The Mentors

MEET THE MENTORS

Terry Sivesind

Terry Sivesind

MERLIN Executive Director

Jon Alling

Jon Alling

Founder of Human Crafted, engineer and product designer

Anthony Ascione

Anthony Ascione

Global sales and marketing executive

Geoff Baker

Geoff Baker

Corporate counsel at Renaissance Learning

Diane Ballweg

Diane Ballweg

Civic and nonprofit leader and owner of Endres Manufacturing

Brooke Barney

Brooke Barney

Marketing & Creative Services Director at Kramer Madison & Pharm Fresh Media

Dennis Barnum

Dennis Barnum

Startup and growth specialist

Jane Boutelle

Jane Boutelle

Chief Customer Officer and co-founder of Digsite, an agile consumer insights platform

Mike Bress

Mike Bress

CFO and strategic advisor to venture- and private equity-backed companies

Robert Brose

Robert Brose

CIO at Blue Marble Payroll

Tim Burland

Tim Burland

Biotech management, product development, and marketing (retired)

Lorie Candelmo

Lorie Candelmo

Sales and marketing executive in global rubber products industries

Bryan Chan

Bryan Chan

President & Founder of SupraNet Communications, Inc.

Fatou Ceesay

Fatou Ceesay

Owner and Manager of Cairasu Home Care

Nicolas Cindric

Nicolas Cindric

Vice President at Cornerstone Business Services, Inc. providing M&A services

Karen Crossley

Karen Crossley

Nonprofit executive

Debby Deutsch

Debby Deutsch

Founder/Principal Advocate-Patient Care Partners LLC

Allen Dines

Allen Dines

Executive Advisor at WICS Partners, longtime leader in the Wisconsin startup community

Anne Donarski

Anne Donarski

Director of Finance and Administration at Esker

Max Duckworth

Max Duckworth

Impact investor, Co-founder of MaSa Partners

Roy Elkins

Roy Elkins

Founder & CEO, Broadjam Inc. and Between The Waves Madison Music Festival and Conference

Randy Eppli

Randy Eppli

President & CEO at Columbus Chemical Industries

Joe Flynn

Joe Flynn

C-Suite Pharmaceutical R&D Executive Leader, Principal at COMMEX Consulting

Scott Forester

Scott Forester

Fractional CFO and Founder of ThinkForward CFO

Chris Fortune

Chris Fortune

Founder & CEO of Saris Cycling Group (retired)

Curt Frey

Curt Frey

Senior Group Manager, Digital Experience & Product at Royal Caribbean

Keith Furman

Keith Furman

IT Executive

Mark Gehring

Mark Gehring

EVP and CTO at ImageMover

Roman Gelman

Roman Gelman

Business & technology

Eileen Goode

Eileen Goode

Job search strategist and biotech/biopharma/IT recruiter

Phil Greenwood

Dr. Phil Greenwood

Professor at University of Wisconsin

John Guequierre

John Guequierre

Principal at I-OSC, LLC - expert on prefabricated structures

Matt Hanson

Matt Hanson

Life Sciences Executive

Wayne Harris

Wayne Harris

CEO of 6AM Marketing

Susan Healy

Susan Healy

CFO at publicly traded and private companies

Josh Heling

Josh Heling

CTO of Verve Industrial Protection

Laura Hilty

Laura Hilty

Strategy, M&A, and partnerships in life sciences and healthcare

Eric Horler

Eric Horler

CEO at AIQ Solutions

Christine Hughes

Christine Hughes

Specialist in the economics and business aspects of medicine

Gregg Johnson

Gregg Johnson

Biotech company founder

Michael Judge

Michael Judge

Marketing consumer insights & teaching faculty at UW-Madison

Ralph Kauten

Ralph Kauten

Biotechnology CEO and board director

Nick Kiernan

Nick Kiernan

Marketing, Business Development, Strategy, Media Management

Jared Klingeisen

Jared Klingeisen

COO at RxLightning / EMR & DCT Expert

Josh Knackert

Josh Knackert

Technical translator, commercialization specialist, former researcher

Allan R. Koritzinsky

Allan R. Koritzinsky

Family law attorney (retired) and mediator/arbitrator and business consultant

Dave Kruse

Dave Kruse

CEO, co-Founder of Augment

Susan LaBelle

Susan LaBelle

Strategy, product management, and marketing executive

Linda Leikness

Linda Leikness

Operational and financial executive

Scott Little

Scott Little

Principal at Focal Point International

Dennis Lynch

Dennis Lynch

Realtor & entrepreneur

Darryl Mataya

Darryl Mataya

Executive serving the serving the community bank and credit union industries

Mike Mathews

Mike Mathews

Economic development consultant

Heidi Meyer

Heidi Meyer

Co-Founder & Innovation Executive

Tad Milbourn

Tad Milbourn

Founder of RankedVote

Jim Myrland

Jim Myrland

Product development & product management

Kari Myrland

Kari Myrland

Business and technology executive

Thanh Nguyen

Thanh Nguyen

Business executive

Tony O’Hare

Tony O'Hare

Entrepreneur and co-founder of software company for clinical trials

Tom Oakley

Tom Oakley

Mangagement consultant with significant experience with contract research organizations

Dan Olszewski

Dan Olszewski

Director of the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship at UW-Madison

John Pattison

John Pattison

Director of Partnerships, UPSIDE Foods

Dan Paulson

Dan Paulson

CEO of IDI (InVision Development International)

Robyn Perrin

Robyn Perrin

Chief Communications Officer at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Matt Peterson

Matt Peterson

Business executive

Wayne Prior

Wayne Prior

Owner of Prior Engineering Services

Raman Venkat

Venkat Raman

Principal at VR Advisors LLC

Sheldon Rampton

Sheldon Rampton

Entrepreneur, software developer and journalist

Monika Rogers (Wingate)

Monika Rogers (Wingate)

Senior Insights and Technology Executive

Mark Rothwell

Mark Rothwell

Vice President of Marketing at WPS Health Solutions

Mike Sanders

Mike Sanders

Board Member, EVP at Blueprint Test Prep

Rich Schifreen

Rich Schifreen

Executive in biotechnology and medical diagnostics industries (retired)

Renee Schlick

Renee Schlick

Global Commercialization Marketing Manager at Promega

Brian Schneider

Brian Schneider

Medical Device Sales

Tom Schwei

Tom Schwei

Chief Financial Officer

Mark Schweiger

Mark Schweiger

Executive, advisor, entrepreneur

Tim Seifriz

Tim Seifriz

HR executive

Rebecca Selzer

Rebecca Selzer

Biotechnology executive, SVP of R&D

Hosung Shin

Hosung Shin

Strategic adviser to executives and entrepreneurs

Mike Shoys

Mike Shoys

Business executive

Toni Sikes

Toni Sikes

Co-Founder and CEO at CODAworx

Kurt Sippel

Kurt Sippel

IT services founder & board member

Tamara Sondgeroth

Tamara Sondgeroth

Startup Advisor and Investor

Eric Steege

Eric Steege

Growth stage product development executive and advisor

Laura Stewart

Laura Stewart

Executive Director of NAPCOR

Gary Stone

Gary Stone

Retail/e-commerce business owner

Mary Strickland

Mary Strickland

Finance Executive, ESG Investor, Adventurer

Laura Strong

Laura Strong

Vice President of Strategy and Healthcare at Datachat

Jon Tatooles

Jon Tatooles

Co-Founder at Sound Devices, LLC

Derrick Van Mell

Derrick Van Mell

CEO of The Center for Management Terms & Practices

Michelle Venturini

Michelle Venturini

Director of Human Resources at Esker IncĀ 

Krys Wachowiak

Krys Wachowiak

Hospitality industry director and consultant

Hunter Wang

Hunter Wang

Operations and supply chain management professional

Janet White

Janet White

Executive and advisor to life sciences companies

Jediah White

Jediah White

Managing Director, TASC Ventures

Don Wolf

Don Wolf

Product design engineer

Bob Wood

Bob Wood

Investor and advisor to startups

Jiewen Ying

Jiewen Ying

Global Scientific & Business Leader at MilliporeSigma

Matt Younkle

Matt Younkle

Serial entrepreneur and experienced tech startup CEO

David Zachman

David Zachman

Sales executive, mentor, board member, angel investor

Jim Zellmer

Jim Zellmer

Creator of technology applications that improve human lives

Nancy Zellmer

Nancy Zellmer

Client Relationship and Software Implementation Manager

Ben Zimmerman

Ben Zimmerman

Founder and CEO at Opterrix

John Ziobro

John Ziobro

Medical device consultant