Winn Hong, MBA, MS, is the North America venture manager at Nokia Ventures and the co-founder, president, and CEO of Mesencyte Inc. With over 18 years of experience in high-tech innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership, he has successfully guided ventures across biotechnology, medical devices, alternative fuel, and digital technology. A fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, he has held key roles including deputy executive director at the Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California and senior technology strategist at UCLA’s Institute for Technology Advancement.

Earlier in his career, Hong worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, contributing to the design and testing of advanced sensors for military, medical, and space applications. He later served as COO of Sega.com Inc. and Sega.com Ltd. (publicly traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange) and principal at Convergent Ventures, managing early-stage investments in life sciences and technology. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago as well as an MS in mechanical engineering and a BS in aerospace engineering, both from UCLA.