Your Enterprise
Champions

Laura Plunkett is the Vice President of Startup Engagement and Head of Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs. In this role she acts as a bridge between Comcast and the startup ecosystem to identify opportunities that accelerate innovation to meet growth goals. She deeply believes in the value that can be created at the intersection of enterprises and startups. Laura holds a BS in Business and Economics from Lehigh University and earned an MBA at INSEAD, a leading global business school based in Fontainebleau, France and Singapore. In her free time she loves nothing more than to hike with her two rescue dogs, Bogey and Penny.

Luke Butler is Executive Director of Startup Engagement for Comcast NBCUniversal and Head of the LIFT Labs Accelerator. In this role he identifies strategically relevant startups from around the world to explore partnerships with Comcast, NBCUniversal and Sky. He brings decades of experience working in corporations, startups and government and holds degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Pennsylvania.

Katie Teuber serves as the Director of Startup Engagement at Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs. With a passion for innovation and business development, Katie is at the forefront of connecting emerging startups with Comcast NBCUniversal business leaders. Her role involves collaborating with diverse internal teams to identify, develop, and pilot groundbreaking ideas through the LIFT Labs Accelerator, fostering a culture of creativity and strategic growth. Katie completed her undergraduate at Ursinus College and has her MBA from Saint Joseph’s University. She has over a decade of experience working with Comcast, where she previously played a role in shaping the Xfinity Mobile business development strategy. Her unique blend of strategic insight and entrepreneurial spirit positions her as a key player in driving media and technology innovation.

Tito Obaisi is the Senior Manager of Pipeline and Insights for the Startup Engagement Team at Comcast NBCUniversal. He has experience in growth, product, operations, and expansion strategy at early-stage startups across various industries, including digital health, Web3, supply chain logistics, and food sustainability. Tito has worked with numerous founders as a venture partner with GoingVC Partners and a freelance business strategy consultant. As the Founder and Principal of TTOX, Tito guided first-time entrepreneurs through developing business plans, conducting market research, developing buyer personas, go-to-market strategies, and more. Tito graduated with a B.A. in Government, Economics, and Philosophy and a M.A. in International Business & Policy from Georgetown University. He also completed post-graduate Social Innovation Management studies at the Amani Institute in Sao Paulo, Brazil. An avid soccer fan, Tito has spent seven years as a weekly contributor to SB Nation’s Liverpool FC blog delivering team news, opinion, and analysis.

Aize Asowata is the Senior Marketing Manager at Comcast NBCUniversal, where she leads marketing strategy for LIFT Labs. LIFT Labs gives founders access to Comcast NBCUniversal’s network, insights, and resources to grow faster—while helping leaders across the business stay ahead of what’s next.

She is the co-creator and executive producer of the docuseries Founding in Color and Culture Capital, which explore the journeys of startup founders and the evolving relationship between venture capital and innovation.

With a strong background in content creation, digital media, and television production, Aize has developed campaigns for Serena Williams, John Legend, 2 Chainz, Toyota Music, Sirius XM, and more. She also served as the lead Content Strategist for Lionsgate’s theatrical release All Eyez On Me. Aize brings a creative, data-driven approach to every project—focused on strategy, storytelling, and results.

Kristina Rahusen is the Senior Manager of Startup Engagement at Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs. Passionate about strategic partnerships, Kristina fosters connections between founders and leaders to drive forward groundbreaking initiatives within Comcast NBCUniversal. She has over six years of experience with Comcast, collaborating across multiple departments to ensure effective internal controls. Her experience evaluating and managing risk in financial reporting allows Kristina to bring a strategic, methodical approach to selecting and evaluating startups and structuring partnerships. Kristina has a unique ability to align innovative ideas with strategic business goals and has guided startups through the process of working with a large enterprise. Kristina holds a B.S. in accounting and an MBA from Jefferson University.

Allison Bishop is Program Manager at Comcast NBCUniversal. In that role, she coordinates and manages projects for the LIFT Labs team, ensuring that all stakeholders stay on track and meet deadlines. She also serves as the Community Manager at LIFT Labs, supporting programming/events as well as giving tours of the space to create a welcoming environment. Allison previously served in manager roles with Stockton & Partners Meetings and Events, Marriott International, Independence Visitor Center Corporation, and GEP Destination Management.