HUMAN-CENTERED AI · MARKET INTELLIGENCE · 3X FOUNDER

Lisandra Martinez, J.D. — Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Strategy · Economic Development · Human-Centered AI

Building what entrepreneurial ecosystems need next.

15+ years across banking, economic development and institutional programs—leading delivery, data systems and evaluation. Through Rebel Ventures and Readiness Intelligence Lab, I turn conversations into evidence that founders and funders can act on.

15-year impact snapshot
  • 1,000+entrepreneurs served
  • $2.3M+capital & grants
  • 128jobs created
  • 2,200+hours of coaching · advising · instruction

Combined results from programs I led or supported.

Chicago, IL312.498.9326lisandra@myrebelventures.comLinkedInReadiness Intelligence Lab
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Lisandra Martinez
Entrepreneurship · Community · Ecosystems

A founder, strategist and operator who has run programs, led their measurement and reporting, helped shape funding decisions—and now builds technology that turns human conversation into actionable evidence.

Selected Work & Impact

2026

TechRise powered by P33 · Readiness Intelligence Lab (RIL)

Role
Founder, Readiness Intelligence Lab · Sprint Lead
Led
Customer-evidence sprints for TechRise powered by P33 founders
  • 2South Chicago cohorts
  • 66interviews analyzed
  • 27coaching sessions
  • $50KTechRise capital secured

Full engagement: 45 founders · 4 readiness sprints · 5 pitch competitions ($125K in non-dilutive capital)

  • Analyzed 66 customer and stakeholder interviews to identify recurring needs, objections and assumptions founders could test.
  • Delivered four-week discovery sprints, individualized coaching and partner-facing reports tracking founder progress and market insights.
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2025–2026

Greater Southwest Development Corporation (GSDC) — Business Academy

Role
Managing Partner, Rebel Ventures · Embedded Partner
Led
Fund for Equitable Business Growth (FEBG) partners: bilingual delivery, coordination, program data and reporting
  • 24cohorts coordinated
  • 12EN/ES cohorts taught
  • 522course registrations
  • 3FEBG partner orgs coordinated
  • 2025: Bilingual instruction plus shared intake and surveys; completed the external evaluation.
  • Delivered across three organizations: Greater Southwest Development Corporation, Chicago Inventors Organization and Greater Roseland Chamber of Commerce.
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2024

I-Corps@NCATS — NSF-Modeled Venture Commercialization

Role
CEO, RepLi · Venture development and commercialization
Led
Venture CEO alongside Dr. Ashlesha Patel, MD, founder/owner of RepLi science, product and IP; Jason Rebello, EIR
  • 2024I-Corps@NCATS cohort
  • CEOventure role
  • 34+customer & stakeholder interviews
  • 6→3customer personas refined
  • Shifted a broad fertility/pregnancy app concept toward long-horizon planning for adults and professionals considering family choices 5–10 years ahead.
  • Led customer-discovery work encompassing 34+ patient, provider and community interviews, surfacing fragmented fertility information, financial and career context, and interest in credible, inclusive guidance and clinician pre-/post-visit support.
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Additional Institutional Leadership

Sep–Oct 2026 · Designer & facilitator

AI Activation Lab: From Evidence to Prototype

AI Activation Lab: From Evidence to Prototype—a Readiness Intelligence Lab companion experience moving people from conversation to working prototypes.

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2024–2025 · Community advisor

The Chicago Community Trust — Together Fund

One of 10 advisors shaping participatory local-business grantmaking.

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2021–2024 · Educator & coach

Foundation of Little Village (FLV) / Juntos

Bilingual business education and one-on-one advising for local entrepreneurs.

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2017–2021 · Director

Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) · Chicago Women’s Business Center

Ran federally supported and philanthropic programs and led their reporting.

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From Program Data to Market Intelligence

I build the measurement, reporting and first-party evidence that help founders, programs and funders decide.

1. Measure programs2. Capture customer and stakeholder evidence3. Surface actionable patterns4. Inform founder, program and funder decisions

How I Work

01

Cross-sector perspective

Understanding entrepreneurship from financial institution, founder, program operator, funder and technology-builder perspectives.

02

Strategy through execution

Designing programs, coordinating partners, building infrastructure and implementing—not just advising.

03

Human-centered leadership

Community relationships, bilingual engagement and AI that enhances, never replaces, human judgment.

Professional Experience

2026–Present

Founder · Readiness Intelligence Lab

Structured founder–customer conversations turned into first-party evidence, with AI-supported synthesis and human review.

2019–Present

Co-Founder / Managing Partner · Rebel Ventures

Embedded institutional strategy, program evaluation and reporting, partner coordination and AI-enabled implementation.

2024–2025

Community Advisor · The Chicago Community Trust — Together Fund

Local Business Advisory Group: evaluation criteria, application review and funding recommendations.

2021–2024

Educator / Coach · Foundation of Little Village (FLV)

Embedded bilingual instruction, coaching and curriculum collaboration.

2017–2021

Director · Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC), Chicago Women’s Business Center

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) cooperative-agreement budgets, KPI reporting, advising and philanthropic program management.

2013–2017

Senior Small Business Relationship Manager · Bank of America

Small-business relationships; national Top 10% in 2016.

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