It’s no secret that the tech industry suffers from some gender disparities. Sometimes, this is most evident at tech and startup events, where the demographics of speakers and panelists can be sort of one-note.
We here at Minne Inno believe that this likely isn’t intentional. Like a lot of things in the Twin Cities startup scene, it all comes down to visibility. Minnesota is filled with smart, powerful women and non-binary folks who have started companies, raised funding, worked for major research institutions and much more. Maybe if these local entrepreneurs and business leaders were easier to find, they’d stand a greater chance of being invited to speak at local tech events.
So we decided to put some of the best and brightest local innovators together on one list.
Below is a list of more than 100 women representing eight different areas of business across Minnesota. We hope to continue updating the list with more names, so please reach out if you know someone that should be added.
Please note: This is not a speaker agreement. It’s just a list of accomplished women to consider inviting to future tech and startup events. Click around, make some connections and consider highlighting some of these women at your next Minnesota tech or startup event:
TECHNOLOGY
Amy Gebhardt
Lead Front-End Software Engineer, SportsEngine
Bridget Kromhout
Principal Cloud Developer Advocate, Microsoft
Jenna Pederson
Founder, 612 Software Foundry
Jenessa White
Front-End Developer, Software for Good
Eve Poeschl
Director of Solutions Architecture, MentorMate
Mary Meehan
CEO, Metametrix
April King
Staff Security Engineer, Mozilla
Kara Carlisle
Vice President of Programs, McKnight Foundation
Kristina Durivage
Front End Engineer, SmartThings
Ian Coldwater
Lead Platform Security Engineer, Heroku
Michelle Schulp
Designer/Strategist, Marktime Media
Stacie Marshall
Director of Operations, Foundation Technologies
Amber Christian
Founder, Wonderly Software Solutions
Susie Douang
Technical Analyst, Slalom
Yuliya Mycka
VP/Digital Director, Preston Kelly
Eryn O’Neil
Backend Engineer, Modern Tribe
Rachel Williams
Vice President of Technical Operations, Comcast
Tessa Kriesel
Developer Outreach Manager, Pantheon
Shawn Stavseth
Co-Founder, Technovation[MN]
Dana Hazen
Director, Women Who Code
Susan Greve
City Ambassador, Lesbians Who Tech
BUSINESS
Kristin Dean
Vice President of People, Arctic Wolf Networks
Sona Mehring
Traction Implementer, 10 for Focus
Angelina Lawton
Founder and CEO, Sportsdigita
Dana Nelson
Founder, DCN Strategies
Vice President of Legacy and Community Partnerships, MN Super Bowl Host Committee
Adrienne Peirce
Product Manager, Leadpages
Danielle Steer
Managing Director, Lunar Startups
Meghan McInerny
Chief Operating Officer, Clockwork Interactive
Board Chair, GiveMN
Liwanag Ojala
CEO, CaringBridge
Karen Marben
Executive Director, Genesys Works
Neela Mollgaard
Executive Director, Launch Minnesota
Meredith Kathleen Neumann
Healthy Leadership Development, Scaling From Within
Alexa Bloom
Community Director, WeWork
Katy Burke
Executive Director, TeamWomenMN
Kalyn Hove
Vice President of Business Services, Comcast
Jennifer Pennington
Co-Founder, Can Can Wonderland
Maria Ploessl
Executive Director, Minnestar
Lili Hall
CEO and President, KNOCK
Erin Newkirk
Chief Marketing Officer, Local Crate
Stephanie Rich
Founder, Starting Up North
Anita Patel
Leadership Programs Director, Bush Foundation
CREATIVE
Amanda Zweerink
Managing Partner, Zeus Jones
Evva Kraikul
Founder and Creative Director, GLITCH
Aimee Rekert
Treasurer, MIMA
Erica Hanna
Owner, Puke Rainbows Creative
Mary Prevost
Owner, MJP Strategic Communications
Jasmine Russell
Co-Founder, Monicat Data
Alexis Walsko
Founder, Lola Red Public Relations
Emily Pritchard
Co-Founder, The Social Lights
Twila Dang
Founder and CEO, Matriarch Digital Media
Melanie Walby
Design Director, Pollen Midwest
Kate Khaled
Managing Director, Imagine Deliver
Sarah Schultz
Executive Director, American Craft Council
Jamie Millard
Executive Director, Pollen
Nancy Lyons
Founder and CEO, Clockwork Interactive
Anne Pryor
LinkedIn Trainer, Pryority Partnership
Kristi Piehl
Founder and CEO, Media Minefield
HEALTHCARE/BIOTECH
Lisa Lavin
Founder and CEO, Omcare
Katrina Anderson
CEO and Founder, ClinicianNexus
Jill Prevost
Co-Founder, Gravie
Co-Founder, Bloom Health
Lori Most
Founder and CEO, Binary Bridge
Ruth Soucie
IT Security Incident Analyst, Medtronic
Becca Egbert
CEO, The Mother Love
Diane Rucker
Executive Director, University Enterprise Laboratories
Maria Huntley
President, Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians
ENTREPRENEURS
Melissa Kjolsing Lynch
CEO and Co-Founder, Recovree
Caroline Karanja
Founder, 26 Letters
Aneela Kumar
Co-Founder, HabitAware
Casey Schultz
Program Director, Twin Cities Startup Week/Beta.MN
Tamara Temple
Software Engineer, Gannett
Kristen Womack
Founder, Hello Mom
Co-Founder, Hack the Gap
Elyse Ash
Founder and CEO, Fruitful Fertility
Elaine Rasmussen
CEO, Social Impact Strategies Group Consulting
Jennifer Alstad
Founder and CEO, bswing
Margi Scott
Founder, Take 12
Kateri Ruiz
Founder, MAIA
Kara Rios
Founder and CEO, deltPRO
Sabina Saksena
Founder and CEO, Cytilife
Angie Eilers
CEO and Founder, URTURN
Cora Leibig
Founder and CEO, Chromatic 3D Materials
Amanda LaGrange
CEO, Tech Dump
Tracy David
Founder, Little Acorn Shave Co.
Loring Kaveney
President and Co-Founder, Work Out Loud
Elizabeth Wheaton
Co-Founder, Rally Registry
Katie Moss
Co-Founder, Rally Registry
Alex West Steinman
Co-Founder and CEO, The Coven
GOVERNMENT
Irene Fernando
Hennepin County Commissioner – District 2
Sharon Kennedy Vickers
Chief Information Officer, City of St. Paul
Shawntera Hardy
Co-Founder and Head of Strategy, Civic Eagle
Mary Rick
Principal Project Manager of Planning and Development, City of St. Paul
FINANCE AND INVESTING
Cathy Connett
CEO and Managing Partner, Sofia Fund
Mary Grove
Partner, Revolution/Rise of the Rest
Whitney Larson
President, Vemos
Kenya McKnight Ahad
CEO and President, Black Women’s Wealth Alliance
Pat Dillon
Director of SBIR, Minnesota High Tech Association
Christine Albrecht
Director of SBA Lending, Sunrise Banks
Michelle Johnson
Director of Corporate Development, Invenshure
Pam York
General Partner, Capita3
Sara Russick
General Partner, Capita3
Pooja Shah
Managing Director, Gener8tor OnRamp Insurance Accelerator
Aleesha Webb
President, Village Bank
Susan Langer
Founder and CEO, Live. Give. Save
Me’Lea Connelly
Founder, Village Financial Cooperative
FOOD, BEVERAGE AND AGRICULTURE
Lauren Pradhan
Managing Director, Grow North
Janet Johanson
Owner and General Manager, The Lab
CEO, BevSource
Lee Wallace
CEO, Peace Coffee
Amanda Heyman
Founding Director, Lunar Services
Founder, Heyman Legal
Erica Johnston
Marketing Manager, General Mills
Jessica Stalbaum
Program Manager, Techstars Farm to Fork
Daniela Bowen
Culinary Director, Local Crate
Jenifer Hagness
Vice President of Marketing, Caribou Coffee
Anita Nelson
President, IN Food Marketing & Design
Kjersten Merila
Founder, Her Spirits Vodka
Melina Lamer
CEO, Superior Switchel Company
Sandy Hansen-Wolff
Owner/President, AgVenture Feed & Seed Inc.
ACADEMIA
Jessica Berg
Director, Minnesota Cup
Kymm Bartlett Martinez
Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, St. Thomas
Dr. Stephanie Lenway
Dean, St. Thomas Opus College of Business
Dr. Laura Dunham
Associate Dean and Professor in Entrepreneurship, St. Thomas Schulze College of Entrepreneurship
Kate Ryan Reiling
Entrepreneur in Residence, Macalester College
Carla Pavone
Director, MIN-Corps
Jill Woyak
IT Infrastructure Team Lead, University of Minnesota
Cindy Olson
VP of Enrollment Management, Dunwoody College of Technology
