Shrina Kurani has been an engineering consultant, a climate scientist, and an entrepreneur. For the next chapter in her professional journey, she will combine her skills in these three areas to invest in the future of the Golden State.

Kurani, an alum of Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE), was appointed to lead the Venture Capital program at IBank, a state banking institution that provides financial assistance to support public infrastructure and economic development in California.
 

“It’s not every day [that] you get the chance to help shape the future of innovation and entrepreneurship in California,” she said. “I grew up in Riverside, where my parents ran a small business and taught me the value of hard work and community. When I got the call, I thought of them — and the many families like mine who’ve worked hard but haven’t always had access to the same opportunities.”

Kurani (BS, Mechanical Engineering, ’13) was appointed as the deputy director of venture capital for the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank). In this role, she will lead a program that promotes investments across the state, with a focus on underrepresented entrepreneurs and fund managers, underinvested regions, and climate equity and justice. Kurani had been a venture specialist for IBank since 2023.

Her background is broad (after graduating from BCOE, she earned a master’s degree in sustainability science from Lund University in Sweden) and includes working as an engineering consultant, a climate scientist, an investor, and an entrepreneur. One of Kurani’s key areas was nurturing businesses that reduce waste, create quality jobs, and create a more sustainable future.
 

Early in her career, she was the CEO and co-founder of FoodNest, which focused on decreasing food waste in the supply chain through image recognition. She also helped launch the World Bee Project, which supports the creation of sustainable alternative livelihoods around the world.

Kurani — who describes herself as a “fact-based problem solver” — said that engineering gave her “a problem-solving mindset — how to think in systems, navigate uncertainty, and turn ideas into action.”
 

"That training has shaped every chapter of my career, from startups to public service,” she said. “It’s also helped me approach big structural challenges, like access to capital or climate resilience, with a systems-thinking lens. It gave me the confidence to pursue ambitious, sometimes unconventional paths, and showed me that being an engineer can mean many things, including helping build a more just and inclusive future.”

Across her career, Kurani has espoused the belief in the power of innovation and entrepreneurship to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.

Her prior jobs include an associate at Better Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on job creation, education, and environmental sustainability. Kurani was also vice president of business at Republic, a financial technology firm specializing in private market investment services. She is also a managing partner of SNØCAP, an engineer-run venture capital firm she co-founded that focuses on reducing pollution and business costs.

Kurani has directed her interest in sustainability into the political sphere. In 2022, she ran to represent the 41st Congressional District in Riverside County to champion strong climate policy.
 

In her new role at IBank, Kurani will direct the state’s Expanding Venture Capital Access program. This program invests in venture capital funds and directly in companies owned or led by underserved entrepreneurs, with a focus on climate equity and climate justice innovations.
 

“Our state’s economic future depends on who gets to build it,” Kurani said. “When we invest in untapped leaders and underrepresented regions, we unlock new ideas, grow stronger local economies, and create more resilient industries. I’ve seen this firsthand: Years ago, I helped deliver early-stage investment to the Inland Empire through a civic investment program I built. Iknow what happens when capital reaches the communities that have been historically left behind: People rise, businesses thrive, and entire regions transform. We can’t afford to leave brilliance on the sidelines.”

Header Image: Shrina Kurani (BS, Mechanical Engineering, ’13) was appointed to lead the Venture Capital program at IBank, a state banking institution that provides financial assistance to support public infrastructure and economic development in California. (All photos courtesy of Shrina Kurani).