Team

Akhil Nigam received his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City (Valedictorian) and his MBA from Harvard Business School. Before business school, Akhil was one of the founding team members (employee number 5) of a high growth startup focused on software, Internet technology and IT services. In this role, he helped grow the firm to 100 employees in 5 years across the United States, India and Singapore. He was the youngest partner elected in the firm and gained extensive experience advising top level executives on technology strategy and trends while leading the firm's new business development initiatives. Akhil has also evaluated investment opportunities in a variety of industries for major private equity firms at Bain & Co. and at Fidelity Strategic Investments. Akhil lived in India until age 12 and then attended High School in Zimbabwe before receiving a full 4-year scholarship to the Cooper Union. Akhil currently lives in Cambridge with his wife Hemali and two daughters Diya and Aisha.

Scott Bailey is the Director of Partnerships at MassChallenge.  In his role, Scott develops annual fundraising strategies, builds partnerships with public and private organizations and investigates new expansion initiatives. Scott also plays a critical role in the day-to-day operations of the accelerator program and competition. He connects finalists with key stakeholders, partners and sponsors, and manages the competition judging logistics and the annual awards ceremony. Scott supports local and global entrepreneurship by frequently hosting international delegations at MassChallenge and volunteers his time to work with entrepreneurs, speak on panels, and mentor college students in the Boston startup community.

After graduating from the University of Vermont in 2009 with a degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship, he served as the Director of Client Programs at the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET), a non-profit technology business incubator.  During his time at VCET, Scott prospected early stage companies for the $5 Million Seed Capital Fund, founded the Entrepreneurship Club, and joined a student run startup, BlirpIt, as Director of Sales & Marketing.

Erica coordinates the accelerator curriculum for entrepreneurs across various industries and developmental stages. She identifies and recruits experts in the startup growth and expansion fields to engage and connect with top early stage companies. Erica collaborates with like-minded organizations in the innovation industry to build stronger relations and share knowledge and expertise with the local and global community. Additionally, she manages teams of ambassadors, interns, and startup enthusiasts to increase awareness and expand outreach.

Erica received her undergraduate degree in Nutrition and Health Sciences at Northern Arizona University. She implemented the first annual Northern Arizona Healthy Living Expo as her senior capstone project, and has since fallen in love with the event planning business. Erica has since been involved in planning both private and public engagements, and is delighted to be a part of the Boston innovation world. She loves traveling and meeting new people, and hopes to continue exploring the many opportunities the world has to offer.

Kara Shurmantine’s interest in entrepreneurship began when she interned at BookheadEd, LLC, an early-stage educational technology company based in her home state of California. She combines a passion for innovation with a deep background in journalism, having served as the editor-in-chief of the student weekly at Middlebury College, where she received her B.A. in English & American Literatures and Spanish in the spring of 2012. Kara is thrilled to join Boston’s dynamic entrepreneurial community and looks forward to building meaningful relationships within the innovation ecosystem.