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. Arzoo 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, Arzoo 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 and 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, Arzoo 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.

Arzoo 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.