Bhavna Kumar is a startup champion and product builder with 15+ years of experience in the innovation economy. She is currently a Venture Advisor at LiveOak Ventures, strengthening their presence in the DFW area. Prior to this, Bhavna was the Vice President of Network at Techstars where she led the founder mentorship, education, and alumni engagement teams, helping founders access Techstars’ global network and world class resources. Bhavna has worked in Corporate Venture Capital at Samsung NEXT and Citi Ventures - both based out of Silicon Valley, where she focused on expanding to new markets all over the world and supporting startups as an operating partner. Her vertical interests include fintech, health and wellness, smart cities, CPG, and the creator economy. Bhavna has a deep interest in supporting women and minorities succeed in the startup ecosystem and is actively mentoring women at various stages of their journey.
Bhavna is an entrepreneur by nature and started her first business at age 15. She speaks three languages, is a third culture kid, and recently welcomed a baby boy. Bhavna holds a BSc in economics from Purdue and an MBA from Georgetown University.