2024 Innovation Ecosystem Summit

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Alison Evans is an Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development Specialist with SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation where she manages the Regional Innovation Cluster Initiative. Alison was formerly a Presidential Management Fellow with the SBA and through her fellowship she worked in the Office of Investment and Innovation, Office of Women’s Business Ownership, and Office of Credit Risk Management. She also did a detail to the Department of Treasury’s Office of Recovery Programs (now Office of Capital Access) where she worked with the Interagency Community Investment Committee.

Prior to joining public service, Alison worked with Lewis-Burke Associates LLC, a government relations and consulting firm focused on higher education and science policy. Alison has spent her career in policy and is focused on community and economic development to support communities and enable people to build generational wealth and a high quality of life.

Alison has a Masters in City and Regional Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s of Science in Biochemistry from Arizona State University.

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Serial entrepreneur and ecosystem builder, Julie Lenzer, is the Chief Innovation Officer at the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI). Part of the Manufacturing USA network, ARMI is a member-based nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the bioeconomy of the U.S. Julie is charged with building the ecosystem and resources for startups with cell-, tissue-, and organ- based therapies as well as enabling technologies across the supply chain. Through the City of Manchester’s winning $44M EDA’s Build Back Better grant, she helped launch the BioFab Startup Lab and is the Regional Innovation Officer of the ReGen Valley Tech Hub, which was recently funded an additional $44M by US Economic Development Administration.

Prior to joining ARMI, Julie served as Chief Innovation Officer at the University of Maryland (UMD) where she was responsible for the technology transfer office, Small Business Development Center, and was Founding Director of the Quantum Startup Foundry. She helped launch the Innovation Extension University Center and was on the investment committees for the Maryland Momentum and Discovery funds.

In 2014, Julie was appointed Director of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. There, she drove programs and policies that support innovative economic development such as innovation-based entrepreneurship and regional innovation clusters. As a Senior Advisor to the Secretary, she led the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) and was tapped to represent the U.S. as the innovation lead at the G20 in China.

She also served as Executive Director of the Maryland Center for Entrepreneurship, the co-chair of Startup Maryland and co-founder of the Path Forward Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a nonprofit helping women launch tech-based businesses where she leveraged her experiencing building a manufacturing

Julie was appointed by the SBA Administrator Isabelle Guzman as the Vice Chair of the Invention, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee and was a founding board member of the Center for American Entrepreneurship. Ms. Lenzer holds a B.S. in computer science from Texas A&M, a Certificate in Machine Learning from Stanford, and her Masters in Machine Learning from UMD.

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Arjun Gupta is the Founder and Chief Believer of TeleSoft Partners, a venture capital firm which he founded in 1996. TeleSoft was licensed by SBA for two SBICs covering 1997-2012. Arjun invests directly in portfolio companies and fund-of-funds investments. Over the last 25 years, he has invested directly or indirectly in over 250+ private technology companies, resulting in 150+ acquisitions and IPOs (including 60+ unicorns). Over this period, Arjun raised cumulative capital commitments of over $1+ billion. He was on the Forbes Midas List of the Top 100 Venture Capital Investors in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. Earlier in his career, Arjun was a strategy consultant for high-tech clients with McKinsey & Company and a software engineer and product specialist for Tektronix, Inc. In 2001, Arjun launched a family foundation. The foundation or Arjun personally has supported numerous non-profit projects.

Arjun is a passionate outdoorsman. He was a Liaison Officer with the Indian Mountaineering Foundation and has climbed with 6 Himalayan expeditions to peaks over ~20,000 feet. He was a member of the 100th Anniversary Ski Expeditions to the North Pole and to the South Pole. Arjun was elected a Fellow of the Explorer’s Club (USA); a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society (UK), and FAO of the UN appointed Arjun a Mountain Partnership Goodwill Ambassador.

Arjun received his MBA from Stanford University, MS and BS (Phi Beta Kappa) in Computer Science from Washington State University, and BA (Honors) in Economics from St. Stephen’s College (India). Arjun is an Advanced Leadership Fellow (ALI) from Harvard University and a Henry Crown Fellow and Trustee of the Aspen Institute. He is a co-founder and former co-chair of YPO Aspen. Arjun is a naturalized US citizen and lives in Colorado.

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Ian Johnston is the Director of Emerging Ecosystems at The Engine, an MIT-founded organization focused on advancing Tough Tech ventures. Based in Cambridge, MA, The Engine houses over 90 Tough Tech startups and provides state-of-the-art facilities including chem labs, bio labs, machine shops, collaborative workspaces, and a suite of translational programs.

Ian leads the scaling, development, and execution of The Engine’s translational programming. He directs programs such as Blueprint, a bootcamp for PhDs, postdocs, and researchers that has supported more than 600 potential startup teams across 115 institutions in the U.S. Additionally, he oversees the Whiteboard program, designed for PIs and faculty exploring entrepreneurial pathways.

In tandem, Ian supports the NSF Builder Platform, an NSF funded initiative supporting the ten NSF Regional Innovation Engines—an NSF-backed program designed to catalyze innovation ecosystems around the US.

Prior to his work with The Engine Accelerator, Ian spent over three years with The Engine Ventures team, where he led investments in early-stage Tough Tech companies, offered hands-on portfolio support, and guided founder programming. Ian holds a Ph.D. in Cardiovascular and Hematologic Pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania and has a background in Biomedical Engineering.

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Dr. Brenna Teigler is the Chief Fellowship Officer at Activate and manages entrepreneurial research fellowships from recruitment to alumni across all communities of fellows Activate supports. Previously, she was a Program Operations Manager at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), working with the Cyclotron Road Division, a founding partner of Activate. Prior to LBNL, she was an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). At DOE she worked on the Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative and Technology to Market teams. Teigler has a PhD in Biophysics from Harvard and BS in Physics from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

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Aaron Miller is the Director of the International Business Development (IBD) program at the Virginia Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) - George Mason University. He also serves as the National Co-Chair for the America’s SBDC International Interest Section where he interfaces with federal government agencies to coordinate trade policy and programming for small businesses. Aaron was elected as the Chairman of the Virginia/DC District Export Council, a volunteer organization comprised of experts in international trade appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to support the mission of the U.S. Commercial Service. Mr. Miller has been a long-time appointee to the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s Virginia Advisory Committee.

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Mr. Bittman holds a Professional Science Master’s degree in Nanotechnology, a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Physical, Biomedical, and Behavioral Sciences) from the University of Central Florida. John also received a Graduate Certificate in Technology Ventures from the University of Central Florida and a Certificate in Policy Strategy from the Brookings Institution.

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Christie studied business management at Saint Leo University (BA), aeronautical science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (MAS), and aerospace engineering at Old Dominion University (MS). Christie’s earlier-stage NASA career was focused on aeroelasticity, performing wind tunnel testing and analysis of fixed wing subsonic and supersonic aircraft. Prior to her work at NASA, Christie spent 13 years working in the restaurant business, paving the way for networking opportunities that ultimately led to her position at NASA. She grew up in Virginia Beach and resides in Yorktown, VA.

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Vanessa Peña serves as the Director of Technology Transfer Policy for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Technology Transitions. In this role, she advises and guides DOE's Chief Commercialization Officer on DOE strategic planning, policy, and priorities related to technology transfer, including complex issues in science and technology, innovation, economic competitiveness, and national security.

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Megan Holcomb is a climate scientist and ecosystem engineer with over 15 years of experience in the sectors of public research, public policy, and capacity building startups. Currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer at LabStart, Megan is dedicated to enhancing tech transfer accessibility to accelerate climate technology solutions. Her work emphasizes high-conflict consensus building, facilitating community-led change, and executive-level empowerment for accelerated climate adaptation. Megan has assisted hundreds of communities, rural and urban, adapt to the increasing pressures of natural hazards such as drought, flood, and wildfire. A key figure in environmental governance, Megan was appointed by Governor Polis to Colorado's first Environmental Justice Advisory Board, drafted the state’s first Climate Equity Plan, and founded the state’s Interagency Climate Team, managing complex climate programs and funding across departmental silos. Megan specializes in strategic cross-industry partnerships, innovative funding mechanisms, and transparent decision-making processes that promote inclusion and community resilience.

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Rudloff holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from The Ohio State University, a Masters in Political Management from George Washington University, and a Doctor of Business Administration from Florida Institute of Technology.

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Lucy Brennan leads initiatives to support Chicagoland's early-stage tech founders through TechRise, a multi-stakeholder program aimed at bringing together capital, networks, and knowledge to help underrepresented entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses.

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Nikki Powis is the Director of Small Business Programs for National Disability Institute. Nikki is responsible for the strategic direction and implementation of NDI’s multiple small business initiatives serving entrepreneurs and small business owners with disabilities. Her role includes championing NDI’s efforts to expand Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within the entrepreneurial eco-system and supporting entrepreneurs with disabilities to start, build and grow their businesses. Prior experience includes over 20 years managing programs to advance economic opportunities for underrepresented and underserved populations at the local, state, and national level. Nikki brings both extensive professional experience, and as a parent of a child with a disability, personal knowledge and passion into her work toward positive change.

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Alison Evans is an Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development Specialist with SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation where she manages the Regional Innovation Cluster Initiative. Alison was formerly a Presidential Management Fellow with the SBA and through her fellowship she worked in the Office of Investment and Innovation, Office of Women’s Business Ownership, and Office of Credit Risk Management. She also did a detail to the Department of Treasury’s Office of Recovery Programs (now Office of Capital Access) where she worked with the Interagency Community Investment Committee.

Prior to joining public service, Alison worked with Lewis-Burke Associates LLC, a government relations and consulting firm focused on higher education and science policy. Alison has spent her career in policy and is focused on community and economic development to support communities and enable people to build generational wealth and a high quality of life.

Alison has a Masters in City and Regional Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s of Science in Biochemistry from Arizona State University.

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Amanda Kosty is a Program Officer for EDA’s Tech Hubs program, helping to lead federal government efforts to accelerate innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology-based economic development in federally designated Tech Hubs around the country. In addition, she serves as the program lead for the Build to Scale program and has helped to launch many of EDA’s national programs, including Good Jobs Challenge, and Build Back Better Regional Challenge.

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Annette Finsterbusch is acting head of the Small Businesses Section and a Strategic Advisor within the U.S. National Science Foundation's Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships.

Prior to joining NSF, she was CEO of three venture-backed companies: EnPower, Inc., a lithium-ion battery company in Indianapolis, IN; Ketra, Inc., a lighting controls company in Austin, TX; and MindShadow.com, a personalized search engine company in Palo Alto, CA. Ms. Finsterbusch was also the founder and Senior Director of Applied Ventures, the venture capital arm of Applied Materials. She also spent three years investing on behalf of the International Finance Corporation and began her venture career as an Investment Manager for DaimlerChrysler Venture Capital.

Ms. Finsterbusch has served as both a member and Chair of the NSF Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Advisory Committee, and an appointed member of the US Economic Development Administration’s National Advisory Committee on Entrepreneurship and Innovation (NACIE). She is a Kaufmann Fellow (Class 11), where she was awarded the inaugural Jeffrey Timmons Service Award.

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Dr. Diana Bauer is the Deputy Director of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) Dr. Bauer helps lead the strategic direction and execution of AMMTO’s funding to advance energy-related materials and manufacturing technologies to increase domestic competitiveness and build a clean, decarbonized economy.

Dr. Bauer has departmental and interagency leadership roles in energy storage and critical materials. Before joining AMMTO, Diana directed the Office of Energy Systems Integration Analysis within the Department’s Office of Policy, where she and her staff looked at the connection between energy and other systems. She was the lead author of The Water-Energy Nexus: Challenges and Opportunities in 2014. Also, in the policy office, she led the drafting of DOE’s 2010 and 2011 Critical Materials Strategy reports.

Before coming to DOE, Diana led the extramural sustainability research program at the Environmental Protection Agency, which focused on green engineering, green chemistry, green buildings, and transportation systems.

She has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering with a concentration in green design and manufacturing from the University of California, Berkeley.

Steve “Snak” Nakagawa serves as the Cenfluence Program Director for the Florida High Tech Corridor, an economic development organization for a 23-county region anchored by three of the country’s largest research institutions; the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of South Florida (USF) and the University of Florida (UF). The Corridor’s mission is to converge and catalyze the capacity of high tech, innovation, and bright minds to generate a global ripple effect that advances the lives of people in the communities it serves.  The Corridor’s Cenfluence program is the internationally recognized industry clustering initiative for Central Florida. Nakagawa served in the U.S. Navy for 28 years as a Naval Flight Officer and Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer, and had executive leadership positions in various acquisition program offices, Navy commands, and subsequently with defense contractors.  He joined The Corridor to serve on a yearlong grant effort as the Director of Workforce Programs in 2014-2015, and then returned in 2023 to lead the Cenfluence program. He has accomplished various academic and leadership programs at the University of Southern California, University of Tennessee Space Institute, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Defense Acquisition University, and the Darden School of Business; and has served in various positions on over 20 non-profit boards.

For over 20 years, Stephaney Bolden has been working to help individuals develop the skills necessary to become their own boss. She has utilized the skills she acquired in administration, project management and supervision to advance in her field of business development. Stephaney has worked with numerous partners to promote economic growth in the community. She has conducted educational workshops focused on teaching entrepreneurs to improve credit, gain access to capital and establish the right relationships to advance their businesses. Stephaney has been able to penetrate markets that previously lacked or had few avenues to access capital and has helped hundreds of businesses to gain the capital needed for their business. She has guided business owners through the process of formulating, registering and documenting transactions in their business. She has managed a portfolio of over $150,000 per month while being a support and mentor to numerous entrepreneurs throughout the states of Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas and Georgia. In 2020, She authored Business: Plain & Simple, a workbook focused on helping start-up businesses easily maneuver the process of registering their business, establish business credit and access business capital. In November of 2023, she joined the Urban League of Greater Atlanta to develop and manage the Capital Readiness Program funded through a 4 year grant administered by the Minority Business Development Agency in Washington. In this role, she assist business owners in becoming equipped to obtain capital and navigate the procurement and business certification processes. Her passion is to assist and mentor small business owners to achieve their innermost vision and become a business owner.

Rebecca serves as the Vice President of Regional Innovation Clusters (RICs) at AgLaunch in Memphis, Tennessee. She oversees the regional cluster activities in AgLaunch’s strategic regions, including the Delta, Appalachia, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest. These clusters build upon the competitive advantages of their region and support the economic development within the food and ag industries. She has previously served in the Biden-Harris Administration at the US Dept. of Agriculture, as well as the Director of Policy and Research for the Delta Regional Authority, specializing in rural community development and entrepreneurship.

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Cecilia Wessinger is the Director for Global Community at the Global Entrepreneurship Network. She serves as the primary interface between GEN and its leadership teams in nations around the world. Prior to joining GEN, Cecilia was a consultant with the Kauffman Foundation and has led small group mastermind workshops and cohorts around the world. She has extensive experience mentoring and advising startup founders, ecosystem builders and organizations. As a certified Cultural Competency and Unconscious Bias facilitator, she moves conversations beyond diversity and inclusion to connecting, engaging, and belonging. Cecilia has served as a speaker, facilitator and panelist at innovation and entrepreneurship focused events such as OECD, Inventures, and ESHIP Summit. She has judged and supported pitch competitions for SXSW, U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of State's Global Innovation through Science and Technology program. She currently serves on the board(s) of the Ecosystem Builders Leadership Network and Institute for Work and the Economy, and has served on over a dozen non-profit boards in her local community ranging from the arts to education and entrepreneurship. She is a former travel industry professional who has lived, worked, and traveled throughout the world.

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Andy Stoll is a serial social entrepreneur and producer who has co-founded seven entrepreneurial-focused organizations. He currently serves as the founding executive director of the Ecosystem Building Leadership Network (EBLN) --- a newly forming national network designed to advance entrepreneurship ecosystem building as a valued practice, a trusted profession, and a model for economic health and community well-being in the United States.

Andy previously served as Senior Program Officer in Entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation. He is a sought-after speaker on leadership, creativity, entrepreneurship, communities, and travel, and has been a featured speaker at SXSW, numerous TEDx events, and more than 100 universities and colleges. Andy has taught at Cornell College and The University of Iowa, served as a Global Facilitator for Startup Weekend, and completed a 4-year, 40-country solo trip around the world.

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Nathan Ohle is an internationally recognized expert in economic development and currently serves as the President & CEO of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers, with more than 5,000 members globally. In 2017, he was selected as one of 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in economic development internationally.

Nathan’s economic development experience and leadership span decades at the local, state, and federal levels. Before joining IEDC, Nathan was the Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), a national network of non-profit partners working to build capacity in rural and tribal communities across the country. Nathan served the Senior Advisor at the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), overseeing policy and external affairs and at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

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Chelsea Linder is an ecosystem builder with in-depth experience leading and managing venture development and investment programs across the globe. She joined TechPoint in July 2023 as VP of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, where she leads TechPoint’s entrepreneurship and innovation programming and strategy and advises on organizational capital formation. She brings over a decade of experience as a leader working in the tech and entrepreneurship space alongside public, academic, non-profit and private partners. Prior to her current role, Chelsea served as Partner at gener8tor, a nationally-ranked startup accelerator and venture capital firm.

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As Global Detroit’s founding director, Steve has led the growth of the organization from an 18-month research and engagement process to a thriving nonprofit organization regarded as a national leader in advancing immigrant-inclusive economic development. Steve also led the creation and growth of the Welcoming Economies Global Network, a 10-state regional network of immigrant economic development initiatives and co-led the economic integration session at the Obama White House’s first immigrant integration convening. Prior to Global Detroit, Steve launched several other innovative nonprofit enterprises in community development and other arenas. From 2003-2008, he served as a state representative from Michigan’s 12th State House District in Detroit, ending his term as the majority floor leader.

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Jim Newton has an extensive background in commercial lending, export finance, and risk management.

Mr. Newton joined SBA’s Office of International Trade in January of 2015. He currently serves as the Export Finance Manager for Oregon, Southwest Washington, Southern Idaho, Northern Nevada, Hawaii, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianna Islands providing small businesses with access to SBA’s Export Working Capital, Export Express and International Trade Loan Programs.

Prior to SBA, Newton was Director of Credit Portfolio Management for the Small Business Group at the Export-Import Bank of the United States. In that capacity, he served as Co-Team Lead for development and implementation of the Global Credit Express (GCE) – Direct Loan Program as well as Acting Vice President of the Small Business Finance Division. Mr. Newton had previously served as a Financial Manager for FDIC, Team Lead for Bank of America’s National Margin Maintenance Team, and Director of the California Export Finance Office. Altogether, he has 45 years of banking experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Oklahoma State University and has completed the coursework for the MBA Program at the University of Texas at Austin.

Roger joined the Indiana Economic Development Corporation in July 2019 and is currently serving as the Director, Global Trade and Federal Engagement. In his role, he works with Hoosier small business exporters while also contributing to the federal engagement efforts of the IEDC.

Prior to joining the IEDC, Roger served as the Diversion and Deferral Coordinator for the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office from 2017 to 2018. He was a selected to join the Governor’s Fellowship Program during Governor Eric Holcomb’s administration, where he focused on projects relating to foreign direct investment attraction and legislative affairs. He holds a double bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Indiana University Southeast. Roger resides in Indianapolis with his wife Tori, and their dog, Birdie. Roger is proud to be a seventh generation Hoosier originally from Southern Indiana.

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Brigitta Miranda-Freer has served as executive director of Montana World Trade Center (MWTC) since 2014 and as director of operations for MonTEC technology incubator since 2018. Spearheading the foreign direct investment initiative for the state of Montana, Brigitta and her team successfully executed the first-of-its-kind Select USA Tech Hub Spinoff event in June 2024, drawing FDI prospects from Taiwan, Germany and Japan to learn about Montana’s federally designated Tech Hub –which recognizes Montana’s expertise in smart, autonomous, photonic and remote sensing technologies and is heavily tied to leveraging research university partnerships.

Prior to her current roles, Brigitta served as director of business development for Missoula Economic Partnership, driving business attraction, retention, and expansion strategies for the community and membership manager for MWTC, counseling Montana exporters on global markets analysis, distributor/foreign partner identification and qualification, international shipping and logistics, and mitigation of foreign payment risk. She has also worked in international sales and marketing for Winner International and owned and operated a boutique import/export firm for 15 years. Brigitta holds undergraduate degrees in International Affairs and Spanish Latin American Area studies from the American University in Washington, DC and an MBA from the University of Montana.

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Leigh-Ann A. Buchanan, Esq., is a founder, investor, and strategic advisor. Her body of work leverages over 15 years of experience as an attorney and social impact executive to explore how tech, innovation and social investment intersect to unlock opportunity and transform communities. Her insights and ideas have been featured in the New York Times, Inc. Magazine, NPR, PBS, Bloomberg, the American Psychological Association, ABA Journal among others.

Notably, through a diverse portfolio of initiatives, including Nyah Project, Tech Equity Miami, Opportunity Connect and Venture Cafe Miami, Leigh-Ann has helped unlock over $75 million in philanthropic investment to bridge equity and access gaps for underrepresented communities.

She currently serves as the President & CEO of the Miami-Dade Innovation Authority, which invests and provides commercialization support to companies from across the globe to pilot test technology solutions to pressing public challenges in partnership with regional economic engines.

Leigh-Ann is also the founder of Nyah Project, which clears the pathway to college for underrepresented students through training and tech based tools designed to remove the practical and systemic barriers to higher education. Under her leadership, 100% of Nyah Fellows attend college and over 90% win scholarships — accumulating over $30 million in scholarships since 2014.

As an advisor, she works closely with leaders from private and public institutions, family offices and foundations to design social investment strategies that leverage tech and innovation to create more equitable and inclusive outcomes.

She is passionate about elevating the stories of inspiring innovators through content production projects, including the award-winning Innovation City podcast and the Hustle To Scale documentary, which was licensed by PBS for distribution.

Leigh-Ann previously served as Chair of the American Bar Association Coalition on Racial & Ethnic Justice. She holds executive certificates from Harvard Business School, INSEAD and Columbia Business School as well as a J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law and a B.A from Bethune-Cookman University.

She was raised in Vancouver, Canada and has traveled to more than 50 countries to date.

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Ann Peterson is the Program Director for Montana's FAST program working with Montana and Montana-affiliated companies learning about and completing for federal research and development funds through America's Seed Fund. She an MS in Mathematics from Montana State University and has over 20 years of experience in software sales and industry partnerships. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Montana Photonics & Quantum Alliance and works with other tech-based outreach programs across the state.

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Dr. Allison Forbes is SVP at the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC). She is a national expert in workforce development, talent development, and related data-driven decision making. Dr. Forbes has 19 years of experience working with federal, state, and local policymakers and stakeholders including: labor organizations, community colleges, entrepreneurship incubators, housing developers, environmental groups, and small businesses groups. At CREC, Dr. Forbes leads initiatives that align innovation and talent development with a focus on labor market information and methods for regional analysis.

Dr. Forbes holds a PhD in City and Regional Planning with a specialization in Economic Development from the University of North Carolina, and a Master of Community Planning degree from the University of Maryland. Her scholarly work focused on the practice of apprenticeship by German firms in North America and workforce skills, training provision, and job quality in manufacturing supply chains. She has published papers in Economic Development Quarterly, International Labor Relations Review, and Industry and Corporate Change. She also has a paper trail scattered across local newspapers and outdoor sports magazines.

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Amy leads the professional economic development team at 58 INC building tomorrow’s economy in Shelby County, Alabama. She brings more than 20 years of public and private sector work with communities and companies, including 5 years working at HudsonAlpha’s biotech campus in Huntsville. Amy serves on the board of BIO Alabama – connecting companies, investors, and entrepreneurial talent.

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Jason Rittenberg is the Principal of Excel Regional Solutions, a firm that strengthens America’s scientific and technological competitiveness by providing expert advocacy management, strategic development, and information services that advance regional, state, and federal policy and programs. Jason has managed advocacy campaigns to fund and authorize many economic development policies and has provided expert technical assistance that addresses the strategic, information, and communications needs of economic development organizations. Formerly, Jason was vice president at the State Science and Technology Institute and director of research and advisory services at the Council of Development Finance Agencies. An excellent communicator, Jason has presented, facilitated, and written for a wide array of audiences. Jason has an MA from the University of Illinois and a BS from Ohio University, both with a focus on political communication.

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Dana Catron serves as Interim Director of NMSU Arrowhead Center and Interim CEO of Arrowhead Center, Inc., a non-profit corporation created to support the mission of NMSU.She oversees multiple federal projects, programs, and initiatives focused on technology commercialization, R&D, and procurement, with an emphasis on SBIR/STTR programs and technology maturation. She is also the founder and director of the NM Clean Energy Resilience and Growth (CERG) cluster, funded through DOE. Ms. Catron received her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science (focus on bovine genomics) from Washington State University and a master’s and Ph.D. (in progress) in Rhetoric and Professional Communication from NMSU.

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Melissa has worked at the nexus of policy, entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development throughout her career. She is an ecosystem builder, entrepreneur, and native of De Soto, KS.

Before leading Kansas City's Tech Hub consortium, Melissa was Director of Entrepreneurship and Ecosystem Policy at the Federation of American Scientists and a Senior Program Officer at the Kauffman Foundation, where she led a grantmaking team focused on building more inclusive, collaborative, and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems in the Heartland. Previously, she held leadership roles in entrepreneurship support organizations, started her own business, led coalition-building efforts, and managed political campaigns. Melissa is deeply involved in her community, working both “in” and “on” Kansas City, through her involvement in KC Rising, BioKansas, the Ecosystem Building Leadership Project, the UMKC Center for Law, Entrepreneurship, & Innovation, and other volunteer activities. Melissa is also a lecturer at the KU School of Business.

In her free time, she and her husband Brad enjoy watching the Royals, perfecting brisket smoking techniques, and throwing dinner parties. Melissa earned an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management with a certificate in Business Analytics, and a bachelor’s degree in History from Boston College.

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Patrick Delehanty is the Director of Economic Research for the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy. In this role, Patrick leads a team of economists who conduct research on small business issues and evaluate the economic impacts of federal regulations on small businesses. Previously, Delehanty served as a regulatory economist for the office focusing on transportation, environmental, and trade policy. Prior to joining Advocacy, he worked as a key account manager in the transportation industry for a global third-party logistics provider. Patrick is a graduate of the Partnership for Public Service Excellence in Government Fellows Program. He holds a Master of Science in Economics from DePaul University in Chicago, IL, and a Bachelor of Science in Business from Miami University in Oxford, OH.

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Ebetuel (Beto) Pallares began his career as a management consultant focused primarily on the telecom and banking industries. He’s also been a start-up entrepreneur, a telecom executive, a restaurateur, a nonprofit director, a venture capitalist, and a professor. He is a private fund investment advisor and the general partner of a venture fund. Beto is a Kauffman Fellow and a Presidio Fellow and over the years has served on the board of over two dozen private companies. He also served on the board of Exagen, Inc. (NASDAQ: XGN). He holds a Ph.D. in International Business Strategy from the University of Texas at El Paso and a B.A. in economics from Brandeis University.

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Ify joined EFN as its inaugural executive director in September 2021. She is a vision-based, strategic thinker committed to collaborative approaches to building thriving communities. She applies a catalytic thinking model to capacity building, identifying and creating the conditions to bring out the best in stakeholders. She chooses vulnerability over fear, staying rooted in her core values of curiosity and courage. Her career includes launching a consulting practice named The Mudita Collective and working with such organizations as A Woman’s Place in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Hospital; Liberty Hill Foundation in Los Angeles, California; and serving on several boards of directors including PANO (Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations). Ify holds a BA in Politics from Mount Holyoke College and a MS in Nonprofit Management from Eastern University. She has two amazing daughters and loves to read, travel, or spend time with family and friends – sometimes all at the same time.

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Keishla brings over 15 years of expertise as an educator and university professor in Puerto Rico, with a background in strategic planning, accreditation, and grant writing across multiple institutions. Previously, she served as Director of the Center for Innovation and Technology at the Puerto Rico Small Business Development Centers (PR SBDC), where she co – wrote and led the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Assistance Program (PRidea), a FAST grant from the SBA. A milestone award for Puerto Rico since it hadn’t been awarded since 2015.

In her role, she applied her deep knowledge of SBIR and STTR programs to support entrepreneurs and researchers in advancing their innovations and commercializing their products. Her training portfolio spans SBIR fundamentals, competitive proposal writing, cybersecurity, commercialization, business planning for tech companies, intellectual property, and innovative funding sources. Keishla also reviews for the NSF’s SBIR programs.

Now, as the first Federal Programs Director at DECA, Keishla assists entrepreneurs with SBIR/STTR applications, guiding them through the grant process and helping them leverage Act 60 Puerto Rico tax incentives to maximize funding impact and access to capital.

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David works full-time at AMCC, overseeing its 2022 EDA Community of Practice award and managing several key grants and projects. As a professional in sustainable development and clean energy, he is passionate about interdisciplinary initiatives that intersect economic competitiveness, social equity, environmental sustainability, and national security.

David holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from American University and an M.P.S. in Project Management from Georgetown University. He is currently pursuing an M.S. in Energy Policy and Climate at Johns Hopkins University.

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Alison Evans is an Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development Specialist with SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation where she manages the Regional Innovation Cluster Initiative. Alison was formerly a Presidential Management Fellow with the SBA and through her fellowship she worked in the Office of Investment and Innovation, Office of Women’s Business Ownership, and Office of Credit Risk Management. She also did a detail to the Department of Treasury’s Office of Recovery Programs (now Office of Capital Access) where she worked with the Interagency Community Investment Committee.

Prior to joining public service, Alison worked with Lewis-Burke Associates LLC, a government relations and consulting firm focused on higher education and science policy. Alison has spent her career in policy and is focused on community and economic development to support communities and enable people to build generational wealth and a high quality of life.

Alison has a Masters in City and Regional Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s of Science in Biochemistry from Arizona State University.

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