Group photo of a professional workplace team

 
 
Meet the Team

We're passionate about translating big ideas into big impact.
 
 

 
Who We Are
  

We're a group of experienced, talented professionals with wide ranging expertise in areas such as intellectual property, business development, licensing, startup formation, funding and more. We're here to help you take your big idea from the lab and into the world.

Four people stand in a circle having a conversation at a busy event.

  

 
Our Team

See the Technology Commercialization Organization Chart 

 

Executive Leadership

Rick Huebsch

Rick Huebsch

Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation, Technology Commercialization
[email protected]
(612) 626-3760

Leza Besemann

Leza Besemann

Associate Director, Marketing & Corporate Engagement
[email protected]
(612) 625-8615

Portrait of Angie Conley

Angie Conley

Director, Venture Center
[email protected]

Rebecca Gerber

Rebecca Gerber

Director, Technology Strategy Group
[email protected]
(612) 626-5469

Chris Ghere

Chris Ghere

Associate Director - Venture Development
[email protected]

Maria Ploessl

Maria Ploessl

Chief of Staff
[email protected]
(612) 624-6230

Nathan Wassenberg

Nathan Wassenberg

Senior Operations & Finance Manager
[email protected]
(612) 301-1323

Technology Strategy Group

Rebecca Gerber

Rebecca Gerber

Director
[email protected]
(612) 626-5469

Sandipan Banerjee

Sandipan Banerjee

Technology Portfolio Manager
[email protected]
(612) 625-0989

Allison Ferro

Allison Ferro

Sr. Technology Portfolio Manager
[email protected]
(612) 626-9150

Anne Hall portrait

Anne Hall

Technology Portfolio Manager
[email protected]
(612) 626-2033

Eric Olson

Eric Olson

Technology Portfolio Manager & Intellectual Property Officer
[email protected]
(612) 624-6529

steven headshot

Steven Prinslow

Technology Portfolio Manager
[email protected]
(612) 624-0829

Mara Sanders

Mara Sanders

Plant Material and IP Logistics Manager
[email protected]
(612) 626-1740
 

Vaughn Schmid

Vaughn Schmid

Technology Portfolio Manager
[email protected]
(612) 625-9409

Rayla Vilar

Rayla Vilar

Technology Portfolio Manager
[email protected]
(612) 625-1273

Technology Licensing Group

Doug Franz

Doug Franz

Technology Licensing Officer
[email protected]
(612) 624-0869

Cecilia Hall

Cecilia Hall

Technology Licensing Officer
[email protected]
(612) 625-5117

Kenneth Karanja

Kenneth Karanja

Technology Licensing Officer
[email protected]
(612) 624-4531

Andrew Morrow

Andrew Morrow

Technology Licensing Officer
[email protected]
(612) 626-7283

Raj Udupa

Rajesh Udupa

Technology Licensing Officer
[email protected]
(612) 624-3966

Naomi Walsh

Naomi Walsh

Technology Licensing Officer
[email protected]
(612) 301-3055 

Marketing & Corporate Engagement

Leza Besemann

Leza Besemann

Associate Director
[email protected]
(612) 625-8615

Jill Crawford Nichols

Jill Crawford-Nichols

Technology Development Manager
[email protected]
(216) 788-2681

ian headshot

Ian Schrack

Technology Commercialization Fellow
[email protected]

Jason Stockman

Jason Stockman

Corporate Research Partnerships Manager
[email protected]

Venture Center

Chris Ghere

Chris Ghere

Associate Director - Venture Development
[email protected]

Andy Lee

Andy Lee

Venture Center Associate
[email protected]

headshot of Jackie Mejia

Jackie Mejia

Venture Center Investment Program Manager
[email protected]

Office Management & Systems

Maria Ploessl

Maria Ploessl

Chief of Staff
[email protected]
(612) 624-6230

minyen headshot

Minyen Hsieh

Business Systems Analyst
[email protected]

Phil Snyder

Phil Snyder

Senior Business Systems Analyst
[email protected]
(612) 624-2440

Operations & Finance Group

Nathan Wassenberg

Nathan Wassenberg

Senior Operations & Finance Manager
[email protected]
(612) 301-1323

Luba Anderson

Luba Anderson

Royalty Accountant
[email protected]
(612) 626-8096

Susan Auspos portrait

Susan Auspos

Patent Coordinator
[email protected]
(612) 625-2001

Abby Bresnahan portrait

Abby Bresnahan

Contracts Manager
[email protected]

Laurel Corgard

Laurel Corgard

Patent Administrative Specialist
[email protected]

Grey box - no image

April Kane

Patent Accountant 
[email protected]

Emma Keogh

Emma Keogh

Associate Patent Administrator
[email protected]
(612) 626-8915

alicia headshot

Alicia McCann

Associate Patent Administrator
[email protected]
 

Mary Consolate Ndagire

Consolate Ndagire

Senior Contracts Manager
[email protected]

Paula Phongsavath

Paula Phongsavath

Contracts Manager
[email protected]

MNBridge Gap Funding Group

Jill Crawford Nichols

Jill Crawford-Nichols

Technology Development Manager
[email protected]
(216) 788-2681

Tim Cusack

Tim Cusack 

MNBridge Gap Funding Network Manager 
[email protected]

Students & Interns

Business Systems

Samuel Levitt 
Nolan Schultz

Contracts

Seyi Benson
Kevin Doan
Daniel Lee
Benjamin Paulson

Patents

Tin Huynh
Leng Thao

Technology Strategy Group

Alexandra Atchison
Ruth Bello
Sumedh Sopan Nagrale
Madilyn Stahl
Susan Strom
 

Venture Center

Leon Xue
Roshaan Ashraf
Waleed Cheema
Indri Dyrmishi
Bailey Keffer
Chinechetam Jeremiah Ogazi
Jack Magness