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We have assembled a diverse group of business leaders, each who has extensive experience in working with leading, early stage growth companies and providing feedback, mentorship and resources that have led to success.
This esteemed group of business leaders will select the winner of the Minnesota Cup after reviewing the many plans we receive and listening to the five finalists present their ideas.
Minnesota Cup l Clean & Green
- Dave Cleveland – Co-founder, Riverside Bank
- Todd Taylor – Renewable Energy Attorney, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
- Ken Stabler – Manager, Economic Development, Xcel Energy
- Wade Fauth – Director of Grants, Blandin Foundation
- Sandy Layman - Commissioner, Iron Range Resources
- Doug Cameron - Managing Director & Chief Science Advisor, Piper Jaffray
- James Schmidt – Chair of Renewable Energy Committee and Partner, Eide Bailly LLP
- Dan Lieberman - Co-owner, Lieberman Companies Inc.
- Todd Leonard - CorVal Group, Inc., Head of Business Development
- Kris Sundberg - Founder, The Links Group
Minnesota Cup l BioSciences
- Dan Mallin – Co-founder, Minnesota Cup & Managing Director, Magnet 360
- Dale Wahlstrom – CEO, The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota
- Mike Moore – Director, William C. Norris Institute
- Shawn McIntee – Partner, Maslon
- Stephen Parente - Associate Professor, Department of Finance, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota
- Beth Leonard – Partner, Lurie Besikof Lapidus & Company, LLP
- Jay Schrankler – Executive Director, Office for Technology Commercialization, University of Minnesota
- Tim Laske – Senior Product Development Director, Ph.D., Medtronic, Inc.
- Steve VanNurden – Chair, Office of Intellectual Property for Mayo Clinic Health Solutions
Minnesota Cup l Social Entrepreneur
- Judy Alnes – Executive Director. MAP for Nonprofits
- Kate Barr – Executive Director, Nonprofits Assistance Fund
- Terri Barrerio – Director, Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship, St. John’s University
- Trista Harris – Executive Director, Headwaters Foundation for Social Justice
- Sean Kershaw – President, Citizens League
- Melissa Middleton Stone - Director, Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center, Humphrey Institute
- Greg Tehven - Co-Director, Students Today Leaders Forever
- Jeff Tollefson - Executive Director, Genesys Works
Minnesota Cup l High Tech
- Scott Litman – Co-founder, Minnesota Cup & Managing Director, Magnet 360
- Marti Nyman – Managing Partner, Altavail Partners
- Doug Ramler – Principal Co-Chair Entrepreneurial Services Group, Gray Plant Mooty Law Firm
- Mark Usem - Principal/Portfolio Mgr., Usem Bergstrand Capital Management, LLC
- Joy Lindsay – President and Co-Founder StarTec Investments, LLC
- Sam Richter – Chief Executive of SBR Worldwide and SVP/Chief Marketing Officer at ActiFi
- Sima Griffith – Founder, Aethlon Capital
- Michael Gorman – Managing Director, Split Rock Partners
- Joel Lebewitz – Partner, Lurie Besikof Lapidus & Company, LLP
Minnesota Cup l General
- Brad Lehrman – Managing General Partner, Portage Equity Investments II, LP and Partner, law firm of Lommen Abdo PA.
- Fred Haberman – President, Haberman & Associates
- Thom Sandberg – Founder The Kenyon Consortium
- Jay Novak – Editor / Publisher, Twin Cities Business
- Art Fry – 3M Corporate Scientist (Retired ), Inventor of Post-It Notes
- Brian Turner – Cities 97 Radio Personality
- Jeffrey Robbins - Partner, Entrepreneurial Services Practice Group, Messerli & Kramer
- Jessica Zeaske – Vice President, Research and Development – Lemhi Ventures, Inc.
Minnesota Cup l Student
- John Stavig – Director, Gary S. Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship, Carlson School of Management
- Jeremy Lenz – Vice President of Operations, BioBusiness Alliance
Minnesota Cup l Grand Prize Review Board
- Dave Cleveland – Co-founder, Riverside Bank
- Leslie Frecon – CEO, LFE Capital
- Art Fry – 3M Corporate Scientist (Retired ), Inventor of Post-It Notes
- Skip Gage – Chairman and CEO, Gage Marketing Group
- Morris Goodwin – Chief Administrative Director, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
- Michael Gorman – Managing Director, Split Rock Partners
- Sima Griffith – Founder, Aethlon Capital
- Gary Holmes – President and Owner of CSM Corporation
- Joel Lebewitz – Partner, Lurie Besikof Lapidus & Company, LLP
- Joy Lindsay – President and Co-Founder StarTec Investments, LLC
- Scott Litman – Co-founder, Minnesota Cup & Managing Director, Magnet 360
- Dan Mallin – Co-founder, Minnesota Cup & Managing Director, Magnet 360
- Dan McElroy – Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
- Shawn McIntee – Partner, Maslon
- Mike Moore – Director, William C. Norris Institute.
- Thom Sandberg – Founder The Kenyon Consortium
- Ken Stabler – Manager, Economic Development, Xcel Energy
- Todd Taylor – Lead shareholder, Fredrikson & Byron’s Renewable Energy Practice Area
- Doug Ramler – Principal Co-Chair Entrepreneurial Services Group, Gray Plant Mooty Law Firm
- Jeffrey Robbins - Partner, Entrepreneurial Services Practice Group, Messerli & Kramer
- Brad Lehrman – Managing General Partner, Portage Equity Investments II, LP and Partner, law firm of Lommen Abdo PA.
- John Stavig – Director, Gary S. Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship, Carlson School of Management
- Kate Barr – Executive Director, Nonprofits Assistance Fund
- Jeff Tollefson - Executive Director, Genesys Works
- Dale Wahlstrom – CEO, The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota
- Jessica Zeaske – Vice President, Research and Development – Lemhi Ventures, Inc.
