Speakers

Neeli Bendapudi has served as the nineteenth president of Penn State since May 9, 2022. With a nearly thirty-year career in academia, President Bendapudi is committed to student success, fostering inclusive excellence, and creating opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to thrive.

Raised in India, Bendapudi moved to the United States to pursue her doctoral studies at the University of Kansas and to launch her career as an academic leader and educator.

Prior to coming to Penn State, where she leads the University's twenty-four-campus network and top-ranked online World Campus, Bendapudi was president of the University of Louisville from 2018 to 2021. During this time, she oversaw a series of transformative efforts spanning academics; finance; the health enterprise; philanthropy; athletics; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and more. Under her leadership, the university recruited its largest and most diverse freshman class, reached record enrollment levels, improved four-year graduation rates, increased annual sponsored research, improved the university's financial stability, and stabilized the health system.

Among her professional achievements, Bendapudi has served as provost and executive vice chancellor at the University of Kansas from 2016 to 2018, dean of the School of Business at the University of Kansas from 2011 to 2016, and as founding director of the Initiative for Managing Services at the Ohio State University (OSU) from 2005 to 2011. As an educator, she has taught marketing at the University of Louisville, University of Kansas, Texas A&M University, and OSU.

In addition to her higher education leadership experience, Bendapudi previously served as executive vice president and chief customer officer for Huntington National Bank and has consulted for some of the world's largest companies and organizations, including AIG, Proctor & Gamble, and the U.S. Army.

With a background in the study of consumer behavior in service contexts, her research focuses on customers' willingness to maintain long-term relationships with firms and with the brands and employees that represent them. Her work has been published in the Journal of Academic Medicine, Harvard Business Review, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Retailing, and Journal of Service Research.

Bendapudi has been recognized for contributions in her field and has been honored at the national and university levels, including with the Academy of Marketing Science Outstanding Marketing Teacher Award. In 2014, she was inducted into the University of Kansas' Womens Hall of Fame, which recognizes individuals for significant contributions and achievements, overall impact, and outstanding character.

In addition, Diverse Issues in Higher Education referenced Bendapudi as one of twenty-five women "who have made a difference in the academy" (2021), Enterprising Women recognized her among a select group of women who "are making a difference in business and in the community" (2021), and Louisville Business First highlighted Bendapudi among twenty-five local leaders named to the publication's annual list of "Most Admired CEOs" for strong leadership exhibited during a year of unprecedented challenges (2020).

Along with her professional endeavors, Bendapudi is a former Leadership Foundation Fellow, a member of the International Women's Forum, and serves on the board of the American Council on Education and Internet 2.0.

Bendapudi earned her bachelor's degree in English and MBA from Andhra University in India and her doctorate in marketing from the University of Kansas.

Brian Olsavsky has been Senior Vice President and CFO of Amazon since 2015. In this role, he oversees the company's overall financial activities, including tax, treasury, finance operations, investor relations, internal audit, and global real estate. Previously, he served as Vice President and CFO for Amazon's Global Consumer Business where he had oversight and responsibility for the finance team supporting Amazon.com, merchant services, fulfillment operations, and subsidiaries. From 2007 to 2010, Brian was Vice President, Finance for Amazon's North America retail business and acquisitions, and from 2002 to 2007 Brian led the finance departments for Amazon's Worldwide Operations.

Under Brian's tenure as CFO, Amazon has grown from just over $100 billion in annual revenue in 2015 to $ $716.9 billion in annual revenue in 2025. During that time, Amazon launched retail marketplaces in 12 countries and acquired Whole Foods Market, MGM Studios, Ring, Zoox, One Medical, Pillpack, and Souq.com, while also expanding Advertising services (over $56 billion in annual revenue in 2024) and building global delivery operations (Amazon Logistics).

Prior to joining Amazon, Brian spent 15 years in a variety of financial, operational, and business management roles, including at Fisher Scientific, BF Goodrich, and Union Carbide.

Board and Education

Brian received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University and an MBA in Finance from Carnegie Mellon University. As a champion for education and lifelong learning, he has remained an active alumnus, guest speaker, and donor to both schools. At Carnegie Mellon, he is an Alumni Service Award recipient, member of the University's Board of Trustees and the Business Board of Advisors at the Tepper School of Business. Brian received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Penn State in 2021, the Alumni Fellow Award from Penn State in 2023, and is an advisor to both the Penn State University President as well as the Dean of the College of Engineering.

Brian and his wife Susan reside in Washington and have three daughters (Katherine, Alexandra, and Gracie).

Andrew Read is the senior vice president for research at The Pennsylvania State University. In his role, he oversees the research of twelve academic colleges, seven interdisciplinary research institutes, the Applied Research Lab, which is a university affiliated research center for the Navy, and offices for sponsored programs, research protections, industry partnerships, technology transfer, innovation, economic development, and commercialization.

Read, who is the Evan Pugh University Professor of Biology and Entomology and the Eberly Professor of Biotechnology, has led the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences since 2019. In 2020, he mobilized researchers from across Penn State to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read spearheaded a rapid-response internal call-for-proposals to address what was then an emerging outbreak, which led to significant investments of external funding to Penn State and to several corporate partnerships to advance technologies to market.

Read has supported the growth of interdisciplinary research across the life sciences, including regenerative engineering, neuroscience, gerontology, microbiomes and nutritional sciences and relaunched the Huck Innovative and Transformative Seed Fund (HITS), which supports, at scale, bold proposals too risky for traditional funders.

His research in evolutionary microbiology, particularly the evolution of antimicrobial drug resistance, vaccine escape and pathogen virulence, is focused on mitigating pathogen evolution that harms human wellbeing. He has taught ecology, evolution, microbiology and statistics. He has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed publications.

Originally from New Zealand, he earned a doctoral degree in evolutionary biology at the University of Oxford. He held various fellowships at Oxford and then at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, where he became Chair of Natural History. In 2007, he joined the faculty of the departments of biology and entomology at Penn State. He directed Penn State's Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics from 2010 until 2018.

Adam Wicks is shareholder in Buchanan's Pittsburgh office and leads the firm's Private Equity and Venture Capital Practice Group. As a strategic, business-minded negotiator, Adam's business transactions practice focuses on representing private equity and venture capital firms, independent sponsors, family offices and other sources of private capital and their portfolio companies in their corporate development, investment and acquisition strategies. Additionally, Adam regularly represents private business owners exploring the sale of their business and other strategic transactions.

Adam also serves as outside corporate counsel to clients ranging from startups to publicly-traded companies, advising on entity formation and corporate governance, financings and offerings, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), federal and state securities law compliance, commercial matters, and connecting his clients to key professionals and experts in other practice areas within Buchanan as various needs arise.

Adam's clients span a variety of industries including software, retail, security and fire alarm and protection, sports and gaming, medical devices, residential and commercial services, manufacturing, and professional services. Adam has received Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recognition in the Corporate Law and Securities / Capital Markets Law categories since 2021, and Super Lawyers Pennsylvania Rising Stars recognition since 2023.

Andrew C. Davison is Chairman, President, and CEO of Forma Medical Inc., the orthopedic medical device company he co-founded that develops minimally invasive solutions for foot and ankle surgery, including the OptimalMTP™ system for first MTP joint fusion. A Penn State Schreyer Honors College graduate with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware, Davison has spent more than 15 years in medical device product development, commercialization, and leadership. His experience includes staff engineering roles at DePuy Synthes (Johnson & Johnson) focused on craniofacial and patient-specific implants, leading Trauma Division product development at Globus Medical (multiple FDA clearances and launches), and co-leading SIG Medical from concept through a successful exit. He later consulted for Zimmer Biomet and currently advises Horn Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware. Davison is a named inventor on numerous patents related to surgical guides and implants and is driven by translating strong biomechanics into less invasive procedures that improve patient outcomes. 
 

Tina is Co-Leader of the firm's Life Sciences Industry Team, and a shareholder in the FDA/Biotechnology group. She focuses her practice on issues related to the approval, regulation, promotion, sale and reimbursement of drugs, medical devices, biologics, dietary supplements, foods and cannabis-related products.

Tina assists clients in their interactions with various federal agencies including the following:

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

• Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

In addition to advising clients on how to obtain approvals for their FDA-regulated products, Tina's experience includes reviewing and revising the labeling of drugs, medical devices, foods and dietary supplements to ensure compliance with the FDA law and regulations. She works with clients to petition the FDA to ensure the safety and effectiveness of drug products on the market, and assists clients in a wide range of compliance and enforcement matters. She also advises clients on user fee issues, federal and state Sunshine Act reporting obligations, state price transparency disclosure rules, and state licensing requirements.

Tina is a thought leader on artificial intelligence and machine learning in the life sciences industry. She has spoken frequently and published several articles on AI/ML in drug discovery and development as well as FDA's regulation of AI/ML-powered medical devices.

Tina is also a member of the firm's cannabis group, where she assists companies in navigating federal and state law issues related to the promotion and sale of cannabis-related products. Tina has helped companies work to bring FDA- approved cannabinoid drug products to market, as well as helped clients to navigate sale of cannabis and hemp-related products.

Tina chairs the Buchanan B.O.L.D. Affinity group, and is conversant in Mandarin.

In 2019 and 2020, Tina was named to the Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers Rising Stars list. Most recently, in 2024, Tina was named the Rising Star Award winner by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.

Louis P. Kassa III, MPA, is Chief Executive Officer of the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC), Baruch S. Blumberg Institute and Hepatitis B Foundation, and President of the PABC. He joined the organizations as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2014.

Kassa oversees strategic planning, finance, business development and compliance at the PABC, which is home to the Hepatitis B Foundation, and its research arm, the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute. The PABC's primary location, which is in Doylestown, opened for business in 2006. In partnership with Brandywine Realty Trust, Kassa led the launch of B+labs, a state-of-the-art incubator at Cira Centre in University City, Philadelphia, in 2022. He oversaw the opening of a $20 million building in Doylestown, the fourth on the PABC campus, which provided new labs and offices plus an events space, in 2022.

Kassa founded the Hatch Biofund through the PABC, which is projected to be a $50 million venture capital fund serving the region. With the support of a $5 million state grant, Kassa established the Academic Innovation Zone at the PABC in 2023. In October 2024, New York state officials announced that BioGenesis, a new cell and gene therapy center on Long Island, will offer an incubator to be led by Kassa and Blumberg Institute team.

Kassa worked part-time as the Chief Executive Officer for Youth Services Agency, a non-profit social services agency, from 2015 to 2017. He co-founded Family Foundations Partnership in 2017 and currently is Chief Executive Officer. He previously served as State Director and Chief Operating Officer at VisionQuest National, Ltd., a national behavioral health company.

Kassa was named to the Philadelphia Business Journal's 2026 "Power 100" list of the region's top business leaders, a distinction he has earned annually starting in 2023. He was named to the "10 Best COOs of 2020" by Industry Era, a global tech media outlet.

A Bucks County resident, Kassa was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Holy Family University in 2025. He earned an undergraduate degree at Penn State University and a Master of Public Administration from Villanova University.

Kassa is a board member of numerous organizations: Bucks County Workforce Development Board, Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce, Startup Bucks, Yards Sciences, Bucks County Music Project, Family Foundations Partnership and Triumph in Recovery.

Matt is a trusted advisor and dynamic problem solver for his clients. His practice spans a wide spectrum of intellectual property issues, making him a valuable resource. He regularly advocates on behalf of clients in legal disputes related to intellectual property, whether it is enforcing intellectual property rights against infringing parties or defending clients from claims made by others. Additionally he aids clients in the preparation and prosecution of patents and trademarks, guiding them through the complexities of the patent and trademark application process to ensure that their innovations and brand identities receive the legal protection they deserve. Matt has a degree in chemical and environmental engineering, and product development experience from his career in engineering. He provides a unique perspective and deep understanding from the client's perspective, enhancing his ability to effectively represent and advise his clients.

Matt is also skilled in helping clients navigate the complex landscape of IP portfolios, ensuring that clients' intellectual property assets are strategically planned, well organized, up to date, and in compliance with the latest legal requirements. He is also adept in the realm of IP licensing. Matt assists clients in negotiating and drafting licensing agreements and joint development and joint venture agreements, enabling them to capitalize on their intellectual property while preserving their rights and interests. His experience, legal acumen, and negotiation skills are instrumental in securing favorable licensing arrangements.

One thing that sets Matt apart is his industry experience. Prior to attending law school, he served as a product development engineer for a large automotive innovator, where he was awarded multiple patents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. With a degree in chemical engineering, Matt not only understands the technology behind various industries, but also has firsthand experience in innovating and developing new products.

Matt's practice encompasses a diverse range of technology, including chemistry, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, environmental engineering, plastics, and other specialty materials. His expansive knowledge and cross-disciplinary approach enable him to serve clients from a wide array of industries and fields, including medical devices, consumer products, advanced industrial machinery, and tactical and defense industries. As such, Matt is also a member of the firm's Retail & Consumer Goods Group, with a primary focus on the consumer goods and food and beverage subsectors. 

Whether it's protecting groundbreaking innovations, building new brands, resolving IP disputes, or strategizing for portfolio management, Matt is a trusted guide in the ever-evolving landscape of intellectual property law.

Experienced early-stage company investor with a demonstrated history of serving on portfolio company boards. With a JD from George Washington University and eight years practicing Intellectual Property law, Sreekar specializes in IP strategy and common sense governance for portfolio companies.

Matt Rhodes is the Founder and Managing Director of 1855 Capital, a State College based Venture Capital firm. Matt Rhodes comes to this role from a background as a senior executive with experience ranging from start-up funding and management to leading a $1B+ semiconductor business. He has a track record of leading product development teams and business organizations to profitable, market winning positions in hyper-competitive environments.

Matt garnered broad business experience as President of Conexant Systems, a then publicly-owned communication semiconductor solutions provider, where Matt managed an organization of over 2,000 employees, including Sales, Marketing, Engineering and Business Development. Subsequently, he was CEO of Teranetics, a 1st tier VC-backed bay area start-up focused on high-speed communication semiconductors. As CEO, he raised two rounds of funding totaling $45 Million and grew the company to more than 70 employees and establishing international presence. He also secured 1st tier design wins for the company's products, establishing Teranetics as the clear leader in the space.

Matt holds a B.S in Physics from Penn State University, an MSEE from Lehigh University, and an MBA from UCLA.

Known as a trusted strategic partner for leading technology innovators, Jim helps tech companies of all sizes develop create value and reduce risk around their most important IP assets. Jim co-chairs the firm's Technology Practice Group, previously chaired the firm's Intellectual Property Department, and serves on the firm's AI Task Force. His work in patents and technology transactions has earned international recognition from many publications, while his previous experience as an engineering project manager keeps his advice practical and grounded.
 
Jim provides IP training to companies who participate in the Ben Frankin TechCelerator, and he supports and provides counsel to participants in Invent Penn State's Summer Founders Program. In addition, he helped develop IP portfolios that led to successful exits through acquisition by technology leaders such as Amazon, Eaton, Ford, Google, Microsoft, Nielsen, Proofpoint, Sandvik, Signify, and Xerox. Jim obtained a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State University.

Erika Swift, MBA, MHA, serves as a Professor of Practice with a joint appointment at Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Harrisburg. She is also the director of the Center for Medical Innovation at Penn State College of Medicine, where she leads efforts to foster a thriving innovation ecosystem. The Center provides essential education and resources to drive medical innovation, ultimately generating both economic and social impact.

With over 25 years of experience in economic development, technology commercialization, and new business development across various industries-including medical devices, consumer goods, and dental equipment-Erika joined Penn State College of Medicine in 2015 to spearhead technology development initiatives. She was pivotal in establishing the Center for Medical Innovation, officially launched in February 2017, aligning with the College of Medicine's broader mission of cultivating a culture of innovation.

Beyond her role at Penn State, Erika served as President of BioStrategy Partners, Inc., a nonprofit consortium dedicated to advancing academic research into the marketplace, from 2018 to 2024. She continues to contribute as an officer and board member.

Erika holds a Bachelor of Science in business with a concentration in international business from Bloomsburg University, an MBA from York College of Pennsylvania, and an MHA from Penn State University.

Jen Gilburg joined the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development in September 2023 as Deputy Secretary of Technology and Entrepreneurship. She has decades long experience in technology and advanced manufacturing in the private sector. She has been on the forefront of such high growth technologies as data security and artificial intelligence, and has worked in advanced technologies for automotive, medical and robotics industries.

As Deputy Secretary of Technology and Entrepreneurship, she focuses on implementing the Shapiro Administration's and DCED's vision of attracting, fostering, and investing in people and companies focused on technology and innovation across multiple sectors, and throughout the state.

A neuroscientist by training, Dr. Eric Hall harnesses scientific and technical knowledge with business acumen to operationalize transformational outcomes, including novel therapeutic development, pioneering data analytics solutions, licensing and acquisition agreements. 

He has held increasing levels of responsibility across medical affairs, market access, alliance management, and business development in the biopharmaceutical industry with Biogen, Johnson & Johnson, and Voyager Therapeutics.

Dr. Hall has led and contributed to the development and launching of medicines for neurological and hematological conditions along with several licensing and acquisition transactions for therapeutics, data and technology platforms to transform lives. 

He is currently the Vice-President of Corporate & Business Development for Voyager Therapeutics where he leads the full cycle of business development activities to enable development of neurological medicines and create value for stakeholders.

Dr. Hall currently serves on the Penn State Research Foundation Board. He is a former board member of Penn State College Medicine Alumni Society Board and of Penn State Graduate Alumni Society Board. In 2018, he received the Penn State Alumni Achievement Award.

Dr. Hall holds a PhD in neuroscience from Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, an executive MBA from Penn State Smeal College of Business, and a BS in biology from Xavier University of Louisiana.

Elizabeth (Liz) Hodgson is the Vice Chair of the firm's Emerging Companies and Venture Capital Group and represents companies and their founders and investors in every stage of a company's lifecycle from formation to exit. Liz works closely with clients to help them start, grow, invest in, purchase and sell businesses and advises on day to day matters to help align their business objectives with their legal needs. Her experience includes: choice of entity; corporate governance; corporate finance; private equity and venture capital transactions; securities offerings; commercial contract preparation and review; intellectual property protection, licensing, and commercialization; mergers and acquisitions; restrictions on foreign investment and acquisition of U.S. companies and the review process conducted by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS); and day-to-day general corporate matters.

Liz has vast experience working with companies and closely held businesses in the life sciences, biotechnology, technology, health care, software and information technology sectors, and is particularly passionate about working with female founders, investors, executives and entrepreneurs. She combines her legal skills and own entrepreneurial spirit to identify with and deliver for her clients.

Liz received a B.A. in English with a minor in Spanish from The Pennsylvania State University. She received a J.D. from The Pennsylvania State University, The Dickinson School of Law. While in law school, she was a member of The Woolsack Society and was Editor-in-Chief of the Penn State Law Review.

Laurie Actman serves as the chief marketing, communications and program officer at the Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) at the University of Pennsylvania. As part of the executive team, Laurie oversees the strategic implementation of PCI's programs and partnerships, marketing, and communications and helped to plan and launch the Pennovation Center, Penn's new startup incubator where she actively managed programs and partnerships. 

Previously, she served as PCI's chief operating officer from launch in 2014 to December 2016. Before PCI, she has worked for notable organizations in the private, non-profit, and public sectors in Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington, D.C., including as chief policy officer for the CEO Council for Growth, consultant to Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter on his administration's sustainability and ARRA initiatives, director of strategic partnerships at Viridity Energy, and deputy and interim director for the Consortium for Building Energy Innovation, a $150 million public private project capitalized by the U.S. Department of Energy and based at Philadelphia's Navy Yard. 

She received her undergraduate degree in political science from Washington University in St. Louis and a master's degree in urban planning and real estate from UNC-Chapel Hill. Laurie lives in Bala Cynwyd with her husband and three children and spends a lot of time, when not working, on the soccer sidelines and walking her dog.

Steve Carpenter serves as Director, Research Startups at Penn State University's Office of Research Ventures providing guidance and support to scientists pursuing commercialization of their technology from the invention disclosure stage to commercial revenue. Thanks to generous philanthropic support, Mr. Carpenter manages the new Momentum Fund providing initial investments in promising startups utilizing Penn State intellectual property. Mr. Carpenter also serves as an Adjunct Instructor at Penn State's Smeal College of Business teaching Entrepreneurial Finance and as the Program Administrator for the Garber Fund providing venture investment experiences for Smeal graduate students. Mr. Carpenter has served as a director or board observer on more than ten company boards since 2008. Mr. Carpenter has 19 years of experience with Life Sciences Greenhouse Investments providing seed- and early-stage investments in promising life sciences companies in Pennsylvania.  In his most recent role as Senior Vice President, Mr. Carpenter provided guidance and support to portfolio companies, evaluated early-stage companies for prospective investments, and managed the organization's accounting and finances. Prior to joining LSG Investments, Mr. Carpenter served more than 20 years in a variety of management and engineering positions, primarily leading operation start-ups and new product launches. Mr. Carpenter earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA from Penn State University where his academic concentration was on venture capital, entrepreneurship, and finance.

Saima Farooq, MBA, is the Innovation Manager for the Center for Medical Innovation (CMI) at Penn State College of Medicine. She leads CMI's collaborations across the broader Penn State community, connecting College of Medicine innovators with faculty and student teams across campuses to advance the development and commercialization of new technologies. She also coordinates relationships with regional accelerators, research institutions, and other partners to expand the resources and expertise available to College of Medicine projects. 

Saima works directly with faculty innovators, providing hands-on project management, pitch development, customer discovery, and competitive landscape analysis. She also strengthens CMI's internal operations and leads its communications efforts, including the monthly newsletter, which highlights CMI's impact and connects the research community with relevant programs, resources, and opportunities. 

Before joining Penn State, Saima spent several years at Pfizer, where she served as the Digital Innovation Lab Partnerships and Innovation Challenges Lead. She led the end-to-end design and delivery of Pfizer's Innovation Challenge service, engaging the external innovation ecosystem to identify startups with solutions to challenges affecting patients. This work resulted in strategic digital health partnerships for Pfizer. She also produced the company's first official TEDxPfizer events, creating a global platform to showcase innovation from within and beyond the organization. 

Saima is a Penn State alumna with bachelor's degrees in psychology and information sciences and technology. She earned her MBA in Innovation Management from Temple University.

Dr. Christian E. Herrera is a life scientist, entrepreneur, and commercialization strategist whose career spans biomedical research, technology commercialization, business strategy, and entrepreneurship. He currently serves as Technology Scout Lead for the NSF I-Corps Mid-Atlantic Hub at Penn State, where he identifies promising university-connected technologies, engages researchers and startup teams, assesses commercialization readiness, and connects innovators with resources to help move technologies from research toward the marketplace. 

Prior to joining the I-Corps Hub, Dr. Herrera spent nearly eight years at Penn State conducting interdisciplinary infectious disease and global health research. His doctoral work integrated microbial genomics, epidemiology, field research, and quantitative risk modeling to investigate pathogen exposure within the Nigerian bushmeat trade. Earlier, he worked in cancer immunotherapy at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and supported a U.S. Department of Defense-funded research program at the Naval Medical Research Unit in San Antonio focused on developing novel approaches to snake antivenom. 

Entrepreneurship has been a significant part of Dr. Herrera's career. He has founded, co-owned, and advised businesses across e-commerce, consumer products, jewelry, collectibles, luxury watches, and precious metals, gaining firsthand experience in customer discovery, marketing, operations, business development, and scaling commercial opportunities. 
Dr. Herrera earned his Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences with a concentration in Infectious Diseases and Immunology from Penn State, where he also earned an in-residence MBA from the Smeal College of Business. He holds an M.S. in Biotechnology from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and a B.S. in Biology from Angelo State University. 

His work is driven by a commitment to helping scientists and entrepreneurs translate strong technical ideas into viable products, companies, and real-world impact. 

Tomás Isakowitz serves as the program director for Penn I-Corps and the PCI Fellows program at the Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) at the University of Pennsylvania. PCI facilitates innovation throughout the institution by connecting academic research with entrepreneurial and licensing opportunities. Since 2005, Tomás has led Penn I-Corps, developing customer discovery courses that transform research into commercially viable technologies and guiding over 200 teams that have secured funding and grown into successful companies. He also created the PCI Fellows program, offering competitive internships that immerse participants in patenting, licensing, and marketing while nurturing entrepreneurial skills. 

Tomás earned a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania and holds mathematics degrees from the University of California at Santa Barbara and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Outside his professional pursuits, he values time with his family and enjoys meditation, yoga, travel, hiking, and pickleball. Tomás is a native of Argentina.

Dr. Matthew C. McKinney is an entrepreneurship educator, program leader, and entrepreneur whose career spans higher education, startup development, outdoor recreation, and experiential learning. As of August 2026, he serves as Assistant Director of Research Startups at Penn State, where he manages the Startup Leadership Network, Penn State Alumni Entrepreneurs Network, and Entrepreneur-in-Residence program. In this role, he strengthens Penn State's entrepreneurial ecosystem by connecting researchers, entrepreneurs, alumni, and experienced business leaders with the resources and relationships needed to advance new ventures.

Previously, Dr. McKinney served as Entrepreneurship Program Manager in Penn State's Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization, where he developed and managed student-focused entrepreneurship and economic development initiatives. His work included leading Penn State Startup Week, developing the Penn State Alumni Entrepreneurs Network, supporting university startup initiatives, and serving as an NSF I-Corps trainer for Penn State and the Mid-Atlantic region.
Dr. McKinney also serves as part-time faculty in the University of Arizona's Eller College of Management, facilitating graduate-level entrepreneurship courses through the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship. Previously, he was a faculty member in the Department of Entrepreneurship at the Bullis School, where he developed and taught courses in entrepreneurship, business model design, leadership, finance, and global trade and coached student venture teams from ideation through launch.

From 2015 to 2019, Dr. McKinney served on the faculty at Gallaudet University, teaching courses in entrepreneurship, adventure recreation, event planning, and recreation management. He also served as Faculty Fellows Coordinator for Gallaudet's Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute, leading a multidisciplinary cohort of faculty working to integrate entrepreneurial thinking across the curriculum. During his time at Gallaudet, he helped develop entrepreneurship courses, student pitch competitions, business partnerships, and experiential learning opportunities.

Dr. McKinney earned his Ph.D. in Recreation, Park and Tourism Management and Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and the Environment from Penn State, where he also earned an M.S. in Recreation, Park and Tourism Management and a B.S. in Recreation and Park Management. He is currently pursuing an additional M.S. in Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Penn State.

Entrepreneurship has been a consistent thread throughout Dr. McKinney's career. He co-founded Venture Navigator, a SaaS product designed to guide entrepreneurs through the entrepreneurial journey. He also founded Mt. Nittany Outfitters, an e-commerce outdoor recreation business that grew to more than $500,000 in annual sales. He later founded Happy Valley Trading Cards, which has served more than 10,000 customers. His nonprofit and community work has included serving on the Board of Directors of Global Capacity, consulting with the International Mountain Leadership Institute in the Himalayas of northern India, and founding and co-chairing Bison Adventures. This organization provides recreational experiences for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

An avid outdoorsman, Dr. McKinney completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2005 as a fundraiser for the Memphis Leadership Foundation. His interests include backpacking, boating, cycling, fly-fishing, gardening, travel, entrepreneurship, and spending time with family and friends.

Laura's passion is bringing new innovation to the market, with a focus on business strategy, go-to-market planning and customer discovery. Her current roles include Entrepreneur in Residence at Carnegie Mellon, Adjunct Instructor at the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Rehabilitative Medicine and Science, National Science Foundation I-Corps instructor, Board Member and Innovator.

Her entrepreneurship background ranges from co-founding a successful 3D medical imaging company to the 2025 "Innovation in Advocacy Award" for bringing to market a safety geofencing app. She has executed $100M+ industry transformation projects worldwide with international companies such as Euro Disney, DuPont, and Louisville Slugger. She served as elected School board president with a constituency of 27,000, and held numerous other board presidencies with direct accountability for budgets up to $85M+. Nonprofit work includes the opening of a school in Kenya for 300 Maasai youth.

Her career started with her computer science and business education at Carnegie Mellon where her research into the intersection of AI and cognitive psychology with Nobel Prize and National Academy of Science leaders formed not just her technical understanding of many of today's innovations, but also became the foundation of her user entered approach to all problem solving.

As someone who is profoundly deaf with 10% of hearing of the lower tones in her right ear, her communications are primarily through lip reading. Listening is her superpower.

Nuwan Sella Kapu has over 20 years of experience in research and development, early-stage technology commercialization, and academic-industry-government collaboration in biological and life sciences. At the Penn State College of Medicine's Center for Medical Innovation, Nuwan leverages his experience to accelerate the development of Penn State life science discoveries and inventions for future commercialization and transfer to the patient's bedside.

Nuwan's work covers the entire research and development lifecycle from concept to startup-readiness, and he embeds within research and clinical teams to advance early-stage life science technologies.

He also brings in the wider external innovation ecosystem, including industry partners, subject matter experts, and research service providers, to secure funding and catalyze and expedite research and development.

Before joining the Center for Medical Innovation, he led research and development in bioproducts and renewable energy at the University of British Columbia, Canada, partnering with industry and government agencies. At UBC, he also served as the Assistant Director of the Master of Engineering Leadership Green Bioproducts program, developing the curricula, teaching several courses, and coordinating all technical courses. Nuwan also served as the Principal Scientist of a Penn State startup, providing technical leadership to secure nearly $1M in SBIR Phase I and II funding from NSF, DOE, USDA, and EPA.

During his tenure, he led day-to-day research operations, helped build a research facility and team, and partnered with other academic institutions and the National Renewable Energy Lab to expand research capabilities.

Nuwan holds a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from Penn State and an MBA from UBC Sauder School of Business.

Rick is the director of Lehigh University's Office of Technology Transfer. He has been engaged in many aspects of technology development, commercialization, and innovation, and was previously the director of technology commercialization at Ohio State University, Columbia University, and Rutgers University. 

Rick began his technology commercialization career as a consultant for Innovaro, Inc. where he consulted clients on technology transfer with universities and federal labs. He has held engineering design and development positions in the fields of spectrophotometry instrumentation, optical network design, and underwater acoustics. As a corporate financial consultant, he drafted business plans and facilitated the acquisition of growth capital for clients, and was a business analyst for RBC Centura Bank. 

Rick has Bachelor of Science degrees in physics and computer science, a Master of Science in electrical engineering specializing in photonics, an MBA in finance and accounting, and a Master of Science in entrepreneurship in applied technologies. He also has graduate coursework in economics, chemical engineering, and law. Rick received his CLP and RTTP certifications in 2014, and he is a member of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) and Licensing Executives Society (LES). Rick also completed the certification in venture capital financing from the UC Berkeley School of Law-VC University.

Jack is a founder and Managing Director of Pantek Partners, Pantek is a boutique investment banking firm focused on the hard science sectors with deep networks in the North American, European and Asian technology centers. Strong expertise in advanced materials, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, batteries, alternative energy platforms, computer vision systems and biotechnology. Our mission is to provide our clients with unique insight and access to strategic investment, M&A and business development channels globally coupled with seasoned execution capabilities. Founded in 2007, Pantek has advised over a 300+ clients with regards to their global capital raising, strategic business development and M&A initiatives.

Dustin Greenwood is a senior operations executive with extensive experience spanning the full nuclear lifecycle-from design, construction, and operations through deactivation, decommissioning, and final environmental remediation. His background includes leadership roles across complex nuclear and industrial programs, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of the technical, regulatory, and operational demands associated with each phase of the lifecycle. He is recognized for delivering results in highly regulated environments where safety, quality, and performance are mission-critical.
Throughout his career, Mr. Greenwood has demonstrated deep capability in executing large-scale programs involving nuclear materials management, waste handling, facility operations, and end-state transition. His experience integrates key lifecycle functions including infrastructure development, system operations, long-term stewardship. He brings a disciplined approach to project execution, and risk management, to deliver on cost and schedule.
In his current role, Mr. Greenwood is responsible for building and leading a North American organization positioned to execute and deliver nuclear fuel and power production. He focuses on establishing operational capabilities, developing high-performing teams, and creating scalable systems to support long-term program delivery. His leadership approach emphasizes collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement, ensuring that organizations he builds are structured to meet evolving mission requirements while maintaining operational excellence.

Dr. Schwantes is a Professor in the Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering at Penn State University working in areas related to aqueous environmental radiochemistry, super-heavy element chemistry and physics, astrophysical nucleosynthesis, science-based stockpile stewardship, nuclear material science and nuclear forensics. Before joining Penn State faculty in 2022, Dr. Schwantes worked as a Senior Research Scientist for the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. He has authored or coauthored 122 publications (79 peer reviewed), was part of the confirmatory team for the discovery of element 111 (subsequently named Roentgenium) and lead a team of researchers in 2009 that identified the oldest known reactor-produced plutonium in the world. Dr. Schwantes currently serves as a Co-Chair of the Exercise Task Group for the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG) and is the Lead Subject Matter Expert for the development of an International Training Course on Nuclear Forensic Methodologies for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Commission's Jointe Research Centre (JRC) and the US National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA). He is a past member of the Washington State Academy of Science (2021-2023), was part of two separate Department of Energy response teams during the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear station and recently led the forensic examination following the radioactive contamination resulting from a breach of a 3,000 Ci sealed source during recovery operations on May 2nd, 2019, at the University of Washington Harborview Medical Facility. In 2014, Dr. Schwantes was appointed by the Secretary of Energy to serve as a member of the Technical Assessment Team (TAT), a five-person team charged with investigating a major contamination event at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) that occurred on February 14 of that year. The 40+ scientists he led at PNNL were responsible for bench-scale compatibility testing and ultra-trace analyses of reaction residues collected at the event site. Their efforts identified the underlying reactions responsible for the contamination event, for which nine of his team members and himself were awarded in 2015 the U.S. Department of Energy's highest non-monetary honor, the Secretary's Achievement Award.

Brad Sileo is a technology executive, entrepreneur, angel investor, and operator who helps B2B companies build repeatable enterprise growth. As an owner of iFactor, an enterprise software company, he led go-to-market strategy and revenue operations through the company's sale to KUBRA. He has also invested in a range of startups across the region and served as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Carnegie Mellon University. His experience spans bringing new products to market, enterprise sales, revenue operations, company building, and hands-on business ownership. He now works with founder-led technology companies as a consultant and fractional chief revenue officer.

Brad lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, a fellow Penn State graduate. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, spending time with his two sons, skiing, and teaching scuba diving.

Andria is a data privacy and cyber security attorney who helps clients optimize efficiencies and deploy data-driven tools including artificial intelligence (AI), while ensuring compliance with federal and state data privacy and security laws. She provides strategic counsel on regulatory frameworks such as EU/UK General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR), U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and various comprehensive U.S. state privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA), among others. Furthermore, Andria has experience handling data security incident responses, from business email compromise to insider threats to complicated ransomware. In her daily work, she conducts risk assessments, provides pre-breach and post breach counseling, advises on state law data security breach notification rules, leads data privacy and cyber security trainings, including tabletop exercises, and advises clients during government agency investigations.

In addition, Andria uses her years of experience in the healthcare industry to provide holistic guidance in privacy and security issues. For instance, Andria has been seconded to a long-term care company with facilities in 43 states where she serves as privacy officer for the entire organization. Andria also represents a professional sports team, educational institutions, cannabis companies, software companies, post-acute care conglomerates, international retail stores, national security alarm and surveillance companies, and investment and wealth management firms. She is a Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. 

A Jurist from the Netherlands, Andria obtained her Dutch Law Degree from Utrecht University and continued her legal studies in the United States. While enrolled at University at Buffalo Law School, she served as an extern in the United States Western District Court for the Honorable Lawrence J. Vilardo and worked for the Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence.

Andria currently serves as the co-chair of New York State Bar Association's Healthcare Section's E-Health and Information Systems Committee and as the Vice Chair of American Health Law Association's Health Information and Technology Practice Group. 

Andria has been recognized among Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America® in Healthcare Law since 2026. 

Experienced early-stage company investor with a demonstrated history of serving on portfolio company boards. With a JD from George Washington University and eight years practicing Intellectual Property law, Sreekar specializes in IP strategy and common sense governance for portfolio companies.

Ms. Singer Keating is chief executive officer at Reclamere, Inc. She has a broadly diversified background with over 23 years of experience specializing in computer forensics, data destruction, security incident response, information technology risk management, and systems auditing. 

Ms. Keating serves as Chairperson on the Board of Directors of the Ben Franklin Technology Partnership, Board Secretary for Family Services of Blair County, and is a member of the Altoona Rotary Club. She is a former adjunct faculty member of the Pennsylvania Bar Institue, and Past President of both i-SIGMA and NAID. Currently she serves on the Certification Committee. Ms. Keating earned a degree in Electrial Engineering Technology from The Pennsylvania State University. 

For fun, Angie enjoys all things IT, trail riding, and walking her dogs. She is proud mother of the US Amy Captian Sam Keating, who is with the 82nd Airbone in North Carolina. She and husband John live in Hollidaysburg and were married last October. 

Elizabeth (Liz) Hodgson is the Vice Chair of the firm's Emerging Companies and Venture Capital Group and represents companies and their founders and investors in every stage of a company's lifecycle from formation to exit. Liz works closely with clients to help them start, grow, invest in, purchase and sell businesses and advises on day to day matters to help align their business objectives with their legal needs. Her experience includes: choice of entity; corporate governance; corporate finance; private equity and venture capital transactions; securities offerings; commercial contract preparation and review; intellectual property protection, licensing, and commercialization; mergers and acquisitions; restrictions on foreign investment and acquisition of U.S. companies and the review process conducted by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS); and day-to-day general corporate matters.

Liz has vast experience working with companies and closely held businesses in the life sciences, biotechnology, technology, health care, software and information technology sectors, and is particularly passionate about working with female founders, investors, executives and entrepreneurs. She combines her legal skills and own entrepreneurial spirit to identify with and deliver for her clients.

Liz received a B.A. in English with a minor in Spanish from The Pennsylvania State University. She received a J.D. from The Pennsylvania State University, The Dickinson School of Law. While in law school, she was a member of The Woolsack Society and was Editor-in-Chief of the Penn State Law Review.

Gus Marquez is the founder & CEO of Stalagmite, a Colorado-based mining startup turning mine wastewaters into sources of critical minerals. Stalagmite started when the National Lab of the Rockies' (formerly NREL) Chevron Studio program connected Gus to Penn State professors Dr. Sarma Pisupati and Dr. Mohammed Rezaee and their critical mineral technology. Gus is a licensed mining engineer, with experience across Chile, Canada, and as Chief Engineer of an Arizonan copper mine. He then earned an MS in Environment & Resources & an MBA from Stanford University, before becoming an Activate Fellow. Stalagmite is also supported by NLR's West Gate Fellowship.

George (PJ) Perry is President and Founder of boisei labs, a 'tech for good' venture studio based in State College, PA. boisei labs serially builds its own startups, targeting systemic environmental and social challenges through market-driven economics. boisei also invests in ethos-aligned, external, early-stage startups, with the active startup building experience benefitting investment portfolio companies and vice versa.

George is also a Professor of Anthropology and Biology and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State University. Prior to joining the Penn State faculty he earned his PhD in Anthropology at Arizona State University and conducted postdoctoral research in Human Genetics at the University of Chicago. Before pursuing his PhD he was a Technology Process Management Consultant with Accenture.

Bin Yan is the associate vice president for research and director of the Office of Technology Management (OTM). Prior to Penn State Yan was the director of the Office of Technology Transfer at the University of Miami. During her tenure, the University of Miami generated record levels of licensing revenue and was recently ranked as one of the top performers in the country by Heartland Forward on the effectiveness of technology transfer based on research expenditures.

Yan is a tech transfer veteran who has spent the past 24 years working with innovators, investors, industry partners and other stakeholders to advance the commercialization of university research at the University of Miami, University of Florida, and University of Saskatchewan, Canada. Her work experience also includes serving as the associate vice president for licensing and legal counsel at a publicly traded biotechnology company.

She earned her doctorate in molecular biology from the University of Florida and her Juris Doctor from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.

Mr. Jablokov is a leading architect of governed artificial intelligence systems that deliver verifiable knowledge and operational efficiency. His work focuses on dual-use infrastructure that meets accountability requirements in commercial enterprises and national security organizations. These systems are designed to function across classified and unclassified platforms, ensuring data control, governance, and traceability.

Mr. Jablokov is a leader in the investment, national security, and technology communities, with a sustained emphasis on making safety and governance a first-order AI design principle. His career spans three decades across critical manufacturing, defense, energy, healthcare, and intelligence. His experience reflects a consistent focus on building systems that must perform in high-consequence environments. Mr. Jablokov completed the Eisenhower and Truman National Security fellowships, concentrating on the role of entrepreneurship and venture capital in national security and geopolitical competition. He recognized early that advances in model capability have outpaced institutions' ability to verify outputs and apply them with confidence. He is building the next layer of artificial intelligence, establishing the control framework that governs how systems are validated and deployed. While much of the field still prioritizes model performance, Mr. Jablokov moves organizations from fragmented, unverifiable data environments to governed knowledge architectures that deliver sovereign-grade AI infrastructure, operating systems, and applications.

Building Reliable Knowledge Architecture
Mr. Jablokov designs knowledge architecture that governs how information is structured, validated, and used in decision-making environments ranging from military planning to corporate settings. He defines the central challenge as "knowledge friction," the disconnect between buried, high-value content and the ability to act on it. He addresses this gap by applying a system-level approach to the information lifecycle, how content is ingested, retrieved, and translated. This approach establishes clear lineage from source to output, allowing decision-makers to understand conclusions before acting on them. In doing so, Mr. Jablokov positions artificial intelligence as a decision advantage rather than a tool that produces unverified answers. This work addresses a core limitation in the current AI landscape, in which systems generate plausible responses but lack validation and consistency. This architecture operates within an organization's core environment as a full-stack knowledge system. As a result, artificial intelligence shifts from a technical enhancement to a foundational infrastructure for institutions that depend on verifiable information at scale.

Building Human-Centered Systems
Mr. Jablokov develops artificial intelligence systems to operate under human control, with authority expanding only as performance is demonstrated over time. These systems augment human capability, enhancing the best parts of human reasoning without replacing human judgment. These controls preserve accountability with the individuals responsible for decisions. This progression reflects a broader principle; trust in artificial intelligence is not assumed through capability but established through governed performance that institutions can defend. Mr. Jablokov evaluates trusted systems against four interdependent requirements: accuracy, scale, security, and speed. These criteria determine whether performance can function reliably. Systems that fail to meet these conditions may perform in isolation but cannot be deployed at scale in environments where outcomes must be safeguarded.

Career Progression
Throughout his career, Mr. Jablokov has built artificial intelligence to solve real-world problems, turning knowledge into something that can be used in real decisions. After completing a BS in Computer Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University (PSU), he began as a research engineer at IBM Microelectronics. He worked on early systems requiring integration across hardware, networks, and software. This experience shaped his understanding that technical capability alone is insufficient if systems are not designed for human interaction. He later founded Yap, a speech-recognition company acquired by Amazon, that became foundational to early voice-interaction systems such as Alexa and Echo. At Pryon, his focus shifted from enabling interaction to structuring knowledge, marking a shift from interface design to operational infrastructure. Pryon's core platform functions as a knowledge backbone for enterprise AI, ensuring decisions are grounded in trusted internal data rather than unsupported outputs. Most recently, Pryon raised almost $200 million, led by JD Vance's Rise of the Rest Fund, specifically to serve both commercial and public-sector missions.
Mr. Jablokov also contributes to broader innovation ecosystems across universities, entrepreneurs, and emerging technologists. For that, he was honored by the Pennsylvania State University College of Engineering as an Outstanding Engineering Alumnus and recognized by the University of North Carolina Charlotte (UNCC), where he earned an MBA, with the Distinguished Alumni Award for his revolutionary leadership and impact in the field of AI. He served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence with the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network North Carolina, linking experienced founders with research universities. He also founded a local chapter of the Global Shapers initiative, a World Economic Forum program focused on developing emerging civic and technology leaders. He also serves on the North Carolina AI Leadership Council to guide and advise the Governor and state agencies on artificial intelligence strategy, policy, and training. Furthermore, Mr. Jablokov was recently appointed to the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies Board of Regents. These efforts extend his work beyond system design to the broader challenge of making knowledge accessible to the people who rely on it.

Katie Teuber is Senior Director of Startup Engagement at LIFT Labs, Comcast NBCUniversal's startup engagement and innovation platform. She works at the intersection of emerging technology and enterprise adoption, connecting high-growth startups with the business leaders, operators, and decision-makers who can turn promising technology into meaningful commercial partnerships.

Over more than a decade at Comcast, Katie has built experience across business development, strategy, and commercial negotiation, with a particular focus on evaluating and scaling emerging technologies within a complex enterprise. Her work spans the full startup engagement lifecycle, from identifying and evaluating companies through piloting, contracting, governance, and broader enterprise adoption, with significant experience in AI and its application across the business.

Katie holds a degree in Economics and Finance from Ursinus College, where she was a student-athlete on the softball team, and an MBA from Saint Joseph's University.