Yeri is Director of Partnerships for J2 Ventures, which invests in early stage deep-tech companies. He has spent a life connecting people in challenging environments, leveraging passion to achieve a shared vision. His zeal for convening connects a diverse set of experiences ranging from national security to academia.

During a decade-plus service in the national security arena Yeri managed global operations and expanded the intersection between venture capital, operations, and technology. As Director of Technology Scouting for the Spookstock Foundation, he used unique events to bridge between Special Operations and startups. He led a Microsoft team managing hardware and firmware for sensitive clouds, taught courses on Environmental Justice, and was an Instructor of Oral History. In the distant past, Yeri was a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia managing environmental conflicts in mining, and large fauna conservation.

He currently sits on the Strategic Leadership Committee of the Los Alamos Lab Embedded Entrepeneur Program (LEEP), is a mentor for Tech Stars, and works with the University of New Mexico on several technology programs. He also provides career mentorship to individuals leaving intelligence and special operations careers.      

Yeri has a Master’s in International Public Policy from University of Wisconsin – Madison, a Master’s in Latin American Oral History from UW, and a Bachelor of Arts in History, Philosophy, and Biology Majors from Whitman College, with a Chemistry Minor.