The Speakers
Opening Keynote: You Can Do It!
Led by Lee Jones
Co-founder, CEO Rebiotix
Lee left Medtronic in 1997 to begin her entrepreneurial career by leading the turnaround of Inlet Medical, a medical devices firm specializing in minimally invasive surgery. Arriving when the company had two employees and no funding, she raised $6 million and increased revenue by more than 50% annually for a decade before selling to Cooper Surgical.
In 2011, Lee co-founded Rebiotix and has served as CEO of this biotech company that develops and plans to commercialize a proprietary drug platform that delivers healthy, live, human-derived microbes into the gastrointestinal tract. Following the 2018 acquisition by Swiss drugmaker Ferring Pharrmaceuticals, she led the company for 4 years while developing a global platform for this unique and emerging drug therapy. “Lee literally created a new industry,” noted fellow Sofia Angel Fund investor Lisa Crump. “The company she founded and continues to lead has the potential for global impact through the emergence of human microbiomes as a drug therapy. Not enough people in Minnesota realize it, but Lee is kind of a big deal.”
A dual degree holder from the University of Minnesota in chemical engineering and executive management, Lee has supported multiple schools across the University. While leading high-growth ventures, Lee volunteers as one of the original MN Cup mentors, supports the development of the Women’s Entrepreneurship program, served as the Chief Administrative Officer for the Schulze Diabetes Institute, advises the technology commercialization office and has been a regular speaker and mentor for University students. Lee was honored as the 2020 University of Minnesota Entrepreneur of the Year.
Session One: Grow Yourself
Protecting and healing your mental health as a research innovator and entrepreneur
Led by Barbara Powell
LT MIND Holistic Performance Coach
Barbara Powell, MA NBC-HWC is a graduate of UMN's Center for Spirituality & Healing. She is a Holistic Performance Coach for Life Time's LT Mind program where she partners with team members toward their unique version of mindset & well-being. She is the Inspire Personal Growth Committee Lead for WELL (Women Empowering Leadership at Life Time) and an avid endurance athlete.
Breakout Sessions
Grow Your Innovative Mindset
Lessons learned as an entrepreneur and mentor
Led by Linda Hall
Growth Strategy Advisor
Linda has launched 32 start-ups as an executive, director, or consultant, including 2 inside $1 billion+ companies. She has expertise in strategic planning, breakthrough innovation, successful exits, venture capital financing, distribution strategies, forming alliances, integration of acquisitions, and development of high-performance teams.
Grow Your Idea
Practical advice from entrepreneurs
Dr. Keri Carstens
Chief Executive Officer at Jord BioScience
Aimee Garza
Founder & CEO, CoraVie Medical, Inc.
Michelle Edwards
Practice Lead - US MedTech Real World and Clinical Solutions
Morgan Kerfeld
Moderator | Founder Telo Designs, MBA candidate
Grow Your Funding
Explore the various options for access to capital locally and nationally.
Pat Dillon
Founder and President, MNSBIR, Inc
Cathy Connett
Managing Partner, Sofia Fund
Sandy Yu
Asst Prof, CSOM, research focuses on funding for entrepreneurs
Beth Lindborg
Chief Executive Officer at Sarcio, Inc.
Maria Ploessl
Moderator | Chief of Staff at University of Minnesota, Technology Commercialization
Closing Keynote: Power Food Forward Together
Sue Marshall
Founder & CEO NETZRO, SBC
Sue Marshall is the founder and CEO of NETZRO. She has a BS in Marketing from St. Cloud State and a Masters in Real Estate from the University of St. Thomas. She has years of experience in real estate and in 2015 helped launch NETZRO to eliminate food and water waste. Sue has set out on a mission to reharvest valuable nutrients from food & beverage by-products creating high value upcycled ingredients that are placed back into the food economy.
