Dr. Irina Kukuyeva is a business-focused technology leader who helps investors and accelerators cut through the AI hype with rigorous AI diligence. She has invented and implemented algorithms, led global data and AI teams, and taught graduate students best practices for developing real-time AI systems.
While completing her PhD in Statistics at UCLA, Irina developed a novel image compression algorithm that revealed structural similarities between two storms on Jupiter—a finding later confirmed by the Juno mission, which is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, administered by Caltech. That algorithm is now recognized as a special case of techniques used in many modern AI models.
Irina mentors over 100 startups annually through leading accelerators, including Techstars LA, Techstars Space, Cedars-Sinai, the Founder Institute, and the UCLA Venture Accelerator. She serves on the advisory boards of the UCLA Master of Data Science program and the Consortium for Technology & Innovation in Pediatrics (CTIP), a pediatric MedTech accelerator.
Irina holds a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Statistics and Economics with a minor in Mathematics, a Master’s in Statistics, and a PhD in Statistics from UCLA.