Julius Valentine Maina is the CEO of Maina Ventures LLC, where he advises dual-use startups, higher education institutions, and economic development organizations on data-informed strategies to advance inclusive innovation and long-term economic impact. With a passion for turning insight into action, Julius brings a cross-sector background spanning federal government, venture capital, higher education, and civic tech.

He currently serves as Legislative Specialist & Capital Access Advisor at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).

Julius has held roles across the venture ecosystem, including with 1863 Ventures, Techstars DC, and gener8tor. He also recently served as an Adjunct Professor at Morgan State University, teaching a hands-on, action-learning course designed for student entrepreneurs actively building their own ventures.

He holds a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law, an M.A. from Bowie State University, and a B.A. from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

At this year’s Summit, Julius will moderate the panel “Creating Community for Regional Entrepreneurial Impact,” exploring how community-driven approaches can accelerate innovation and wealth-building across HBCU regions.