Luana Lopes Lara is a Brazilian-American entrepreneur, co-founder, and CTO of Kalshi, a prediction market platform that enables trading on real-world events like elections and economic indicators.

Background

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Mathematics, plus a Master of Engineering from MIT, where she conducted research in areas like cognitive science and AI. Earlier, she trained in classical ballet at Escola do Teatro Bolshoi no Brasil and performed professionally.

Career Highlights

• Researcher and teaching assistant at MIT labs including CSAIL and Media Lab (2014-2019).

• Quantitative trader roles at Citadel Securities, Five Rings, and software engineering at Bridgewater Associates.

• Founded Kalshi in 2019 after Y Combinator's W19 batch, growing it into a regulated exchange amid legal battles with the CFTC.

• Won a Gold Medal in the Brazilian Astronomy and Astronautics Olympiad, highlighting early analytical prowess.