
Anthony Kelani
EIR
Los Angeles, CA
Anthony Kelani is a technologist and businessman with over 13 year of experience in the tech industry as a software engineer, data scientist, startup CEO and CTO. His background includes expertise in executing projects in software development and architecture, distributed computing, SaaS, real-time video streaming, data science, and web and mobile applications.
Anthony launched his career with the premier defense contractor, Northrop Grumman, where we was honored for his work in designing and developing life-saving situational awareness software for the United States military. He then became Head of Engineering at one of the first venture studios in Los Angeles, Curious Minds, which created and exited several companies, with the most notable being Telesign. In 2013, he founded ShowKit, which was a TechCrunch Disrupt finalist in 2014 and exited a year later.
After ShowKit, Anthony served as Head of Microsoft for Startups Los Angeles, where he worked closely with startup founders and the leading accelerators and VCs in the L.A. ecosystem. He is on the advisory board of several L.A.-based startups and continues to mentor founders at the preeminent accelerator programs in the nation. He also led software and data science projects for some of Microsoft’s largest retail customers.
Anthony has a unique synthesis of engineering, product and business experience, which enables him to effectively evaluate and mentor entire early stage startup teams. His skills and ability to identify great teams catalyze his acumen for advising and providing quality deal flow to investors.
As Managing Partner of the Los Angeles office, Anthony will focus his efforts on working closely with Quake’s accelerator founders in the areas of engineering and operations, expanding Quake’s investor and partner network, and assisting with fundraising and strategy. Due to his astute technical background, he will also serve as the CIO of the fund by architecting Quake’s data platform.
Anthony holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Southern California and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He is a strong advocate for the inclusion of minorities and women in tech, and has met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to spur support for diversity and entrepreneurial success.