital, talent, and collaborative opportunity. This initiative enables companies expanding internationally from the US, UK, and Europe to access new markets more effectively, and supports businesses at the leading edge of new industries.

GORDON & FROST, CO-CEO

As a successful corporate leader and two-time founder, Jacob brings a wealth of expertise across strategy, business development, innovation systems, and analytics for frontier industries. With a deep focus on emerging technologies and data strategy, Jacob offers a unique capacity to steer companies and drive effective, resilient growth in the modern economy.

Jacob’s leadership is distinguished by major unicorn-creating U.S. market launches and by steering strategic growth campaigns for Fortune 100 companies resulting in multi-billion dollar acquisitions in finance and adjacent sectors. His forward-looking approach empowers organizations to navigate rapid change in the macroeconomic, technological, and policy landscape, ensuring sustainable financial success, community advancement, and positive environmental outcomes.

At the heart of Jacob’s work is a commitment to preparing businesses and communities for the seismic changes brought by AI and frontier technologies. He leads workforce development initiatives and pro bono engagements with social impact organizations domestically and abroad—including in Africa and other emerging markets—helping organizations adapt, thrive, and deliver lasting benefits to both business and society. Gordon & Frost’s partnership with International Management Answers forging the Transatlantic Expansion Alliance further strengthens the international flow of capital and talent, building platforms for collaborative market entry and expansion for visionary companies from the US, UK, and Europe.

With Gordon & Frost, Jacob supports businesses that are leading at the forefront of new industries, coupling commercial impact with mission-driven technology adoption to foster opportunity and resilience for enterprises and communities alike.

PLUM ALLEY, FOUNDER & GENERAL PARTNER

Avantika Daing, recently recognized by Forbes 2024: 50 over 50 Investments, is the Founding Partner of Plum Alley Ventures Company. Deploying $1.5 billion through a centralized venture asset management platform across their funds, organized across distinct technology sectors and stages, is disrupting the venture industry with a structure that creates capital and operational efficiency, diversified returns and faster liquidity. With a mission towards investing in domain expert STEM founders, Plum Alley Ventures Company invests across frontier technology and medical breakthroughs.

She is also General Partner of Plum Alley Venture Fund I, which is fully deployed. Avantika spearheads both the Funds and Direct Investments businesses. She leads the firm's venture investment strategy with a focus on investing in innovation across deep tech and frontier healthcare companies with domain expert STEM founding teams. She founded the firm's platform to launch a network of funds organized by distinct technology sectors and across the stages of growth to liquidity. With an aggregate investment of $134 Million in transformational technology, across 35 companies, with a track record of two unicorns and two exits, the platform offers LPs, institutions and direct investors the opportunity to invest in early to late stage private technology companies. Aimed at both top quartile returns and impact across transformational AI technologies, automation and data primacy, the portfolio boasts of Mammoth Biosciences, Einride, Air Protein, AiFi, Diligent Robotics, Juvena Therapeutics, KETOS analytics, Arix Technologies, among others.

Avantika attained her education degree, as a scholarship student, in Economics, Political Science and International Relations. She was awarded the Omicron Delta Epsilon Award, by the American Economic Association. She has worked in the U.S., U.K., India, and Canada. She is a TedX and SXSW speaker and speaks on Venture Growth, Entrepreneurship, Investing in AI Technologies, IPO, ESG, Intentional Investing and is a former member of Board of Directors at TiE. As a testament to her work she has rung both the Nasdaq and NYSE bells.

REALITY DEFENDER, PUBLIC SECTOR STRATEGIST

Kyra Rauschenbach is Government Business Strategist at Reality Defender, the award-winning AI deepfake detection platform recognized for innovation and impact at the 2024 RSA Innovation Sandbox (winner), JPMorganChase’s Hall of Innovation (2025 honoree), and the SINET16 Innovator Award. Joining Reality Defender in February 2024, Kyra leads government partnerships and public sector initiatives across the US, UK, and Singapore, working with agencies and institutions to deploy breakthrough technologies that protect communications, institutional trust, and national security from AI-enabled threats.

Reality Defender has set the pace in enterprise-grade media forensics, delivering real-time detection of AI-generated audio, video, image, and text content at scale. The company’s technology is integrated by financial institutions, defense agencies, global enterprises, and platforms for fraud prevention, critical infrastructure protection, and high-stakes verification—including partnerships with JPMorganChase and major deployments via the CyberBoost Catalyse programme in Singapore.

Kyra’s expertise is building relationships, navigating government procurement cycles, and driving adoption of cutting-edge AI security solutions in highly regulated sectors. She has represented Reality Defender in strategic international tech delegations and at key industry events, championing the vital role of trustworthy AI in modern communication and governance.

Her previous experience includes research and analytic roles focused on security, defense, and advanced cyber/AI solutions for the United Nations, Palo Alto Networks, and the Critical Threats Project, as well as fellowship research in AI/ML sentiment analysis for Arabic and Persian. Kyra brings proven leadership in intelligence, government engagement, and cybersecurity deployment—now helping make Reality Defender the global standard for deepfake protection and trusted digital communications.​

FOUNDER & CEO, ADRO

Amarildo Gjondrekaj is the CEO and Founder of Adro, the leading financial onramp for internationals moving to the US. Under his leadership, Adro recently achieved a landmark acquisition by Snowball & Co., following a year that saw the company expand nationally, secure $2 million in pre-seed funding—including investment from Empire State Development’s NY Ventures—and partner with top universities to enhance banking access for thousands of international students and workers.

Amarildo’s vision for equitable finance has garnered recognition from NYC’s innovation community: Adro was selected for the Hudson Valley Venture Hub Accelerator and has been highlighted as one of New York’s most promising fintech startups. Amarildo is an active mentor and thought leader, teaching at Cornell Tech and Yeshiva University and championing the cause of underbanked communities. He also advises promising fintech ventures and contributes to local entrepreneur networks. Previously, he held strategic roles at Mastercard and was Head of Harness FI, bringing over a decade of experience in payments, digital banking, and financial access.

A first-generation immigrant himself, Amarildo’s mission-driven leadership has made Adro a model for inclusive fintech and earned accolades for customer impact and industry innovation. He is a frequent speaker on financial empowerment and startup growth, helping shape the NYC tech landscape for newcomers and founders alike.