Christopher Smith Padilla is the Founder and CEO of La Cima Ventures, an investment and advisory firm dedicated to helping early-stage companies scale through strategic capital and hands-on partnership. With a background spanning entrepreneurship, venture development, and federal contracting, Christopher brings a disciplined yet founder-focused approach to building sustainable, high-impact businesses.

Guided by the philosophy behind La Cima—“the summit”—he believes in empowering visionary teams to reach their highest potential through strategy, integrity, and execution.

Beyond his work in venture capital, Christopher finds balance through time with his wife Irem, family, and close friends. He’s an avid concertgoer, hiker, and traveler who draws inspiration from new experiences and the communities he encounters along the way.

Crystal Rosas Smith – Operations Director, La Cima Ventures Inc.

Crystal Rosas Smith brings a wealth of hospitality experience to La Cima Ventures Inc., having rapidly advanced from team member to Store Director at Chick-fil-A Cedar Park, TX. She led a team of 137 employees and a leadership group of 18, overseeing financial performance, labor and food cost management, and team development.

As Operations Director, Crystal leverages her operational expertise to drive growth in La Cima Ventures’ hospitality initiatives while ensuring precise cost control and operational excellence across the company. Outside of work, she loves traveling to new places and exploring coffee shops.

Lorie Jane Cadag

Sourcing & Proposal Manager, La Cima Ventures Inc.

Lorie Jane Cadag serves as the Sourcing and Proposal Manager at La Cima Ventures Inc., where she oversees the full lifecycle of federal and commercial proposal operations. With deep expertise in FAR-compliant proposal development, sourcing, and compliance management, she ensures every submission meets the highest standards of accuracy, competitiveness, and timeliness.

Lorie manages everything from compliance matrices, pricing and quoting, sourcing strategies, scheduling, and submission logistics—handling the process from A to Z. Her meticulous attention to detail and strong organizational skills make her an invaluable part of La Cima’s operational excellence.

Prior to joining La Cima Ventures, Lorie honed her proposal management and administrative expertise through roles at Cassiel AI and BaRupOn LLC. She holds a Bachelor’s in Electronics Engineering and has completed specialized training in Government Contract Proposal Writing.