Keynotes and Coaches

Morning Keynote: Dr. Marcus Collins

Dr. Marcus Collins is an award-winning marketer and cultural translator with one foot in the world of practice—formerly serving as the Head of Strategy at Wieden+Kennedy, New York—and one foot in the world of academia—as a marketing professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.

His deep understanding of brand strategy and consumer behavior has helped him bridge the academic-practitioner gap for blue-chip brands and startups alike. He is a recipient of Advertising Age's 40 Under 40 award and Crain's Business' 40 Under 40 award, and a recent inductee into the American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement. Most recently, he was recognized by Thinkers50 and Deloitte among their class of 2023 Radar List of 30 thinkers with the ideas most likely to shape the future.

Before joining Wieden+Kennedy, he served as the Chief Consumer Connections Officer at Doner Advertising and led Social Engagement at Steve Stoute’s advertising agency, Translation. Over the course of his career, Marcus has developed a practice for creating culturally contagious ideas that inspire people to take action. His strategies and creative contributions have led to the launch and success of Google’s “Real Tone” technology, the “Made In America” music festival, the Brooklyn Nets, and State Farm’s “Cliff Paul” campaign – among others.

Prior to his advertising tenure, Marcus began his career in music and tech with a startup he co-founded before working on iTunes + Nike sport music initiatives at Apple and running digital strategy for Beyoncé.

Marcus’ work centers squarely on the impact of culture and the power that comes from having great cultural proximity. His best-selling book, For The Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be, examines the influence of culture on consumption and unpacks how everyone from marketers to activists can leverage culture to get people to take action. Throughout the book, he relies on literature, case studies, his work with brands, and academic data to illustrate the “whys” and the “hows” so that readers will be empowered to successfully apply these learnings in their own pursuits.

Marcus holds a doctorate in marketing from Temple University where he studied cultural contagion and meaning-making. He received an MBA with an emphasis on strategic brand marketing from the University of Michigan, where he also earned his undergraduate degree in Material Science Engineering. He is a proud Detroit native, a devoted husband, and a loving father to Georgia and Ivy.

*ZLI is providing a copy of Marcus' most recently published book, "For the Culture" for each member of this 2023 Zell Alumni Summit cohort. Pick up this gift at the registration table on Thursday morning.

Lunch Keynote: Dr. Sanjeev Kumar

Dr. Sanjeev Kumar is part of the Technology & Operations faculty at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and teaches courses in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Advanced Analytics. Dr. Kumar holds a PhD from Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, as well as an MBA from Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad and BTech in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology - Kharagpur. Sanjeev's research and teaching interests include Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Big Data Analytics.

Sanjeev joined the Technology & Operations faculty at Ross in 2015. Since then Sanjeev has developed and taught courses at the leading edge of the confluence of technology and business. These courses include the only course at Ross focused on Artificial Intelligence in Business and a popular elective course on application of Machine Learning in business decision making. Sanjeev is the recipient of numerous teaching awards.

Prior to joining Michigan Ross, Sanjeev was on the faculty of the Lubar School of Business at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. Before his academic career, Sanjeev worked with Tata Technologies, Tata Motors, Arthur Andersen Business Consulting and KPMG Consulting.

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during Thursday afternoon sessions.

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Nadia Boutaoui, PhD, EMBA-Healthcare

I am the founder & CEO at NanoNaresInc, making drug development effective with better preclinical testing tools & Women Entrepreneurs In Healthcare Tech to support women in healthcare tech to become confident leaders and grow their businesses.I am a graduate of the National Institute of Agriculture, Algiers. I obtained my Ph.D.In plant genetics from the University of Reading, United Kingdom. I did research at the University of Massachusetts & Harvard Medical School before leading a genetics/epigenetics laboratory for 9 years at the University of Pittsburgh. I served as Co-Investigator on several NIH grants to understand the effect of genetic/epigenetic and environmental exposures on human health. I led the development efforts of new ideas and protocols to promote research in respiratory diseases. The laboratory work I led resulted in over 34high-impact peer-reviewed publications including Nature Genetics & the Lancet Respiratory Medicine. I am committed to moving technologies to the market because breakthrough technologies do not help anyone if they stay in the lab. I hold a graduate certificate in Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship and an executive MBA in healthcare. I served as a consultant for life science startups with Spartan Innovations, a philanthropic arm of Michigan State University & I coach healthcare tech companies to evaluate their innovations and go-to-market strategies.

AI for better drug development.

Business consulting in

-healthcare technology innovations

-product market fit

-expansion to new market segments

-management consulting & project management

Kimberly Dillon

Kimberly Dillon is a marketing executive with a focus on innovation and trend forecasting. She has worked at a number of tech startups across multiple industries. She has appeared on TV as an industry expert and was named a “Marketing star” by Adweek and an “Entrepreneur to Watch” by Fast Company. Kimberly has spoken at a number of key conferences including Goop, SXSW, and NCIA. She sits on the Board for Our Academy and Rug Radio.

She holds an MBA from the University of Michigan. Kimberly lives in Los Angeles, where she trades NFTs and Crypto in her free time and is working on her 42nd passport stamp.

Expertise:

-Fundraising

-Finding product market fit

-Marketing on a shoestring

-Personal branding

-PR for pennies

-Supply chain for CPG & food.

Lynn Fernando

Lynn Fernando is a seasoned marketing expert, entrepreneur, and investor with a 20-year professional journey that has seen her work with some of the world's leading companies. Her portfolio includes giants such as Disney, Amazon, and Nestle, where she honed her skills in brand management, strategic partnerships, e-commerce, and marketing. As a co-founder of TechGirl and REV Global, Lynn has demonstrated her passion for creating innovative solutions and fostering entrepreneurial spirit. TechGirl, a startup venture dedicated to empowering young women in tech, stands testament to her commitment to gender equality in the industry. Meanwhile, REV Global showcases her ability to support companies and emerging startups, as it continues to make waves in the business world.

Lynn's philanthropic endeavors are deeply rooted in her belief in giving back to the community. As President to the TechGirl Foundation, she invests in the future of young women, equipping them with the tools and resources needed for success in the tech industry. Her work is driven by her passion for helping others succeed, whether it's a startup needing a strategic boost, a company seeking to scale, or a young woman dreaming of a career in tech.

Tim Freeth

Tim Freeth is the founder of FreePath LLC, a consultancy advising entrepreneurs and small businesses. Before founding FreePath, Tim spent ~15 years at Google, including 12 years managing advertising sales teams, who partnered with customers to drive business results, and three in a Cloud Commercialization role, in which he brought Cloud solutions to market. Prior to Google, Tim worked at Cars.com, an online marketplace based in Chicago, and in a variety of healthcare and government consulting roles earlier in his 25+ year professional career. Tim holds an AB degree from Princeton University and an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management.

Expertise:

-Business strategy

-Business development

-Customer acquisition

Sarika Gupta

Sarika Gupta is the managing director of the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies (ZLI) and lecturer of business administration at Michigan Ross. In this role, she manages the team and day-to-day operations of the institute, oversees the development and execution of ZLI’s strategies and programs, advises student and alumni entrepreneurial teams, and engages with the entrepreneurial ecosystem at U-M and beyond. Sarika has extensive startup experience as a founder, manager, and mentor. She served as CEO of Dance Telephone – a group party game, COO of V-teractive – an online gaming startup, and Associate at MyBandStock.com – a digital platform for music fans. Previously, she was a Senior Quantitative Research Associate at Cambridge Associates – an investment management firm, and an Aviation Noise Consultant at Harris Miller Miller & Hanson – an environmental consulting company.

Sarika holds a BSE in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan College of Engineering and an MBA from Michigan Ross. She serves as the VP of DEI for the Women in Business Alumni Association and sits on the LDFA Screening Committee for Ann Arbor SPARK.

Areas of expertise:

- team building

- career coaching

- pitch coaching

- customer discovery / idea validation

- business model & strategy

- business operations

- financial modeling & forecasting

Steve Harutunian

Strategist in the healthtech industry with five years in industry, preceded by four years of strategy consulting, full-time MBA, and seven years of finance.

Head of Strategy & Business Development, EMR & Care Management

Leading strategic planning, corporate strategy (build/buy/partner), M&A/partner diligence, and go-to-market strategy for multi-hundred million euro Business Unit. Businesses within BU: Electronic medical record, virtual care, hospital operations.Leading strategic planning, corporate strategy (build/buy/partner), M&A/partner diligence, and go-to-market strategy for multi-hundred million euro Business Unit. Businesses within BU: Electronic medical record, virtual care, hospital operations.

Co-led strategic planning, corporate strategy, M&A business case creation, investor materials preparation, and business transformation for multi-billion euro Business Cluster. Co-led strategic planning, corporate strategy, M&A business case creation, investor materials preparation, and business transformation for multi-billion euro Business Cluster. Senior Manager, Market & Competitive Analysis.

Consultant client industries:

Fintech startup, Home products venture, medical equipment startup, Biotech venture, solar equipment company, healthtech startup

Expertise:

-Management Consulting

-Strategic Planning

-Competitive Analysis

-Valuation

-Financial Modeling

-Entrepreneurship

-Venture Financing

-Data Analysis

-Market Research

-Strategy

David Janssens

David Janssens is an entrepreneur-in-residence at the Zell Lurie Institute at Michigan Ross. He returns to Michigan after spending 16 years in Silicon Valley. He has extensive experience in product innovation, startup leadership, raising capital, and building product teams. Along with his EIR role, he is founding another company that combines his passions for sustainable products, family, and the outdoors.

David was the founder and CEO of Knit Health, a computer vision, machine learning, and sleep health startup acquired by Google. At Google, he was a senior product leader helping to grow Google’s health, AI, and hardware products. David spent 8 years at IDEO where he founded the Digital Shop, a creative technology studio that launched cutting-edge products and research. After moving to Ann Arbor, David joined Excelerate America as a partner and Chief Product Officer to build a collective for small and medium-sized businesses.

David holds a BSE in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, a BA in Physics from Kalamazoo College, and an MBA from the University of Cambridge. His work has been featured in Wired, Fast Company, CES, and others. Beyond building and advising startups, David races sailboats, seeks powder, and gets outside with his wife and two kids.

Expertise:

-Raising Capital

-Product Development

-Human-Centered Design

-Product Market Fit

-Growing Talent

-Building Culture

-Early Stage Leadership

-Business & Brand Strategy

Steve Janssens

Steve is the program manager of the Desai Accelerator program, ZLI's alumni startup accelerator. Steve was the Chief Operating Officer of LastBasic, a global marketplace for product development startups based in Madrid, Spain. He brings 17 years of experience bringing new products to market for early-stage startups and established consumer brands in the Bay Area, Europe, and the Midwest. Steve earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and in Physics at Kalamazoo College. He holds an MBA from I.E. Business School in Madrid, with a focus on Entrepreneurship and Digital Transformation.

Areas of Expertise:

-product development (prototype to MVP to Implementation)

-Mission and core value business definition

-Startup Operations

-Go to market strategy

-Customer development and pilot planning

Dana Jewell

Dana Jewell (Michigan Law, 2000) is a seasoned legal executive and tech lawyer with experience building, scaling, and leading legal departments at public and private tech companies. Dana’s experience spans the tech ecosystem from hardware to software and platform B2B and B2C businesses. Dana most recently served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Mixhalo, a live event, low-latency audio streaming company based in San Francisco and founded by Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger.

After graduating from the University of Michigan Law School, Dana trained in IP and litigation at international law firms Baker Botts and Fulbright & Jaworski before embarking on her in-house career with startups to Fortune 100 companies including Chegg, Dell, and eBay.

Areas of expertise are:

-commercial contracting, litigation, corporate governance, M&A

-IPO readiness

-building and scaling legal infrastructure and legal teams

-corporate strategy

Mike Lemirande

As a Sr Leader, I lead the global and domestic operational solutions for one of the largest privately held companies in the world, with a mission of optimizing all specialty cargo projects and supporting the corporate growth strategies. I have over 30 years of experience in global logistics and supply chain management, working for leading companies in the manufacturing, 3PL, medical and energy sectors.

My core competencies include

-strategic business planning

-contract development and negotiations

-inventory control

-M&A strategy

-policy and procedure development

-cold chain management

-P&L accountability

-process redesign and change management

-lean methodology

-staff development programs

-distribution and transportation

-team building and leadership

-global and domestic compliance

Katy Lind

Katy Lind is a builder, marketer, and leader in startups and high-growth tech companies. She has eight years of startup experience and four years of Fortune 500 consulting. Katy takes pride in serving as a lead mentor for startups in the Techstars Anywhere and Detroit programs. One of Katy's most outstanding achievements was founding Pincause, a $1M eCommerce business. Most recently, Katy was a VC and Global Tech Partnerships Manager on the Zendesk for Startups team, where she connected with leading Venture Capitalists and peer Tech Companies to help their portfolio companies deliver world-class customer experiences. Before Zendesk, she was the Associate Director of the Desai Accelerator at the University of Michigan and Employee Success Manager at Duo Security. Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she loves supporting the great things happening in the Midwest.

Areas of Expertise:

-Launch Marketing

-Capital Opportunities

-People Leadership

Rashmi Menon

Rashmi Menon is an Entrepreneur in Residence and Lecturer in Entrepreneurial Studies and Business Administration at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. As a seasoned Silicon Valley executive, Rashmi also provides strategic planning and product management consulting focused on bringing small company agility to big companies and big company scalability to startups. She also coaches entrepreneurs through the significant aspects of launching and scaling a business. She has launched numerous businesses and products within large corporations including The Walt Disney Company, Microsoft, and Yahoo!. She co-founded Green Resource Network and served as Vice President of Product Management at high-tech startups Zvents (acquired by eBay) and VideoGenie.

Rashmi received a BA from Harvard University and an MBA from Stanford University.

Expertise:

-Technical product development

-Technical team management

-Ideation

-Prototyping

-Product Management

-Customer acquisition

-Website optimization

-Content marketing

-Press placements

-Social media optimization

-SEO

-Partnerships

-Advertising optimization

Colin McKillop

Colin McKillop has worked inside Fortune 250 public companies including: Magna International (Director Quality), Dayco Products (Engineering), Cooper-Standard Products (Division GM), Johnson Electric (VP), Woodbridge Group (VP), Lear Corporation (VP), ShawCor Ltd. (VP Operations), Spencer//Butcher Group (CEO) and consulted with multiple Fortune 500 Companies, Tier 1 and OEM Companies in Asia, Europe and North America.

Towne Group is a consulting company working in the areas of: engineering, finance, logistics, manufacturing, patents, process and product development, supply chain and international joint ventures.

Colin McKillop has worked internationally in Canada, U.S.A., Mexico, South America, Europe and Asia. Recognized by ASQ, AME, APMA, SCM, MPIF, SAE, Ford, GM, Stellantis and other International Groups for his contributions to industry and Lean Manufacturing. Colin holds a B.Sc. Chemistry, B.Sc. Materials Engineering, M.B.A. Finance/Operations and advanced studies in Strategic Planning from Harvard University. In addition, he has professional certifications including: Toyota Production System, PMI-PPM, Six Sigma Black Belt, Kaizen Master, Design for Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing.

Colin is an active Board Member for:

CUSBA - Canada and U.S. Business Association, Downtown Windsor Business Accelerator, GAMIC - Global Automotive & Mobility Innovation Challenge (https://gamicevent.org/). He also holds Board of Director and Advisory positions with a number of start-up companies and accelerators in: Canada, US and Europe.

Since, 2015 Colin has been an active accredited angel investor and member of: Angel Capital Association (USA), National Angel Capital Organization (Canada) and Angel Investors Ontario. He launched the AIO Group WECAN – Windsor Essex Capital Angel Network as one of the first Canadian angel groups focused on cross-border investment. As Executive Director he reviewed more than 2000+ Investor Pitch Presentations and helped 200 startups become investor ready. He has also acted as a Judge for international startup events and competitions with TechStars, Plug & Play and Y Combinator.

EXPERTISE

Domain Expertise – AI, Automotive & Mobility, Industry 4.0, Manufacturing, Med-Tech, Supply Chain

Product / Market Fit

Startup & Business Development

Strategic Planning

Marketing & Sales

Technology

Due Diligence

Serena Riley

Serena Riley, the Senior Director of Customer Experience at ConverSight.ai, is an extraordinary force in the world of CX and innovation. With over two decades of experience, she's a certified CX professional (CCXP) known for igniting transformation in individuals, teams, and organizations. Serena's passion lies in reshaping businesses through exceptional customer experiences and organizational excellence, and her track record includes remarkable revenue growth for B2B SaaS tech startups.

A champion of DEI initiatives, Serena is a founding member of WiCX (Women in CX) and promotes marginalized voices. She's also the Founder of Joy & Moxie, guiding women to discover their strengths and shape their careers and futures. Serena's contagious positivity and creative brilliance empower individuals, organizations, and communities to drive solutions, boost engagement, and deliver happiness.

Serena is not just a practitioner but also an author, with published works including "Customer Experience 3" and "Punk XL." She's an active member of industry associations like CXPA and CXofM, where she received the CX Impact Award and the Individual Award for the Advancement of CX in 2020. These accolades recognize her outstanding leadership in CX and her unwavering commitment to excellence in this dynamic field. Serena Riley is an exceptional professional you'll want to connect with for inspiration and innovation.

Website: https://www.msserenariley.com/about

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serenariley

Expertise:

-Leadership

-Customer Experience Management

-Employee Engagement

-Strategic Planning

-Project Management

Jaap Schut

Experienced and successful innovator, consultant, coach/mentor/advisor, venture partner, adjunct professor, lecturer, speaker, and materials scientist.

PhD +21 years. 2 patents, 13 publications, large international network, multilingual.

✦ Objective

To contribute to the innovation and business growth of companies and organizations that improve the well-being and prosperity of society by offering sustainable products and services with critical impact on current and future generations.

✦ Skills

⁃Startup mentoring & coaching, international business consultancy, strategy, partnerships, innovation management, strategic marketing, team leadership (of global, virtual, multidisciplinary, cross-cultural projects), project management, cross-cultural communication, B2B new business and product development (NBD, NPD), strategic roadmapping, building business cases, market and technology research, customer discovery journeys/VOC interviews, competitive intelligence, unmet needs assessment, business modeling, ideation/fuzzy front end, data analysis and visualization, lecturing/public speaking, (proposal) writing and editing, polymeric materials R&D.

⁃Large & diverse global network.

⁃Speaks 5 languages (Dutch, English, German, French, Spanish), well traveled.

⁃Self-starter, fast learner, humor, integrity, trust, tenacity, curiosity, compassion, creativity, analytical, accuracy, impact.

✦ Expertise - Markets & Technologies

Materials science of polymers, plastics, and specialty chemicals (biobased & biodegradable, thermoplastics & thermosets, fibers & composites, bulk and engineering plastics, additives, monomers), chemical industry, structure-property relations, product-market combinations, plastics waste & recycling, sustainability, circular economy, paints, coatings, adhesives & sealants (C.A.S.E.), textiles & nonwovens, functional films, functionalized polyolefins, packaging, medical plastics.

✦ Experience - Markets & Technologies

Healthcare, food, water, oil & gas, energy, infrastructure, transportation, cosmetics & personal care, smart cities, wire & cable, functional films & multilayers, barrier & tie layers, membranes, (halogen free) flame retardants, PE & PP copolymers, polyurethanes/PUDs, polyols, neodecanoic acid and derivatives, syndiotactic polystyrene, polyesters, nylons, epoxy resins, acrylics, silanes, UHMWPE, nanocellulose, polymer blends & foams, polymer processing (extrusion, injection molding, fiber spinning, additive manufacturing, 3D printing, multilayer roll-to-roll coating), polymer thermal & mechanical analysis.

Katrina Turnbow

Katrina Turnbow is the owner and operator of Kanopi Social, a digital marketing firm, and the Detroit digital coach for Google.

An acknowledged expert on digital media marketing, Katrina’s career matured as the use of the Internet for business-to-business purposes exploded. Over the years, she has built a solid reputation for providing innovative solutions using digital methodologies, especially in high-pressure situations. Coupling her traditional corporate training with her unconventional love for technology, she has been able to merge the two through her business ventures.

Due to her impactful teaching abilities, Katrina was tapped by Google to implement online and offline training to empower businesses and brands. As the Detroit Google digital coach, Katrina implements programming that focuses on decreasing the gap in the digital divide. She also has become a leader in the technology space, leading and shaping Detroit’s tech ecosystems. She recently joined the Techstars Detroit Team in her most recent company expansion.

Through her two companies, Katrina has her sights on continuing to open doors online for her clients and be a conduit for small and mid-size business growth in this age of Technology.

Katrina is a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Jack and Jill of America, The Detroit Links, National Business League, Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council, Minority Business Development Association, and several other community service organizations.

Expertise:

-eCommerce

-Shopify

-Google tools and applications

-Predictive analytics

-Social media strategy

-Content strategy

-Video marketing

-Customer journey mapping

Angela Yee

Angela is a leadership and career coach interested in the development of the whole person. She has experience across a breadth of industries, most recently as a product leader at tech industry startups and corporations from $25MM to over $10Bn in revenue, she supports leaders as they navigate common challenges across various stages of business growth. She works with her clients to empower them to become the most resilient leaders they can be.

As a former tech product leader, architect and MBA, she brings both creative and strategic skills into each engagement. Having successfully made three major career transitions, and several personal life transformations, she helps others navigate their own life’s hurdles with compassion.

Angela holds an MBA from the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business, and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Southern California. She has been trained as a coach through ICF accredited programs Co-Active Coaching Institute and the Academy for Coaching Excellence.

Beyond coaching, Angela serves as a mentor and advisor to tech and AEC industry accelerators and startups. She's also interested in the advancement of BIPOC communities and women so they may rise in architecture, tech, and other traditionally male-dominated industries.

Expertise:

Product Innovation

· User Research

· Product Management

· Business Strategy

· Market Research

· Business-to-Business (B2B)

· Go-to-Market Strategy

· Product Launch

Business Advising

· Software as a Service (SaaS)

Reiki

· Life Coaching

· Leadership Development

· Executive Coaching

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