Christa Markgraff is the general manager of datacenter operations for Microsoft’s U.S. Central Region, where she is responsible for delivering safe, available and physically secure datacenter services to Microsoft’s customer base.

Prior to Microsoft, Christa served as vice president of operations for one of the nation’s largest energy companies, overseeing supply, transmission, and system operations, while delivering reliable and sustainable energy to a multi-state footprint. Throughout her 30+ years in energy distribution, Christa held positions in operations, construction, engineering, financial analysis, technical compliance and customer development.

Christa is a founding member and served as the third president of the Women’s Energy Network (WEN), Chicago Chapter. Christa also served as the board chair of Children’s Advocates for Change (CAFC), which is an independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization that champions strong public policies, investments in and access to healthcare, education, and basic safety for all children.

In 2019, Christa was named to the HERoes Women Role Model 100 Women Executives List. This annual list celebrates 100 women from around the globe who are leading by example and driving impact into the workplace. In 2022, Christa received the Midwest Energy Association’s Maverick award.

Christa has a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Valparaiso University, and a master’s degree in business from the University of Notre Dame.

Jennifer is the managing partner of Milwaukee-based venture capital firm VC 414. The vision of the firm is to invest from the center of America into frontline industries and workers.

Kate is GP of The W Fund, a VC investing in women tech founders, and CEO of SWITCH, coaching women founders & training women angels. She's spoken at or been featured 100s of times, including SXSW, Collision, Fast Co, Microsoft, IBM, MSNBC, and BBC. 

Dr. Paul Campbell is a venture capitalist and serial entrepreneur, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Brown Venture Group. He also co-founded Federal Mashup Lab, helping founders commercialize federal technology and turn tech into funded startups.

In his role as Chief Technology & Strategy Officer for the Milwaukee Bucks, Robert is responsible for all technology infrastructure, information systems and operations technology enabling the Milwaukee Bucks front office, business office and arena office.

Strategically Robert is responsible for business innovation and continuous improvement at the Bucks through the use of technology. Robert has gained business experience through a career in aerospace (Northrop Grumman), manufacturing (Sara Lee), telecommunications (Lumen), and technology sales (AT&T). Robert see sports as an industry with the ultimate mix of both qualitative and quantitative paradigms that shall benefit greatly from our current AI boom.

One of Robert’s favorite quote is from IBM’s Louis Gerstner: “Strategy is a commodity, Execution is an art form”. His advice to the younger generation is “it is far more important to like what you do than to do what you like”. Robert embraces stoicism always reminding himself and his team that “the obstacle is the path”.

Robert was named CIO of the Year in 2019 by the Milwaukee Business Journal for his work at the Bucks and in the community.

Robert was born and raised on the east side of Los Angeles. He graduated from Yale College with a degree in Electrical Engineering where he was a member of the rowing team. Robert has been married 33 years to a New Yorker he met in a college chemistry class. They have three grown children that true to form, live all over America (L.A., San Francisco and NYC) but enjoy coming home often for Bucks games and Old Fashioneds.

Elaine Coughlin is a startup ecosystem leader dedicated to supporting startups as they grow companies in the state of Wisconsin. Based in Eau Claire, WI, she focuses on building bridges across regions, organizations, and institutions to strengthen startup corridors and shared opportunity. Her work centers on creating connected ecosystems that enable long‑term, sustainable innovation.

Billy Daniels is the Director of Product at Wearlinq, where he helps shape the future of cardiac monitoring. Over 17 years in health tech, he has shipped conversational AI to some of the world's largest payers across 12 countries, led patient experience at Exact Sciences for Cologuard (a $2.1B at-home cancer screening test), and scaled products to tens of millions of users. He lives in Madison, WI.

Tim Dickson serves as Chief Digital and Information Officer at Regal Rexnord, responsible for leading the company’s global digital and information technology organization. Since joining in October 2023, Tim has focused on advancing enterprise-wide digital transformation, strengthening core technology capabilities, and enabling data- and AI-driven decision-making to support growth and customer experience excellence.

Tim previously served as the first Chief Information Officer at Generac Power Systems and held senior leadership roles at Motorola Solutions and Dell Technologies. Across his career, he has led large-scale digital modernization efforts, M&A integrations, emerging technology programs, and customer-centric experience transformations.

A strong advocate for digital talent development and AI-led innovation, Tim is committed to building high-performing teams and positioning Wisconsin as a leading technology hub. He actively mentors leaders, shares best practices in emerging technologies, and supports community-focused initiatives.

Thomas is an award-winning Manager at Platform94, a leading centre of excellence for scaling businesses in the west of Ireland. He plays a key role in delivering the operational excellence that enables businesses to scale and expand internationally.

Dale Hawkins is Senior Manager of Information Systems at Subaru of Indiana Automotive, where he helps lead digital transformation across a complex manufacturing environment. With more than 25 years of experience in manufacturing IT, he has worked across enterprise systems, infrastructure, cybersecurity, analytics, and smart factory initiatives. Dale focuses on turning connected technologies and operational data into measurable gains in efficiency, quality, and resilience.

Derek Hyde, Senior Vice President of Information Technology for the Milwaukee Brewers, leads the organization’s enterprise technology strategy, cybersecurity, digital transformation, and emerging AI initiatives. Since joining the Club in 2018, he has led the technology modernization of American Family Field and the infrastructure buildout of the Brewers’ Spring Training facility and Dominican Academy.

Prior to joining the Brewers, Hyde was Chief Technology Officer at TrustedChoice.com, a digital insurance marketplace for independent agents. He began his career as an analyst for the prestigious National Academy of Sciences and later served as Vice President of Enterprise Technologies at Paine Communications.

Hyde serves on the advisory board for i.c.stars and is a member of United Way’s Technology United, supporting community impact through technology initiatives. He also serves on the Wisconsin CIO Advisory Board where he received the Wisconsin CIO of the Year ORBIE Award in 2023.

Delaney is a coach, entrepreneur, and changemaker with 15+ years across startups, founders, and communities. Rooted in human-centered design and deep resilience, she helps people, ideas, and places turn potential into lasting, real-world impact.

Todd Kelly is Chief Technology Officer at STEP CG, where he helps organizations securely adopt advanced networking, 4G/5G, IoT, and cybersecurity solutions. With experience spanning startups, IPO-stage firms, and Fortune 500 companies, he excels at collaborating with customers and cross-functional teams to reduce cyber risk while driving measurable business outcomes. Todd is especially passionate about developing technology leaders and guiding customers through complex transformations, which aligns with STEP CG’s engineering-led focus on networking, security, and managed services across the U.S.

Brian Kohlmann is Director of AI and Emerging Technology at Bader Rutter, where he leads the agency's AI, MarTech, and digital transformation practice. With over 25 years in the industry, he's built a reputation as a marketing technologist who closes the gap between what AI and technology promises and what organizations can actually execute. His work focuses on making AI approachable and actionable, helping teams move from pilot to production, build the right infrastructure, and lead with confidence in a landscape that isn't slowing down.

Anthony (CEO; co-founder) has a product-led growth mindset who drives vision, strategy, sales, and partnerships with cloud, AI, university, government, policy, and economic leaders around the world.

LinkedIn (Devii): https://www.linkedin.com/company/devii/ 
LinkedIn (Anthony): https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-molzahn/ 

Devii is a developer-first platform that generates enterprise-grade, production-ready GraphQL APIs and security policies from any SQL database in one click.

Hafeezah Muhammad, Founder & CEO of Backpack Healthcare is an extraordinary
mompreneur, passionate about leveraging technology to address critical societal issues. With an extensive background in leadership and a profound understanding of the transformative power of A.I. and technology, she embarked on a mission to revolutionize mental health support for children.

Dhinuka Perera is a Partner at OH.io, where he leads ecosystem strategy across community, events, network development, and brand. His work focuses on building interconnected opportunities that bring founders, operators, investors, and strategic partners together to create compounding value for businesses and the broader innovation ecosystem.

Don Rogers leads Slalom’s Global Manufacturing practice, bringing over 35 years of experience in technology, consulting, and executive leadership. He helps manufacturers drive measurable improvements in operational efficiency, product quality, and cost optimization through digital transformation. 

Don’s expertise spans data, AI, IoT/OT convergence, and customer experience, enabling organizations to modernize operations and unlock new value. He has worked across a broad range of industries, including automotive, aerospace & defense, industrials, and consumer products, partnering with clients to deliver end-to-end transformation.

Ed Walton joined STEP in 2019 as Chief Executive Officer, bringing more than 30 years of industry leadership and a track record of building high-performing teams, customer-focused organizations. Known for his energy, innovative vision, relationship-driven approach, and commitment to cultivating winning cultures, Ed continues to guide STEP’s growth and strategic direction.

Before STEP, Ed served as Vice President of Sales and Channel at Cradlepoint and held multiple senior executive roles at Avaya, including Global Strategic Accounts Leader, Vertical Strategy Leader for Networking Solutions, and U.S. Sales Leader for Government, Education, and Medical markets. His career also includes executive sales positions with Nortel, Bay Networks, Intelliseek, Quantum Bridge, and Wellfleet Communications.

Ed was a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021.

Ed holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

He resides in Montgomery, Ohio with his wife and their three sons.

Partner at BlueTree VC. I specialize in venture capital and technology commercialization, focusing on AI, sustainable energy, digital health, and the future of work. I bridge the gap between strategic investment and hands-on operational scaling

Kasra is a Partner at Pathlight Ventures focused on leading early-stage investments in regulated markets. Kasra was previously an Investor Human Capital, where he invested in companies like Anduril, Commure, Applied Intuition, and Transcarent.

Karen Kerr is the founder and General Partner of Exposition Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund focused on industrial and deep technology.  Karen was previously an Executive MD at GE Ventures.  She holds a PhD in physical chemistry.  

Laura Strong is founder and CEO of Valency Fund. She focuses on growth-stage capital deployment in scalable Wisconsin-based agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and technology businesses.

Taylor Williams is a VC investor at Cleveland Avenue, investing across ClimateTech, Food & Beverage, Beauty, and Digital Health. She brings experience from a16z, Muller & Monroe, and Atomic, with a Corporate Finance foundation from JPMorgan and Ford.

Pamela York, PhD is an investor and entrepreneur with extensive successes. She's founder and managing partner of Capita3 VC, investing in health frontier tech. Pam co-founded 2 VC-backed cos. with successful exits, and is featured on TED and NPR.