about us
Founder and
key team members
Jean-Paul O’Brien
CEO
O’Brien, Founder and CEO, is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and community builder. O'Brien is on a mission to inspire, activate, and hyper-enable Thinker Doers (scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, elite athletes, and creatives) to propel humanity forward. Black Lab builds and invests in HumanTech ventures and human potential nodes, with themes centered around Longevity, Consciousness, Community, and Environment.
Aaron Beach
COO
Beach, Co-Founder and Head of Operations, brings his passion, experience, and expertise in human resources and operations. Beach’s strengths include creating native work cultures specifically centered on the people who lead to its success, as well as fostering inspiring and empowering work environments for business growth.
Chris Ishii
BLX Capital
Ishii, Head of Black Lab Capital, is an inventive senior executive with 15+ years experience, who specializes in innovative solutions across business operations. Ishii brings deep experience in investment, organizational formation, and leadership. Ishii is a former multi-decade Managing Director at two Wall Street Firms, Principal of his own firm, and Media entrepreneur. He serves as a mentor and advisor to the entrepreneurial community and volunteers on two Boards serving the Wealth Management and CPG industries, respectively.
Desmond Croan
CMO
Croan, Advisor, is a visionary digital marketer, storyteller and strategist. A Stanford alum, Croan has fueled the growth of global brands, Silicon Valley startups, and Fortune 500 companies through innovative digital marketing and storytelling. At desmond garcia, his international digital marketing agency, he empowered diverse clients from superstars to tech giants, enhancing their creative, strategic and international growth—expanding the agency from San Francisco to Miami, Medellin and São Paulo.
Dominic Bönisch
AI + LONGEVITY
Bönisch, Head of Black Lab Germany, is on a mission to make entrepreneurs last longer in business and life: Unleashing Greatness. He is a hands-on entrepreneur with strong abilities to make things happen, especially building online business and optimizing corporate processes to squeeze out more efficiency and productivity.
Gunther Weil
Advisor
Weil, Advisor, is the Co-Founder & CEO of Value Mentors - an internationally recognized consultant, executive coach, and educator who advises leaders and their organizations on values based leadership, innovation, team building, strategic planning, and executive wellness. His clients have included numerous public and private sectors institutions in such as MIT Media Lab, CAA, Chase Manhattan Bank, Credit Suisse, AT&T, McCann Erickson, the FAA, the Peace Corps and many others.
Trent Bush
Head of Design
Bush, Head of Design, is a Boulder native with deep roots in the outdoor industry. He founded the groundbreaking snowboarding brand Twist in high school, influencing the sport with its unique blend of skate culture and performance. His career evolved through global collaborations with top outdoor and action sports brands, where he developed a keen eye for integrating technology with user-centric design.
John Duda III
ADVISOR
Duda, Limited Partner and Advisor in Residence, joined Black Lab X in 2024. His deep passion for human potential spans both his career and personal life as a student of data. Duda brings 30 years of experience in transforming teams focused on harnessing technology to enhance the human experience. He held leadership positions with large organizations like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Oracle, as well as with growing startups.
Michael Hart
TECH ADVISOR
Hart, Technology Advisor, is a seasoned technical executive adept at building products, platforms, teams, and groundbreaking customer experiences at both innovative startups and more established enterprises. Prior to Black Lab X, Hart was Chief Product and Technology Officer at Kite, reimagining commerce - how products are made, moved, marketed, stored, shipped and sold at scale, VP of Product for Fletch, AI enabled cybersecurity, and Director of Product Management and Engineering for Alexa Experiences.
Rolf L. Jensen
PROGRAM MANAGER
SGM (R) Jensen, Program Manager, retired as a Sergeant Major from the U.S. Army in 2020 after a distinguished 34-year career, primarily spent in Special Operations. His military journey commenced in the 3rd Bn, 75th Ranger Regiment and expanded over three decades with the U.S. Army Special Forces. Jensen's service took him across multiple continents, where he led operations in diverse environments from the African jungles to Eastern European terrains.
Barry Luginbill
GENERAL MANAGER
Luginbill, General Manager and the Head of Product at Me Biosciences brings over 20 years of experience in logistics, ERP systems, and operations management, Barry has held senior roles at Talos Engineered Products and Armstrong International. At Black Lab Sports, he focuses on creating impactful events, inspiring spaces, and unlocking human potential. At Me Biosciences, Barry leads the development of data-driven health solutions. He also chairs the Erie Economic Development Council, driving business and community growth. As the owner of Cristos Coffee, Barry emphasizes community engagement, bringing people together through collaboration and shared experiences.
Mark Williams
Program Director
Williams, Program Director, is an accomplished leader specializing in AI, machine learning, and human performance. Educated at The College of William and Mary, Williams’ career has spanned military, nonprofit, startups, and corporate sectors, focusing on complex projects and entrepreneurship. Williams fosters a culture of innovation to unlock human potential through technology. His role involves integrating advanced AI, LLMs, and machine learning strategies to optimize performance in the HumanTech industry.
Jennifer O'Brien
MANAging director
Ms. O’Brien, Managing Director, has a long history of using technology to solve business problems and deliver tangible top- and bottom- line impact. She possesses a growth mindset and well-rounded background that spans complex, global program delivery, account management, and product line development, as well as experience working with leaders across the healthcare and life sciences, high-tech, consumer products, and retail sectors. Prior to Black Lab X, Ms. O’Brien was a Partner in West Monroe’s M&A practice where she worked with Private Equity firms to drive strategic value in their portfolio, including delivering technology-driven value creation projects for portfolio companies, providing sell-side advisory services, and conducting technology due diligences.