Meet Our Team

Forge Your Future Team

Hersh Rai

Co-Founder

Hersh Rai is a co-founder of Forge your Future. He is a former meteorology and oceanography officer who served on active duty in the U.S. Navy for just over 5 years. Most recently, he worked as a Project Manager for Spear AI where he focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning data pipeline efforts. He holds a B.S. from the U.S. Naval Academy and an M.S. from Purdue University.

Mateo Ronquillo

Co-Founder

Mateo Ronquillo is a co-founder of Forge your Future. He is a former nuclear submarine officer and engineer who served on active duty in the U.S. Navy for just over 5 years. Most recently, he worked as a Chief of Staff for Systems Planning and Analysis where he focused on submarine acquisition efforts within AUKUS. He holds a B.S. in Physics from the U.S. Naval Academy.

Board of Directors

Advisors

Neeraj Kapoor

Advisor

Neeraj serves as an advisor to Forge Your Future and is the co-founder and Executive Director of Learn To Be, a national non-profit bringing free, online tutoring to underserved youth around the United States. He previously worked as a software engineer at Scanwell Health, a healthcare startup building mobile diagnostics. He has spent the past 15 years as a software engineer and social entrepreneur, blending technology with purpose-driven initiatives.


Mohammad Makhmudov

Advisor

Mohammad Makhmudov is a formal advisor to Forge Your Future. He is the founder of Free Uyghur Now, a nonprofit that raises awareness about the Uyghur genocide, advocates for human rights, and supports policy initiatives aimed at addressing the crisis. Currently, Mohammad serves as a Communications Strategy Officer in the Marine Corps, focusing on the Indo-Pacific region. A graduate of Yale University, he studied international politics, economics, and history and participated in NROTC for all four years. He will transition out of the Marine Corps to start law school this Fall.