Ellie Bahrmasel

Ellie Bahrmasel is the Founder and CEO of Peranaut, a consumer house shaping the future for a flourishing life in the Age of the Centenarian. Peranaut invests in bold, early-stage consumer tech and brand startups through a mix of capital, community, and strategic support.

Ellie’s career spans the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, where she’s applied human-centered design and systems thinking to drive collaborative innovation. Her work includes partnerships with Comcast, The Kennedy Forum, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, The Roddenberry Fellowship, and international startup accelerators.

Before Peranaut, Ellie led Further Faster, a venture studio that supported over 70 early-stage startups, developed accelerator programs, and helped reimagine fund strategies for clients worldwide.

Ellie also teaches at the Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship at Illinois Tech and is a member of the BMW Herbert Quandt Responsible Leaders Network and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs Emerging Leaders 2022 cohort. She co-chairs the All Raise Emerging Managers cohort, advancing gender equity in venture capital.

A lifelong Chicagoan, Ellie lives in Albany Park with her husband, Matt Altstiel, and their rescue dog, Ozzy.