Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs)

Jeff Chodakewitz is a physician and R&D leader with three decades of experience, including as Chief Medical Officer and EVP of Global Development at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, senior development leadership roles across the Merck portfolio, and senior advisory work with Blackstone Life Sciences.

In Yale Venture Lab workshops, he brings a clinician’s and drug developer’s eye to early-stage therapeutics. He pushes teams to start with strong biology: what the active molecule is, why the target matters in disease, and what evidence would make the program credible. He also helps founders think through practical development questions early, from clinical validation and indication selection to CMC choices that can shape the path to translation.

Roaida Johnson is a regulatory affairs leader with 20+ years of medical device experience and is the Owner and Principal Regulatory Consultant at Lambint, LLC. She advises companies on practical FDA pathway strategy across software and diagnostics, including how to position clinical decision support tools, select an appropriate route such as 510(k) or De Novo when needed, and plan evidence requirements.

In Yale Venture Lab workshops, she helps teams de risk regulatory execution by clarifying what triggers FDA oversight, setting realistic data and validation expectations across sites and demographics, and protecting sensitive datasets through mechanisms such as master files when disclosure is required.

Melissa Fensterstock is a life sciences operator and investor and currently a Principal at Material Impact Fund. She previously served as CEO of Lansdowne Labs, a venture co founded with Dr. Robert Langer, where she translated an academic concept into a commercial child safety technology through grant funding, venture financing, policy work, and a global strategic partnership.

In Yale Venture Lab workshops, she pushes teams to sharpen narrative and category positioning, lead with commercial traction, and align the business model with investor expectations by staying close to the customer and avoiding capital intensive equipment sales when finished product economics are stronger.

Priyanka Bakaya is a global leader in energy innovation and commercialization, passionate about advancing breakthrough technologies. Priyanka began her career in finance and venture capital before founding and scaling an award-winning energy startup, gaining firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities of bringing new technologies to market. She currently serves as an advisor on Technology-to-Market commercialization for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E), and sits on the Impact Committee of the Circular Innovation Fund and the Advisory Board of the Collab SOS Fund. She has also trained founders on entrepreneurship and sustainability for many years through MIT Bootcamps.

Recognized by Forbes (30 Under 30 Energy), Fortune (40 Under 40: Ones to Watch), the Cartier Women’s Initiative as a Laureate, and the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader, Priyanka has been invited to speak on six continents. Her featured appearances include Fortune Brainstorm Green, Davos, Sustainable Brands, the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, World Economic Forum, TEDx, and other leading global forums.

A graduate of MIT Sloan and Stanford University with Honors, Priyanka has also completed executive education at Harvard Kennedy School and Princeton’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.

Michael J. Bobbitt is a nationally recognized arts executive, producer, and artist with over 20 years of experience across public policy leadership, organizational transformation, and creative practice. Michael is currently President and CEO of OPERA America, leading the national service organization for the opera field from New York City. He has a strong record of leading complex institutions, scaling organizations, and building cross-sector partnerships spanning arts, education, health, and economic development.

Previously, Michael served as Executive Director of the Mass Cultural Council, where he was Massachusetts’ highest-ranking public official for arts and culture. In this role, he led strategy and operations for a $29.7B creative economy, secured $60.1 million in COVID-19 relief, increased annual state appropriations from $18.2 million to $26.9 million, and embedded the arts into statewide health, education, and economic policy initiatives. During his tenure, he was appointed by the Governor to the Advisory Council on Black Empowerment, the Statewide K–12 Graduation Council, the Mass STEM Advisory Council, and the Massachusetts Cultural Policy Development Advisory Council. Michael also previously served as Producing Artistic Director of New Repertory Theatre and as Artistic Director of Adventure Theatre MTC, where he quadrupled fundraising, commissioned more than 50 new works, and pioneered nationally adopted autism-inclusive and sensory-friendly performances.

Michael is also an accomplished playwright, director, and choreographer whose work includes major adaptations and premieres such as Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds, The Stephen Schwartz Project, Garfield: The Musical with Cattitude, Jumanji, and Big the Musical (TYA), among many others. His work has earned multiple Helen Hayes Award nominations, including for the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical, with directing and choreography credits at institutions including the Kennedy Center, Washington National Opera, Ford’s Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, and Singapore Repertory Theatre.

Bobbitt is a proud alumnus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and holds an M.B.A. in Arts Innovation from the Global Leaders Institute. He received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa from Dean College and has completed executive education at Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Business School, and National Arts Strategies. He is a Kennedy Center Gold Medallion recipient, a Fellow of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre, and has taught at institutions including Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Howard University, and George Washington University.