Madeleine "Maddy" Stokes

COO, UpSurge Baltimore

Madeleine "Maddy" Stokes serves as Chief Operating Officer at UpSurge Baltimore. In this role, she oversees the UpSurge team and organization, including finance and fundraising, legal, people operations, program strategy, and impact measurement. Prior to UpSurge, Maddy spent four years at Johns Hopkins University as Director, Innovation Initiatives and Corporate Relations working closely with Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures to nurture the innovation community. Maddy started her career in international development, working in Beirut, Lebanon where she supported civil society organizations and activists focused on good governance, community development, and women’s empowerment. Maddy completed an MBA from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and a BA in Global Studies from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), with minors in Arabic and Islamic Studies and French. Born a Californian, Maddy is now a proud Baltimore City resident. She serves on the Board of Trustees at the Baltimore Museum of Industry and advises B-360 Baltimore.

Tony Sardella

Chair, API Innovation Center, Acendian

Tony is an expert in the commercialization of emerging technologies in the pharmaceutical sector. His work is centered on bridging the gap between the potential of new technologies and their practical, commercial application. At the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Innovation Center, he plays a crucial role in reducing the risks associated with commercializing new innovations. His focus is on ensuring the adoption and scalability of technologies that enhance the resilience of the drug supply chain and contribute to national health security. In addition to his industry role, Tony has served for 14 years as an Adjunct Professor at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. He is also a Senior Advisor to the University's Center for Analytics and Business Insights.

Tricia Compas-Markman

Director, National Venture Programs, VentureWell

Tricia Compas-Markman is the Director of National Venture Programs for VentureWell's early-stage innovator programs, supporting entrepreneurs in initial customer discovery to investment readiness. Previously, Tricia was the founder and CEO of DayOne Response, Inc., a startup focused on providing clean drinking water solutions to vulnerable communities. During her tenure, she built a company with international reach, executed strategy, developed key partnerships, invented and scaled drinking water technologies, and secured financing to exceed milestones resulting in DayOne having a global reach in over 35 countries and saving lives. Tricia was an Unreasonable Institute fellow, a North America Finalist for the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards, a Toyota-USA "Mother of Invention", an Intel Environment Award Laureate for the Tech Awards, a Chivas Venture Top 10 Global Finalist, and a Toyota Vehicle of Change for the Environment winner. Her time as an entrepreneur and building a science and technology startup provide her with insights and real-life experiences that she enjoys sharing with other entrepreneurs making an impact. Tricia received her BS in Civil Engineering and MS in Civil/Environmental Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Jerry Hollister

Co-Owner, BBC Entrepreneurial Training and Consulting

Jerry Hollister became a Co-Owner of BBCetc in October 2023, six years after joining BBCetc in late 2017. He led the 2021 Catalyst Award effort that continues as the Women-CAN program funded by the SBA’s Growth Accelerator Fund. Jerry leads the Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) Program for NOAA Phase I awardees. He currently serves as a reviewer for NSF, DOE, USDA, and NOAA, and regularly speaks about SBIR/STTR at several national conferences. Prior to joining BBCetc, Jerry was an executive at a startup company in Michigan that won several dozen SBIR/STTRs and a Tibbetts Award. He started his career as a Naval Officer and became a warranted contracting officer for the Navy after graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in Industrial & Operations Engineering.

Keishla Tirado

Director of the Center for Innovation and Technology, PR Small Business Development Centers

Keishla M. Tirado has more than 15 years of experience as an educator and college professor in different educational institutions and universities in Puerto Rico, offering seminars, professional development, has been in charge of the strategic planning, accreditation processes and writing of Grant proposals, NSF SBIR Grant reviewer. Currently Keishla is the Director of the Center for Innovation and Technology of the PR Small Business and Development Centers and also manages the PR Innovation Entrepreneurship Assistance Program (PRidea). An SBA grant of the Federal and State Technology Partnership Program (FAST), which she was the main Grant Writer of this proposal, that had not been awarded to Puerto Rico since 2015. As the Director of the Center Keishla provides her expertise in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer programs (STTR) to provide assistance to entrepreneurs and researchers to be able to further develop their innovation and commercialize their products. The Center also provides assistance and training to entrepreneurs in the areas of cybersecurity, intellectual property, patents, among others.

Stacy Swider

VP Investments, MassVentures

Stacy is a VP Investments at Mass Ventures. She has a background in commercializing novel materials and the equipment to make them. After graduating from MIT, she started her career in Silicon Valley at a thin-film diamond startup. She transitioned this experience into technical sales for an MIT spinout that developed semiconductor equipment for enterprise customers. After that, she co-founded a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) emulation startup. After getting that company off the ground, she returned to materials science and worked for the Air Force Research Laboratory, then leveraged SBIRs to commercialize novel nuclear detectors. After over 25 years in industry and startups, she transitioned to coaching startups. She helped stand up the UMass Lowell Research Institute, where she was Director of its SBIR Center. Now at MassVentures, she leverages her technical and business experience to source, mentor, and fund promising new deep-tech startups in Massachusetts. She also administers MassVentures’ START Program, which disburses $3M in grants a year, and has a roster of over 100 reviewers; and she continues to coach startups through the SBIR process.

Pete Nelson

President, AgLaunch

Pete Nelson is the President of AgLaunch, a family of organizations that support SBA’s Regional Innovation Cluster (RIC) initiative in several regions across the US. RICs are networks of businesses, investors, universities and other organizations that work together to maximize their strengths and resources, allowing them to compete on a larger scale. AgLaunch’s focus is on food and agriculture, working specifically with farmers seeking to support technology and agtech startups as a foundation towards building a more innovation food system. AgLaunch manages RICs in the MS Delta, Pacific Northwest, and Southern Appalachia, and coordinate with other regions across the US. AgLaunch is a culmination of 25 years of farm-focused work in sustainable agriculture, alternative crops, bioenergy, plant biotechnology, and equitable innovation in the sector supporting over a hundred startups and providing consulting and business development support to some of the world's largest companies. Mr. Nelson has given hundreds of presentations including providing expert testimony to the US House Small Business Committee’s Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade; written numerous articles including co-editing and co-authoring Plant Biomass Conversion published by Wiley & Co.. He has been at the ground floor of many strategic initiatives including co-founding the first agtech accelerator and first exclusively ag-focused early-stage VC fund in the US; and co-founding the Biobased Manufacturers Association, a trade association that was instrumental in paving the way for the USDA Biopreferred program.

Scott Mosley

Executive Director, StartingBlock

Scott Mosley is the Executive Director of StartingBlock - Madison's Startup Hub. He joined the organization in December of 2022. Prior to joining StartingBlock, he was the Chief Operating Officer at CODAworx. During his 25 year business career, he has owned multiple businesses and has been involved in entrepreneurial ecosystem building for the last 15 years. Early in his career, Scott was an Officer in the United States Navy. He has an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a BA from Vanderbilt.

Maura Shenker

Economic Impact and Innovation Fellow, U.S. Small Business Administration

Maura Shenker is the Economic Impact and Innovation Fellow within the Small Business Administration where she is focusing on encouraging the involvement of underserved communities in SBA’s ecosystem. Prior to her fellowship, Maura was the Director of the Small Business Development Center at Temple University, where she is currently completing her Ph.D. in Political Science. Her research examines the institutional barriers that discourage both political and economic participation in marginalized urban communities.

Elden Hawkes

Partnership and Innovation Specialist, U.S. Small Business Administration

Elden Hawkes serves as the Partnership and Innovation Specialist, a role that supports the advancement of the Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/ STTR) programs. His primary duties include managing the agency’s Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program. Other duties include outreach efforts targeting Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and SBIR Road Tours. Prior to SBA, Elden spent seven years with USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) where he helped grow the USDA’s SBIR program as its program specialist and program manager. He holds a degree in Environmental Science/Marine Science and a Master’s in Food and Agricultural Science, both from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Alison Evans

Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development Specialist, U.S. Small Business Administration

Alison Evans is with SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation’s Ecosystem Development Division where she manages the Regional Innovation Cluster program. 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 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.

Tulinda Larsen

President, Utah Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (UAMMI)

Dr. Tulinda Larsen is President of Utah Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Initiative (UAMMI). UAMMI is a public-private partnership to elevate the advanced materials and advanced manufacturing industry in Utah. She serves as the key spokesperson for UAMMI at industry events and before government agencies. Utah Business Magazine recognized Dr. Larsen as one of 2023 Utah’s’ 30 Women to Watch and 40 Women Over 40. She began her career in Washington, D.C. as an economist at the U.S. Department of Transportation, where she gained experience in the air transport industry. For more than 40 years, she has been a practicing economist studying various aspects of the aerospace industry. Dr. Larsen holds a Doctorate of Management from University of Maryland Global Campus, BA and MA in economics from The George Washington University. Additionally, she is holds a private pilot license and is a licensed drone pilot.

Mary Larkin

Program Manager, BARDA Accelerator Network, BARDA

Mary Larkin is the federal program manager for the BARDA Accelerator Network. Before joining BARDA, she was the co-founder and CEO of a biotechnology startup company, developing bioengineered proteins to detect pathogens in a point-of-care diagnostic platform. As a founder, Mary participated in an accelerator program and knows first-hand their value to early-stage innovators, particularly those who have extensive technical knowledge but little experience in growing a business. In her role with the BARDA Accelerator Network, she applies her combined experience in research and entrepreneurship to support innovators and breakthrough technologies aligned with BARDA’s mission to protect global health security.

Josh Nichol-Caddy

Director of Innovation and Technology Programs, Nebraska Business Development Center

Josh Nichol-Caddy has led NBDC's innovation team for four years, helping rural inventors and other founders with innovative ideas navigate the application process for state and federal grant programs and helping them develop their ideas into sustainable business models.

Bridget Weston

CEO, SCORE

Bridget Weston is CEO of SCORE, a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration, which provides free mentoring and education to current and aspiring small business owners through its network of 10,000 volunteers. Since its founding in 1964, SCORE has helped 11 M entrepreneurs to start, grow or troubleshoot their businesses. A respected thought leader in the small business landscape, Bridget has served as a small business expert in Congressional hearings and is regularly featured in the media, including CNN, MSNBC, and Bloomberg Business. A Philadelphia native, she holds a Bachelor of Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Temple University. Bridget joined SCORE in 2010 in a field marketing role and gained a firsthand understanding of all facets of SCORE operations through work in marketing, change management, technology, and strategic planning. Today, Bridget resides in Falls Church, VA, and loves her role as mom to her son Alex, especially cheering him on at his various sporting events.

Mark Madrid

Associate Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration

The Honorable Mark Madrid is Associate Administrator for the Office of Entrepreneurial Development at the U.S. Small Business Administration. Mark reports directly to SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, a member of President Biden’s cabinet. As a Presidential Appointee and a head official of the SBA, Mark leads a unit that supports hundreds of thousands of small businesses annually and oversees a primary educational and technical resource arm of the Agency. Collaborators include the network of Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, SCORE, Regional Innovation Clusters, and the Office of Entrepreneurship Education, which houses the T.H.R.I.V.E. initiative, Ascent women’s business online program, and SBA’s on-line Learning Center. Additionally, he supports the Agency Office of Native American Affairs and leads the American Rescue Plan $100 Million Community Navigator Pilot Program. Previously, Mark served as CEO of the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative and President & CEO of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Prior to serving in nonprofit executive roles, he enjoyed a corporate executive banking career that began on Wall Street in 1995 with J.P. Morgan. Mark was the 2020 Recipient of the Latino Leaders Maestro Award in the Category of Leadership for his lifetime accomplishments as a distinguished influencer; and most recently he was honored with the Courage in Government award by the National Business Inclusion Consortium. Additionally, he is a distinguished honoree with the Women Economic Forum. Mark is a Jefferson Award recipient and an Honorary Colonel of the U.S. Army, illustrating his dedication to volunteer service and veterans. He is a member of the board of directors for the McCoy College of Business Foundation at Texas State University. He is an honors graduate from both the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Notre Dame, where he earned his Master’s. He dedicates his service for America’s small businesses to his father, a small business owner, who passed away from COVID-19 in 2020.

Rikki O'Reilly Jones

Ecosystem Investment Specialist, U.S. Small Business Administration

Rikki (she/her) seeks to increase economic outcomes for U.S. small businesses, lower middle-market investment firms, and innovative start-ups through targeted outreach, technical analyses, collaboration, and program development in SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation (OII) as an Ecosystem Specialist with sector specialist emphasis in Seed/Early-Stage Venture. From 2017-September 2023, Rikki served in OII’s Office of Patient Capital Investments, SBIC Licensing, as an Investment Analyst and, briefly, as Acting Chief (October 2018-March 2020), in support of the Federal Government’s premier Public-Private Investment Partnership Program. Prior to this role, Rikki served as a Presidential Management Fellow (2015-2017) in SBA’s Office of the Administrator and in SBA’s Office of International Trade. Throughout her Federal career, Rikki has sought to build public-private-partnerships through inter-and-intra-agency collaboration, including as an International Cooperation Specialist in the Africa Bureau at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). At USAID, she also supported the Management Bureau in conducting gap analyses for U.S. Missions in the Dominican Republic and Thailand. Rikki holds a Master of Business Administration, a post-graduate professional certificate in International Business Management, speaks French fluently, has studied in France and Ghana, ran (/walked/jogged) four marathons, and is a huge Washington Nationals fan (go #Nats!).

Daniel Kleinman

Founder & CEO, Seaworthy Collective

Daniel Kleinman is the Founder & CEO of Seaworthy Collective, as well as a regenerative systems thinker and marine roboticist who spent 5 years piloting, testing, and designing unmanned underwater vehicles for ocean science, exploration, and naval research. Daniel holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida and a Master’s of Professional Science in Exploration Science from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, where he founded Seaworthy Collective in 2020. Daniel has been recognized as a 30 Under 30 by the University of Miami, a Future Climate Leader by the Aspen Institute, a TEDxBoston Planetary Stewardship speaker, and the youngest Laureate of Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s Prize for Innovative Philanthropy.

Qyana M. Stewart

CEO & Principal Consultant, GlobalForce Tech Consulting, LLC

Qyana is a Tech, Social, and EdTech entrepreneur, social justice advocate, educator, speaker, and award-winning philanthropist with over 20 years of combined experience in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. By training, she is a certified Software Product and Project Manager. As an entrepreneur, Qyana serves as the CEO & Principal Consultant of GlobalForce Tech Consulting, LLC, a technology and software development company, and President of GlobalForce For Girls, Inc., a 501(c)(3) education technology nonprofit organization founded during the pandemic. Qyana holds a Master of Science degree in Information Technology, a Graduate Certificate in Project Management from the University of Maryland University College, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Howard University. She returned to her alma mater in the fall of 2021 as a Ph.D. student in the Higher Education Leadership & Policy Studies (HELPS) program. Her research centers Black women academic entrepreneurs and tech transfer and commercialization at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Bailey DeVries

Associate Administrator for Investment & Innovation, U.S. Small Business Administration

Bailey DeVries was appointed by the President to lead the SBA Office of Investment & Innovation, the Federal Office responsible for the USG’s public-private investment partnership program and innovation funding programs. Head of the SBIC Program Investment Committee and responsible for the oversight and management of America’s Seed Fund (SBIR/STTR) and the SBA’s national innovation accelerator funding programs. Member of the White House Scale Up Finance, Lab-to-Market, and AM Forward Interagency Policy Committees.

Obum Ukabam

Associate Director, OK Catalyst

Obum Ukabam is the Associate Director of OK Catalyst. OK Catalyst is dedicated to helping science and technology-focused innovators solve the nation's greatest challenges by leveraging the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs (SBIR/STTR) as a tool to launch a small business. They are committed to transforming Oklahoma into a leader of innovation by inspiring women, minority, disabled, veteran, and socially or economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs to help build our ecosystem and see Oklahoma thrive as a top ten state for innovation. Obum's expertise in the SBIR/STTR arena guides companies through every step of submitting a competitive proposal while providing hands-on technical and business assistance and mentorship on how to use SBIR funding to grow a business and launch new products.

Erick Page-Littleford

Acting Director, Small Business Innovation Research & Technology Transfer Office, U.S. Small Business Administration

Erick Page-Littleford is the Acting Director of the Small Business Innovation Research & Technology Transfer Office at SBA. He is an expert policy and strategic advisor with 16+ years of experience assessing, implementing, and executing programs, policies, and laws in support of America's Seed Fund (i.e., Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs).

Jason Rittenberg

Vice President, SSTI

Jason Rittenberg is the Vice President of SSTI. SSTI is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving initiatives that support prosperity through science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Tammy Charles

Director, Corporate Relations, Black Innovation Alliance

Tammy Charles is a passionate advocate for social change, seamlessly blending academic insight with practical experience to champion solutions for the world's most pressing challenges, including poverty, economic disparity, and social injustice. With a proven track record in both the nonprofit and consulting sectors, she has successfully mobilized over $10 million in financial and non-financial support through strategic cross-sector partnerships, innovative business models, and clear strategic planning. Tammy serves as the Director of Corporate Relations at Black Innovation Alliance. Prior to this, she imparted her extensive knowledge of social entrepreneurship and business management as a professor at the University of Tampa and Hillsborough Community College. Stay updated on her initiatives and insights at www.iamtammy.com.

Cordelia "Dede" Zecher

Chief Advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for IP and Director, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Cordelia (Dede) Zecher is the Chief Advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In this role, she supports the Office of the Under Secretary and the USPTO on a wide variety of policy and operational matters. Ms. Zecher previously served as the Acting Chief of Staff for the USPTO. She has also held several other positions since she started working for the USPTO in 2006, including those of patent examiner, primary patent examiner, supervisory patent examiner, and senior advisor to the Deputy Commissioner for Patent Operations. She has worked in the Office of the Under Secretary since 2019 and helped lead the USPTO through the transition in administrations. While at the USPTO, Ms. Zecher has collaborated on multiple projects, including the development of initiatives outlined in the SUCCESS Act Report, the Public Advisory Committee nomination process, the coordination of COVID-19 relief, and the USPTO’s 2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance. She has received two Department of Commerce Bronze Medal Awards in recognition of her accomplishments. Ms. Zecher received a Bachelor of Science in both computer science and math from Vanderbilt University.

Charles Ross

President & CEO, International Business Innovation Association (InBIA)

Over the past 15 years, Charles has worked with communities of various shapes and sizes to build and sustain vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems. His experience spans across several innovation-related disciplines to include entrepreneurship, business incubation, economic development, and investment management. He has provided strategic leadership for organizations within the public, private, and nonprofit domains and has directly mentored and coached founders/CEOs at over 30 high-growth companies. Before joining the InBIA management team, Charles was responsible for driving economic impact for local communities through senior leadership positions at Kennesaw State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology. In these roles, Charles connected universities’ talent, know-how, and assets to businesses and communities to increase economic prosperity and to improve quality of life. Prior to his assignments in higher education, Charles directly worked with entrepreneurs to launch and grow technology businesses. As Vice President of the Telecommunications Development Fund, Charles sourced, structured, and managed investments in several early-stage communications companies, and as a Director of Ameritech’s venture capital division he identified and executed strategic technology investments. Charles joined InBIA as a member in 2006, was elected to its Board of Directors in 2011 and served as Chair in 2017. Charles holds an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Marquette University and an MBA from Indiana University.

Kathleen Warner

Senior Advisor, America Achieves

Kathleen Warner currently serves as a Senior Advisor to America Achieves, and as a member of the technical assistance team providing strategic guidance and support to the Economic Development Administration’s $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) 60 regional coalition finalists. An entrepreneurial leader and inclusive ecosystem builder who clears paths, cultivates relationships, aligns resources and develops programs for big ideas to root and grow, Kathleen has vast cross-sectorial experience, including in finance, healthcare, tech, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and in federal, state and municipal government. Prior to her work with America Achieves, Kathleen held senior leadership roles at a number of organizations, including the American Heart Association, where she focused on equitably accelerating health impact at the intersection of business, science and technology, at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, catalyzing an ambitious and innovative set of high impact initiatives and investments to advance the industries and technologies underlying NYC’s vibrant, sustainable and resilient economy and to create good jobs, including, most notably, an unprecedented now billion dollar investment to grow NYC’s life sciences sector and as COO and founding team member of the Startup America Partnership, a private sector initiative of the Case and Kauffman Foundations created in response to President Barack Obama’s cross-agency effort to promote entrepreneurship around the country. A graduate of Duke University and Brooklyn Law School, Kathleen began her career as an attorney, has advised a number of political campaigns and was senior staff to a US Congressman in her home state of Connecticut.

Anna Lucas

Director, Office of Rural Affairs, U.S. Small Business Administration

Anna Lucas is a Director in the Office of Rural Affairs, U.S. Small Business Administration. She is an experienced Political Director with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organization management industry.

Donald Ufford

Assistant Director for Supply Chain and Ecosystem Development, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

"Don Ufford is Assistant Director for Supply Chain and Ecosystem Development at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office (AMNPO). Don received an M.S. in Engineering from Purdue University, an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan, and a B.S. in Engineering from South Dakota State University. Prior to joining AMNPO, Don had over 30 years of experience creating and delivering award-winning cars and trucks as a leader at the Ford Motor Company. Most recently, Don was the Director of Global Vehicle Engineering at Ford, where he was responsible for employees and vehicles located in all the global markets. He previously was the Chief Engineer of the European Vehicle Engineering team in Germany, where he and his team developed vehicles for the European markets. He moved to Germany from Michigan, where, as Chief Engineer for Vehicle Engineering in North America, he led his teams to develop multiple best-selling vehicles, winning a series of Truck and Car of the Year awards. Earlier, Don supervised vehicle engineering of the all-new Ford Escape in Japan and the changeover of the Kansas City Assembly Plant manufacturing facilities. Don’s other roles at Ford included Global Vehicle Integration manager responsible for developing and deploying standards and processes, Technology Strategist, and Test Development Engineer. Don has extensive experience working with global and local manufacturers in the automotive supply chain, having created, developed and implemented technologies for advanced driver assist systems, electrified products, connected vehicles and traditional automotive systems. At AMNPO, Don works with federal agency staff to create strategies to improve the impact of the Manufacturing USA institutes on the manufacturing ecosystem and on domestic supply chains. He also works on advanced manufacturing research and analyses, reports, and policies."

Tracey Dodenhoff

Vice President, Entrepreneurship + Innovation, Arizona State University

Tracey Dodenhoff is Arizona State's Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, where she is responsible for accelerating the growth of entrepreneurship throughout the ASU community, the local Phoenix area and the broader state of Arizona. Residing within the University's Knowledge Enterprise, Dodenhoff's role is part of a collaborative university-wide effort to grow dynamic, inclusive entrepreneurship across sectors, educational backgrounds and career stages. With a personal mission to “Help Good People do Great Things with Innovation”, Tracey is a mission-focused entrepreneur dedicated to high impact solutions. Tracey’s deep experience encompasses technology entrepreneurship, innovation leadership and venture investing. Over her career, Tracey has launched and invested in over two dozen startups, as well as partnering with ventures to accelerate the growth of new product initiatives across material innovation, med tech, consumer, software/mobile and industrial verticals. Tracey specializes in integrating innovative business models with technology, and accelerating scale through collaborations across geographies and disciplines. Most recently, she served as CEO of digital therapeutics company Medly Therapeutics Inc., as well as a commercialization advisor for robotics-as-a-service company Avendly, an entrepreneur-in-residence for Northeastern University, and an embedded entrepreneur for several DARPA funded ventures. She holds an MBA from Babson College, and MID from Pratt Institute and a BS from Rhode Island College. She is also the holder of several patents in medical device and software.

Mary Grove

Managing Partner, Bread & Butter Ventures

Mary Grove is Managing Partner of Bread and Butter Ventures, an early stage firm investing in healthtech, foodtech, and enterprise SaaS companies. She brings nearly two decades of leadership experience in technology, early stage investing, and startup ecosystem growth. Mary spent 15 years at Google where she worked on the IPO team, led new business development partnerships, and was the founding director of Google for Startups. She was an investment partner at Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund. She is the Co-founder and Executive Director of Silicon North Stars, a nonprofit that she and her husband Steve founded in 2013 to help young Minnesotans from underserved communities pursue careers in tech. Mary serves on the boards of Vital Voices, the Minneapolis Foundation, Bush Foundation and the Techstars Foundation. She lives in Minneapolis, MN with her husband and their six-year-old twins.

John Selep

Co-Founder & President, AgTech Innovation Alliance (AgStart)

As the president of AgStart, a non-profit incubator for AgriFood technology startup companies in California’s thriving innovation hub around the University of California Davis and California’s Central Valley agricultural region, John Selep has spent over a decade supporting, mentoring, and advising entrepreneurs. John’s experience as a former technology executive, angel investor, and non-profit leader have given him a wealth of insights to share with entrepreneurs and other entrepreneur-support organizations. The Lab@AgStart, currently the largest wet-lab facility for science-based startup companies in California’s Central Valley, supports innovators in plant and microbial biotech, bio fermentation, tissue culture, and food science commercializing innovations to improve our global food system. AgStart was recently awarded a 2023 SBA Growth Accelerator Fund Competition award to assemble AgTech Nation – a horizontal nation-wide collaboration of like-minded AgriFood technology incubators and accelerators to more-quickly connect innovators to the resources they need to be successful, wherever those entrepreneurs or resources may be. A long-time ‘connector’, John has found that partnerships among entrepreneur-support organizations strengthen each of the participants, and enhance their ability to support their entrepreneurial clients.

Joann Hill

Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), U.S. Dept. of Commerce

Ms. Joann J. Hill, a native of Columbia, South Carolina is presently serving as senior advisor to the Under Secretary and supports overall management, formulation, and execution of policies and programs in the Office of the Under Secretary, including programmatic advice, guidance, and direction to senior leadership, and engages with external facing stakeholders both domestically and internationally. Formerly, Ms. Hill served as Chief of the Office of Business Development for the United States Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), where she lead the Office of Business Development and had oversight of this division. She has served at MBDA for more than two decades. As federal program officer, she lead the nationwide network of 88 MBDA Business Centers, programs and initiatives including export centers, advanced manufacturing centers, federal procurement center, enterprising women of color, Equity Multiplier, Entrepreneurship for the Formerly Incarcerated, Minority Serving Colleges and Universities, and American Indian Alaska Native & Native Hawaiian programs. She continues to provide strategies that support the growth and global competitiveness of women and minority-owned businesses in the areas of contracts, financing, domestic and global supply chains that has resulted in more than $25 billion in awarded transactions for MBDA clients over the past decade. Additionally, Ms. Hill has served as Acting National Field Director for the U.S. Commercial Service (CS), International Trade Administration (ITA), U.S. Department of Commerce. In this role, she had oversight of the U.S. Field to lead 106 U.S. Export Assistance Centers (USEAC). She provided strategic direction and communication of strategy and priorities to all staff in the U.S. field. She has also served as Senior Policy Advisor on the ITA Federal and State Export Promotion. Ms. Hill holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Benedict College; Master of Business Administration degree from Emory University, Goizueta Business School; and is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Senior Executive Fellows Program. She is a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES).

Isabella Guzman

Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration

Isabel Casillas Guzman is an advocate for small businesses and innovative startups and brings over 20 years of experience advising entrepreneurs, launching ventures, helping small businesses navigate government, and creating policies and programs to help advance entrepreneurship and innovation.

Suling Walker

Board Vice President, North Carolina Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce

Suling M. Walker, originally from Guatemala, is a distinguished professional currently serving as the Board Vice President at the NC Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce. Armed with a BS in Economics, she seamlessly integrated practical experience into her academic journey; she served as a business intelligence assistant at MS Machinery and Parts. Post-graduation, Suling embarked on a diplomatic venture at the United States Embassy in Guatemala City. In 2017, she embraced a new chapter in her life by marrying her husband and relocating to North Carolina. Suling's commitment to community empowerment and advocacy became evident as she took on the role of Executive Director at the North Carolina Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In this capacity, she designed and implemented programs to uplift the Hispanic business community. Her leadership extended to the Women’s Business Center of North Carolina, where she orchestrated initiatives fostering business growth through education, training, and counseling. Presently, Suling plays a pivotal role at the Small Business Center at Durham Technical Community College. Here, she provides essential support to small business owners through counseling, technical assistance, and specialized training. Additionally, as the Vice President of the NC Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce, she spearheads programs aimed at bolstering their Small Business Center and educational initiatives, empowering Hispanic-Latino entrepreneurs and business owners across North Carolina. Beyond her professional commitments, Suling has dedicated her life to improving the economic circumstances and overall well-being of the communities she serves, both in Guatemala and the United States. Proudly serving as a military spouse and a mother, Suling expertly balances her family life with her professional endeavors. Despite the high demands, her family actively engages in outdoor activities and remains connected to their local Catholic church. Suling's multifaceted contributions underscore her as a beacon of community leadership and a catalyst for positive change.

Amy Whitney

Director, University of North Dakota Center for Innovation

Dr. Amy Whitney is the Director of the UND Center for Innovation. She is focused on leading the UND Center for Innovation to the next level by using her entrepreneurial and creative problem solving skills and background in town-gown relationship building. She oversees a vibrant center supporting entrepreneurs, students and faculty members in Grand Forks and across North Dakota. Before joining the Center for Innovation, Whitney was Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Clark University in Worcester, MA. for seven years where she worked on curriculum development, hiring adjunct faculty, strategic planning, student mentorship and business creation, and collaboration with the community, alumni and the university. Before joining Clark University, Whitney served as an adjunct faculty member teaching online management courses at the Community College of Vermont in Montpelier from 2002 to 2016. In addition, she served as state program coordinator for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in Boston and Texas, from 2002 to 2009, and as executive director for the MADD Greater Boston Chapter from 1998 to 2002.

Jennifer Kim

Associate Administrator, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Small Business Administration

Jennifer Kim serves as the Associate Administrator for the Office of Field Operations. In this role, she oversees 68 District Offices and 10 Regional Offices throughout the country. SBA field offices provide small businesses access to programs and services in coordination with resource partners, lenders, and other local economic development organizations. This nationwide network oversees the delivery and management of SBA’s small business programs, including access to capital, contracting assistance, and business development initiatives. She has worked for over 15 years to strengthen communities and advocate for the public interest. She started her career as a stakeholder engagement specialist serving as a campus organizer where she recruited, and trained student leaders to manage campaigns to increase renewable energy standards, reduce plastic waste, and worked on efforts to make higher education more affordable. Jennifer directed the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group for four years where she led campaigns in support of toxic-free communities, affordable health care, and consumer protections. She has dedicated many years to increasing voter registration in communities of color as well as promoting youth civic engagement. More recently, she worked to strengthen ties between underserved communities and the public health system to increase vaccination rates. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in History and received a Master’s in Public Administration in Urban and Social Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Erica Fuchs

Professor, Dept. of Engineering & Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University

Erica R.H. Fuchs is a Professor in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, and by courtesy in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. She is also a Research Associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research. Dr. Fuchs’ research focuses on the development, commercialization and global manufacturing of emerging technologies, and national policy in that context.

Jackson Brossy

Assistant Administrator, Office of Native American Affairs, U.S. Small Business Administration

Mr. Brossy has been selected to serve as the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Native American Affairs, at the U.S. Small Business Administration. In this role, Mr. Brossy serves as a senior executive providing executive oversight, management, leadership, and championship of Native American entrepreneurship. Before SBA, Mr. Brossy served as executive director for both the Native CDFI Network, a 501(C)(3) advocacy group, and the Navajo Nation Washington Office, the official intergovernmental affairs office for the largest tribe in the nation. An advocate of access to capital and technical assistance for Native entrepreneurs, Mr. Brossy also serves on the board of Prosperity Now, Change Labs, and the Federal Reserve Bank’s Center for the Indian Country Development Leadership Council. He is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and attended Stanford University and Harvard University.

Ross Busch

Partnerships Associate, Village Capital

Ross Busch is the Partnerships Associate at Village Capital, where he develops catalytic relationships and coalitions in support of entrepreneurs solving the world's greatest challenges.

Rohit Shukla

Founder & CEO, Larta Institute

Rohit Shukla founded Larta Institute in 1993 - Larta is now an internationally recognized accelerator whose mission is to foster science and technology innovation for a sustainable planet. Mr. Shukla previously served nearly six years as Director of High Technology Business at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. He was Executive Director of the Presidents’ Roundtable, a California-based network of chief executives from Fortune 500 U.S. aerospace and defense electronics companies. In 2008, he was appointed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development to advise and lead a multi-country study of IP policies and practices and IP as it affects the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises. He also has established regional commercialization initiatives and provided technology commercialization policy advice to the governments of Australia, Israel, Malaysia and New Zealand, among others. In 2014, he was appointed to a 2-year term to the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship which advises the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce on issues related to accelerating innovation, expanding entrepreneurship, and developing a globally competitive workforce.

Erin Horne McKinney

National Executive Director, Howard University & PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship

Passionate about financial inclusion, social impact, inclusive innovation, and equitable entrepreneurship, Erin Horne McKinney serves as the inaugural National Executive Director of the Howard University & PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship. The vision for the Center is to create a nationally recognized center for entrepreneurship education, research, resources, and advocacy for Black business owners across the country. The National Center will serve as a leader for Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) to enhance innovation and entrepreneurship instruction, provide real-world learning opportunities for students, and provide opportunities for faculty to engage in interdisciplinary innovation and entrepreneurship research. The National Center will also serve as a significant resource for Black communities for innovation, entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, and business growth. The National Center will be located on Howard University’s campus, and will include four regional Centers of Excellence: 1) Howard University, 2) Morgan State University, 3) Clark Atlanta University, and 4) Texas Southern University. Erin is a Cofounder of Zimbali Networks (a Web3 fintech company building an ecosystem of financially inclusive products) and she is the Founder of the global community, Black Female Founders (acquired). Erin is a seasoned executive, investor, Womanist, Afrofuturist, activist, advocate, communication scientist, and serial entrepreneur and intrapreneur with more than two decades of entrepreneurship and tech policy, venture capital, economic and business development, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity/Allyship (IDEA), and marketing communications experience. Erin is a member of Pipeline Angels and serves as an advisor and mentor to startups, incubators, and accelerator programs. She is a founding member of the Black Innovation Alliance (BIA) and serves on the advisory board for Collider's Inclusion Open program (funded by the Kauffman Foundation), and as a Board Director for the Greater Twin Cities United Way, Tubman, and BIA. She served as the founding President & CEO of the African American Community Development Corporation (AACDC) of Minnesota and the Chair & Managing Partner of Minnesota Impact Partners (MIP), a real estate development firm. She is the proud mom of two and a double alum of Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Donna Harris

Founder & CEO, Builders + Backers

Donna is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist and angel investor focused on helping to find, incubate, and grow ideas for solving our greatest challenges. As the founder and CEO of Builders + Backers, Donna is working in communities across the country to restore personal agency, increase capacity for entrepreneurial thinking, identify promising solutions and ultimately scale and fund the ones that work. As General Partner of Builders + Backers Capital, Donna invests in early-stage startups and helps other accredited investors do so as well through investment syndicates. Donna is also co-founder of 1776, General Partner in 1776 Ventures (a seed stage venture fund with investments on five continents), Venture Partner at Praxis and an active angel investor. She is also on the Board of the Global Entrepreneurship Network and Policy Council of Economic Innovation Group.

Krista Covey

CEO / President, First Flight Venture Center

Krista’s passion is serving high-impact entrepreneurial ventures and helping them achieve success. She has been supporting the development and growth of early-stage companies through her work building and leading award-winning innovation hubs in Florida and Texas. She has an extensive background in banking and finance and has experience in business incubation and acceleration, strategic management, business development, marketing, economic development, economic gardening for high-growth science and tech companies, and public relations. As an entrepreneur at heart, she has also grown her own successful finance business with a profitable exit and served on several start-up boards. Krista is a certified Business Incubator Manager with the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA) and currently serves as the Chair of the InBIA Executive Board of Directors. She is part of the Startup Champions Network, driving long-term change by supporting innovation and entrepreneurship and working to reduce barriers for entrepreneurs, and has served on numerous community and industry boards. Krista is a regular speaker on topics relating to business innovation, technology transfer, incubation, acceleration, mentoring programs, economic development, funding vehicles and other programs designed to transition ideas into profitable ventures that significantly impact our community. Krista holds a B.S. in Business Marketing from Southeastern University and her Master’s in Business Administration from Saint Leo University.

Jennifer Shieh

Acting Deputy Associate Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration

At the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Investment and Innovation, Jennifer Shieh supports high-tech small businesses turning ideas into solutions through America's Seed Fund - the Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs. With more than half a decade of experience funding biotech companies through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as Small Business Coordinator at the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Office of Translational Alliances and Coordination (NHLBI OTAC) and Program Director at the National Cancer Institute SBIR Development Center, she facilitates programs & policies to transition research from lab to market and foster a diverse & inclusive entrepreneurial community.

Brittany Sickler

Director of Ecosystem Development, Office of Investment and Innovation, U.S. Small Business Administration

Brittany Sickler is the Director of Investment and Innovation Ecosystems for the Office of Investment and Innovation (OII). In this role, she is responsible for building networks of stakeholders across the country to improve access for small businesses seeking federal R&D and patient capital funds, creating strategic connections via the Regional Innovation Cluster (RIC) program, the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC), and more. Prior to this role, Brittany launched a new division at the Economic Development Administration responsible for over $63M in investments to build economic development networks supporting communities with connections, technical assistance, and promising practices at-scale. Previously, Brittany spent almost nine years at SBA in the North Dakota District Office, the Office of Entrepreneurial Development, and most recently in the Office of Investment and Innovation where she designed and managed funding for entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) and coordinated outreach across the federal agencies representing America’s Seed Fund. Ms. Sickler holds a Master’s in Community Economic Development. She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala, as well as an AmeriCorps VISTA for microlender Ascendus in Miami.

Jessica Milano

Chief Program Officer, U.S. Department of the Treasury- Office of Capital Access

Jessica A. Milano is the Chief Program Officer in the Office of Capital Access at the US Treasury Department where she oversees the implementation of programs under the American Rescue Plan including the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, the Homeowners Assistance Fun, the Capital Projects Fund, and the State Small Business Credit Initiative. She has also coordinates Treasury’s work on the Interagency Community Investment Committee (ICIC), working across agencies and with community stakeholders to improve community investment programs in underserved areas. Prior to joining Treasury, Ms. Milano held positions as Vice President and Director of ESG Investment Research for Calvert Research and Management, an investment management firm based in Washington, DC that invests across global capital markets and with Calvert Impact Capital helping launch several small business recovery funds to support community-based businesses across the US. From 2012 to 2017, Jessica served in the Obama Administration, first at the Small Business Administration and then at the Treasury Department where she oversaw policy initiatives to connect more families, small businesses, and communities to safe and affordable credit. She holds a MA in Applied Economics from The Johns Hopkins University and received her BSc in Government from the London School of Economics. She lives in Maryland with her husband and daughter.

Arjun Gupta

Chief Believer, TeleSoft Partners

Arjun is the Founder of TeleSoft Partners, a venture capital firm which he founded in 1996. TeleSoft was licensed by SBA for two SBIC’s covering 1997-2012. Over the last 25 years, he has invested directly or indirectly in over 250+ private technology companies, resulting in 150+ acquisitions and IPOs to date (including 60+ unicorns).

Joseph Parilla

Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

Joseph Parilla is a Senior Fellow and Director of Applied Research at Brookings Metro, where he oversees a research and strategy portfolio focused on the trends and policies that influence inclusive economic growth in cities across the U.S. and the world. Parilla authors publications, delivers public presentations, and provides commentary to media on topics such as economic development, small business trends, and talent development.

Jared Evans

Director, Transition Acceleration Program, Office of Strategic Capital, Office of the Secretary of Defense

Jared Evans is Director of the Transition Acceleration Program (TAP) at DoD’s Office of Strategic Capital (OSC). As a cofounder and former partner at AFVentures, Jared brings his unique perspective to drive collaborative public-private investment into critical technologies and transformative military capability.

Shalei Holway

Senior Advisor, U.S. Small Business Administration

Shalei serves as a Senior Advisor in the SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation where she’s focused on the Agency’s portfolio of private investment programs, including the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) public-private partnership program. Prior to joining the SBA, Shalei served in a leadership role at Wayfair, an e-commerce company, pioneering strategies to combat COVID-driven disruption by partnering with Wayfair’s thousands of small business suppliers, and is an alum of HelloFresh, IDEO and JPMorgan. She attended Barnard College and Harvard Business School and is a Massachusetts native.

Dilawar Syed

Deputy Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration

Dilawar Syed comes to SBA from the State Department where he championed American businesses as Special Representative for Commercial & Business Affairs. As the State Department’s top commercial diplomat, Deputy Administrator Syed advocated for U.S. companies to compete and win abroad and helped ensure U.S. competitiveness in markets across the globe. In this role, he mobilized the private sector to support the people of Ukraine in the wake of Russia's invasion and advocated for commercial deals in strategic sectors such as aviation and defense, energy, and technology, Before joining the Biden Administration, Syed was CEO at Lumiata, an AI healthcare company focused on reducing healthcare costs and improving patient outcomes. Previously, Syed was President at the software company Freshworks. Earlier in his career, Syed oversaw business operations for Yahoo!'s platforms and infrastructure and was a product manager at Siebel Systems and SAP. Dilawar Syed has driven civic efforts at the federal, state, and local level focusing on economic growth and entrepreneurship. As the founding Chair of the California Entrepreneurship Task Force with the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, Syed promoted inclusive entrepreneurship. He served on President Obama's White House Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and chaired the White House Initiative on AAPIs’ Economic Growth Committee. In that role, Syed led the administration’s engagement with small businesses across the U.S. after the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In 2020, Syed was tapped by San Jose, Calif. Mayor Sam Liccardo to help lead Silicon Valley’s pandemic economic recovery as a member of the Silicon Valley Recovery Roundtable. Syed holds an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and earned a B.A. in Economics and Computer Science from The University of Texas at Austin.