Tulane Innovation Day Honors Green Wave Innovation Network Mentors with Inaugural Awards
Kimberly Gramm with Guillermo Morales
March 17, 2026
Tulane Innovation Day opened with a conversation between a mentor and the entrepreneur he once guided, setting the tone for a day that celebrated mentorship. Bong Suh, who mentored Brett Hurt when Hurt was building Coremetrics, shared the stage with the entrepreneur he once guided. Hurt later co-founded Bazaarvoice, taking it through a unicorn IPO, and most recently co-founded data.world, which raised more than $150 million before being acquired by ServiceNow in 2024. He is now CEO of Love Conquers Fear. Suh and Hurt discussed lessons from the dot-com era, emerging industries using AI, and the guidance that can influence a company’s and a student’s path.
Mentorship is central to the Tulane Innovation Institute’s support of New Orleans startups, alongside entrepreneurial education and access to funding. That commitment is embodied in the Green Wave Innovation Network (GWIN), a community of Tulane alumni, parents, and local executives who volunteer their time and expertise to guide founders participating in the Institute’s programs. The $50K Demo Day competition, part of the day’s programming, showcased ventures that had all participated in the Startup Team Mentoring program and received guidance from the Green Wave Innovation Network (GWIN), making it a visible example of how mentorship shapes New Orleans startups.
In fiscal year 2025, more than 100 mentors across the country contributed over 1,600 volunteer hours — reviewing grant applications, judging competitions, making introductions, and offering insight and experience to help founders grow. This year, the Innovation Institute launched the inaugural GWIN Mentor Awards to honor those contributions and highlight the people who make mentorship a constant in the ecosystem.
“The Green Wave Innovation Network shows what is possible when a community rallies around founders,” said Kimberly Gramm, PhD, David and Marion Mussafer Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer at Tulane University. “Our mentors give their time, perspectives, and networks to help entrepreneurs make smarter decisions and scale faster. Mentorship is one of the most important ingredients in venture creation — and our mentors truly are our secret sauce.”
Peer-Nominated Mentor Award: Guillermo Morales
Guillermo Morales, PhD, MBA, CEO of Innoventyx, an international pharmaceutical and biotech consulting firm, brings 30 years of experience in drug discovery, development, and software innovation. He has held leadership roles including CEO, CSO, COO, CBO, VP, and director; co-founded multiple companies; raised millions in venture and government funding; and is the lead inventor on nine granted patents. Morales served 11 years as editor-in-chief of Molecular Diversity and is an NIH SBIR/STTR grant reviewer. Peers highlighted his generosity, knowledge, and consistent willingness to support mentees and colleagues beyond what was expected.
Paul Daitz with Amanda Fetter and Artemis Antippas
Mentee-Nominated GWIN Award: Paul Daitz
Paul Daitz, founder and CEO of Northern Edge Advisors, a boutique investment bank specializing in middle-market private companies, has spent over three decades in investment banking at the highest levels. His experience includes roles as managing director in Goldman Sachs’s Investment Banking Division and senior member of its Global M&A Group, as well as senior managing director at Macquarie Capital, where he led principal investing and advisory services. He has advised hundreds of private companies, developed a respected corporate mentoring program, taught entrepreneurship courses, and serves on multiple advisory boards.
Founders in the Startup Team Mentoring program, Amanda Fetter and Artemis Antippas, who received the People’s Choice Award at $50K Demo Day for their venture Melii, described Daitz as “the most impactful mentor we have ever worked with,” citing his dedication, hands-on support, and willingness to mobilize resources for their success. He has maintained this same level of engagement with other Startup Team Mentoring ventures, including DAWn Audio.
GWIN Dedication Award: Jeremy Reimann
Jeremy Reimann has been part of GWIN since its earliest days. A Tulane alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and a master’s degree in public health from Tulane’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Reimann has over a decade of experience advancing clinical and translational research. He is a clinical project manager at New World Medical and the founder of Results In Site Clinical Research Consulting. Within GWIN, he has reviewed applications for the Provost’s Proof of Concept Fund, judged the $50K Demo Day semifinals, and mentored teams, including BioPhoundry and Atira, through the Startup Team Mentoring program.
Together, Morales, Daitz, and Reimann represent more than individual honors. For the Tulane Innovation Institute, their recognition is a reminder that behind every advancing startup is a network of support built on the brainpower and experiences of those who came before and the commitment of people who care deeply about Tulane and New Orleans — from across the country. Through their time, guidance, and connections, these mentors help founders refine startup strategies and advance innovative ventures, showing that mentorship can make the difference between a good idea and a successful company.
To learn how to become a GWIN Mentor, click here
To receive mentorship for your startup idea, visit innovation.tulane.edu/ideabank.
