Our Team

Josh oversees all Pava Center initiatives, facilitating JHTV’s student hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. With a diverse background in higher-education administration, he works with the team to accelerate ventures that create change and expand opportunities in Baltimore…and beyond! He likes talking with ventures at every level of starting up and will work diligently to help make the connections to ensure the next level of success.

Tackling the biggest challenges and opportunities of our day with creativity is what gets me out of bed in the morning!

Through his role, Paul supports student entrepreneurs as they seek to launch or expand their ventures. He manages pre-orientation programs, curricular integration and experiential learning opportunities to create new opportunities for entrepreneurship at Johns Hopkins. He lives in Baltimore and it excites him that student entrepreneurs will be future leaders and changemakers in the city, region and beyond.

Anthony is a 2019-2020 SIL alum and the founder of More Watter co., a health and wellness company that uses exercise and community to improve health outcomes for people with chronic conditions, specifically within Baltimore City. Anthony has a bachelor’s in human performance and sports medicine from Howard University; a master’s in exercise science from McDaniel College; and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School. Anthony is also the co- founder of It Takes One inc, a Baltimore based non-profit organization that provides scholarships for Baltimore City high school graduates and the Runners Run Collective, an event based company that aims to connect communities through the power of running.

Jake has over a decade of experience building startups and brings deep expertise in go-to-market strategy, healthcare technology, and early-stage growth. He is especially energized by helping early ventures generate meaningful revenue and is passionate about ideas that unlock human potential. He holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management where he focused on entrepreneurial studies.

Deja brings a wealth of experience from her time as a Medical Device Reviewer at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She is passionate about innovation and mentorship, particularly in supporting students who are curious about entrepreneurship or are in the early stages of ideation. She holds a master’s degree in biomedical engineering and a master’s degree in engineering technology and innovation management from Carnegie Mellon University.

As a Baltimore-based artist, filmmaker and PR/marketing professional, Elena helps students cultivate creative marketing strategies to tell their unique stories. In her role, she also promotes the valuable resources available to student and community ventures. Off hours, Elena loves talking movies, animals, art, music and all things Baltimore.

Flynn Harne brings over a decade of management experience to the Pava Center. With a diverse background across the service and information industries, Flynn seeks to enable venture team access to the various technical and logistical services the Pava Center provides. He is also the co-founder and CCO of Backpad Productions, a Baltimore-based film company that seeks to showcase Maryland’s artistic community while also empowering it through educational and networking events. He also loves to talk about the Baltimore food scene. Stop by and say hi!

Jack specializes in helping founders craft compelling narratives for their companies to prepare them for fundraising. He brings diverse professional experiences from his time as a biotech founder, branding consultant, and investment banker in the life sciences. As a program lead for Spark, he works closely with first-time founders to help them build clarity, confidence, and momentum as they grow into independent entrepreneurs.

SIL alum and founder of Sweet Bee Services, a Baltimore-based doula agency that provides justice-focused, trauma-informed, family-centered care throughout the DMV. Leah is a full-spectrum doula, perinatal social worker, lactation counselor and advocate who educates and empowers women with female reproductive systems, reminding them of their inherent power.