2/17/2023 10:04:57 PM
Commissioner Steve Grove
Launch Minnesota is dedicated to growing Minnesota's innovation ecosystem, an initiative crucial to keeping our state competitive and a leader in innovation. That's why I'm excited to announce four new additions to Launch Minnesota's advisory board. Each new member comes from a different background in technology and entrepreneurship, and we believe their wisdom and guidance will help Launch Minnesota continue to grow our state's innovation ecosystem.
Launch Minnesota's advisory board makes recommendations on many aspects of the program, such as grant awards and strategic planning. The board consists of 10 members from a broad range of industries, areas of expertise and demographic backgrounds. The four new board members are investors, educators, innovators and entrepreneurs, and they represent both the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
A special thanks to the four outgoing members: Christine Beech, Xavier Frigola, David Hengel and Aneela Idnani for their service to Launch Minnesota. Each served on the advisory board since Launch Minnesota's inception, and during that time made valuable contributions to the program and the innovators we serve. And thank you to the new board members for stepping up. We're thrilled to have the counsel of this group of leaders.
Founder and CEO, Canomiks
Dr. Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk is the CEO and Co-Founder of Canomiks Inc. based in Rochester, Minnesota. Leena has a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. She is an accomplished life science professional and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School with extensive experience in industry and academia. Leena co-founded Canomiks with her colleagues from Harvard Medical School to bring their collective expertise in science, health, and wellness to the food, beverage, and dietary supplement industries. Canomiks is a proud recipient of two grants from the Launch Minnesota program, as well as an SBIR grant recipient from the National Science Foundation. Leena is looking forward to helping other entrepreneurs, especially women in science, through the Launch Minnesota program. Leena also serves on the community board of trustees of the non-profit organization, Jeremiah Program. Leena currently lives in Rochester with her husband who is a consultant at Mayo Clinic, their 9-year-old son, and their two standard poodles, Carbon and Arthur.
CEO & President, Entrepreneur Fund
Shawn Wellnitz is the CEO and President of the Entrepreneur Fund, an organization offering an array of strategic, flexible financing products and consulting services to support small business growth in rural Minnesota and Wisconsin. After transitioning the Entrepreneur Fund, a social enterprise, from the original founder, Shawn scaled the organization from $8M in assets to $67M in assets, hitting self-sufficiency and building a diverse leadership team along the way. He brings strong leadership and executive management skills, with a passion for working with growth-oriented teams and those who strive for excellence in their field.
Department of Business Development, Mayo Clinic Ventures
Stefan Madansingh is a technology development and IP management associate at Mayo Clinic Ventures supporting innovation, seed investment and commercialization efforts across the Mayo Clinic enterprise. Stefan is no stranger to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in southeast Minnesota, previously leading the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation's 1 Million Cups program in Rochester as well as Mayo Clinic's Office of Entrepreneurship, which delivers academic entrepreneurial education through the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Stefan completed his post-doctoral training in Assistive and Restorative Technology development at Mayo Clinic and holds a Ph.D. in biomechanics and neuromotor control from the University of Houston. Stefan serves as the Director of Research and Development for a balance and fall risk assessment startup, Zibrio Inc., based out of the Texas Medical Center Healthcare Accelerator (formerly TMCx).
Associate Dean and Best Buy Chair, Schulze School of Entrepreneurship, University of St Thomas
Dr. Sheneeta White serves as the Associate Dean of the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St Thomas. Dr. White serves as chief strategy officer for the Schulze School, leading the development of the school's strategies in the areas of brand-building and national rankings, high school outreach and recruitment of top entrepreneurial talent to St. Thomas, curricular and co-curricular excellence and innovation, and effective community engagement to foster mentoring, internship and career opportunities for students. Prior to her role as associate dean, Dr. White served as Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Student Achievement. In this position, Dr. White oversaw a robust group of departments and programs that support the undergraduate academic experience at University of St Thomas.
Economic Development
