Ilse Nava-Medina

Ilse Nava-Medina is an accomplished scientist and entrepreneur with extensive experience in materials science and research. Currently serving as an Entrepreneur Fellow at Activate and the Co-Founder and CEO of Gel Matter, Ilse focuses on innovative material applications in biotechnology. As a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Advanced Science Research Center GC/CUNY, Ilse conducts research on nanoscience and supports industry partnerships. Previous roles include Senior Scientist at Nomi Materials, where project management and research formulation optimization were key responsibilities, and Graduate Teaching Assistant at Texas A&M University, specializing in metallic materials. Ilse holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Texas A&M University and a BS in Chemistry from Universidad de las Américas Puebla.