Maria Ploessl

Maria Ploessl is an entrepreneurial executive with a career dedicated to fostering innovation, technology, and education through cross-sector collaboration. She currently serves as the Chief of Staff for Technology Commercialization at the University of Minnesota, where she leads strategic operations and communications to facilitate the transfer of university research into the public domain. In this leadership role, she drives high-profile initiatives and manages cross-functional teams to enhance organizational efficiency and ensure more life saving and globally impactful University innovations get out into the world.

Prior to joining the University, Maria served as the first Executive Director of Minnestar, a premier nonprofit dedicated to engaging the Minnesota technology community. Under her leadership, the organization saw a 494% growth in individual giving contributions and expanded its programming to convene over 5,000 annual participants. Her work consistently bridges the gap between public and private sectors, evidenced by her roles as Co-Founder and Chair of Forge North and her leadership within the Make. It. MSP. coalition.

A steadfast advocate for educational equity and workforce development, Maria served as the Operations Chair for Technovation[MN], empowering youth to solve community challenges through technology. Her professional foundation includes serving as a Campus Director for The Iron Yard, where she managed developer training programs and built an advisory board to support career-minded students.

Maria’s global perspective is informed by her experience as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in Brazil and her background as an educator with Minneapolis Public Schools. She was recognized by the MSP Business Journal with a Women in Business Award in 2020 for her contributions to the regional ecosystem. Maria holds a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.