Mariah "Roman" Lichtenstern

Mariah Lichtenstern is a technology, entertainment, and venture capital expert who is passionate about fostering positive social, economic, and environmental impacts through entrepreneurship. With a rich educational background that includes a B.A. in Rhetoric- Narrative & The Image from UC Berkeley, Motion Picture Producing Programs from UCLA and USC, a Technology Entrepreneurship course from Stanford, and an MS in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University, Mariah has an extensive resume that includes various awards, honors, and memberships. She is currently the Founding Partner of DiverseCity Ventures and the Managing Director of the Founder Institute, Sacramento Chapter. Moreover, Mariah serves as an advisor for some of the most prestigious names in the industry, including the CalSEED CleanTech Fund, Berkeley SkyDeck, Village Capital Finance Forward US, and the Yale School of Medicine's Digital Innovation and Diversity Initiative. Her primary goal is to empower filmmakers and founders from all backgrounds, with a particular focus on those who are underrepresented by virtue of their "otherness." She acts as a "connector," building bridges between people with privilege and those with valuable but under-utilized perspectives.