SAAMRA MEKURIA-GRILLO

Venture Advisor

Saamra is a partner at non sibi ventures.  She is also founder and CEO of Formation Ventures, an educational startup that is dedicated to dramatically increasing the number and success of Black entrepreneurs starting in high school, through highly scalable, technology-enabled and identity-affirming educational programs.  Prior, Saamra was the founding Chief Operating Officer at the Pahara Institute, and was a consultant at Bain & Company.  Saamra began her career at Google.

Saamra currently is a member of the Operator Network of January Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund focused on female founders who are building solutions for the future of work and health.  Saamra serves on multiple charter school boards, including the Mission Preparatory School in San Francisco, CA and the East Bay Innovation Academy in Oakland, CA and she currently serves as the board of Compass Rose Public Schools in Texas.

Saamra holds a BA in History and International Studies from Yale University and an MBA with a certificate in Public Management from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. 

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Saamra is based in San Antonio, TX, where she lives with her husband and two sons.