Team

The people behind Niva

Niva exists because years of building and deploying AI at the world's largest companies revealed a problem that none of them were solving. The team combines experience across AI engineering at hyperscale, enterprise technology operations with S&P 500 clients, and deep domain expertise in physical science, chemistry, and robotics.

We are building a company where ownership, directness, and intellectual rigor define how we work. The best ideas win regardless of where they come from. As the team grows, that principle scales with it: capable, curious people given the autonomy to do exceptional work on problems that matter.

Todd Peterson

Founder & CEO

Focus: Product vision, technical leadership, strategic partnerships

Background: 30+ years in software engineering, AI/ML engineering, and technical program leadership. Principal AI/ML roles at Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft, including leading Azure's early infrastructure scaling to 1M+ servers and bringing 22 computer vision and AI services from Microsoft Research to public launch.

Education: INSEAD; University of Cambridge; UCLA

Ross Peterson

Founder & COO

Focus: Operations, commercial execution, organizational scaling

Background: 25+ years in consulting, operations, and risk across life sciences, financial services, manufacturing, and technology. Led AI deployments, governance, and operational excellence with S&P 500 clients including 3M, AMGEN, Ford, Gilead, and Google at Cognizant and Accenture.

Education: UK Defence Academy; University of St. Andrews; Muhlenberg College

François Ayoub, PhD

Advisor, Physical Science

Data Scientist IV at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Previously Scientist Engineer at Caltech (13 years) and Founder of Imagin'Labs Corporation. 3,870+ citations.

Emmanuelle Despagnet-Ayoub, PhD

Advisor, Battery Chemistry

Full Professor and Chair of the Chemistry Department at Occidental College. Technologist and Academic Partner at NASA JPL. Previously Visiting Faculty at Caltech and Chargée de Recherche at CNRS.

Ademola Oridate, PhD

Consultant, Robotic Manufacturing

Robotics researcher at UT Austin focused on novel additive manufacturing techniques. Engineering background combined with business and management consulting experience at multinational firms.