Leah Morris
Executive Director, Encode: AI for Science
Executive Director of the Encode: AI for Science Fellowship at Pillar VC, Leah Morris has a decade of experience in technological innovation across multiple sectors. Her career encompasses AI research, entrepreneurship, and venture capital.
Prior to her role at Pillar VC, Leah served as a Senior Director at Radical Ventures, where she oversaw the firm’s responsible AI strategy and managed research partnerships. Her background includes economic AI research at the University of Toronto and experience in global health and security with the United Nations and through nonprofit work in Jamaica and South Africa. Leah holds an MBA from the University of Toronto, a Master of Global Affairs from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, and dual Bachelor’s degrees in International Development Studies (IDS) and Environment, Sustainability, and Society (ESS) from the University of King’s College.
Executive Director of the Encode: AI for Science Fellowship at Pillar VC, Leah Morris has a decade of experience in technological innovation across multiple sectors. Her career encompasses AI research, entrepreneurship, and venture capital.
Prior to her role at Pillar VC, Leah served as a Senior Director at Radical Ventures, where she oversaw the firm’s responsible AI strategy and managed research partnerships. Her background includes economic AI research at the University of Toronto and experience in global health and security with the United Nations and through nonprofit work in Jamaica and South Africa. Leah holds an MBA from the University of Toronto, a Master of Global Affairs from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, and dual Bachelor’s degrees in International Development Studies (IDS) and Environment, Sustainability, and Society (ESS) from the University of King’s College.
Leone Baron
Head of Operations, Encode: AI for Science
Leone is Head of Operations for Encode: AI for Science. She has 6 years experience building communities and talent systems across VC and startups.
Prior to joining Pillar VC, Leone was Head of Community and Talent at MCJ, where she operationalized a vetted member network of over 3000 founders and funders building climate solutions. Over 3 years she supported 100 portfolio companies and originated MCJ’s talent system. Previously, she’s founded a volunteer-led climate content platform, launched a 1:1 introduction tool during the pandemic and was the first operations hire for pre-seed environmental data startup. Leone holds a BASc Arts and Sciences from University College London.
Leone is Head of Operations for Encode: AI for Science. She has 6 years experience building communities and talent systems across VC and startups.
Prior to joining Pillar VC, Leone was Head of Community and Talent at MCJ, where she operationalized a vetted member network of over 3000 founders and funders building climate solutions. Over 3 years she supported 100 portfolio companies and originated MCJ’s talent system. Previously, she’s founded a volunteer-led climate content platform, launched a 1:1 introduction tool during the pandemic and was the first operations hire for pre-seed environmental data startup. Leone holds a BASc Arts and Sciences from University College London.
Tony Kulesa
Partner
Tony co-founded Petri, a biotech incubator funded by Pillar VC.
In 2021, he joined the Pillar investing team to support companies across a wide range of biotech and deep tech. Outside investing, Tony’s core interest has been to accelerate science through work with FutureHouse, Nucleate, and Homeworld Collective. His investments include Latent Labs, Nabla Bio, Portal Biotech, and Amber Bio, among others.
Tony co-founded Petri, a biotech incubator funded by Pillar VC.
In 2021, he joined the Pillar investing team to support companies across a wide range of biotech and deep tech. Outside investing, Tony’s core interest has been to accelerate science through work with FutureHouse, Nucleate, and Homeworld Collective. His investments include Latent Labs, Nabla Bio, Portal Biotech, and Amber Bio, among others.
Sarah Hodges
Partner
Sarah Hodges has spent the last decade as a Founder and executive in high-growth consumer and enterprise companies.
Sarah invests in enterprise and consumer companies and leads our firm’s platform team, supporting founders with access to talent, customers, and leadership development. Her investments include, Hometap, Day AI, JobGet and Hellotickets, among others.
Sarah Hodges has spent the last decade as a Founder and executive in high-growth consumer and enterprise companies.
Sarah invests in enterprise and consumer companies and leads our firm’s platform team, supporting founders with access to talent, customers, and leadership development. Her investments include, Hometap, Day AI, JobGet and Hellotickets, among others.
Jamie Goldstein
Founding/Managing Partner
Jamie Goldstein is the Founding Partner at Pillar VC.
Jamie founded the firm with the ambition to build the next generation of lasting companies. He has spent over two decades working in venture capital, and his investments include Algorand, PathAI, Asimov, Abridge, Jellyfish, Cimulate, Tycho, Zilla Security, Neural Magic, Circle, PillPack and Videa Health, among others. Prior to Pillar VC, Jamie was an investing partner for 18 years at North Bridge Venture Partners. Jamie co-founded PureSpeech, an AI/NLP/speech recognition AI company in the mid 90s.
Jamie Goldstein is the Founding Partner at Pillar VC.
Jamie founded the firm with the ambition to build the next generation of lasting companies. He has spent over two decades working in venture capital, and his investments include Algorand, PathAI, Asimov, Abridge, Jellyfish, Cimulate, Tycho, Zilla Security, Neural Magic, Circle, PillPack and Videa Health, among others. Prior to Pillar VC, Jamie was an investing partner for 18 years at North Bridge Venture Partners. Jamie co-founded PureSpeech, an AI/NLP/speech recognition AI company in the mid 90s.
Parker McKee
Partner
Parker McKee is a founder who enjoys digging in at the earliest stages.
Parker fell in love with the startup world when he built and launched a mobile-based outsourcing platform during college. He got his start in venture capital as an intern at Boston-based .406 Ventures, then spent two summers working with Pillar before joining the team full time in 2018. At Pillar VC, Parker actively invests in next generation networks, AI-powered apps, software infrastructure, crypto, and data systems. His investments include, Adaptilens, Reclaim, Acelab, All Hands AI, Boolsi, HALO, Lightblocks, Topologic, and SciPhi, among others. Parker graduated from the University of Michigan, where he earned an interdisciplinary degree and served as captain of the varsity lacrosse team.
Parker McKee is a founder who enjoys digging in at the earliest stages.
Parker fell in love with the startup world when he built and launched a mobile-based outsourcing platform during college. He got his start in venture capital as an intern at Boston-based .406 Ventures, then spent two summers working with Pillar before joining the team full time in 2018. At Pillar VC, Parker actively invests in next generation networks, AI-powered apps, software infrastructure, crypto, and data systems. His investments include, Adaptilens, Reclaim, Acelab, All Hands AI, Boolsi, HALO, Lightblocks, Topologic, and SciPhi, among others. Parker graduated from the University of Michigan, where he earned an interdisciplinary degree and served as captain of the varsity lacrosse team.
