Mike Raab
Mike is responsible for overseeing key programs and initiatives, developing relationships with the Northwestern and Chicago entrepreneurial communities, and building new communities around the world to support Northwestern student founders. Prior to The Garage, Mike was an investor at a venture capital firm founded by Northwestern alumni, where he provided support and mentorship. He began his career serving in a multitude of strategy-focused roles at one of the largest media companies in Los Angeles. Mike is a proud “double” Northwestern alum, having graduated with a BS in Communication focused on TV & Film and MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.
Keyaira Lock Adewunmi
Keyaira is a human-centric community builder who is eager to expand Northwestern's enterprising community nationally and internationally, starting with the SF Bay Area. With a specific focus on serving alumni founders, Keyaira is dedicated to nurturing a communal environment where innovation flourishes, business cultivation thrives, and Northwestern's entrepreneurial impact is recognized across Silicon Valley and beyond. Prior to joining The Garage SF, Keyaira operated as an intraprenuer in tech, including Twitter and Meta, to pioneer global initiatives that transformed market opportunities into millions in incremental revenue before achieving her MBA at Kellogg and founding her psychedelic consulting practice, Spice & Sage. Serving as a proud member of the innovation economy, Keyaira looks forward to the cultivation of a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem that elevates everyone involved.
Elisa Mitchell
Elisa ensures smooth operations and finances to support The Garage’s programs, spaces, and community. She is an accomplished attorney and CPA with 18 years of experience in the financial securities industry, bringing new investment products to market. As a team member at Allstate, Van Kampen, Morgan Stanley, and Invesco, Elisa helped business leaders navigate a complex competitive landscape and a challenging regulatory framework. She brings strong organizational skills, attention to detail and a can-do attitude to every project. She is thrilled to be the Assistant Director of Operations and Finance at The Garage and enjoys helping each student start a unique entrepreneurial journey.
Brylan Donaldson
Brylan is a catalyst for big thinking and meaningful action. With a diverse skillset, he leaves founders feeling inspired, curious, and empowered. As Associate Director he oversees programs, engages NU and Chicago communities, and builds global networks to support student founders. Brylan is a startup veteran, having previously led growth initiatives at Blavity, created significant revenue at Affirm, and built Seventh Ave into a venture backed startup focused on the creator economy.
Sarah Stein
Sarah is responsible for planning and executing VentureCat, Northwestern’s annual student startup competition, which awards more than $300k in non-dilutive capital to student participants. Since joining Northwestern in 2012, Sarah has worked in units across the University and in a variety of areas including faculty research and grant funding, corporate and alumni engagement, and student programming. Prior to joining The Garage, Sarah spent several years as the Manager of the Entrepreneurship Program at the Kellogg School of Management. Sarah is thrilled to have the opportunity to utilize her understanding of the university landscape and entrepreneurial ecosystem to benefit student entrepreneurs and partners across the University.
Jake Juracka
Jake is in charge of maintaining all technology within The Garage and The Makerspace. Jake found his passion for 3D Printing and Makerspace operations while working at DePaul University’s Idea Realization Lab. After achieving his BS in Video Game Development, Jake put his expertise towards industry, working as Lead Quality Inspector for Fast Radius, a cloud manufacturing company pushing the limits of 3D printing for industrial applications. Excited to be returning to an education role, Jake works to keep all the tools and equipment in The Garage running smoothly, and looks forward to helping students and prospective entrepreneurs realize their creative visions.
Carly Kramer
Carly oversees the daily execution of The Garage’s Integrated Marketing & Communications strategy across digital and owned channels. Realizing her passion for creative communication, she attended Arizona State University where she graduated with a BS in Marketing and a BA in Business Law. During that time, Carly gained vast experience at the Interplanetary Initiative – where she aimed to drive student, faculty, and corporate awareness of the university’s advancement into the realm of space exploration. She subsequently excelled in Social Media Management, Public Relations and Community Management roles. She is delighted to join the team at The Garage in reaching aspiring entrepreneurs at Northwestern!
Juliette McLean
Juliette provides a variety of clerical & administrative support for The Garage. She graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey with a BA in Music with a concentration in music production and audio engineering. She is looking forward to being able to support The Garage and its Northwestern community.
Christian Hinton
Christian provides essential support and guidance to students, ensuring a welcoming and resourceful environment at The Garage. He graduated from University of Memphis with a BFA in Performance with a concentration in Acting. He loves assisting the brilliant and aspiring students here at Northwestern. Go Wildcats!
Elizabeth Savin
Studying Manufacturing and Design Engineering
Hometown: Wilmette, IL
“The community of students is my favorite part of The Garage. Everyone is so supportive and excited to help each other.”
Jake Noda
Studying Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Pineville, LA
“What drew me to The Garage is the amazing opportunity to meet new people and the experience to try new things!”
2311 Campus Drive Suite 2300
Evanston, IL 60208
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