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UC San Diego’s Horizon Accelerator has expanded its advisory board with 4 new appointments, whose expertise spans enterprise capital, mental property (IP) legislation, public coverage and expertise. The new advisory board members are:
- Douglas Cohen ‘08, knowledge science supervisor, Figma
- Dr. Lisa Haile, companion, DLA Piper
- Jaime E.Lizárraga ’88, former commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
- Rachel Tsui ‘14, companion, The Council Capital
These appointments construct on Horizon’s founding advisory board, announced in December 2025, and replicate this system’s continued effort to attach UC San Diego founders with seasoned advisors whose trade expertise, perception and networks present important help to its ventures.
“The four new board members extend and expand the UC San Diego ecosystem by reinforcing Horizon’s capacity to serve our university community as well as our ecosystem,” stated Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Corinne Peek-Asa. “We are beyond fortunate at UC San Diego to have the level of expertise and engagement with our innovation activities, and this input makes all the difference in our success.”
Expanding Horizon’s Impact Across the Region
Part of the UC San Diego innovation ecosystem, Horizon helps research-based startups as they transfer from early improvement towards progress and commercialization. The program works with firms after core foundations are established, together with staff formation, IP safety and preliminary validation. Since its launch, Horizon has supported 52 firms, with 29 presently in residence on the Design and Innovation Building. Portfolio ventures have collectively raised practically $32 million.
Horizon’s board growth comes as San Diego continues to develop as a nationwide heart for innovation and entrepreneurship with a reported $3.6B raised in enterprise capital throughout fairness financing rounds in 2025 in keeping with Connect’s 2026 Impact Report. UC San Diego produces 437 invention disclosures every year from roughly $1.7 billion in annual analysis funding, with 15 to twenty startups launched yearly by the college’s analysis enterprise.
The new advisors mirrored on the alternatives and challenges concerned in guiding research-based improvements from the lab to market.
“It is an honor to join Horizon’s advisory board at a time when UC San Diego is producing so many promising founders, technologies and new ventures,” Lizárraga stated. “UC San Diego is a world-class Tier 1 research institution that attracts and develops extraordinary talent. The university’s innovators are creating tremendous opportunity but must also grapple with complex policy, governance and regulatory challenges. I look forward to advising this next generation of UC San Diego founders and innovators as they navigate this evolving landscape.”
“My experience with early-stage life sciences companies has focused on the intersection of science, IP and commercialization, where many promising companies either gain momentum or lose it,” Haile stated. “Founders often begin with extraordinary science, but building a successful company also requires a thoughtful strategy around patents, partnerships and long-term growth. As both a scientist and an IP attorney, I look forward to helping Horizon founders protect innovation, position technology for investment and build companies that can successfully scale.”