David Alper
Jason Smith
Maria Buitron
Maria is a Principal at Piva Capital, where she invests in companies and entrepreneurs that are transforming industry for people and planet. Maria joined Piva as a founding member in 2019 and has since led investments in companies like Menlo Micro, Boston Metal, Oobli and Plantible. Before beginning her career in venture, Maria worked as a strategy consultant, where she developed technical and commercial expertise in the energy sector. Maria has also had strategy and business development roles in different ClimateTech startups, including energy storage developer Stem.
Originally from Mexico City, Maria earned a BS in Chemical Engineering with top honors from Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico and holds an MBA from UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business. She was named to the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 List in the Energy and Immigrant categories.
Matthew Murphy
Matt Murphy’s practice focuses on high stakes intellectual property and litigation matters. He has represented clients across a spectrum of technologies, including pharmaceutical, life sciences, medical devices, consumer-driven health care, payment, and lighting industries. In connection with this work, Matt has assisted multiple clients in defending nine-figure trade secret misappropriation and patent infringement claims.
Prior to joining the firm, Matt spent seven years actively conducting research and development for leading pharmaceutical and medical device companies. He draws upon this rare combination of real-world and legal experience to counsel clients