Technology Commercialization Staff List

Our staff are currently working remotely, but our office is still fully functional, and we are here to assist you. Email is the best way to contact us.

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

Kevin Anderson

Kevin Anderson

Associate Director, Technology Licensing Group
[email protected]
(612) 624-8293

Leza Besemann

Leza Besemann

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

Rebecca Gerber

Rebecca Gerber

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

Maria Ploessl

Maria Ploessl

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

Russ Straate portrait

Russ Straate

Director, Venture Center
[email protected]
(612) 625-5878

Nathan Wassenberg

Nathan Wassenberg

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

Technology Strategy Group

Rebecca Gerber

Rebecca Gerber

Associate Director
[email protected]
(612) 626-5469

Sandipan Banerjee

Sandipan Banerjee

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

Jill Crawford Nichols

Jill Crawford-Nichols

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

Allison Ferro

Allison Ferro

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

Anne Hall

Anne Hall

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

Karen Ohlfest

Karen Ohlfest

Technology Portfolio Manager & Intellectual Property Officer
[email protected]
(612) 625-4907

Eric Olson

Eric Olson

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

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

Kevin Anderson

Kevin Anderson

Associate Director
[email protected]
(612) 624-8293

Adam Bolton

Adam Bolton

Technology Licensing Officer
[email protected]

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

Nico Mesyngier

Nico Mesyngier, Ph.D.

Technology Commercialization Fellow
[email protected]

Steven Prinslow

Steven Prinslow

Technology Commercialization Fellow
[email protected]

Jason Stockman

Jason Stockman

Corporate Research Partnerships Officer
[email protected]

Venture Center

Russ Straate portrait

Russ Straate

Associate Director
[email protected]
(612) 625-5878

Chris Ghere

Chris Ghere

Senior Venture Development Manager
[email protected]
(612) 624-6797

Andy Lee

Andy Lee

Venture Center Associate
[email protected]

Portrait 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

Katie Breslin

Katie Breslin

Office Manager & Events Associate
[email protected]
(612) 624-0550

Minyen Hsieh

Minyen Hsieh

Business Systems Associate
[email protected]

Phil Snyder

Phil Snyder

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

Operations & Finance Group

Nathan Wassenberg

Nathan Wassenberg

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

Luba Anderson

Luba Anderson

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

 Susan Auspos

Susan Auspos

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

Laurel Corgard

Laurel Corgard

Patent Administrative Specialist
[email protected]
(612) 626-2084

Resa Gilats

Resa Gilats

Senior Patent Administrator - Project Leader
[email protected]
(612) 624-5871

Grey box - no image

April Kane

Patent Accountant 
[email protected]

Emma Keogh

Emma Keogh

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

Paula Phongsavath

Paula Phongsavath

Contracts Manager
[email protected]

MNBridge Gap Funding Group

Chris Ghere

Chris Ghere

Senior Venture Development Manager
[email protected]
(612) 624-6797

Tim Cusack

Tim Cusack 

MNBridge Gap Funding Network Manager 
[email protected]

Students & Interns

Business Systems

Samuel Levitt 
Adithya Saravu
Jeffrey Trinh

Patents

George Faseemo
Melanie Hernandez
Joanna Longen
Daniel Lyadov
Miranda Miranda Hernandez
Andrew Palik
Siya Sakhardande

Venture Center

Logan Grayson
Bailey Keffer
Jack Magness
Leon Xue
 

Contracts Interns

Kevin Doan
Amara Wallner

Technology Strategy Group Interns

Suma Sreekanta
Nandadevi Patil
Jolene Duda
Alessandra Gavin
Ajibola Opakunle
Maya Ramamurthy

 

Hanhui Li
Akshat Rawat
Niraja Amit Soman
Amisha Rajendra Undavia
Saasha Vinoo