In this Fridays from the Frontline, we get an inside look at the Endless Frontier Labs (EFL), a mentorship program for novel early-stage science and technology startups at NYU Stern, with Santi Gomez-Garcia, MBA ’26. Gomez-Garcia was paired with digital tech startup AlphaChoreo. During his MBA, he stepped into a provisional CEO role and is continuing in that capacity after graduation. Learn more about EFL and how the opportunity impacted Gomez-Garcia’s education and career path below.
Journey from MBA to CEO through Endless Frontier Labs at NYU Stern
By Santi Gomez-Garcia, NYU Stern MBA ’26
Pivoting from Finance to Leading an AI startup
After several years working in investing and around early-stage technology companies, I realized that what excited me most was not just evaluating businesses from the outside, but helping founders think through hard decisions, shape strategy, and build something meaningful from within. I had worked across private equity and venture capital, but I became increasingly drawn to the ownership, ambiguity, and problem-solving that come with operating roles and entrepreneurship. Pursuing an MBA felt like the right way to make this transition.
I chose NYU Stern because of its location and deep ties to the City’s technology and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Being in New York City meant being at the center of commercial activity for startups, investors, operators, and enterprise leaders. I wanted a program where I could immediately apply what I was learning in real startup environments, not just study entrepreneurship theoretically.
Endless Frontier Labs at NYU Stern
I learned about Endless Frontier Labs (EFL) while researching MBA programs. EFL is Stern’s accelerator for the world’s most ambitious science and technology startups. Founders who are accepted into the cohort work with a hand-picked network of serial entrepreneurs, scientists, and venture capitalists drawn from across NYC and beyond during the nine-month program. They are supported by Stern MBA students enrolled in a companion course taught by Founder and Andrew Hamilton Director and Professor Deepak Hegde.
What especially stood out to me was that EFL combined direct startup engagement with an academic framework and gave students like me the opportunity to work alongside founders with breakthrough ideas they want to scale.
Once accepted into the EFL MBA course, students are placed across one of the program’s four tracks – Digital Tech, Deep Tech, Life Sciences, and Digital Health – and matched with a startup after an interview process.
Applying Learning in Real-time
Through EFL, I was paired with the founders of AlphaChoreo, a company that helps organizations in the logistics space coordinate people, software systems, and AI agents so complex operational processes can run faster, more efficiently, and securely. The experience became one of the most defining parts of my MBA because it allowed me to apply classroom concepts directly to real strategic decisions happening inside a fast-moving startup.
The program was intense, and I decided early on that I wanted to go as deep as possible. I became heavily involved in industry analysis, positioning, customer segmentation, go-to-market strategy, and fundraising preparation. Over time, I took on increasingly significant responsibilities across the company, from customer and user interviews to partnership discussions, negotiations, and commercial strategy. Knowing about my prior experience, the founders became increasingly comfortable trusting me to represent the company in important conversations and decisions as AlphaChoreo expanded its business.
What made EFL particularly unique was that the learning happened in parallel with execution. In class, we discussed frameworks around startups, growth, and commercialization, and then immediately applied those lessons to real situations with our company.
One of my favorite parts of the experience was hosting one of the founders when he traveled from overseas to New York for EFL programming. Spending time together in person while preparing for the EFL pitch, running between meetings across New York City, and connecting with potential customers and business partners built a level of trust that changed the nature of our collaboration. Since then, the relationship has evolved from what began as an MBA project into something that feels much closer to being part of a founding team.
From MBA to CEO Through EFL
My background before Stern was heavily finance- and investing-oriented, so the MBA gave me a much broader perspective that has been critical as I moved into leadership roles. At Stern, I intentionally pivoted my learning toward marketing and commercial strategy, which ultimately prepared me to lead customer and sales conversations, think more deeply about positioning and go-to-market execution, and communicate technical products in a way that resonated with enterprise buyers.
EFL complemented that experience by exposing me to the realities of scaling startups across different stages of maturity. Working closely with founders also taught me how quickly decisions need to be made in early-stage companies and how important adaptability and communication are in leadership roles.
Beyond the classroom, Stern’s network was incredibly valuable. Through the MBA, I developed relationships with founders, investors, operators, and potential collaborators who continue to play an important role in my professional journey.
The combination of my prior investing experience, the commercial and operational exposure I gained during the MBA, and the opportunity to immerse myself deeply in Endless Frontier Labs ultimately paved the way for me to step into a CEO role with AlphaChoreo following the program. I came to Stern hoping to move closer to entrepreneurship, but I found more than exposure to startups; I found a pathway to help build one. My MBA did not simply help me change functions. It changed the role I believed I could play in shaping the ways companies use frontier technologies.
