Built from real world experience
Built from real world experience
Forged from four decades at the nexus of top‑tier consulting (BCG), private‑equity value creation (Five Arrows), and hands‑on operating leadership, KOL Ventures turns ambition into measurable acceleration. Led by Maria Malavenda and a team of partners who have steered $5 B+ in closed deals, engineered thousands of growth roadmaps, and launched market‑defining products—we translate insight into transformation, innovation into revenue, and strategy into execution that sticks.
Forged from four decades at the nexus of top‑tier consulting (BCG), private‑equity value creation (Five Arrows), and hands‑on operating leadership, KOL Ventures turns ambition into measurable acceleration. Led by Maria Malavenda and a team of partners who have steered $5 B+ in closed deals, engineered thousands of growth roadmaps, and launched market‑defining products—we translate insight into transformation, innovation into revenue, and strategy into execution that sticks.
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As Founder & Managing Director of KOL Ventures, Maria leads the firm’s Principal Investors & Private Equity practice. She blends board‑room strategy with hands‑on operator execution, unlocking value through bold M&A moves, product innovation, and go‑to‑market acceleration. Maria advises family offices, private‑equity, and mid to large-sized enterprises in Europe, North America, and Asia—directing diligence, strategy, and transformation efforts across B2B technology, healthcare, and financial services.
She has spent a significant amount of time in the broader AI and digital space and her work has helped clients accomplish successful exits, record growth and market expansion across the globe.
Earlier, Maria served as SVP Strategy & Corporate Development at ZoomInfo, where she architected the company’s first exit, setting a new high‑water mark for the sales‑intelligence sector, and forged strategic partnerships that later became cornerstone acquisitions. She has also held executive leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson and Deloitte, and founded four startups that exited to Microsoft, Bosch, IMG, and a global strategy consultancy.
A committed advocate for women founders, Maria serves on the boards of M2M Capital, Mass General Brigham Innovation, Planned Parenthood, and several emerging‑tech companies.
Maria holds an Executive MBA from Harvard Business School and an A.B. in Economics from Brown University.
As Founder & Managing Director of KOL Ventures, Maria leads the firm’s Principal Investors & Private Equity practice. She blends board‑room strategy with hands‑on operator execution, unlocking value through bold M&A moves, product innovation, and go‑to‑market acceleration. Maria advises family offices, private‑equity, and mid to large-sized enterprises in Europe, North America, and Asia—directing diligence, strategy, and transformation efforts across B2B technology, healthcare, and financial services.
She has spent a significant amount of time in the broader AI and digital space and her work has helped clients accomplish successful exits, record growth and market expansion across the globe.
Earlier, Maria served as SVP Strategy & Corporate Development at ZoomInfo, where she architected the company’s first exit, setting a new high‑water mark for the sales‑intelligence sector, and forged strategic partnerships that later became cornerstone acquisitions. She has also held executive leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson and Deloitte, and founded four startups that exited to Microsoft, Bosch, IMG, and a global strategy consultancy.
A committed advocate for women founders, Maria serves on the boards of M2M Capital, Mass General Brigham Innovation, Planned Parenthood, and several emerging‑tech companies.
Maria holds an Executive MBA from Harvard Business School and an A.B. in Economics from Brown University.
As Founder & Managing Director of KOL Ventures, Maria leads the firm’s Principal Investors & Private Equity practice. She blends board‑room strategy with hands‑on operator execution, unlocking value through bold M&A moves, product innovation, and go‑to‑market acceleration. Maria advises family offices, private‑equity, and mid to large-sized enterprises in Europe, North America, and Asia—directing diligence, strategy, and transformation efforts across B2B technology, healthcare, and financial services.
She has spent a significant amount of time in the broader AI and digital space and her work has helped clients accomplish successful exits, record growth and market expansion across the globe.
Earlier, Maria served as SVP Strategy & Corporate Development at ZoomInfo, where she architected the company’s first exit, setting a new high‑water mark for the sales‑intelligence sector, and forged strategic partnerships that later became cornerstone acquisitions. She has also held executive leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson and Deloitte, and founded four startups that exited to Microsoft, Bosch, IMG, and a global strategy consultancy.
A committed advocate for women founders, Maria serves on the boards of M2M Capital, Mass General Brigham Innovation, Planned Parenthood, and several emerging‑tech companies.
Maria holds an Executive MBA from Harvard Business School and an A.B. in Economics from Brown University.
Evan drives transformation and growth at the intersection of strategy, product, and execution. He has led multi-year value creation programs for private equity, built and scaled digital products that unlocked new revenue streams, reorganized product and tech teams for high-performance delivery, and partnered on go-to-market strategies that accelerated customer acquisition and retention. His work spans enterprise, mid-market and start up environments across industries.
Evan brings a blend of hands-on operating experience, startup leadership, and boardroom strategy. He has served as a Principal in Portfolio Operations at Five Arrows (Rothschild & Co), where he partnered with portfolio leadership to deliver EBITDA growth and product innovation. Prior to that, he was a Principal at Boston Consulting Group (BCGX), leading new product incubation and technology-enabled business building for Fortune 500 clients. Earlier, he co-founded EVVEMI, a digital health and wellness platform, where he served as Chief Product Officer.
Evan holds a Bachelor of Science and MBA from Northeastern University and studied Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology.
Evan drives transformation and growth at the intersection of strategy, product, and execution. He has led multi-year value creation programs for private equity, built and scaled digital products that unlocked new revenue streams, reorganized product and tech teams for high-performance delivery, and partnered on go-to-market strategies that accelerated customer acquisition and retention. His work spans enterprise, mid-market and start up environments across industries.
Evan brings a blend of hands-on operating experience, startup leadership, and boardroom strategy. He has served as a Principal in Portfolio Operations at Five Arrows (Rothschild & Co), where he partnered with portfolio leadership to deliver EBITDA growth and product innovation. Prior to that, he was a Principal at Boston Consulting Group (BCGX), leading new product incubation and technology-enabled business building for Fortune 500 clients. Earlier, he co-founded EVVEMI, a digital health and wellness platform, where he served as Chief Product Officer.
Evan holds a Bachelor of Science and MBA from Northeastern University and studied Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology.
Jessica Sanford, Ph.D., brings executive leadership at the convergence of AI, engineering, and enterprise security. Formerly a CISO and VP of Engineering, she has scaled high-performing teams and architected secure, compliant systems across data-rich, regulated environments. At Amazon and BCG, she led initiatives that apply machine learning and AI to transform the delivery of customer value—driving both innovation and trust through deeply integrated compliance frameworks. Her background in data governance, platform engineering, and risk management positions her as a strategic partner for organizations navigating complex digital transformations.
Jessica combines boardroom fluency with technical rigor to help companies operationalize AI safely and effectively at scale.
Jessica holds a BS, MS and PhD in computer science from UCLA.
Jessica Sanford, Ph.D., brings executive leadership at the convergence of AI, engineering, and enterprise security. Formerly a CISO and VP of Engineering, she has scaled high-performing teams and architected secure, compliant systems across data-rich, regulated environments. At Amazon and BCG, she led initiatives that apply machine learning and AI to transform the delivery of customer value—driving both innovation and trust through deeply integrated compliance frameworks. Her background in data governance, platform engineering, and risk management positions her as a strategic partner for organizations navigating complex digital transformations.
Jessica combines boardroom fluency with technical rigor to help companies operationalize AI safely and effectively at scale.
Jessica holds a BS, MS and PhD in computer science from UCLA.