Cara Giannandrea

Associate Manager, Business Development and Licensing

Bio

Cara has been with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) since 2016, working in Transition Services at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI).  In 2022, Cara joined the Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation (CTTEC).  At CTTEC, in conjunction with the Senior Licensing Manager, she works with faculty, staff and students on technology originating from the Robotics Institute.  

After receiving her bachelor's degree in Psychology, Cara worked in community mental health.  While working in the mental health field, she had an opportunity to work on SaaS applications in the client population, eventually leading her to work at an early-stage startup.  During this time, she became passionate about commercializing innovative technology.

Cara has held different positions in corporate and academia.  She has worked in sales and customer management at a scientific vacuum company.  Then, in 2016, Cara joined the SEI at CMU, working in Transition Services.  While at the SEI, she was able to work with the Chief Strategy Office on an organization-wide change management project while also upholding her duties as Manager of Sales in the Transition Services group.  In 2021, Cara obtained her MBA from the Tepper School of Business at CMU.  While a graduate student, she was able to work directly with startups and fortune 500 companies, ranging from consumer technology to B2B applications, providing consultation on business development, funding, growth strategy, valuation and customer research.

Cara is a native Pittsburgher. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her partner and her dog, mountain biking, snowboarding and making music.