Tara Akhavan (she/her)
Partner, Jolt Capital
Tara Akhavan is a globally recognized entrepreneur and executive with a proven track record across startups, scale-ups, and large corporations. Over the course of her career, she has led the introduction and commercialization of more than 30 innovative products across consumer electronics, automotive, and health technology sectors. She brings extensive expertise in scaling B2B SaaS, and SaMD businesses across Asia, Europe, and North America.
Tara holds a PhD in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence and is the inventor of more than 50 patents. She has received multiple prestigious distinctions, including CES Innovation Awards and Automotive PACE Awards, and has been recognized among Canada’s Top 100 in Business and Top 40 Under 40.
Sessions
Mentor Office Hours
Office Hours: Non-Venture Financing
Access grants, tax credits, revenue-based financing, debt, and crowdfunding to fuel growth, learn how to stack multiple non-dilutive sources, and understand when alternative financing makes more sense than venture capital. See More.
Mentor Office Hours
Office Hours: Partnerships & Business Development
Find partners whose incentives truly align with yours, structure deals that create value for both sides, avoid partnerships that sound good but deliver nothing, and build business development into your growth engine. See More.
Mentor Office Hours
Office Hours: Pricing & Revenue Models
Figure out what to charge for your product, choose between subscription, usage-based, or freemium models, and develop a strategy for monetizing your first 100 customers. See More.
Mentor Office Hours
Office Hours: Building Acquisition-Ready from Day One
Make decisions early that preserve your exit options later, understand what acquirers look for before they come looking, and build operational discipline into your company from the start so you're ready when opportunity knocks. See More.
Mentor Office Hours
Office Hours: International Expansion
Know when entering new markets makes strategic sense versus premature distraction, manage the risks of expanding across borders, and grow internationally without destabilizing the markets where you're already winning. See More.