Mentors in Residence

Craig is a Professional EOS Implementer, lecturer at Rice Business, and business coach who helps entrepreneurial leadership teams gain clarity, control, and traction using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). What sets Craig apart is his unique background as a multi-time founder with successful exits, combined with over eight years of experience operating as both a Visionary and an Integrator. He’s led companies through startup, scale, and turnaround—giving him unmatched empathy for the challenges leaders face. This dual-lens perspective allows Craig to implement EOS with a practical, results-driven approach that resonates deeply with entrepreneurial teams.

Dr. Preston received his B.S. (2012) in mechanical engineering from the University of Alabama. He obtained his M.S. (2014) and Ph.D. (2017) in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, under the guidance of Prof. Evelyn N. Wang. Following his graduate work, he trained as a postdoctoral fellow (2017-2019) at Harvard University in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, advised by Prof. George M. Whitesides.

He is a recipient of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, the Tau Beta Pi Fellowship, and the Wunsch Foundation Silent Hoist and Crane Award for Outstanding Graduate Research. At the University of Alabama, Dan participated in the Randall Research Scholars Program and the Alabama Industrial Assessment Center.  At MIT, he founded the Lab Energy Assessment Center (LEAC).

Kitric Kerns is one of the Mentors-in-Residence at Rice Nexus. He helps teams simplify product–market fit, refine early go-to-market plans, and navigate the messy parts of digital execution. With more than 25 years in product and strategy roles across organizations such as Disney, ExxonMobil, CNN, Cartoon Network, and Globant, he brings a pattern-recognition mindset that helps teams move quickly and get unstuck. He is also well-connected to nearshore and offshore talent networks for teams needing additional hands or technical support.

Dr. Rawand Rasheed is the CEO and co-founder of Helix Earth, a startup developing breakthrough HVAC retrofit solutions that cut air conditioning energy use while improving indoor health in buildings. He earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University, and has more than 5 years of experience at NASA, first as a graduate research fellow and then as a Life Support Systems Engineer where he developed a patented no-touch distillation system for spacecraft water recovery. Under his leadership, Helix Earth has raised $7.3 million in venture funding and $2.3 million in non-dilutive support from agencies such as NSF and DOE. The company has received recognition on the national stage, with Rawand himself named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in Energy, ACHR 40 Under 40,  and the ASME Mechanical Engineering Magazine Watch List in 2025.

Tatiana Fofanova, PhD, is the Co-Founder and CEO of Koda Health, an AI-enhanced patient decision support platform to make advance care planning (ACP) scalable, accessible, and truly patient-centered.

Tatiana’s path into healthcare innovation sits at the intersection of science, law, and patient advocacy. After earning her PhD in Translational Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, she joined Texas Medical Center (TMC) as a Founder-in-Residence. It was there that she and her co-founders identified one of the most overlooked yet critical gaps in healthcare: the lack of meaningful, accessible advance care planning.

Under her leadership, Koda Health now supports over 1 million patients through partnerships with organizations like Cigna, Privia, and Houston Methodist. The company has raised $6 million in seed funding, backed by strategic investors including AARP and Memorial Hermann.

Wade Pinder, founder of Product Houston, identifies as an "Ecosystem Wayseeker" and is the founder of Product Houston. A former product manager at Blinds.com, he has been deeply engaged in Houston’s startup and innovation scene since 2012. Over the years, he has supported hundreds of founders, product leaders, and community builders across the Houston area. In 2023 and 2025, he was honored as Mentor of the Year in the Houston Innovation Awards and Trailblazer Award by Innovation Map, respectively.