Katie Hestor

Board Member

Katie Hestor is the Director of Student and Client Services at Alvernia University’s O’Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship, where she leads the Office of Student Experiential Learning and oversees the O’Pake Fellows Program, engaging over 100 students in delivering impactful, student-powered services to startups, established businesses, and non-profits. She also serves as a Venture Partner at Bold Ventures, where she supports deal sourcing, syndication, and fundraising efforts for a venture capital fund investing in Seed+ startups across the Rust Belt region. Hestor previously managed investor relations and portfolio investments at Launch NY, New York’s most active seed fund, and founded the Venture Investment department at O’Pake to help early-stage startups prepare for growth capital and scaling. She holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Alvernia University and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing with a minor in Entrepreneurship from Wilkes University, complemented by certifications in project management, leadership development, and venture capital.