Leadership Team

Darren Filson is the Director of the Randall Lewis Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Academic Director of the Silicon Valley Program, and the James G. Boswell Professor of Economics and George R. Roberts Fellow at Claremont McKenna College. Professor Filson received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Rochester in 1996, and he has taught at the Claremont Colleges since 1997. Most of his research and teaching focuses on the intersections of industrial organization, finance, and strategy, with an emphasis on industry evolution and innovation.

Ron is an accomplished senior executive with 25 years of experience in operations, business development, sales and marketing in e-commerce, digital media, SaaS and entertainment industries. He began his career with the Walt Disney Studio’s Home Entertainment Division. In addition to several sales and marketing roles with the company, Ron acted as the GM to build, design and launch an ESPN-branded line of products. As the internet’s commercial opportunities accelerated, Ron transitioned to digital with senior business development roles at GoTo.com (Overture Services) and PriceGrabber.com. During this time, Ron established partnerships with Microsoft, IAC, Yahoo, AOL, Comcast and many others and played key roles leading to Yahoo’s acquisition of Overture and Experian’s purchase of PriceGrabber. Ron has held President, COO and CEO roles with PriceGrabber and IAC’s CityGrid Media. During his time as President at PriceGrabber, he managed a team of more than 200 employees with offices in the US and UK and the company hit its peak of $110 million revenue. At CityGrid, Ron’s team delivered more than $25 million profit after the company had experienced over a decade of losses. Ron co-founded one startup and invested in and/or advised other early-stage companies, including Milo.com . He also took an active leadership role with Milo to help quickly scale the business, and played a key role in negotiating the company’s sale to eBay. Ron has a BA from UCLA in Political Science and earned an MBA in Marketing from the Drucker School, Claremont Graduate University.

Katherine Spada (CMC '08) works with RLCIE Fellows Candidates to identify career goals and issues on which they would like guidance, then pairs them with specifically-selected members of the Claremont Colleges alumni network for semester-long mentorship relationships. An award-winning writer and podcaster, she was one of the founding board members of the Claremont in Entertainment & Media (CEM) alumni networking organization. As a marketing and communications professional, her experience has been in the entertainment industry and non-profit sector, and her work has been featured in publications from The New York Times to Forbes and Billboard. She has guest lectured on digital marketing at UCLA and presented on best practices at industry conferences.

I'm Rhea Kulkarni, and I'm thrilled to be one of the Montgomery Student Managers at the RLCIE this year. I'm majoring in Economics and Data Science, and on campus, I work at our career services office and am part of a student-run investment fund. Outside the classroom, I enjoy landscape photography, acrylic painting, and trying new cuisines! Last summer, I interned in venture capital at True Ventures, where I discovered my passion for innovation and entrepreneurship. This upcoming summer, I'll be exploring consulting in New York as I continue to broaden my professional experience. I'm incredibly grateful to be part of such an inspiring institute and look forward to contributing meaningfully in my role as a student manager.

Luna Schaffer is a rising junior from Irvine, California, majoring in Public Policy and Psychology with a Leadership Sequence. She is interested in the interaction between entrepreneurship, education, and marketing. Luna participated in the RLCIE Fellows Program and gained experience working with a team to create a business proposal and provide a pitch deck. She was the Growth Marketing Manager for the 2023–2024 year and will be the Montgomery Student Manager, Marketing for the 2024–2025 year. Outside of being a part of the RLCIE student leadership team, Luna is involved on campus as a tour guide, account manager for the Claremont Marketing Group, and research assistant at the Berger Research Institute. During her free time, Luna enjoys going to the beach, baking with her friends, and reading.

I'm currently pursuing a B.S. in Engineering at Harvey Mudd College with a concentration in Philosophy and an emphasis in Environmental Engineering. I have a lot of interest and experience in the climate tech and biotech spheres, and look forward to engaging with the Claremont entrepreneurship community!

Christina Doupsas '28 is a student at Claremont McKenna College studying Economics and Government with a sequence in Leadership. On campus, she is actively involved with ASCMC through ASCMC Events and the Community Service Board, is a Fellow Candidate in the RLCIE program where she's working on launching a new startup, and serves as Assistant Manager, Marketing on the RLCIE student leadership team. Christina is also a member of the club tennis team and CMC SWS, and is currently pioneering and founding CMC's first educational marketing club. She has always been passionate about business, innovation, and entrepreneurship, with a particular interest in marketing. Outside of school, Christina enjoys going to the beach, spending time with friends, and trying new activities around campus.

Sydney Nate is a rising junior at Claremont McKenna College studying Government and Philosophy with a sequence in Legal Studies. Around campus, she is the Director of Operations for CMC Mock Trial, a tutor for Student Connections, and a member of the Administrative Affairs and Appropriations Committee. She has also enjoyed her experience as a research assistant in the Psychology Lab, and as a member of the 2024–2025 Goldman Sachs Possibilities Summit. Outside of school, she enjoys Formula 1, dance, and traveling.