Dr. JT Kostman

Dr. JT Kostman is a leading voice in Applied AI and Behavioral Data Science, with executive roles as Chief Data Scientist at Samsung and Chief Data Officer at Time Inc. He has advised Fortune-500 CEOs, U.S. intelligence agencies, and President Barack Obama. As Co-Founder of CodeLock—named a TechCrunch Top-200 Global Startup—JT has paired AI with behavioral science to harden the software supply chain. He has participated in 50+ M&A transactions and served on the board of a VC/PE fund with $350M AUM. A decorated U.S. Army veteran and former paramedic, police officer, and deep-sea rescue diver, JT’s arc—from homelessness to internationally respected scientist and investor—embodies EmberGrow’s ethos. He mentors with Alchemist Accelerator, serves as an EIR for CUNY Startups, and has taught in MBA programs at Baruch, Rutgers, and UConn. His doctoral and post-doctoral studies span psychology, behavioral economics, and mathematics at CUNY, NYU, and Columbia, with additional NSF/NATO fellowships. He is the architect of EmberGrow’s GRIT founder assessment and VISTA trendcasting platform.