We understand the forecast and know how to navigate the changing tides

Kristina Simmons has built, advised, and invested in leading brands, establishing herself as a trusted partner with proven venture and operational experience. At lululemon, she was an early member of the “web team,” playing a pivotal role in launching e-commerce and managing social media and digital channels, making lululemon a pioneer in these spaces. She later led Emerging Products and Concepts, focusing on innovative initiatives such as digital products, strategic partnerships, and international expansion. Kristina then joined Andreessen Horowitz as a partner, where she supported market development, helping portfolio companies evolve into renowned brands and connecting them with global leaders. Her career path then led her to an early-stage food startup, transitioning later to advising and angel investing. At Khosla Ventures, she served as Chief of Staff and investment partner, serving on boards from Seed to Series D. Recognizing the need for a more founder-centric approach in venture capital, Kristina founded Overwater Ventures to create more value and support for early-stage companies.

Marie Drez brings over 20 years of experience in finance and administration, specializing in venture capital firms in Silicon Valley. She has served as CFO for notable firms like Moxxie Ventures, Magnify Ventures, and Crosscut, where she was instrumental in driving financial strategies and managing complex operations. Before these roles, she led the finance and administrative functions at Noventi Ventures, where she discovered her passion for working with emerging managers and their portfolio companies, guiding them through the intricacies of financial management. Marie’s venture capital journey began when she moved to the Bay Area during the dotcom boom, transitioning from a decade-long career in banking in Los Angeles. Her extensive experience in both banking and venture capital makes her a respected figure in the industry. Marie earned her B.S. from the University of California, Los Angeles, which laid the foundation for her successful career.

Ivy Ross is the Chief Design Officer for Consumer Devices. Ivy and her team created the design language for the Google hardware products that launched in 2017, winning over 240 design awards over the last three years. Business Insider recently named her one of the 15 Most Powerful Women at Google and in 2019, she was voted number 9 out of 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company. Ivy is the co-author of New York Times Best Selling Book, “Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us”, working on groundbreaking work across creativity and neuroscience. Previously she held executive positions ranging from head of marketing to head of product design and development and president at Calvin Klein, Swatch, Coach, Mattel, Old Navy, and the Gap. She has served on the board of directors for companies including Willow, Smithsonian Design Museum, Cooper Hewitt, and the design board at Proctor & Gamble. Ivy is passionate about turning ideas into real businesses.

Vijit is the CEO and co-founder of Adaptyx, one of Overwater’s portfolio companies. He was previously a Co-Founder-In-Residence at Deep Valley Labs and a partner at Khosla Ventures for almost five years, where he invested in and helped build deep tech startups in biotechnology, healthcare, additive manufacturing, food technology, computation, and photonics. Kristina and Vijit have worked together across multiple companies and boards. Prior to Khosla Ventures, Vijit was co-founder and CEO of Solar Junction, which commercialized the world’s highest efficiency solar cells at that time. He was also an early employee at Translucent, which developed new materials solutions for silicon photonics and electronics applications. Vijit received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from UC Berkeley. He holds over 15 publications and 4 patents.

Carolyn Coles-Devine is the Head of Platform and Operations at Overwater Ventures, where she plays a pivotal role in scaling the firm’s infrastructure, supporting portfolio founders, and deepening relationships across teams. With a focus on operational excellence and founder success, Carolyn leads Overwater’s platform strategy, delivering hands-on commercialization support, establishing high-impact connections, and driving initiatives that help early-stage companies grow faster and stronger!
Prior to joining Overwater, Carolyn spent over 20 years leading transformative growth across globally recognized consumer brands. She held senior executive roles at lululemon, Canada Goose, and Northern Reflections. A builder at heart, Carolyn is known for scaling teams, systems, and strategies with intention.
She brings a deep passion for supporting ambitious, mission-driven founders and believes that breakthrough innovation thrives when paired with empathetic, execution-oriented support.

Dr. Alan Mardinly is Director of Biology at Science Corporation and is a cofounder of the Company. His focus is on optogenetic therapies for vision restoration and biohybrid brain implants, including neuroscience and stem cell engineering. Alan has 20 years of experience in neuroscience research, working across biology and neuroscience from stem cells to brain implants. He received his BA in Biology from the University of Chicago in 2006 and his PhD in neurobiology from Harvard University in 2013, where he studied how experience-induced transcriptional programs control synaptic plasticity in inhibitory neurons, published in Cell and Nature. Alan then went to UC Berkeley where he developed holographic optogenetic approaches to stimulate the brain with spatial and temporal precision, published in Nature Neuroscience and Nature Communications. Alan co-founded Sculpted Light in the Brain, which became the flagship conference series for optics in neuroscience. Alan left academia to join Neuralink in 2018 as a member of the technical staff and was promoted to the leadership team six months later. He served in that capacity until leaving to co-found Science in July 2021. Alan currently manages the Life Sciences Division at Science.