Katrina Barillova Koop

Katrina’s expertise spans multiple disciplines and industries, including finance, media and technology. She is a Goodwill Ambassador, a serial entrepreneur, an investor, a recognized branding and marketing expert, a philanthropist, and a spokesperson. She has served in multiple executive level and other leadership roles directly or through consulting work and has developed an extensive global network of relationships with some of the world’s leading private, corporate, government, financial and non-profit institutions. Katrina holds every engagement in the highest professional regard: she is devoted, thorough, detail-oriented, well organized, a self-starter and a closer, who seeks to boost efficiencies while saving resources without compromising quality, and her breadth of knowledge provides her with a great opportunity to see the big picture.  

Katrina has assisted a number of venture accelerators and funds with a wide span of functions and engagements, including having served as an entrepreneur-in-residence, provided services for the portfolio companies, including serving as a board member and filling in vacant positions, performed due diligence, business advisory, portfolio companies’ oversight, team building, creation of strategic partnerships, sales marketing and branding strategy development and deployment, all aspects of fundraising, M&A and contract negotiations among other responsibilities. She has participated in projects that helped bridge governments and the private sector, including formations of Public-Private-Partnerships worldwide, Government-to-Government and Government-to-Private alliances, market optimization and new market expansion. Katrina has also participated in various aspects of large signature private and PPP projects, including master planning, tendering process, finance, project management, construction, FF&E and other procurement and logistics services, including real estate development such as Emirates Palace in the UAE and the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi built as a luxury hotel-hospital. Katrina started her professional career in the security and defense industries, in the areas of surveillance, executive protection, communication security and anti-industrial espionage, in addition to designing technology and supervising multi- platform projects across the globe for private, corporate and government clients (100+ projects in 30+ countries). She is formerly trained as an intelligence officer, with specialization in signals intelligence.  

Some of Katrina’s past experiences include: CEO of World Technology Group, an AI/ML technology company that developed self-optimizing dynamic AI/ML platform with a deep expertise in Fintech (built trading software for multi-billion multi-manager hedge funds); Chairman (formerly CEO) of RoyalBlue Holdings/Sultan RoyalBlue, a security and defense consortium headquartered in the United Arab Emirates with offices in the Middle East, Europe and the US; Founding Partner of Crescent Green Energy Fund, a closed-end fund which invested in alternative/renewable powergen infrastructure projects; Entrepreneur-in-residence and special corporate development advisor for Aspire Ventures; Founder and Chairman of Why Not Entertainment, a full service production and marketing company as well as a developer of health and fitness products, including Elite Forces Rapid Readiness workout series (eliteforces.us) executive-produced by and starring Katrina; Founder and COO of Charmed Technology, one of the earliest wireless wearable technology companies built to revolutionize the way people and communities connect; VP of Investor Relations of S2COM (LEO satellite company); and an analyst for First Commercial Venture Capital firm.  

As a branding and marketing expert, she personally generated more than $400M in PR placements through her media appearances. Katrina has completed over 600 interviews in TV, print, radio and other media globally, including: 48 Hours, NBC, CNBC, CNN, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, BBC, Extra!, E! Entertainment, Sky TV, as well as hundreds of internationally syndicated programs and publications. She was featured in USA Today, Wired magazine’s “Must Read” Section, Los Angeles Times “Lifestyle” section, and was listed in Entertainment Weekly’s “100 most creative people in entertainment”. She has produced and starred in international runway-style fashion extravaganzas featuring the newest advances in wearable technology that was sponsored by a number of globally recognizable brands (such as Motorola, Microsoft, etc.) including: New York (72k attendees), Los Angeles (50k attendees), Paris, London, Sydney, Hong Kong, Berlin, Beijing, Tel Aviv, Singapore, etc.  

Katrina is a passionate philanthropist, and likes to take on active roles, including serving as a board member. She is actively seeking to develop venture philanthropy and sustainable charity sectors and assist nonprofit organizations in the development and formation of unique structures, collaborations, and opportunities. Some of her current and past involvements include: Co-Founder and board member (formerly Executive Director) of True Pals Animal Welfare Society, Inc. fostering great stewardship and improving the health and well-being of animals, people and the environment; Managing Director of Global Growth Partners, a venture philanthropy/positive impact enterprise; a member of Philanthropy Roundtable; a senior associate of the Foresight Institute (nanotech development to improve human condition); a Founder and Chairman of World Fitness Organization; Co-Founder and title sponsor of a hockey team, Elite Forces, a multi-champion in the semi-professional league whose goal is to enhance sports and fitness activities in the region as well as providing young talent with continuous opportunities to develop their skills and experience in preparation to being selected for a professional career in sports; and a volunteer at a number of charitable organizations including animal shelters and rescues.