MNovation Panelists Directory

Thompson Aderinkomi, Co-Founder and CEO, Nice Healthcare Thompson Aderinkomi is an accomplished statistician, leader, and entrepreneur. He has founded multiple companies and led large teams over the last 10 years. Thompson is the co-founder and CEO of Relate, an artificial intelligence coach that helps people improve their relationship, leadership, and parenting skills. He is also the co-founder and CEO of Nice Healthcare, an innovative primary care practice that delivers care in patient’s homes outside of traditional health insurance arrangements by working directly with employers to offer the service as a benefit to employees. He maintains his popular blogs on leadership and relationships at www.thompsonaderinkomi.com He also has served on the board of directors for WATCH MN, Youthprise, and MNsure. He received a BS in Economics and an MS in Statistics from the University of MN and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management. Twitter handle: @ThompsonAder

Dr. Simone Ahuja is the internationally best-selling author of “Jugaad Innovation” and founder of Blood Orange, an innovation and strategy advisory boutique. Dr. Ahuja has served as a consultant to the Centre for India & Global Business at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, and as an associate Fellow for the Asia Society in New York City. She provides innovation and strategy services to organizations including 3M, Procter & Gamble, Target Corp, the World Economic Forum and MIT. She is a regular columnist for the Harvard Business Review online.

John Alberts, Executive Director of Educational Services, Austin Public Schools John is in charge of overseeing teaching and learning, staff development, gifted programs, English learner programs, integration programming, and federal funds. John is the co-chair of an annual Gifted and Talented Education Symposium that brings in speakers and attendees from around the world to Austin each summer. John was named the Austin Education Association teacher of the Year in 2005, was named to the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) 23, and named the Minnesota Educators of the Gifted and Talented Friend of the Gifted in 2015. John received his BA in English and psychology from the University of MN, Morris, and a MA in curriculum and .instruction from the University of MN. Twitter handle: @alberts_john

Mike Alcott, Production Director, Boston Scientific. Mike has 15 years of experience working for Boston Scientific. He has worked at two different sites in Minnesota during that time (Maple Grove and Arden Hills). He has held positions of increasing responsibility all within Operations as a Supervisor, Manager, and currently as Director. Mike has three wonderful children, has participated in the Tough Mudder challenge seven times, and is the self proclaimed “Culture King” of Arden Hills. Twitter handle: @bostonsci

Ryan Armbruster, Co-founder and Chief Experience Officer at Harken Health, a new type of healthcare company that is set to reinvent the healthcare experience. Previously he focused on building and managing enterprise-wide structures and processes that enhanced organizational innovation at UnitedHealth Group. As Vice President, Innovation, his efforts ranged from cultural initiatives to innovation strategy to the creation and direction of the UnitedHealth Group Human Centered Design Studio

Jacquie Berglund is The Rambunctious Social Entrepreneur, CEO and Co- Founder of FINNEGANS, the first beer company in the world to donate 100% of profits to fund fresh produce for those in need. Through the creation of both FINNEGANS Inc. and its nonprofit counterpart, FINNEGANS Community Fund, Berglund has championed an innovative, market- based approach to addressing and raising awareness about food security in communities across the Midwest.

Jodi Brendel, Managing Partner, Patina Solutions Jodi is at the forefront of an “executive-on-demand revolution” as a Managing Partner of Patina Solutions. She’s responsible for the company’s Minnesota-market, taking an innovative approach to the way companies address their critical initiatives and open positions. With more than 25 years of success managing and scaling-up businesses, she has a track record of building high performance teams for large and small companies across multiple business sectors – with national and international reach. She’s been an executive consultant, bringing her experience and insights to emerging and growing life sciences and food & agribusiness companies. A results-oriented leader, Jodi held positions at leading life sciences companies including Medtronic, Hill-Rom Respiratory Care, and Synovis Life Technologies. She’s a graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Twitter handle: @PatinaSolutions

Kim Brown, president of JNBA Financial Advisors, a 36-year-old, independent, fee-only wealth management firm. With a background in marketing, Kim has been instrumental in shifting JNBA to a team-based customer-service approach and elevating the firm’s profile in Minnesota and across the country. She has also taken a national leadership role as a proponent of independence in the wealth-management industry, and has focused her – and her firm’s – efforts on how to best prepare the next generation of financial advisors to address the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow’s investors.

Heidi E. F. Burton, Chief Human Resources Officer, Stinson Leonard and Street, LLP, an Am Law 200 firm with a strong mid-west presence. Heidi creates, implements, and oversees administrative programs focused on increasing efficiency, strengthening employees’ skillsets, improving leadership, and maintaining the overall health of the organization. Stinson Leonard Street, LLP is an Am Law 200 firm with a strong mid-west presence. Additionally, she works with organizational leaders to identify needs and set goals, often incorporating behavioral science to enhance employee satisfaction and productivity. Heidi’s professional experience includes over 15 years in Organizational Development and Human Resources Management where she developed a passion for finding innovative solutions to challenges facing law firms today as well as in the future. @StinsonLeonard

Lisa Burns, Development Advisor, Feed My Starving Children Three years ago, Lisa left her 30 year career in corporate insurance to become a Development Advisor at Feed My Starving Children where she encourages individuals, corporations, churches and schools to generate creative fundraising and volunteer experiences. Feed My Starving Children is a Christian non-profit that provides nutritionally complete meals specifically formulated for malnourished children. The approach is simple, donors fund the of meal ingredients. Volunteers hand-pack the meals. Meals are donated to FMSC partners around the world where kids are fed and lives are saved! @fmsc_org

Dakota Crow, Director of Innovation, Research & Development, Optum. In his first three years at Optum Dakota was a member of the IRD Garage team. In this role, Dakota was responsible for helping create, develop, and lead new innovation concepts within the larger enterprise. Overall he was charged with helping to build, measure, and learn the validity and market opportunity of new businesses and products as quickly and efficiently as possible. While working in the Optum IRD Garage he led multiple innovation projects including the Disability Cost Estimator, Living Large, Garage as a Service, and CompassHx.com, an interactive tool for marketing & sales professionals to more effectively map “Big Health” data. Dakota is a serial entrepreneur of ten start-ups and a twenty-year veteran of the sports & wellness industry. Locally he a long-time volunteer of the Smile Network and the co-founder of the Minnovation Collective, a regional meet-up group for Corporate Innovation professionals. Twitter handle: @Optum

Christopher Finlay is the author of “Getting to Thank You - A Practitioner’s Guide to Innovation” and Senior Director of Product Experience Design at UnitedHealth Group. Chris is an innovation expert and designer with a mission to help people do their best work. At UHG, Chris designs and delivers human centered health services across channels and across products as part of the Optum Consumer Experience team. He enjoys working at the intersection of design, business, operations, tech, and marketing to bring experiences to people’s lives.

Kieran Folliard, a visionary entrepreneur and founder of 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey, multiple successful restaurants and bars, and a brand new social venture, The Food Building, which is focused on creating an innovation space for local, artisanal food makers.

Joe Friedrich, Quality Director, Boston Scientific. Joe Friedrich has 15 years of experience working for Boston Scientific (previously Guidant). He has held positions of increasing responsibility across Operations Quality, Post Market Quality, and Supplier Development. He currently serves as Operations Quality Director for Boston Scientific’s Arden Hills Plant. He previously served as Quality Director for the Cameron Health acquisition, creator of the Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator. Joe is a proud dad to two great kids, a St. Paul Blackhawks Parent Coach, and a Saint Mark’s School Wellness Committee Member. Twitter handle: @bostonsci

Aaron Keller, Founding Partner and Managing Principal, Capsule. Aaron is a founding partner and managing principal of Capsule, where he leads brand development, strategy, research and naming for clients. He has over 20 years of consulting experience in marketing, branding and retail strategy for a range of brands, including Herman Miller, Jack Daniels, Target, SmartWool and 3M. Recently, he co-authored the book The Physics of Brand, which explores the science of branding and design through physics principles. He has spoken on brand, design and entrepreneurship for the University of St. Thomas, University of MN, the American Marketing Association, and more. Aaron has a BA in marketing management from the University of St. Thomas and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Twitter handle: @KellerofCapsule

Esra Kucukciftci, President, Visual VR. Esra is a technologist and entrepreneur who is passionate about creating experiences and solving big problems through the use of VR. Esra’s experience has spanned everything ‘product’- product development, product management, product marketing, and product consulting. Before launching into the world of virtual reality Esra worked for Amazon, Facebook and SAS. Esra is also involved in a social enterprise called helpNow, a new multi-tenant and unified technology platform for connecting humans in need with human services networks, in real time. He other growth venture is Groundsource, an engagement technology platform that helps organizations to become more attentive, accessible, and responsive to their audiences’ needs, voices, and communication preferences. In her ample spare time, Esra also runs Pricing Innovations, a product consultancy specifically focusing on pricing and monetization. @EsraKc

Theresa Glomb, Toro Company-David M. Lilly Chair, Carlson School of Management. She received her Ph.D. in social, organizational, and individual differences psychology from the University of Illinois and her B.A. in psychology from DePaul University. Her research suggests the important role of work events, mood, and micro-interventions in predicting on the job behavior and employee well-being. She has conducted field research in dozens of companies, including several Fortune 500 firms, with thousands of workers as participants. Her research uses a variety of methodologies including experience sampling, surveys, interviews, and physiological assessment. Her work has been published in top management journals such as the Academy of Management Journal and the Journal of Applied Psychology and cited in media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and Huffington Post. Twitter handle: @CarlsonNews

Bill Gray, President North America, Uponor. Bill holds more than 23 years of experience in the HVAC and industrial supply industries. Prior to becoming the president of Uponor North America, Gray was the general manager for Uponor, Ltd., driving the leadership of all Canadian operations, including sales, marketing, demand management and technical and customer service. He was then promoted to vice president of Sales for Uponor North America, leading all North American sales efforts in the U.S. and Canada, before being promoted to president of the company. He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree in finance and management from Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and history from the University of King’s College. He is a member of the strategic advisory board for the Minnesota Manufacturers Alliance and is also a board member of the Bob Allison Ataxia Research Center at the University of Minnesota. Gray is also a board member of the Minnesota Zoo Foundation and serves as a Greater MSP Partner Advisory Council member to adopt, review and update operational protocols to address regional challenges and opportunities. @uponor

Catherine Gray is the Director of Impact Strategy Civic Engagement at the Minneapolis Foundation. She leads strategic grantmaking, advocacy, and partnerships to advance equity through civic participation. An expert in leadership development, she is known internationally for her previous work at The White House Project, an organization aimed at increasing the number of women in civic leadership. Catherine’s work is informed by her varied life experience as an entrepreneur and an innovator, an athlete and a filmmaker.

Stephanie Hammes-Betti is Senior Vice President of Innovation Design for the U.S. Bank Innovation Group. She leads a team who are responsible for the development and execution of Innovation engagement programs to promote and grow Innovation talent with in the company. She and her team are also responsible for providing education on new trends, managing the U.S. Bank Innovation Community, the Innovator in Residence program and for collaborating with the lines of business on the piloting of new digital tools into their marketing programs.

Barry Kudrowitz, Assistant Professor and Director of Product Design at the University of Minnesota. Barry leads the product design program at the University of Minnesota where he helps students become skilled at uncovering needs of others, generating creative ideas, rapidly visualizing ideas with free-hand sketches and computer models, building physical and digital prototypes to test concepts, and creatively and clearly presenting ideas. Barry received his PhD from the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), studying humor, creativity, and idea generation. Barry co-designed a Nerf toy, an elevator simulator that is in operation at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., and a ketchup-dispensing robot that was featured on the Martha Stewart Show. @kudrowitz

Joseph Kuefler, Creative Director and Product Director at the Big Know. By day, Joseph works in Minneapolis as an invention & design strategist at GoKart Labs where he helps businesses create their future. Most recently he became a part of the leadership team of the Big Know, an innovative platform which delivers free courses created by world-class organizations and taught by trusted experts. By night, he is a co-founder of Hum and an author and illustrator of children’s books, including Beyond the Pond.

Rick Kupchella, who has turned a decades-long career as an Emmy award-winning TV news anchor and investigative reporter into entrepreneurial new media spaces. Specializing in content strategy and production, including the use of news-as-content-marketing, his companies – PresentNation, the i.e. network and GoKart Labs – help brands develop an everyday relevance with their consumer base.

Bruce Lambrecht is currently the President of MTM Investments, a real estate and early stage investment company. He has both a corporate and entrepreneurial background and has extensive experience in taking an idea and following it through to execution and hopes to share that with the audience at the Innovation seminar.

Melissa Lenk, Director of Organizational Development, Honeywell. Innovation has been a central component of Melissa’s nearly 25 year career in the public, nonprofit and private sectors, spanning agricultural land reform in the former Soviet Republic of Moldova as a Peace Corps Volunteer; launching the first Habitat for Humanity International affiliate in Russia; hosting the first virtual leadership forum at Cargill; and supporting Breakthroughs at Honeywell. Melissa understands what it takes to work with a diverse set of stakeholders and across cultures to create positive change. She has a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor’s of Science in International Business with a Minor in Soviet Studies from St. Cloud State University. Twitter handle: @honeywell

Jenni Lilledahl is the Founder of Gilda’s Club Twin Cities, a free and welcoming “clubhouse” where everyone living with cancer can come for social, emotional and psychological support. In 2005 Jenni joined forces with two other community leaders to begin the journey of raising $3.8 million from 2,200 donors over eight years, buying and renovating a building, hiring staff, creating programming, engaging a medical advisory board and building a community. Jenni is also a co-owner of the Brave New Workshop and the leader of its non-profit arm, the Student Union.

Jen McCuen, Senior Director, Enterprise Learning, UnitedHealth Group. Jen is a global learning leader with a background in sales, organizational effectiveness and development, as well as performance coaching. Her interest and focus is on modernizing learning using a sustainable and scalable learning eCosystem that optimizes learning for the employee, moving it as close to the work as possible. Jen has an intuitive ability to connect with people to create insight, maximize development and facilitate change. When she’s at her best, she’s helping others realize their own best selves. In her current role, she leads the research and development, including technology enablement, for the enterprise learning and development space, including user experience design, graphic design, learning curation and learning technology enablement. She has worked at UnitedHealth Group for 10 years and former roles include Enterprise OE/OD Consulting and Director of Sales Training for UnitedHealthcare. She is a master facilitator and specializes in team development, adaptive positive leadership and organizational strategy. Twitter handle: @UnitedHealthGrp

Mark Meier, Innovation Leader, CH Robinson. Mark is responsible for promoting a culture of innovation and implementation of innovation strategy. Mark joined C.H. Robinson in 2007 with past roles in leadership of customer consulting in supply chain and logistics and customer portal product development. Mark’s background is consulting and analysis focused on system research, design and integration. Mark graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. in Computer Science and a B.A. in German Literature. @CHRobinsonInc

Amelia Franck Meyer, Founder and CEO of ALIA. ALIA provides deep-dive systemic interventions, training, consultation, demonstration projects, and leadership coaching to transform child welfare. Amelia has worked in over half of the states and many countries internationally to promote innovative ideas and to radically re-think child welfare. She is leading a national movement to create a child welfare system across the country where all people - youth and their caregivers - can thrive. Before ALIA, Amelia was the CEO of Anu Family Services, a child welfare agency located in 90 counties in Wisconsin and Minnesota. During her 15-year tenure, Anu produced nationally recognized child permanence and placement stability outcomes for children in out-of-home care and was on the leading edge of promoting and measuring wellbeing for youth and the child welfare workforce. Amelia is a 2015 Bush Fellow and Ashoka Fellow among many other recognitions. @alfranckmeyer

Steve Meyer, Owner, Future Farm Grown. Steve comes from a family rooted in Agriculture and Entrepreneurship. He started Future Farm Grown in 2010 with the goal of delivering high quality greens into Minnesota and Wisconsin year round. Working with a partnership based in innovation and using farm equipment that was previously sitting unused, Steve Meyer and his team have been producing aquaponically and hydroponically grown lettuce, herbs, and greens in their 27,000 square foot facility located in Baldwin, Wisconsin. Their environmentally controlled facility allows them to maximize plant growth while conserving water so they can get the freshest and most nutritious produce possible. They take pride in their clean growing methods where they are certified in Good Agricultural Practice through the USDA, use only Non-GMO seeds and do not use any harmful pesticides in an effort to give their customers the cleanest possible produce.Their farms are good for the earth, good for the plants and fish, and good for the people enjoying Future Farm Grown produce! Future Farm Grown takes their responsibility to preserve the environment seriously, and they are proud to supply the best quality foods to the local area all year round. Twitter handle: @FutureFarmWI

Jeff Munneke, Vice President, Fan Experience and Community Basketball, Minesota Timberwolves. Jeff is the Timberwolves’ employee with the longest tenure, having been hired on June 20, 1988. Munneke oversees all aspects of the fan experience department, which includes serving as the primary contact for all fan interactions with a focus on Wolves season ticket holders. Munneke has also overseen community youth basketball for 16 seasons, and earned a distinguished service award from the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association (MBCA) in 2007, as well as being inducted into the MBCA Hall of Honor in October of 2011. Munneke and his wife, Julie, reside in Champlin, Minn., their son Ty is the region sales rep/fitter for PXG Golf and daughter, Megan will graduate this June and go play golf at the University of South Dakota next fall. Twitter handle: @Timberwolves

Vikas Narula is an entrepreneur, blogger, speaker, adjunct professor and Co-founder of Keyhubs. After spending 15 years in the start-up world, Vikas stumbled-upon his own business idea of Keyhubs, a software-enabled management consulting company specializing in the power of human connection, while completing his MBA at Duke University. Around the same time (2009), Vikas started Neighborhood Forest – a social venture dedicated to giving free trees to schoolchildren every Earth Day. He is passionate about purpose-driven entrepreneurship and teaches on the subject, as an Adjunct, at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.

Warren Naviasky, Vice President/Director of Senior Housing Marketing and Sales for Life Care Services, an LCS Company. With 24 years of sales and marketing experience, Warren is paving a new path in senior living across the country. He currently oversees marketing and sales activity, as well as talent management initiatives in marketing and sales, for all Life Care Services equity communities, including Plymouth-based Trillium Woods. Warren developed innovative financial plans to provide consumers with choice and flexibility, customizing each senior’s experience to meet their personal needs. Warren inspires and supports his teams to constantly innovate, encouraging them to ask “why not” and “what if,” as well as let go of the fear of failure to fully embrace and benefit from innovation. Warren serves on the board of directors of the Wyndemere in Wheaton, Illinois, and the Baltimore Educational Institute for Teens of Reformed Judaism.

Dale Nitschke, former President of Target.com, which he built from the start-up stage to more than $1 billion in business. He also built the Target Guest Database, an initiative that delivered direct marketing and guest insight capabilities to the Target enterprise and readied the organization for the digital age. Dale is currently a managing partner at Ovative/Group, an innovative, Minneapolis-based digital strategy firm.

Bryant Pfeiffer is Vice President of Club Services for Major League Soccer,where he runs a team that counsels Major League Soccer clubs on building business and sales acumen. In particular, he impacts areas such as ticket sales, premium seating sales, advertising and marketing campaigns. He also founded the MLS National Sales Center in Blaine, which hosts a ground-breaking program for creating young sales superstars.

Dr. Vidya Raman-Tangella, Head of UnitedHealthcare’s Innovation Center of Excellence. Vidya and her team design, develop and scale breakthrough innovations that help address unmet health needs through the use of cutting-edge concepts and technology, including mobile apps and integrated health and wellness programs. Vidya is a clinician by training and has more than 20 years of experience in the health care field. Prior to her role at UnitedHealthcare, she held a senior management position at Johnson & Johnson, where she led the design of integrated and tailored health and wellness solutions for employers and health plans. In addition, Vidya helped oversee the company’s start-up organization, providing expertise about strategic partnerships and enterprise integration. An experienced ‘practical innovator’, Vidya has spoken at numerous health care and technology conferences, including the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the Cleveland Clinic Innovation Summit, the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Conference (HBA), the Employer Healthcare Congress, and the “Unleashing Innovation Summit.”. She was recognized as a “Woman Worth Watching” by the Diversity Journal Magazine. @UnitedHealthGrp

Zach Robins, Attorney, Winthrop & Weinstine
Zach Robins is a securities attorney in the Corporate and Transactions practice group at Winthrop and Weinstine. He counsels clients in the areas of general corporate, M&A, private equity raises and debt financing. Zach co-drafted Minnesota’s intrastate investment crowdfunding law, MNvest, and counsels issuers, portal operators, investors, banks, and service providers on the nuances of state and federal crowdfunding laws, as well as other securities issues. Twitter handle: @zjrobins Meet Zach here!

Jesse Roesler, an Emmy-awarded filmmaker whose motion pictures have been broadcast and screened in more than a twenty countries in festivals such as South by Southwest and Hot Docs. His debut feature film, THE STARFISH THROWERS was named the most heartwarming film of 2014 by The Huffington Post. He has also created short films for passion-driven organizations and brands including Trek, GE, Saucony & Feeding America as a co-founder of Bolster. Jesse believes Storytelling has the power to inspire immense positive change and speaks frequently on the subject to organizations like Best Buy & United Way.

Pete Saari, who co-founded Eden Prairie-based 3D-printed custom urn company Foreverence to bring creativity and innovation to the funeral services market. With a background in management, sales leadership and business ownership, he’s worked in large corporate environments as well as startups, early stage ventures and turnarounds across multiple industries.

Sondra Samuels, President and CEO the Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ). Along with parents, students, partners and staff, Sondra is leading a revolutionary culture shift in North Minneapolis that is focused on ending multigenerational poverty through education and family stability. The NAZ Collaborative, made up of 43 partner nonprofits and schools, is working toward a single goal—to prepare low-income North Minneapolis children to graduate from high school ready for college. NAZ has scaled up in support of over 1,000 parents and 2,300 students as they turn the social service model on its head and lead the creation of a college-bound culture throughout the community. Ms. Samuels is a 19-year resident of North Minneapolis and a national leader committed to results-based accountability. She and her team work tirelessly to ensure the integration of effective cradle-to-career solutions across the NAZ collaborative; to scale and sustain results across the community, and to achieve the systems and policy changes needed for families and children of color to truly share in the prosperity of the Twin Cities Region. Under her leadership, NAZ was named a federal Promise Neighborhood, and has become a nationally recognized model for comprehensive community development and systems change.Sondra also serves on the Leadership team of Generation Next, (a Strive Initiative); the boards of Minnesota Private College Council and the Center for the Study of Social Policy; and the 2018 Super Bowl Host Committee Advisory Board. She was also appointed by the Governor to serve on the Hennepin County Forth Judicial Selection Commission. @SondraSamuels

Chaz Sandifer and Valerie Turner, Co-Founders, Noir Elite Fitness. Val and Chaz are creating a new kind of fitness sisterhood in the Twin Cities to help close the disproportionate health risks that African-American women face. Almost 80 percent of African-American women in the U.S. are obese or overweight and they have high rates of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Val a certified Zumba instructor and Chaz a figure bodybuilder founded Noir Elite Fitness in April 2017. By combining households and building their shared dream they were able to launch Noir Elite Fitness in April 2017 and believe in working mothers making a difference in their community one rep at a time. More about their work here.

Philomena Morrissey Satre is currently the VP of Organizational Effectiveness and the former VP of Diversity and Inclusion at Wells Fargo. She has worked with 72 Diversity and Inclusion networks and five diversity councils in 15 states, focusing on recruitment, retention and reputation, and ROI. In partnership with Hamline University and the U.S. State Department, she led a Middle East Fellows peace and economic development project.

Vineeta Sawkar, a 5-time Emmy award-winning journalist now using her two decades of television experience to boost online video coverage for StarTribune.com. Drawing on her deep understanding of the nature and power of video storytelling, she works with Star Tribune reporters and editors across the newsroom and help StarTribune.com continue to refine and expand its video-centric newsgathering and delivery resources.

Eric Schneider, Associate Superintendent, Minnetonka Public Schools. For the past seven years, Eric has been overseeing Minnetonka’s high-performing academic program, as well as its nationally-acclaimed, crowd-based innovation program The Big Hunt for Ideas. Previously, Schneider served as principal of Vintage High School in Napa Valley Unified School District, and he was an assistant principal at Washburn High School in Minneapolis. He began his career as a teacher in the Minneapolis Public School District. He currently serves on the EdLeader21 National Advisory Board, he advises Global Silicon Valley and their annual “Innovation in Education” national event. He also leads the Minnesota Community Innovation Partnership, and he serves on the Minnesota Online Learning Advisory Council and the Minnesota ASCD Board of Directors. Schneider was selected by the Midwest Suburban Superintendents Association as its Warren Fellow in 2017 and was presented with the “Innovation for Good” award by Mindjet in 2015. Twitter handle: @tonkaschools

Jan Shimanski, Chief Learning Officer, 3M. Jan’s role brings to life 3M’s commitment to leadership development. It’s a good fit for someone whose favorite compliment came from a boss who chalked Jan’s professional success up to her personal passion for helping people develop. Before this position, Jan was Vice President, 3M Global Talent Solutions. Her work in human resources is predated by a career largely spent in marketing, strategy and general management.Jan has served as Vice President, 3M Global Marketing Excellence, responsible for global marketing strategy and execution. Before that, she was Vice President, 3M International Marketing and Strategy, a $20 billion franchise for 3M with more than 4,000 marketing professionals. Jan rejoined 3M in April 2008 after a 12-year career at Medtronic, Inc., where she held various leadership roles in corporate strategy, general management and marketing. Prior to her time with Medtronic, Jan worked at 3M for 10 years in health care marketing. Jan holds a master’s in business from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, as well as a Ph.D. in business from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. @3M

Diana Shulla-Cose, Co-Founder and President, Perspectives Charter Schools. Despite coming from some of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in Chicago, Perspectives students graduate from high school, enroll in college, and persist towards graduation at rates above the national average. The key to these results is a social-emotional learning curriculum and culture called A Disciplined Life®, which Diana co-created. Diana is a contributing columnist for Smart Business, an online publication, and recently published an article on Bright, Medium’s pop-up publication and innovation in education. She is also the Executive Producer of the “I Am for Peace” documentary, which features U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and performer Jennifer Hudson. She has spoken at local and national conferences, recently led a Lab at Chicago Ideas Week 2014 on social-emotional learning, was a featured panelist at the National Charter Schools Conference in 2015 and served on the National Charter Schools Conference Program Committee in 2016. Diana has a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Loyola University Chicago. Twitter handle: @DianaShullaCose

Ian Stephenson is the former VP of Organizational Effectiveness at Cargill. Ian is an experienced and successful global business leader, organizational consultant and advisor to executives. Ian has hands on experience of building organization capabilities in innovation, customer focus, marketing and change management. He developed a leadership academy that was frequently cited as best practice and recognized with external awards several times.

Pete Swenson is Director, Sustainable Enterprise at Tennant Company where he has been saying “yes and” (most of the time) for over 14 years. Before beginning his current position in February 2013, Pete was Director of Global Advanced Products & Technology. The Tennant Company vision is: “We will lead our global industry in sustainable cleaning innovation that empowers our customers to create a cleaner, safer and healthier world.” Tennant invests in and emphasizes innovative, sustainable solutions for customers and sustainability across its value chain.

Karl D. Thomas, Chief Innovation Officer, North Memorial Health
Karl Thomas joined North Memorial Health in 2016 as Chief Innovation Officer. Karl leads strategies that reinforce North Memorial Health’s commitment to ensuring that customers have the best experience possible. Karl came to North Memorial Health from Hilton Worldwide where he was Senior Director of the Hampton Brand Global Culture and Internal Communications. Twitter handle: @northmemorial

Emily Torgrimson is the Executive Director and co-founder of Eat for Equity, an innovative organization which builds a culture of generosity through sustainable community feasts. Combining her passions for food, community, and justice, Emily co-founded Eat for Equity in Boston in 2006, brought it to Minneapolis and has transformed it from an idea to a movement with chapters in 10 cities. An energetic and resourceful community builder, she has organized over hundreds of benefit dinners, collaborating with farmers, artists, and community organizations.

Gina Valenti, Vice President, Focused Service Brand Hospitality, Hilton. As the Vice President of Brand Hospitality for Focused Service Brands for Hilton, Gina is a 27-year veteran of the travel and hospitality industries. She is passionate about inspiring Team Members to shine by joyfully engaging their hearts and minds with a brand’s culture and values. Her success in developing Team Members led Hilton to tap Gina in 2010 to lead the company’s first Owner Services Team. The goal: to engage the hearts and minds of franchise owners in each of Hilton Worldwide’s 13 brands. Gina created the first comprehensive, international owners recognition club, new communication channels, numerous national and international events, and the first global database of key owner metrics. In her current position, Gina focuses on igniting Team Members with a brand’s hospitality to deliver the very best in customer service. She makes sure that Hamptonality, Bright Hearted and Tru Spirit help fulfill Hilton’s vision: To fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality – by delivering exceptional experiences – every hotel, every guest, every time. Gina is a graduate of California State University Northridge and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Human Resource Management/Labor Relations.@HamptonByHilton @HiltonNewsroom

Kevin Wilde, former Chief Learning Officer for General Mills, author and Executive Leadership Fellow at the Carlson School of Business. As a result of Kevin’s efforts General Mills has been consistently recognized for its innovative development work. Currently Kevin contributes his enormous talent and insights to the overall advancement of leadership development at the business school.

Mary Uran, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Girls on the Run Twin Cities, a non-profit that empowers girls to know and activate their limitless potential and boldly pursue their dreams. Mary co-founded the Twin Cities chapter of Girls on the Run International and has grown it from two school site locations and 24 girls in spring 2012 to more than 150 locations and 3,000 girls in spring 2018. GOTR-TC is an innovative afterschool program that sits at the cross roads of youth development and sport. In a world of competitive youth sports, it focuses on building a mastery climate and life skills at the same time (gratitude, community service, self worth). A recent longitudinal study showed that the two components that set the organization apart are trained, volunteer coaches who serve as mentors and role models, and a proven social-emotional curriculum. GOTR-TC is also working hard to remove as many barriers to access, including being one of the first organizations to partner with local company Asiya to offer any girl in our program who wants it a sports hijab. GOTR was awarded Nonprofit of the Year in 2016 by the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, recognized as one of the National AfterSchool Association’s Most Influential program in Health & Wellness, and a BOLD Award finalist. Twitter handle: @gotrtwincities

Cassandra Utt, Co-Founder, Monicat Data. Cassie Utt is the Co-Founder of Monicat Data, which focuses on providing data and technical solutions to arts organizations and the broader creative economy. Cassie also spends her days working for Eaton Corporation as an IT business relationship manager. To fulfill her passion for the stage, she spends her evenings performing with local theatre and opera companies. Cassie moved to Minneapolis four years ago after receiving degrees in Computer Science and Vocal Performance from Bowling Green State University. She recently participated in a program called Remote Year, where she spent a year traveling around Europe, Asia, and South America, all while working remotely. Twitter handle: @cassandra_utt

Jill Wiedemann-West, CEO, People Incorporated. People Incorporated is Minnesota’s largest community-based provider of mental health services and Jill became its first Chief Operating Officer in 2010 and its Chief Executive Officer in 2014. At People Incorporated, Jill has spearheaded an ambitious plan: reshape the organization to execute on a continuum-of-care model to drive improved client outcomes. This effort has had far-reaching effects, from how the organization is structured to how it pays its employees – and how it best serves those who need mental health services. Jill holds a Master of Arts in Psychology and Human Behavior from National University in San Diego, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Social Work from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Before joining People Incorporated, she was COO at Hazelden Foundation for 11 years. Twitter handle: @peopleincorp Meet Jill Here!

Patrick Waddick is the President of Innovation and Operations at Cirrus Aircraft.. He is responsible for leading enterprise-wide Innovation and Operations activities including research and development, engineering, program management, manufacturing operations, global supply chain and quality. Patrick began his professional affiliations first with AIAA at the University of Wisconsin, Madison as a student chapter Vice President. In 2004, he was the recipient of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Hap Arnold Award for Excellence in Program Management.

Hamse Warfa, Founder and Vice Chairman, BanQu. Hamse is a philanthropic adviser, social entrepreneur and former Program Officer at Margaret A. Cargill Foundation managing the foundation’s global and domestic children & families and health investments. Hamse has 18 years of experience in philanthropy/nonprofit and global development finance. He is an author, a part-time Doctoral candidate in Public Admin at Hamline University, M.S. in Management & Leadership from Springfield.

Rob Zeaske is the Chief Executive Officer of Second Harvest Heartland. Under Rob’s direction, Second Harvest Heartland has not only grown in size and scale, but also has earned a reputation as an innovator and national thought leader in hunger relief. Rob is helping change the conversation about hunger relief by bringing together partners from private and public organizations that have a stake in closing the missing meal gap.

The new MNovation Seminar Series is a unique opportunity for professionals at all levels to spark innovative thinking and behaviors by participating in interactive sessions with some of Minnesota’s top innovators in a full-day session at the Brave New Workshop’s Experimental Thinking Centre (ETC).

Attendees will learn and practice five behaviors proven to spark innovation, and increase the amount of time we spend in a mindset of discovery. This series is the first of its kind, combining the resources of innovation behavioralist, author and trainer John Sweeney and the Brave New Workshop’s Creative Outreach and some of Minnesota’s most innovative people and organizations.