About This Virtual Forum

Thursday, March 4, 2021
8 a.m. – 12 noon

Now in its third year, TechTalent convenes employers, educators, solutions providers and policy influencers working together to solve tech workforce challenges and opportunities.

Who attends?

Attendees include business, technology, and human resource leaders, as well as educators, solution providers, and policy influencers.

Why attend?

  • Get informed on the current state of tech talent in Minnesota.
  • Gain new ideas. This is the place to build allies!
  • Be part of the solution! You’ll take away actionable items to deploy in your workplace.

Speakers

Who will be speaking?

Here are a few of the speakers you will hear from during the opening session:

Sameer Badlani
Chief Digital Officer, Executive VP for Technology Services
M Health Fairview

Tawanna Black
Founder & CEO
Center for Economic Inclusion

Greg Cunningham
Sr. EVP & Chief Diversity Officer
U.S. Bank

Jennifer Hauschildt
VP, Human Resources
Uponor

Sean Lennon
Chief Information Officer
Medtronic

Andrea Markstrom
Chief Information Officer
Taft Law

Mike McNamara
Executive VP, Chief Information Officer
Target

Speakers

Fireside Chat

Beth Ford
CEO, Land O’Lakes

Discussion facilitated by Jeff Tollefson, President & CEO, Minnesota Technology Association

Closing Session: Not All Super Heroes Wear Capes

Large Venue Tech Leaders Discuss New “Game Day” Realities

Moderator

John Avenson
Vice President, Technology
Minnesota Twins Baseball Club

Panelist

Douglas Hegley
Chief Digital Officer
Minneapolis Institute of Art

Panelist

Jim Ibister
Vice President, Facility Administration
Minnesota Wild

Panelist

David Kingsbury
Director of IT
U.S. Bank Stadium

Panelist

Eduardo Valencia
CIO
Metropolitan Airports Commission

Educational Session presenters include:

AerisWeather
Best Buy
C.H. Robinson
CHS
Ecolab
Fairview Health Systems
Livefront
Medtronic
Microsoft
Optum
RSM
Seagate
Self-Esteem Brands
Slack
SportsEngine
SPS Commerce
Starkey Hearing Technologies
Structural
Target
TCF Bank
Thompson Reuters
Unisys

Forum Agenda

What will the morning look like?

8-8:30 a.m. 

Minnesota – The State of Tech Talent

A look at the current state of Minnesota’s tech workforce, widening gaps in our tech talent pipelines, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.  Join us for this data-driven session that level-sets where Minnesota stands today and what needs to be addressed for the future.  

Speakers 

  • Jeff Tollefson, President & CEO, Minnesota Technology Association 
  • Jade Denson, VP, Programming & Member Experience, Minnesota Technology Association 

Featuring:

  • Erin OlsonDirector, Strategic Research, RealTime Talent 
  • Introduction by Shane Bratvold, Director, Business Information Security Officer, Thomson Reuters

8:30-9 a.m. 

Equity & Inclusion – Putting Words into Action  

Tawanna Black facilitates a conversation with leaders from Target and U.S. Bank on the importance of building diverse teams and inclusive workplaces.  Learn about new initiatives intended to open more doors of opportunity for historically marginalized talent pools and strategies for developing talent once on-board.  

 Speakers 

  • Greg Cunningham, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, U.S. Bank 
  • Mike McNamara, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Target 

Facilitated by Tawanna Black, Founder & CEO, Center for Economic Inclusion 

9-9:50 a.m. 

The Future of Work – CIO Perspectives and Priorities  

How has COVID impacted current and future workforce strategies?  What does this mean as it relates to hiring, onboarding, developing, and retaining talent?  Learn how these leaders are optimizing talent in more challenging times. 

Speakers 

  • Sameer Badlani, MD, FACP, Chief Digital Officer & Executive VicePresident for Technology Services, M Health Fairview  
  • Sean Lennon, Chief Information Officer, Medtronic 
  • Andrea Markstrom, Chief Information Officer, Taft Law 

Facilitated by Jennifer HauschildtVice President, Human Resources, Uponor 

9:50-10 a.m. 

Break

Remainder of morning 

Attend a series of 30-minute breakout sessions.  Choose from three tracks in each time period: 
  • INSPIRE – Learn why it is important to inspire more Minnesota youth to pursue STEM careers, the challenges faced by those addressing this issue, and how our business community can help. 
  • HIRE – Hear new approaches to sourcing, hiring, and on-boarding talent at a time of remote work and changing organizational priorities. 
  • DEVELOP & RETAIN – Explore how leading companies are developing and optimizing their talent and creating inclusive cultures where people want to work and choose to stay. 

10:00-10:30 a.m. 

Choose 1 of 3: 
INSPIRE Reality Check: The State of Computer Science Education in Minnesota

Is it true that Minnesota ranks last in the nation in the percentage of high schools offering computer science curriculum? Learn more about the challenges we facas we work to develoour next generation of developers. 

Speakers 

  • Sarah Carter, STEM/Computer Science Integration Specialist, Minnesota Department of Education 
  • Cassie Scharber, Ph.D., Associate Professor,  University of Minnesota; Steering Committee Member,  CSforAll-MN 
  • Andrea Wilson Vazquez, Director of Educator Training, Code Savvy; Innovative Instructional Coach, Intermediate District 287
HIRELeveraging Non-traditional Hires to Drive ROI 

Technology and Talent leaders with Granicus will share their learnings regarding effectively hiring and leveraging non-traditional talent. Specifically, they’ll talk about the why and how they positioned hiring bootcamp graduates as a strategic priority. They’ll also reveal why bootcamp grads most recently represent the largest portion of their technology workforce. Attendees will walk away with a better understanding of how to get strong return on investment from non-traditional talent and get some tools to advocate for tapping into bootcamp talent within your respective organizations. 

Speakers 

  • Tracie Karsjens, Director of Engineering, Granicus 
  • Nick Stroozas, Recruiter, Granicus 
DEVELOP & RETAINPerspectives on What Matters and What Works to Create an Inclusive Culture

Listen in as local tech professionals at varying levels share their perspectives on the impact culture can have in the work place. From setting the tone at the top to feeling engaged when you’re entering a new team, our speakers will share what’s worked, what hasn’t, and offer insights in to how you can enable a more inclusive space.

Speakers 

  • Ruchir Jaipuriyar, Sr. Manager, Applications, Digital Advisor Services, RBC Wealth Management 
  • Michelle Pokrzywinski, Director, Engineering and DevOps,  Kognitiv
  • Kaisa Taipale, PhD, Senior Data Scientist, C.H. Robinson 

Facilitated by Caroline Karanja, CEO, Hack the Gap 

10:35-11:05 a.m. 

Choose 1 of 3: 
INSPIRECareer PathwaysPromising Practices & Business Partnerships  

Learn about in-school and out-of-school programs equipping students with the digital and professional skills required to succeed on a pathway to tech career success and the important role our business community can (and must) play in this critical work. 

Speakers 

  • Sareen Dunleavy Keenan, Senior Program Officer, Greater Twin Cities United Way 
  • Alexandra Holter, Ph.D., STEAM Magnet Coordinator, Brooklyn Center Community Schools 
  • Andrea Wilson Vazquez, Director of Educator Training, Code Savvy; Innovative Instructional Coach, Intermediate District 287
  • Dr. Michael G. Wulf, Founder & Executive Director, Minnesota STEM Partnership 

Facilitated by Allison Barmann, Executive Director, Genesys Works 

HIRE Interviewing: Hiring for the Engineering Mindset 

Explore how to create new talent pathways into technology.  Increase access to tech by choosing to hire and invest in talent that may have found engineering in a less traditional way but has the mindset of curiosity and problem solving and the determination to make it a career.   

Speakers 

  • Megan Grimm, Director Talent Acquisition, Target 
  • Alicia Henderson, Director of Technology, Target 
DEVELOP & RETAINDeveloping Tech Talent from Within: Best Buy’s Field Infiltrator Program 

The Field Infiltrator program was created to provide opportunities for field employees, to leverage employee skills, to build a stronger connection between field and corporate team members, and to find creative ways to build an internal tech talent pipeline. 

Speakers 

  • Rosie Nestingen, Tech Transformation Director, Best Buy 
  • Josh Wadsworth, Associate Manager Tech Transformation, Best Buy

11:10-11:45 a.m. 

Choose 1 of 3 – Minnesota Technology Association to deliver closing remarks during final 5 minutes of each breakout below. 
INSPIREVoices of Youth: The Power of Opportunity 

Hear from Minnesota youth about what is sparking and sustaining their interest in technology and the role you and your employers play in helping build a more diverse tech workforce. 

Speakers 

  • Stuti Arora, Computer Science Student, University of Minnesota 
  • Claire Holmes, Senior, Mayo High School, Rochester
  • Susan Sama, Software Engineer – EEP, Target 

Facilitated by John Bartucz, Teacher,  Rochester CTECH; Professor, Rochester Community and Technical College and Winona State U; Founder, Rochester Area Youth Tech Foundation; President, CS Teachers Association of Minnesota; 2020 Aspirations in Computing Teacher of the Year 

HIRE – Onboarding Non-traditional Talent

Increased demands for software engineers and building a more diverse tech workforce has revealed the importance of sourcing talent from non-traditional backgrounds like bootcamps. But once you’ve hired bootcamp graduates, how do you effectively train and onboard those candidates to ensure they feel confident in their first technical role and connected to their teams despite not coming from a traditional CS background? Our panel of junior developers (and the leaders responsible for their onboarding) will share the tactics and best practices that facilitated a smooth and effective onboarding process when they started their first role as an engineer. 

Speakers 

  • Shanice Gipson, Technical Associate, VMLY&R 
  • Gabby Spurling, Director of Technology, VMLY&R 
  • Thomas Juranek, Software Engineer II, Nextek Development 
  • Rob Reynolds, Director of Software Engineering, Nextek Development 

Facilitated by Erica Prairie, Director – Early Tech Career Development Programming, Optum 

DEVELOP & RETAIN  Growth and Development at Thomson Reuters 

As digital transformation continues to accelerate and careers in the 21st century evolve, understanding that everyone is unique when it comes to career development, is key. Come and hear how Thomson Reuters empowers employees to grow and develop during these times of significant change.

Speakers 

  • Jenna Sprattler, Sr. Network Manager, Thomson Reuters
  • Danny Stubbings, Vice President Engineering and Operations, Thomson Reuters 

Facilitated by Laura Miller, Talent & Development Manager, Thomson Reuters and Lucy Rangecroft, HR Business Partner for Technology, Thomson Reuters

11:45 a.m. 

Forum concludes

Conference Agenda

Details coming soon!

8:30 Conference begins
Welcome and keynote
9:00 First Educational Session and Community Discussion Series
9:25 Break
9:30
Second Educational Session and Community Discussion Series, Sponsor Expo
10:00 Fireside Chat
10:25 Third Educational Session and Community Discussion Series
10:50 Break
10:55
Fourth Educational Session and Community Discussion Series, Sponsor Expo
11:25 Panel
Welcome Welcome by Jeff Tollefson, President & CEO of the Minnesota Technology Association and Jade Denson, Director of Community Engagement
Keynote Keynote by Marty Resnick, Sr. Director Analyst, Gartner: “5 Trends Drive the Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies 2020”
Educational Sessions Hear from a variety of Minnesota companies using technology to solve problems for customers and grow their business.
9 a.m.
  • Ecolab:  Virtual Support: a Real Solution in a Locked-Down World
  • Optum: The Cutting Edge of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
  • Slack: Modern Secure Collaboration with Slack
  • Target: Target Circle – Behind the scenes of one the nation’s largest loyalty programs and it’s positive impact on our local communities
  • AT&T: 5G- An overview of the basic principles of deploying a 5G network. Basic use cases will also be discussed.
  • SportsDigita: The NEW sales tech stack: Helping a remote workforce navigate with Digideck
  • Entrust Datacard: Driving digital transformation: Subscription revenue model for a global portfolio
9:30 a.m.
  • AerisWeather:  How Weather Data Coupled with Machine Learning Optimizes Business Outcomes
  • Self Esteem Brands: Mobilizing a product team into action in Covid times
  • SportsEngine: From Background Screens to Safety Programs: How SportsEngine Defined Eligibility and Changed the Market
  • Starkey Hearing Technologies: Disruptive Innovation and the Hearing Aid Industry
  • Structural: Building a Future of Work that is Better than Ever
  • Xcel Energy: Customer, data, technology: Nucleus of the future clean energy economy
10:25 a.m.
  • CHS:  Using “Lean” methodology to align to business needs
  • Medtronic: Driving change in the healthcare lifecycle through technology solutions
  • RSM: Covid as a Catalyst of Health Care Disruption
  • SPS Commerce: Stories and strategies for building and adopting Kubernetes-based engineering platforms
  • TCF: The intersection of Great Culture and Technological Innovation
  • Thomson Reuters: Artificial Intelligence and its Impact on Legal Technology: The Next Frontier is Already Here
  • Unisys: Modernizing Legacy Applications
10:55 a.m.
  • Allianz Life: A journey to increasing business value with test automation
  • C.H. Robinson: How C.H. Robinson and Microsoft are Partnering to Build the Supply Chain of the Future
  • Fairview Health Services: Rising to the challenge of Covid-19
  • Jamf:  Work, Learn, and Care from Anywhere: How Jamf is Driving Digital Transformation
  • Livefront: Using performance design to make digital products appear faster than they actually are
  • Microsoft: The Evolution and Realization of the Intelligent Edge
  • Securian: Evolution of the technology innovation lab at Securian Financial
Community Discussions Connect with your community during small group discussions on a variety of issues important to you. Interact with the conversation leader and one another via a built-in Zoom feature
9 a.m.
  • Prime Digital Academy: How can non-traditional talent sources help diversify your tech team?
  • MN-DOT and VSI Labs: Connected and Automated Vehicles: Heaven or Hell?
  • 26 Letters: How Do We Center People When Building Technology?
  • MentorMate: Why Design is a Strategic Advantage in Product Development
9:30 a.m.
  • AI Practitioners in Manufacturing:  Seagate, Boston Scientific, Entrust Datacard will share results of their benchmarking to date and ways to get involved
  • Baker Tilly:  What’s your data done for you lately?
  • LucidLift:  Has Agile failed?
10:25 a.m.
  • Lab651:  The Internet of Things: Should I Be Happy, Sad, or Scared?
  • NCXT: Can Technology Save Dining?
  • Optum & Target: What’s your role in fostering an effective and high-performance remote product engineering culture?
  • Crossfuze: IT Support CX in the new normal
10:55 a.m.
  • Lighthouse Software:  Low Code vs. Pro Code: Which One is Best?
  • AI AppStore: How will AI Change the Future of Tech and Tech Careers
  • University of St. Thomas: Preparing Business Leaders for a Digital World
Sponsor Expos Meet Tech Connect’s amazing sponsors, who helped make the conference possible, and enter a chance to win prizes
Fireside Chat Join Jeff Tollefson for a conversation with Beth Ford, CEO of Land O’Lakes
Closing Panel “Not All Super Heroes Wear Capes.” Hear from large venue tech leaders as they discuss new “Game Day” realities.
See Full Tech Connect Agenda

Fees & Registration

TechTalent Conference Fees

  • MnTech members: Free
    Not sure if your company is a member? Check our member listing
  • Non-members: $50 per person

For questions on tickets, please contact patty@mntech.org

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Sponsorship opportunities for 2021 are available. Please contact Patty Carruth for more information at patty@mntech.org or 952.230.4554.

Yakov Gradinar

Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer

Yakov Gradinar, Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Protez Foundation, will share the transformative work of this Minnesota-based organization. Under Yakov’s leadership, the foundation is restoring function to the lives of Ukrainian children, civilians, and soldiers by providing them with state-of-the-art prosthetic limbs, enhanced with cutting-edge robotics and advanced technology. The innovative technology and compassionate services provided by Protez, coupled with the unwavering dedication of the soldiers, have empowered hundreds to return to the battlefield and reclaim their daily lives.

Willie Jett

Commissioner
Minnesota Department of Education

Willie Jett understands the challenges and strengths of all communities, and his career is characterized by a commitment to raising student achievement and closing opportunity gaps. He is committed to preparing our future citizens, growing Minnesota’s workforce and supporting professional educators.

Prior to his appointment as commissioner, Jett served as an instructor in the Education Administration Licensure program in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development at the University of Minnesota. He has also taught and led in urban, suburban and greater Minnesota School districts for more than three decades. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Pittsburg and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Beth Elliott

Owner | Research & Design
Ellberry Transformation Consultants

Beth has an engaging communication style and will challenge the audience to expand their approach to transformation, based on her expertise as a transformation leader with 20 years of experience putting humans at the center of change. She has led marketing and product development programs and led innovation capabilities for Pega and Ecolab. She is now the owner and principal consultant of Ellbery, serving clients by accelerating digital transformation through design thinking and organizational change management.

Dr. Sean Masterman, Ed.D

Faculty of Practice
Dept. of Computer and Information Science
Concordia University, St. Paul

Dr. Masterman’s background includes delivering technology solutions to Fortune 30, small-to-medium businesses, and start-up organizations for 25 years as well as 15 years of experience in academia, as a Faculty of Practice and course designer at Concordia University- Saint Paul in the Masters of Organizational Management and Masters of IT Management programs and at the University of Sioux Falls, Doctorate of Education Leadership program. In addition, he serves Osseo School District as the Vice Chair of the District Planning Advisory Council – helping lead the effort to advise on programs and services for students and families.

Joseph Block

Senior Engineer, Advanced Aviation
Aerospace & Advanced Transportation
Crown Consulting Inc.

Joseph Block has deep expertise in applying novel aviation technologies to real world transportation challenges – connecting stakeholders at the intersection of technology, policy, and economics. Mr. Block holds a Bachelors degree in Aerospace Engineering and is certified by the FAA as a UAS Remote Pilot and Private Pilot. Joseph is currently a Senior Engineer for Advanced Aviation technologies in Crown Consulting’s Aerospace & Advanced Transportation business unit. He is an expert in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) industries with experience working with commercial, state government, and federal government clients.

Joseph’s clients have included large energy utilities, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), and North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), and vertiport developers.

Notable projects include contributions to NASA’s High-Density Automated Vertiport Concept of Operations, ODOT’s Advanced Air Mobility Framework, NASA Small Business Innovation Research Vertiport Human Automation Teaming Toolbox prototype development, NASA Automated Air Cargo Market Study, and supporting NCDOT’s lead participation in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) BEYOND Program.

Dave Elliston

Lead Recruiter
SPS Commerce

Dave is a self-professed geek and enthusiastic fan of the technology ecosystem in the twin cities. With more than a decade of experience connecting tech professionals with rewarding career opportunities he has developed a deep understanding of the ever-changing employment landscape. He currently serves as a tech recruiter for SPS Commerce, a Minneapolis-based software company leading the way in retail EDI that takes great pride in delivering a challenging yet rewarding workplace where their employees feel inspired, motivated, and, most importantly, valued.

Ron Huesman

Senior Analyst | Institutional Analysis
University of Minnesota

Ronald Huesman, Ph.D., is a Senior Analyst with the Office of Institutional Analysis at the University of Minnesota. He has worked in higher education for 30+ years. In addition to his role at the U, Ron is a Principal Researcher with the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) Consortium, a partnership between the University of California, Berkeley Centers for the Studies of Higher Education, and the University of Minnesota. The SERU consortium is a collective of leading research universities in North America made up of researchers and scholars who collaborate to generate institutional, comparative, and longitudinal data on the student experience in the research university. Ron received his doctorate degree in educational measurement and statistics from the department of Quantitative Psychological Foundations at the University of Iowa. Ron has more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles, chapters, and professional presentations over his career. His research interests in the past have primarily focused on 1) factors and policies related to student success (i.e., retention and graduation) in higher education; and 2) factors/experiences promoting sense of belonging and its relationship with the success of marginalized and underrepresented students. He currently leads a University of Minnesota System-wide effort responsible for collecting and analyzing data on alumni outcomes for compliance and internal reporting, institutional planning, and policy-relevant research to help inform senior-level decision makers.

Al Porter

Al Porter has been actively involved with fine art and commercial visual arts for more than four decades. Al began his career and worked for 15 years as a graphic designer and representative for a large high-quality commercial printer in San Francisco in the 80’s and 90’s. He then formed a print brokerage with a partner. Clients included Apple, Adobe, and many Bay Area top designers and agencies. Because of his comfort in the technical aspects of art and graphic design, his close relationship with Adobe, and his deep participation in the digital shift in the graphic arts industry, Al was keen to engage with emerging technologies and to discover for himself how they might aide in his creative process.

A full-time artist since 2000, Al has been a Minnesota resident since 2007 and has held studio space since 2016 in Northrup King Building in Northeast. Al received his bachelor’s degree in Graphic Communications (Design and Print) from Cal Poly in 1984. He also has a formal education in painting and drawing including attending Academy of Art College in San Francisco. He has shown his art in group and solo shows. His abstract painting media has historically been oil and acrylic, and more recently digital. In 2023, his digital painting called “Side View” was accepted in the MN State Fair fine arts exhibit and won the C. Crist Delmonico Memorial Award.

Karen Hildebrand

Technical Leader, Amazon Web Services

Dr. Karen Hildebrand is responsible for Partners at Amazon Web Services (AWS) within the Financial Services, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Telecommunications, Media & Entertainment, Games and Sports where she leads the development of novel solutions, algorithms and architectures including Gen-AI. In her global role, she focuses on finding technical novelty in natural language processing and computer vision and simple to use solutions for repeatable tasks. Prior to joining AWS, Dr. Hildebrand has worked across public and privately held companies from CancerCare Manitoba, Target to Digi-Key to Texas Instruments building Data Science teams and capabilities. She holds a Ph.D. in Information Systems specializing in Machine Learning from Dakota State University, where her thesis was on machine learning to predict career path outcomes for internal and external talent. Dr. Hildebrand has published over 20 peer-reviewed papers in top conferences and speaks regularly about how industries are applying Gen-AI, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence more broadly within their organizations (and at home). In addition to her commitment to AI, Dr. Hildebrand is passionate about legacy businesses and entrepreneurship. She is a 4th generation farmer, farming alongside her parents in Manitoba, Canada and proudly raising two teenage boys alongside her husband, who owns his own small business. When not at work, they are often found at a hockey rink, basketball court, rowing regatta or playing pickleball.

Rosie Nestingen

Rosie Nestingen is a Fargo, ND native and South Minneapolis resident. Her experience focuses on workforce and program transformation across technology, marketing, management consulting, nonprofit, and hospitality spaces. Rosie represented her home state of North Dakota at the Miss America Competition where she received the top score talent award. Her duties included delivering presentations and training on DEI which continues to fuel her passion to be an inclusive leader. Rosie has been highlighted in Fast Company, Twin Cities Business Magazine, Wall Street Journal, and Cosmopolitan, and has been a featured speaker for The Knot, and on the podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking. 

In 2016, Rosie debuted a new work musical as the composer-lyricist, co-creator, and co-producer of a show titled Right, Wrong or Bomb: A Dating Musical! and is always looking for her next creative project. In her spare time, Rosie volunteers for The Link, a nonprofit in North Minneapolis, and spends time around Lake Harriet with her husband Hans, their daughter, Raine Moses, and dog, Oakland. 

Garret Anderson

AI Practice Leader, Digineer

Garret Anderson, AI Practice Leader at Digineer, will show participants how to win and keep customers with machine learning, including a real-life example that is valuable, accessible, and grounded – free of jargon or complex math. Attendees can take the methods he shares and apply them to their own organizations in short order. Garret is an innovative leader with a proven track record of delivering consistent return on investment with Machine Learning and AI over the last 8 years. In his most recent role as the Director of Strategic Planning, he served as the Chief Business Product Owner of Machine Learning and won the 2023 Innovation of the Year Award for developing the most innovative and valuable machine learning solution across the Fortune 15 enterprise. His expertise was further solidified with his certification from MIT in No Code Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Garret is a Citizen Data Scientist and Inventor as a holder of multiple machine learning patents. With over 15 years of experience in strategic planning and leadership roles, Garret brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table.

Dave Neville

President, Co-Founder, Infinity Robotics

Dave Neville, President and Co-founder of Infinity Robotics, boasts a rich career shaping the trajectory of technology. He pioneered careers for mathematicians and engineers in prominent companies like General Dynamics, Lockheed, and BAE, contributing to projects such as the F-35, F-22, and the US Navy railgun. After spending years in logistics and sales from his tenure at Sears and Roebuck and UPS Air Cargo, Dave founded Coonan, Inc., manufacturing military firearms.

In 1985, he initiated one of the first US robotics clubs, marking the beginning of a lifelong passion. Dave founded Minnesota Innovates, a nonprofit fostering education and entrepreneurship, organizing events like the MN Entrepreneur Kickoff. In 2019, driven by his passion for AI and machine vision, he co-founded Infinity Robotics, aiming to revolutionize life on and off Earth. His expertise spans grid-level energy storage, material handling, and advanced assembly systems.

Dave’s vision extends beyond Earth, toward off-planet mining robots and processing facilities. His charismatic speaking style has inspired industry professionals and local youth alike. Currently, he leads Infinity Robotics, a testament to his ability to integrate existing and near-future technologies into cutting-edge systems. Dave’s next frontier involves building Space Ports and establishing a Native American Astronaut Training School through Minnesota Innovates. With a vast network of experts, he continues his mission: changing lives through automation, making an impact both on Earth and beyond.

Mike Ritzenthaler

Chief Financial Officer, Polar Semiconductor

Mike has been the CFO of Polar for approximately five months, where he has played a pivotal role in bringing the CHIPS project and its application to completion. Before joining Polar, Mike spent eight years at Ecolab, holding various finance roles. This followed six years in investment banking research and hedge fund investing. Prior to his finance career, Mike worked for a decade as a chemical engineer at Cargill, developing new technologies.

Adam Marrè

Chief Information Security Officer, Arctic Wolf Networks

Adam Marrè is the Chief Information Security Officer at Arctic Wolf. Prior to joining Arctic Wolf, Adam was the Global Head of Information Security Operations and Physical Security at Qualtrics. With deep roots in the cybersecurity space, Adam spent almost 12 years with the FBI, holding positions like SWAT Senior Team Leader and Special Agent.

Mark Murphy

Chief Information and Digital Officer, 3M

Mark Murphy is the Chief Information and Digital Officer for 3M, where he leads the company’s digital transformation efforts, including all aspects of information technology, enterprise cybersecurity, and digital initiatives encompassing data and AI. He has more than two decades of experience in developing, leading, and transforming global businesses and technology organizations across multiple industries, including industrials, consumer goods, life sciences, retail, and financial services.

Before joining 3M, he served as the Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Abbott Laboratories, where he had global responsibility for information technology, including cybersecurity, analytics, and digital initiatives. During his tenure at Abbott, Murphy served on the board of Abbott India Limited, a publicly listed company and a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories.

Previously, Murphy held roles of increasing responsibility over 13 years at St. Jude Medical Inc. This culminated in his appointment as Chief Information Officer in 2013, where he led the company’s SAP transformation and worldwide information technology services.

Murphy is a champion of efforts around health and wellness and career success for underserved young adults through careers in the technology field. He currently serves on the board of MnTech and has formerly served on the board of the Fairview Hospital Foundation and as a Sponsor for the AHA Twin Cities Heartwalk. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and an M.B.A. from Indiana University.

Dennis Zuzek

Chief Technology Officer, HealthPartners

Dennis Zuzek is an experienced software engineer and current Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at HealthPartners, a healthcare organization based in Minnesota. He has over 30 years of experience in the industry, having held leadership roles at UnitedHealth Group, Ingenix, and Allina Health Systems, among others. Dennis is dedicated to using technology to improve healthcare delivery and enhance the user experience for patients, members, and employees.

He holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies and Political Science from the University of Minnesota.

Rakhi Purohit

Vice President of Research Solutions, Thomson Reuters

Rakhi Purohit is the Vice President of Research Solutions at Thomson Reuters, where she spearheads a diverse and dynamic portfolio. She leads the engineering organization for TR’s flagship Westlaw product, driving advancements in Enterprise Search, TR’s Gen AI platform and rich Content Delivery to promote Gen-AI enablement across Legal Research, Tax, and Risk & Fraud products. Her leadership includes oversight of the GenAI platform teams, which play a crucial role in the development and enhancement of GenAI capabilities across all Thomson Reuters Research products.

She holds a master’s degree in computer engineering from Wayne State University. Before joining Thomson Reuters, she gained valuable experience working in the automotive and financial industries.

Rakhi is deeply passionate about fostering an inclusive work culture and ensuring that the workplace reflects the values of equity and respect for all.

Srini Somayajula

VP, Global Technology Partnerships & Development
Ecolab

A chemical engineer by training, Srini Somayajula started his career with Ecolab in 2001 as a researcher in Institutional new business opportunities, working on water purification and air filtration using polymeric sequestration of volatiles.

During his tenure in research, he played a leadership role in establishing Ecolab’s Corporate Licensing Program and rose to his current job as Vice President, Global Technology Partnerships. Over the years, Srini has structured and successfully negotiated collaborations with Fortune 500 companies, startups and Venture Capital groups.

As the lead technology-centric deal negotiator for Ecolab, he has in the past and is currently working on a broad range of opportunities spanning oil & gas, industrial water treatment, IoT/automation, sensing & detection, infection prevention and advanced materials technologies.

Martha Cotton
Managing Director and Global co-Lead

Fjord Trends is Accenture Song’s annual report that looks at human and consumer behavior changes over the past year, and maps the trends we believe will impact business, design and tech in the next 12 months and beyond. An exploration of opportunities, we examine the changes thrust upon us, the innovations we’ve seen emerge, and set out how we move forward from here.
Fjord Trends 2022 collectively tell a story of people and their relationships with the planet, technology, brands, and each other. A unique set of challenges and opportunities arose for businesses in 2021, including supply chain issues, explosive new technologies, dramatic evolutions in people’s view of themselves and their priorities, and the realization that we can no longer behave as though people were separate from nature.
What matters now is how organizations respond to the evidence-based observations we’ve crowdsourced from more than 2,000 designers and innovators in Fjord studios around the world.

Jayshree Seth
Corporate Scientist, 3M

Jayshree Seth is a Corporate Scientist at 3M and currently holds 77 patents for a variety of innovations, with several additional pending. She joined 3M in 1993 after an MS and PhD in Chemical Engineering from Clarkson University, New York. She is a Distinguished Alumni Award recipient from her alma mater REC Trichy India, now NIIT Trichy, where she earned a B. Tech. in Chemical Engineering.

Jayshree was appointed 3M’s first ever Chief Science Advocate in 2018 and is using her scientific knowledge, technical expertise and professional experience to advance science and communicate the benefits of science and the importance of diversity in STEM fields. She is also a member of Carlton Society which is the 3M Science and Engineering “Hall of Fame.” Jayshree is the fourth woman and first female engineer to be inducted. In 2020, she was awarded Society of Women Engineers (SWE) highest Achievement Award. She is also the first-ever winner of a Gold Stevie® Award in the new Female Thought Leaders of the Year – category in the 18th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business in 2021. Jayshree was featured in a docuseries titled Not the Science Type that premiered during the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and accepted for Brand Storytelling Showcase, a sanctioned event at Sundance Film Festival. She is the author of the books, The Heart of Science – Engineering Footprints, Fingerprints, & Imprints, and The Heart of Science – Engineering Fine Print published by the Society of Women Engineers, and all sales proceeds go to a scholarship for underrepresented minority women in STEM. She is a sought-after speaker, globally, on a multitude of topics such as innovation, leadership and STEM advocacy and has featured in local, national and international media.

Jayshree has served on the CEOs Inclusion Council, chaired the 3M Asian Employee Resource Group A3CTION and serves on the Steering Committee for 3M Technical Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF). She also serves on the Board of the Science Museum of Minnesota, Engineering Advisory Council for Clarkson University, AAAS Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy (COSEPP), Advisory Board for Innovation – The Conference Board, and Advisory Group of Aspen Institute Our Future is Science program.

Jayshree has two adult kids, and her husband also works at 3M.

Matt Versaggi

fmr Senior Director of Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Technology + Distinguished Engineer – Optum Technology

Matt Versaggi is a senior leader in the AI Space with Fortune-5 healthcare experience who possesses a unique blend of business, technology, entrepreneurial, and academic backgrounds. Matt is an experienced public speaker, strategist, and mentor; holds multiple patents; is a distinguished engineer and has international business experience. He built the organization’s “College of Artificial Intelligence”, introduced, and matured both Cognitive Technology and Quantum Computing, and has chaired multiple Patent Review Boards. Matt is a seasoned pole vault coach of 15+ years, on 2 continents, 3 states, 4 clubs, and 1 high school, who has produced national, state, regional, and local champions. He is a former D3 NCAA decathlete, and current USATF master’s Athlete.

Maria Vittone

Career Advisor & Director of Nontraditional Programming – North Hennepin Community College and Hennepin Technical College

Though Career Advisor & Director of Nontraditional Programming is Maria’s official title, she wouldn’t feel complete without adding a few more descriptors: Student Retention Champion, Workforce Connector, Mentorship Matters Spokesperson, and ‘Bloom Where You are Planted’ Coach. Maria finds her passion in places where change and reinvention are happening. She currently holds that space for her students, where she supports those who find themselves as ‘one of few’ in their newly chosen careers.

Maria’s gender equity program, Be Bold- Break the Mold: Women Succeed in Nontraditional Careers, was a notable program singled out at North Hennepin Community College for the National HEED Award in 2021 (Higher Education Excellence in Diversity). As a contractor with Hennepin Technical College & North Hennepin Community College, Maria recently received a MnACTE (MN Association for Career and Technical Education) Partnership Award for her mentoring and empowerment initiatives. In conjunction with Women’s History Month, she was co-awarded Campus Program of the Year. She was also the recipient of the National Academic Association for Academic Advising for an adult-learner orientation program.

Chakra Sankaraiah

Sr. Director of Technology
Land O’Lakes

Chakra is a visionary Technology leader with a proven track record in driving strategic business growth. As the Sr. Director of Technology at Land O’ Lakes for the past 7 years, he has successfully built and implemented ROI-driven data science solutions, including propensity modeling, churn analysis, quality prediction, pricing strategies, and cross-selling opportunities.

In his current role within the office of CTO/CIO, Chakra focuses on three key areas: leading the digital transformation of the Digital Ag Products family, establishing a strategic partnership with Microsoft to drive water and soil stewardship, food supply security, and vibrant communities, and driving digital innovation through emerging technologies such as AI, AR/VR, IoT, Blockchain, and Generative AI.

With prior experience at notable organizations, including Cloudera, Target, IBM, and Capgemini, Chakra brings a wealth of expertise in building data and digital products.

Chakra holds an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering, an MBA from the University of Minnesota, and has completed an executive CTO program at the University of California, Berkeley. Based in south Minneapolis, MN, he enjoys boating, fishing, and golfing in his leisure time.

Marcus Johansson

Director of Advanced Metering Infrastructure Delivery Program
Xcel Energy

Marcus Johansson is director of the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Delivery Program within Xcel Energy’s Advanced Grid Intelligence and Security (AGIS) initiative. AGIS is a multi-year initiative that impacts all of Xcel Energy’s customers. Marcus works with his team and enterprise partners to enable the technology to implement Xcel Energy’s grid modernization strategy, and focuses on modeling what builds a highly motivated, effective, and successful team: collaboration and forward-looking leadership.

Marcus’ most recent focus has been to transform the Operating Model within the Customer Portfolio – Meter Data Insights group with a keen focus on Innovation and Sustainability.

Marcus has led digital strategy transformation in hospitality, earned leadership awards in the medical device and health insurance industry, and Chairman Awards in the financial services industry.  Career highlights include divestiture initiatives at Ameriprise Financial, Pricing strategy play at Best Buy, digital transformation at Marriott and Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. At Xcel Energy, prior to his work on the AGIS initiative, Marcus has led Cyber Security initiatives and Data and Analytics projects.

Marcus holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and executive education on Digital Strategy and Innovation in Medical Devices from University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management.

Dave Rummler

Vice President of Sales
EOS IT

Dave Rummler is a 25-year veteran in collaboration and video deployments. David is currently acting as Vice President of Sales for EOS IT Solutions.​ EOS is a global systems integrator operating in 195 countries who has a specialty practice around smart and sustainable workspaces.​ Prior to EOS, David ran Cisco’s Enterprise Video business in North America and has held leadership positions at Tandberg, Acano and Pexip; bringing collaborative solutions to large enterprise customers in North America. ​