VentureForward Mentors

Zach Buckner is an entrepreneur, engineer, and investor specializing in advanced analytics software. He is the CEO of Glyphic Software, an AI-driven platform that automates document processing for some of the world’s largest corporations in finance, retail, and consumer products. Zach also serves on the board of Blackmarker, which develops AI-powered redaction tools, and Burris Logistics, a 100-year-old logistics company serving North America’s top grocers and manufacturers.

Previously, Zach founded and led Relay Foods, an online grocery service that expanded across the Mid-Atlantic before its acquisition in 2016. The software developed at Relay continues to power billions of dollars in e-commerce grocery sales. Earlier in his career, he served as VP of Technology at Elder Research, one of the nation’s largest advanced analytics consultancies.

Zach holds BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia. As an alumnus and Charlottesville resident, he remains involved with UVA’s and Charlottesville's entrepreneurial community, mentoring and advising future innovators.

Connect over LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-buckner/

Mark is a co-founder, advisor, and the former chief product and AI officer at Heartbeat Health, the nation's largest virtual cardiovascular provider. He has two decades of experience as a health technologist and founder, including at BeClose, a company that developed novel IoT devices and artificial intelligence to promote independent living. BeClose merged with Alarm.com in 2014, where Mark led product, platforms, and health innovations through the company's 2015 initial public offering. 

He is a highly cited researcher and inventor, an Adjunct Associate Professor at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, a Venture Partner at NextGen Venture Partners, and an angel investor, board member, and advisor to numerous organizations. 

As a student, Mark co-founded the eSociety to foster entrepreneurship across Grounds; and as an alumnus, he served on the SEAS Entrepreneurship Advisory Board. Mark completed his BS and PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Virginia, specializing in the research, design, and development of clinical wearables and digital biomarkers for movement disorders.

Connect over LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhanson/

Dasha Tyshlek is a dynamic entrepreneur, consultant, and innovator with a passion for deep tech commercialization and technology marketing. With a career spanning corporate leadership and entrepreneurial ventures, Dasha has built a reputation for helping organizations translate and market new technologies effectively.

Dasha is the founder of StratCraft, a boutique consulting firm established in 2023, specializing in deep tech commercialization and technology marketing. Through StratCraft, she has led several technology commercialization projects, including medical devices and defense products, and has worked with organizations like Luna Labs USA. She also directed and hosted the University of Virginia's Biomedical Frontiers Podcast, which highlights stories of biomedical research commercialization.  In addition to StratCraft, Dasha is restoring an abandoned heritage blueberry farm in North Florida. She is collaborating with the University of Florida to reestablish the farm and pioneer North Florida’s first commercial coffee-growing operation under the venture White Springs Beans & Berries.

Dasha’s expertise includes strategic planning, product development, marketing, and sales. She is highly skilled in deep tech commercialization, with experience in industries such as defense, space and satellite, medical devices, and scientific instruments. Her ability to coach and mentor younger entrepreneurs has been recognized by founders she has supported.

Dasha is a UVA Engineering Sciences graduate.

Connect over LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dashatyshlek/