Ela Madej is a Polish-born serial entrepreneur who founded multiple companies starting at age 21 before becoming a venture investor, giving her a founder's perspective when working with technical teams building global businesses from Central and Eastern Europe. She focuses specifically on deep tech companies that use frontier technologies like synthetic biology and biocomputing to advance UN Sustainable Development Goals, positioning herself as an early believer who helps scientists translate research into scalable businesses that tackle problems like feeding 10 billion people and decarbonizing industry.

• Deep interest in hard science and biology, specifically regarding synthetic biology, biorisks, and the origins of scientific discovery. She shares fascination with technical nuances, such as the concept of mirror life made from synthetic molecules or how CRISPR was discovered through yogurt starter culture research.
• Passion for the intersection of art and technology, often viewing company building and technical progress through a creative or poetic lens. She actively seeks to merge these worlds, evidenced by her request for warehouse space in San Francisco to build an art installation for experimental dinners and her description of turning her venture firm into an immersive deep tech theater company.
• A focus on AI alignment and safety approached with a philosophical and community-driven mindset. She organizes initiatives to tackle these challenges, such as an incubator for AI safety, while also exploring deeper questions about intelligence, such as using terms like sophonts to describe reasoning beings rather than just saying AI.
• Emphasis on community building and maintaining radical hope during times of rapid change. She frequently highlights the importance of gathering in person to explore frontiers, whether through hosting events for builders, attending the Foresight Institute Vision Weekend, or celebrating connecting different ecosystems like Poland and San Francisco.