Leadership Team

Darren Filson is the Director of the Randall Lewis Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Academic Director of the Silicon Valley Program, and the James G. Boswell Professor of Economics and George R. Roberts Fellow at Claremont McKenna College. Professor Filson received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Rochester in 1996, and he has taught at the Claremont Colleges since 1997. Most of his research and teaching focuses on the intersections of industrial organization, finance, and strategy, with an emphasis on industry evolution and innovation.

Ron is an accomplished senior executive with 25 years of experience in operations, business development, sales and marketing in e-commerce, digital media, SaaS and entertainment industries. He began his career with the Walt Disney Studio’s Home Entertainment Division. In addition to several sales and marketing roles with the company, Ron acted as the GM to build, design and launch an ESPN-branded line of products. As the internet’s commercial opportunities accelerated, Ron transitioned to digital with senior business development roles at GoTo.com (Overture Services) and PriceGrabber.com. During this time, Ron established partnerships with Microsoft, IAC, Yahoo, AOL, Comcast and many others and played key roles leading to Yahoo’s acquisition of Overture and Experian’s purchase of PriceGrabber. Ron has held President, COO and CEO roles with PriceGrabber and IAC’s CityGrid Media. During his time as President at PriceGrabber, he managed a team of more than 200 employees with offices in the US and UK and the company hit its peak of $110 million revenue. At CityGrid, Ron’s team delivered more than $25 million profit after the company had experienced over a decade of losses. Ron co-founded one startup and invested in and/or advised other early-stage companies, including Milo.com . He also took an active leadership role with Milo to help quickly scale the business, and played a key role in negotiating the company’s sale to eBay. Ron has a BA from UCLA in Political Science and earned an MBA in Marketing from the Drucker School, Claremont Graduate University.

Katherine Spada (CMC '08) works with RLCIE Fellows Candidates to identify career goals and issues on which they would like guidance, then pairs them with specifically-selected members of the Claremont Colleges alumni network for semester-long mentorship relationships. An award-winning writer and podcaster, she was one of the founding board members of the Claremont in Entertainment & Media (CEM) alumni networking organization. As a marketing and communications professional, her experience has been in the entertainment industry and non-profit sector, and her work has been featured in publications from The New York Times to Forbes and Billboard. She has guest lectured on digital marketing at UCLA and presented on best practices at industry conferences.

Tessa Han ‘27 is a Harvey Mudd student studying Engineering with a focus on biomedical engineering and a concentration in Philosophy. She is the current Montgomery Student Manager of Events & AI, has completed the VC Program, and is currently an RLCIE Fellow candidate. Outside of her role at the RLCIE, she is also involved in biology research, writing for The Muddraker, and student government at Harvey Mudd. Tessa is passionate about connecting people with the right opportunities, entrepreneurship, and social good. She also enjoys visiting cafes, trying new food, and thrifting.

Christina Doupsas '28 is a student at Claremont McKenna College studying Economics with a sequence in Leadership. On campus, she is actively involved with ASCMC through ASCMC Events and the Community Service Board, is a Fellow Candidate in the RLCIE program where she's working on launching a new startup, and serves as Montgomery Student Manager, Marketing on the RLCIE student leadership team. Christina is also a member of the club tennis team and CMC SWS, and founded CMC's first educational marketing club (AMA of CMC) where she serves as President. She has always been passionate about business, innovation, entrepreneurship, and marketing. Outside of school, Christina enjoys going to the beach, spending time with friends, and trying new activities around campus.

KT is a rising Senior at Claremont McKenna College studying Economics and Data Science. She is from Bangkok, Thailand, and is the Montgomery Manager for Internships. She enjoys spending time with friends, petting cats, eating good food, and doing the daily Sudoku.

Chris Kaufhold, from Orinda, California, studies Government at Claremont McKenna College, where he's also a member of the men’s basketball team. He's involved with RLCIE as an RLCIE x Possible Program participant, an RLCIE Fellow candidate, and through the RLCIE Career Mentorship Program, where he's been able to explore his academic and professional interests while building meaningful connections within the community.

Sophia Zheng is a rising sophomore at Claremont McKenna College studying Economics and Philosophy with a sequence in Data Science. Originally from Illinois, California, and Shanghai, she brings a multicultural perspective to her work as a First-Year Guide and as a member of Path Consulting and Product Space. Sophia is passionate about nurturing a culture of innovation on campus, and she aspires to a career in product management with a particular interest in brand-image strategy. She enjoys binging TV shows, leather crafting, and an occasional hike! 

Alisa Ching is a rising sophomore at Claremont McKenna College studying economics. She serves as the Assistant Manager for Internships and is excited to collaborate with peers while exploring innovative ideas that create meaningful change. Outside of academics, Alisa is a member of the Women’s Golf Team and is involved in The Women’s Network.

Sydney is a rising junior at Claremont McKenna College studying Government, Psychology, and Legal Studies. On campus she is involved in Mock Trial, Student Connection tutoring, and the Pre-Law Society. She works as a tour guide for the Office of Admissions, and as a Romero Success Coach for the Dean of Students Office. She is interested in legal psychology, business, and politics. Outside of school, she is interested in photography, travel, and country swing & line dance. She is serving as the photographer for the RLCIE, and has been involved with the organization since freshman year.