Prometheus X was formerly known as the Virtual Center for Advanced Potential, a Schmidt Futures spin-out with foundational backing from Eric & Wendy Schmidt.






Eddie Mandhry is the Founder and Managing Director of Prometheus X, a Schmidt Futures spin-out dedicated to advancing AI-driven solutions by supporting global venture founders. Under his leadership, Prometheus X fosters innovation networks where exceptional talent converges to tackle critical issues at the frontiers of science, technology, and society.
Eddie also serves as the inaugural Managing Director of the Columbia Engineering–Dream Sports AI Innovation Center, a $10 million initiative advancing research and industry collaboration at the intersection of artificial intelligence and sports innovation. The Center develops cutting-edge projects in biomechanics, performance analytics, fan engagement, and intelligent systems, forging partnerships across academia, industry, and global sports organizations.
Before founding Prometheus X, Eddie was a Senior Fellow and Director at Schmidt Futures, the philanthropic initiative of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Wendy Schmidt, where he launched and led the Virtual Center for Advanced Potential (VCAP). In this role, he built a global network of researchers and entrepreneurs working on frontier science and the science of talent, establishing partnerships with leading universities and research institutions worldwide.
Eddie previously held leadership roles in global strategy at Yale University, where he served as Director for Africa and the Middle East in the Office of International Affairs and spearheaded President Peter Salovey’s Africa Initiative, significantly expanding the university’s global engagement. Earlier, he supported economic development initiatives at NYU Africa House and the NYU Abu Dhabi Center for Technology and Economic Development, where his work bridged academia, technology, and policy to advance inclusive innovation.
Earlier in his career, Eddie served as Managing Director at Global Kids, where he launched and scaled youth development programs that empowered thousands of students through experiential learning, international education, and human rights leadership.
In addition to his academic and philanthropic leadership, Eddie advises several global initiatives, including Emergent Ventures’ Fast Grants for STEM Talent and the Queen’s Young Leaders Initiative, where he mentors outstanding innovators and changemakers worldwide. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a trustee of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs.
Eddie holds a Master’s in International Relations from the London School of Economics, a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Hampshire College, and has completed executive education in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at MIT, Social Enterprise Management at Columbia Business School, and Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School.

Tyrique King is a Special Advisor and Venture Fellow at Prometheus X and the Founder and CEO of Velocity Labs, where he is building an AI tutor to deliver personalised workforce training in AI at scale.
Previously, Tyrique played a pivotal role as #2 in building and fundraising for the Virtual Centre of Advanced Potential at Schmidt Futures, which has since evolved into Prometheus X.
He has also worked at Google, University of Cambridge Psychometric Institute and other startups, working at the intersection of AI, Psychology of motivation and learning, and marketing. Tyrique's academic achievements include being the sole MSc Google-DeepMind Scholar at the University of Oxford in his year. He also graduated with First Class honors and received a departmental prize from the University of Warwick, where he designed an entirely new degree structure.

Milton Speid, an expert social impact advisor and keynote speaker, currently, he is the Executive Director of VC Include, an accelerator supporting emerging impact fund managers.
Previously, he was Director of North America at The ImPact, guiding multi-generation families in aligning assets with values. BEfore then, he was responsible for executing the “Beyond the Bay” and Eastern Region strategies that sought to reinforce Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s role as a global social enterprise and the premier philanthropic partner for charitably-minded individuals and corporations. He’s held senior roles at Epic Foundation, TED Talks, and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.
Speid earned a degree in Psychology from the University of Hartford, where he captained the men’s soccer team and was later, in 2018, selected as his university’s Alumni of the Year. Speid lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Kyle Ali is an advocate for equal educational and workforce opportunities and has excelled as an identifier, cultivator and developer of diverse talent.
As the Team Lead for Google’s Computer Science Summer Institute, Kyle leads a team and partners with stakeholders to build a diverse pipeline of future computer science professionals through unique educational programs and opportunities. In previous roles at Google, Kyle has played a significant role shaping team cultures and strategy. He has led several large scale initiatives including a global effort to redefine organizational values and several projects focused on identifying and engaging underrepresented talent.
Kyle’s commitment to diversity extends well beyond his work in talent development. As Global Chairperson of the Black Googler Network, Kyle lived out his commitment to inclusion through collaboration with senior leaders on initiatives focused on improving the company’s racial and gender climate.
In the Austin business community, Kyle lends his expertise to companies as a panelist or facilitator on topics ranging from allyship in action to recruiting and retaining millennials. He regularly advises underrepresented professionals on interest-based negotiation strategies through workshops with General Assembly and was featured facilitator at the organization’s SXSW event series in 2019. Kyle is actively engaged in several civic pursuits that support youth of color in Texas, including his work as a board member at Austin based LifeWorks and Building Opportunities and Opening Minds (BOOM) in Dallas. In 2021, Kyle was a nominee for DivInc’s Champions of Change award in the"Rising Star of the Year" category.
Prior to joining Google, Kyle spent five years working toward educational equity as a 10th grade teacher in Baltimore and organizational leader supporting outreach and teacher development in Teach For America's Tennessee regions. Under his leadership, Nashville’s teacher training institute was Teach for America’s highest performing diversity, equity and inclusion program.
Kyle earned his undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Missouri and holds a Masters in Business Administration from Baylor University. He is an avid cyclist and dog lover. Kyle, his wife, two children, and dogs reside in Round Rock, Texas.

Atti Worku is a leader and advocate with over 15 years of experience as a nonprofit CEO. As African Collaborative’s co-CEO, she is focused on supporting the growth of local organizations in Africa and the innovative impact ideas of their leaders.
Prior to joining African Collaborative, Atti founded and led Seeds of Africa, a nonprofit focused on holistic community development in Ethiopia through quality education and livelihoods programs. With Atti at the helm, Seeds grew from an after-school program for 15 kids to a full-time school serving over 450 students, while also providing livelihoods and economic development programs for over 200 female-led households.
Today, she’s a proud board member of Seeds, and also serves on the board of African Collaborative and CARE-SheTrades Impact Fund. She served as the Equity and Innovation Lead Learning Partner for the International Development Innovation Alliance, a platform of 14 of the world’s largest development innovation funders, from 2022 to 2023.
Atti is a regular contributor to Skoll.org where she writes about equitable funding in philanthropy, and her essay on girls education as a global climate change solution was published in the book Why Women Will Save the Planet. She has been featured and interviewed in the Stanford Social Innovation Review and Devex in 2025. Recent speaking engagements include the Skoll World Forum, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Summit of Collaborative Funds, and the African Philanthropy Forum.
Atti currently splits her time between Addis Ababa and New York City. In her free time, she is a passionate amateur cook, baker, florist and tennis player.
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