Tony Cordova, Head of Early Stage Ventures
Tony is the Head of Early Stage Ventures at Lilie, where he drives the growth of emerging startups and cultivates a culture of innovation by leading programs such as Launchpad, the Rice Experiment Fund, and the Venture Development Workshop series.
Previously, Tony was Managing Director of Nucleate Austin and Regional Managing Director for Nucleate Texas, organizations dedicated to democratizing startup development for graduate trainees in the life sciences. In these roles, he championed equitable, open-access training for aspiring student entrepreneurs. Tony now chairs Nucleate’s Alumni Advisory Council, offering strategic guidance to empower the next generation of life-science innovators.
Tony’s hands-on startup experience includes his time as a research associate and business development specialist at SAMDI Tech Inc. (a Charles River company) in Chicago, IL, prior to its acquisition. Additionally, Tony spent time as a consultant with Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs, advising pre- and post-revenue start-ups from across Texas.
Tony holds a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Business Administration from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin.