Frances Klimczak

Frances Klimczak leads Government Partnerships at Lila Sciences, where she shapes strategy and relationships that bring transformative AI-for-science technology to federal agencies and global partners. She began at Lila as Chief of Staff during the company’s growth from 30 to over 300 employees, implementing organizational design frameworks and managing investor relations that secured $200 million in seed funding. Before joining Lila, she founded Bridge Watch Consulting, a social-impact LLC focused on economic development and leadership consulting for non-profit and NGO executives, where she restructured regional organizations and led community planning initiatives.

Frances spent eight years in the U.S. Navy, serving aboard USS Halsey as the Gunnery Officer, commanding an MKVI Patrol Boat, and serving on the Chief of Naval Operations strategic action group at the Pentagon. She led sailors on two western Pacific deployments and provided critical operational perspective to senior leadership. Her navy experience taught her the undeniable value of mission-critical collaboration and high-performance teams. Frances holds an MPP/MBA from the Yale Jackson School and Yale School of Management, and an MA in National Security from the Naval War College. She received her BA in Mathematics with a concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies at the College of the Holy Cross.