Here for the undervalued, under leveraged, underrated & unknown
We've started companies as immigrants—we get it. Our journeys inspired us to create Unshackled Ventures so that we could remove the bottlenecks of immigration and amplify your superpowers.
Curiosity, Initiative, & Grit
The desire to learn, the courage to act, and the determination to persevere fuel purposeful change and build great companies.
Velocity is Essential
Time is valuable, so advancing together with speed and alignment is crucial. In this process, we are mindful of energy and stamina while meeting the organization's requirements. We prioritize recovery because it marks the beginning of the next sprint.
Beyond Professional
We treat people with compassion, recognizing their inherent dignity. We demand the highest levels of performance from ourselves and our team, guided by empathy and a commitment to supporting the well-being and growth of those we connect with.
Truth + Transparency = Trust
With truth and transparency, we establish deep trust fast. These components are foundational for building lasting relationships and creating an environment where everyone can thrive.
We Love to Play, Compete, & Win
The journey of improvement and impact is exhilarating; competition in the spirit of play fosters this for us. We understand that if we live our values and focus on what is right rather than who is right, we will win more often. And we love to win!
Unshackled Team
Manan Mehta
Founding Partner
Manan is a founding partner of Unshackled Ventures and has successfully launched a business with a co-founder on a visa. Prior to Unshackled Ventures, Manan ran marketing for ed-tech startup Kno (acq. by Intel 2013) that raised over $90M of funding from top VCs including a16z, First Round Capital, and Floodgate. Before Kno, Manan was an investment banker with $3B in transactions, including the $1.9B acquisition of Skype. Manan was born in Silicon Valley and received a double major at UCLA.
Manan Mehta
Founding Partner
Nitin Pachisia
Founding Partner
Nitin is a founding partner of Unshackled Ventures. He has successfully built businesses while on a visa. Prior to Unshackled Ventures, Nitin ran finance and strategy for ed-tech startup Kno (acquired by Intel in 2013) that raised over $90M of funding from top VCs including a16z, First Round Capital and Floodgate. Before Kno, Nitin immigrated from India to work at Deloitte where he focused on helping tech startups with growth, exits, and strategic initiatives.
Nitin Pachisia
Founding Partner
Alexis Zamira Maciel
Senior Investment Associate
Alexis is a pre-seed investor at Unshackled Ventures where she focuses on deal sourcing, due diligence, and portfolio support. Alexis previously worked at the nexus of business and policy working at international business advisory firm, McLarty Associates, the Department of Justice, and on Capitol Hill. Prior to Unshackled, Alexis traveled to Brazil as a recipient of the Department of States Critical Language Scholarship, working with early-stage founders at Brazil's top tech incubator, ACATE. Outside of investing, Alexis leads SomosVC's 'Breaking Into Venture Capital' fellowship - A program designed to help equip young Latinx professionals to break into the venture capital industry. Alexis graduated from American University with a B.A. in International Development & Economics. She grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico before moving to the Bay Area at the age of ten.
Alexis Zamira Maciel
Senior Investment Associate
Elisabeth Tuttass
Senior Investment Associate
Before joining Unshackled Ventures, Elisabeth worked at an early-stage accelerator for four years, where she built an engaged community for entrepreneurs and supported 270 portfolio companies. She is passionate about getting more women and minorities into the startup and venture capital ecosystem. Outside of work, she serves on the Los Angeles All Raise Steering Committee. Elisabeth grew up in Germany and moved to the US when she was sixteen.
Elisabeth Tuttass
Senior Investment Associate
Emily Huang
Operations Specialist
Emily Huang joins us from Canopy, a SPV and fund administration platform, where she served as the Chief of Staff and Head of Operations. She brings a great passion for the startup ecosystem as well as experience as an operator to Unshackled as the newest member of our team. Prior to Canopy, she helped scale startups during her tenure in management consulting. Emily has a deep compassion for our mission of enabling immigrants to start and grow businesses, having grown up in Taipei, and moved to the United States on her own at the age of 17 to study applied math and neuroscience at Princeton University. She is based in NYC, and will focus on leading operations (people, finance) within Unshackled, and supporting founders on their journey to building successful companies.
Emily Huang
Operations Specialist
Fernanda Sesto
Investment Analyst
Fernanda Sesto is a pre-seed investor at Unshackled Ventures, where she focuses on deal sourcing and due diligence. With a background as a quality engineer in software and experience running entrepreneurship programs at the University of Rochester, she has also interned at multiple VC funds supporting early-stage investments. Fernanda holds a Master's in Business Analytics and a Bachelor's in Business with a focus on computer science, combining technical expertise with financial insight to drive diversity and innovation in venture capital. Fernanda was born and raised in Uruguay and moved to the US in 2019.
Fernanda Sesto
Investment Analyst
Michael Serotte
Immigration Partner
Michael Serotte is the Founder and Senior Partner of Serotte Immigration Law. Michael serves as Immigration Counsel for Stanford’s StartX and Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, Duke’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, and numerous private accelerators including Alchemist and Founder Institute. In addition to his law degree, Michael is a member of the U.S. Alliance for International Entrepreneurs and holds a BBA in Accounting and Finance for the University of Miami.
Michael Serotte
Immigration Partner
Rita Georges
Immigration Partner
Rita Georges is the Managing Partner at Serotte Law. Rita is particularly focused on Treaty Trader and Treaty Investor (E-1/E-2), H-1B, and L-1 Intra-company transferee visa categories. Prior to Serotte Law, Rita held internships with the New York State Office of the Attorney General under Mario Cuomo. She is an immigrant from Lebanon and is fluent in English, French, and Arabic.
Rita Georges
Immigration Partner
In the media
The world is talking about immigrant founders and the importance of what we do for them
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