Sebastian De Vivo, PhD

Sebastian De Vivo, PhD has extensive experience in the field of economic development and research. In 2009, they were awarded a Pre-Doctoral Fellowship at the Getty Research Institute, housed at the Getty Villa. At the Institute, they focused on two projects: the first, research on the excavations at Olympia and the dedication of armor in the 5th century BCE, and the second, on French collector Pierre Crozat and the evolving modes of identity-building through display in the 18th century. From 2011 to 2013, they served as an Assistant Professor/Faculty Fellow at New York University. In 2013, they were appointed Director of Economic Development at MCS Economic Development Corporation, where they were responsible for the design and implementation of regional economic development initiatives. In 2015, they became a Consultant for Bixel Exchange, where they authored a report with policy recommendations, Building LA's Tech Talent Pipeline, 2018. Sebastian also became Co-Founder of LIST Ventures LLC, a research-based SaaS firm focused on AI-driven inclusive access to capital. Since then, the firm has assisted 65+ portfolio companies access $15M+ in debt financing. In 2018, they became a Consultant for Kapor Center, where they authored a report in progress, Diversity and Inclusivity in 13 Tech Ecosystems Nationwide, 2020. In 2019, they became Managing Partner of Sophist Capital, Committee Member of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs of Southern California, Board Member of Guided Compass, and Strategic Advisor of Cuál Corp.

Sebastian De Vivo, PhD, began their educational career in 1989 when they attended Colegio Karl C. Parrish until 1994. Sebastian then attended Colegio Jorge Washington from 1994 to 1996, where they completed their high school education. In 1998, Sebastian enrolled in California State University, Los Angeles, where they obtained a BA magna cum laude in Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies in 2003. Sebastian then attended Stanford University from 2004 to 2012, where they completed a PhD in Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: Archaeology Specialty and a Master of Arts (MA) in Cultural Anthropology. Additionally, they were certified by the Stanford Graduate School of Business in their Executive Program in Social Entrepreneurship.