Dillan DiNardo

Yo, have you heard about Dillan DiNardo? Dude’s the real deal in the biotech and psychedelics space. He’s the CEO and co-founder of Mindstate Design Labs, which is basically pushing the boundaries on what we think about consciousness and mental health. They’re not just doing typical biotech stuff, they’re actually designing new states of consciousness using AI, big data, and a ton of human experience. That’s some advanced shit, no cap.

Dillan came up in a pretty wild way. Grew up super religious, kind of a fundamentalist, and then at some point, he jumped into psychedelics. That totally flipped his world upside down. Instead of running from it, he decided to dive deep, explore what’s really going on inside our brains, and figure out how to shape those states for good. That’s what lit his fire, using science and tech to create therapeutic states, not just trippy experiences.

Before he started Mindstate, he was at UPMC Enterprises, a huge $1 billion venture fund. He’s managed over fifty investments in biotech, med tech, healthtech, so the guy’s got serious street cred in the biz. He’s also been involved in spinning out a bunch of early-stage companies, so he’s got the startup hustle in his DNA.

Getting into Y Combinator’s S21 batch was a massive win, raised $11.5 million from some of the biggest names out there: Initialized Capital, founders of OpenAI, Neuralink, Coinbase, Twitch, AngelList, holy shit, talk about a squad. That basically proves the world’s seeing him as the real deal. Now, they’re running clinical studies for their lead program, trying to turn this wild idea into real therapeutics.

What’s crazy about Dillan is how his story shows what it really means to start something that matters. He didn’t just jump into biotech because it’s a hot field, he’s driven by personal experience, curiosity, and a passion to help people. His transition from religious upbringing to exploring psychedelics and then building a company around it says a lot about his guts and vision. He’s all about intentionally designing mental states that can heal and transform lives, using AI and pharmacology as the tools.

Bottom line? Dillan’s the kind of founder who’s not just chasing tech fame. He’s on a mission to rewire how we understand and treat mental health. He’s built something that could genuinely change lives, and he’s doing it with the perfect mix of science, spirit, and hustle. No cap, he’s one of the most interesting folks in this space right now.