Meet The Founder
Marion Siboni
Founder & CEO
La Creme de la STEM™
Marion Siboni is a LinkedIn Top Entrepreneurship Voice and a startup mentor for the U.S. Department of Commerce, Techstars and SXSW.
Over the last decade, Marion has excelled in pivotal business development roles at Techstars, MongoDB, Shift - AI unicorn - and Cisco. Her mastery in forging strategic partnerships earned her two Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards and the Tech & Startup Award from the French-American Chamber of Commerce. Leveraging her extraordinary networking skills, Marion built a thriving community of 4000+ women in technology in 12 months through in-person panels demystifying tech, launched a month after moving from Paris to New York City.
She now channels her passion for community-building into investing in seed, community-led entrepreneurs.
As a recognized public speaker, she collaborated with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Marion’s passion for connecting people and fostering impactful relationships continues to drive her mission and success.
Meet The Advisors
Emilie Vallauri
Advisor
Early-Stage Founders Expert
Emilie is Head of Program at Techstars, the most active pre-seed investor in the world, where she leads the ecosystem development for the EMEA region.
Emilie launched her career with the French government in London, where she honed her skills in supporting emerging technologies. Her talent for fostering innovation ecosystems led her to join a consulting firm in Paris where she worked with a French Ministry. She then worked for the world leader in energy and construction, where she established their innovation hub in the DACH region. A pivotal opportunity at Techstars, saw Emilie join the program team in Berlin. Her journey in startup support then progressed to becoming Head of Program, and land a Board Member position at La French Tech, orchestrating high-impact events transforming Berlin's tech landscape.
Emilie’s deep experience in early-stage ventures makes her a significant force in the investor landscape, empowering the next generation of innovators.
Craig Zapatka
Advisor
Exited Entrepreneur
Craig Zapatka is the co-founder of Elsewhere, a sustainably-driven travel marketplace built during the pandemic and sold to the industry titan Lonely Planet in ten months.
Within a remarkably short span, Craig successfully got his work featured in 20+ articles, including USAToday, Forbes, Vogue, the Washington Post, and shared his success story for a Canva commercial featured on primetime television globally. In addition to his role as Chief Operating Officer of Elsewhere, where he keeps revolutionizing the way travelers engage with their destinations, he serves at the board of Regenerative Travel, shaping a more eco-friendly travel industry. Prior to his entrepreneurial ventures, he managed North American offers for a French scale-up and gained valuable experience as a tour guide across Europe, North America, and South America.
Craig's journey exemplifies a commitment to sustainability and innovation. He is an inspiration for all early-stage founders looking to achieve a similar successful exit.
Lori Rodriguez
Advisor
Equality Champion
Lori Rodriguez is a bestselling author and public speaker at international forums, including such The Economist, Accenture, and Fortinet.
With 30 years of experience driving digital transformation, Lori’s most distinguished role was as VP at Gartner, where she pioneered AI-driven products and experiences. During her tenure, she interviewed over a thousand C-suite leaders, gaining unparalleled insights into the forefront of technological innovation.
An advocate for women equality, she wrote “Hidden Lives of Women in STEM,” a book that tells the stories of 12 trailblazing leaders and got ranked #1 Hot New Release on Amazon,#1 in Women’s Studies, and #2 in Computer & Technology Biographies.
She is now Head of Corporate Education Solutions for an early-stage startup, Hive3, which brings together AI creators and leading brands through sponsored competitions.
Valentina Corbetta
Advisor
Marketing Wizard
Valentina Corbetta is a renowned international marketing expert who collaborated with prestigious accelerators, like Columbia University or MassChallenge.
Previously Global Marketing Strategy and Operations Manager at Meta, she brings more than13 years of transformative experience in tech and startup ecosystems. Her professional journey spans strategic guidance for over 2000 startups across critical growth stages, complemented by international government partnerships in business development programs across countries like Italy, Japan, South Korea, and Turkey
An exited founder, Valentina now center her work on supporting entrepreneurs who aim to create meaningful change, particularly by helping organizations committed to improving people's lives and driving social advancement.
Valentina's global perspective and proven track record of supporting emerging businesses make her a key strategic advisor for the organization.