Venture Partner
Lakshmi Natarajan brings more than two decades of experience in strategy, commercial leadership, and business transformation across Fortune 500 companies and high-growth startups. Her work combines corporate operating experience with venture investing and hands-on advisory support, with a focus on helping organizations translate strategy into sustainable growth.
Lakshmi is Head of Venture Strategy and Investment at Xanara Advisors, a UAE-based multi-family office, where she focuses on growth-stage venture and fund investments and pre-IPO opportunities. She is also the Founder and CEO of Excelador, providing strategic consulting and fractional executive leadership to startups, private equity portfolio companies, and established enterprises. Her advisory experience spans healthcare, property technology, sustainability, and B2B software, including healthcare company SonALAsense.
Her career includes leadership roles at American Express, Accenture, GlaxoSmithKline, and Compass, alongside consulting engagements involving Oracle and Marriott. At GlaxoSmithKline, she served as Vice President of Primary Care Sales, bringing direct experience in pharmaceutical commercialization and go-to-market execution. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Lakshmi also mentors entrepreneurs through programs including Built in Miami and Mana Tech. She brings a global perspective to supporting founders, building teams, and scaling businesses.