Caroline Arzoo

Caroline Arzoo is the Head of Venture Acceleration and Commercialization at Rice University’s Liu Idea Lab for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Lilie), where she leads programs that transform cutting-edge research into high-impact ventures. She oversees initiatives such as the Summer Venture Studio and Innovation Fellows, focusing on identifying and accelerating deep tech and science-based startups from across the Rice ecosystem. Caroline is passionate about creating immersive, experiential pathways for both faculty and student founders—connecting them to mentorship, strategic funding, and the broader Texas and U.S. innovation networks.

Prior to joining Lilie, Caroline served as Director of Partnerships and Business Development at OmniSync, a VC-backed and federally funded AI startup supporting innovators navigating SBIR/STTR funding and commercialization. She led strategic partnerships, developed go-to-market and customer success strategies for two early-stage products, achieving widespread product and client growth, and helping create pathways for startups to secure funding from a variety of sources.

In addition to her operational roles, Caroline has actively supported early-stage teams through programs such as Nucleate, Plug and Play, Founder Institute, and the University of California system—offering guidance on SBIR strategy, customer discovery, pitching, and fundraising. She began her career as a Venture Analyst at Untapped Ventures, working closely with startups in a Future of Work accelerator on product-market fit and investment readiness.

Caroline holds a B.A. in Communication and Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, along with a Certificate in the Technology Management Program. Her work is driven by a mission to build robust innovation ecosystems and empower the next generation of science-driven entrepreneurs.