John Paglia

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Dr. John Paglia has served as an advisor to SUM Ventures since May 2022, including time as a Managing Partner. Dr. Paglia is also an independent board director and audit committee chair for Aeluma, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALMU) and Simulations Plus, Inc. (NASDAQ: SLP), and an advisor to venture capital firms and startup companies. After 25 years with Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business, serving in a variety of academic and leadership roles, John retired in July 2025 with the honorary title of Professor Emeritus of Finance. He also served as a consultant to the Library of Congress and the U.S. Congress, where he testified as an expert on the Small Business Administration’s private equity and venture capital program. John is a recipient of several prestigious industry awards for his work on the financing and capital markets. Dr. Paglia holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration (Finance), an MBA, a B.S. in Finance, and is a Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst, and NACD Directorship Certified™.