Kim Rael is CEO & Cofounder of Azuca, serving the global cannabis industry with best-in-class advanced ingredients and formulations for fast-acting, great-tasting, and predictable edible cannabis. Rael is an active community leader, currently serving as Chair of the Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico. She is a start-up veteran and long-time investor in innovation. She has extensive experience as an operating executive in both startup and Fortune 50 environments and as a venture capitalist. As an investor and board member she has worked closely with entrepreneurs advancing innovations in culinary technology, digital & physical infrastructure, energy and water.

Before her career in venture, she co-founded an advanced energy company and held numerous management positions at Intel, where she managed a $200 million capital budget, led planning for a $1 Billion expansion, and held roles in finance, operations and strategic planning. Prior to Intel, she served as an aide in the US Senate focusing on foreign affairs and science and technology policy.

Rael has broad experience on both corporate and community boards. Her corporate board experience spans multiple industries, including: water technology, semiconductors, software-as-a-service, digital media, banking and advanced materials companies. Rael’s community board service includes: New Mexico State Board of Finance; Presbyterian Hospital, the Albuquerque Public Schools Foundation, International Women’s Forum-NM and the Arts Alliance. Rael was the Founding President for an acclaimed Montessori Charter School. She has been featured as a New Mexico Business Weekly Power Broker and Top 10 Women of Influence. Rael is a member of the prestigious international Society of Kauffman Fellows and a Rotary Scholar. Rael has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard and an MBA from Stanford. She was named to the Inc. Female Founders 500 list in 2025.