Cristina Escoda

Cristina Escoda has a long and varied work experience. Cristina began their career in 2002 as a Research Summer Intern at CERN, where they worked on the simulation of heavy ion collisions for the ALICE experiment using Montecarlo methods. In 2007, they co-founded Cut the Papaya, an independent film production company that has screened at more than 100 international film festivals and won more than 20 awards and prizes. In 2010, they worked as a Film Finance intern at Goldcrest Films, where they analyzed the company's financing needs and conducted financial modeling and feasibility studies. In 2011, they worked at HSBC as a Financial Derivatives Structurer, specializing in Emerging Markets Derivatives Structuring. From 2012-2014, they worked at The D. E. Shaw Group as a Rotational Associate Program, specializing in emerging markets and non-traditional assets. In 2015, they co-founded Polymaze, Inc., a startup backed by Univision Communications Inc. to design and develop a Freelancer Payments App. In 2019, they co-founded ORCA Computing, a company pioneering Fibre Optic Quantum Computing. Cristina currently works as Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Tachyon Ventures, where they invest in early-stage life sciences ventures at the forefront of medicine, biotech and bioengineering.

Cristina Escoda's education history includes a PhD in Theoretical Physics (String Theory) from the University of Cambridge (2002-2007), an MBA in Financial Instruments and Markets and Strategy from NYU Stern School of Business (2009-2011), an MASt (CASM Part III) in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge (2001-2002), a Postgraduate in Fiction Direction from the National Film & Television School (2005-2006), a BSc (Honours) in Physics from Imperial College London (1998-2001), and an M.Arch 1 in Architecture from SCI-Arc (2021-2025).