Welcome & Opening Remarks

From AI and advanced manufacturing to energy, healthcare, finance, and logistics, today’s defining innovations are emerging where industries intersect. Marquette University welcomes the Venture North community to a day dedicated to the conversations, partnerships, and relationships that help transform new ideas into lasting economic impact.

Andrew DeGuire

Keyes Dean of Business Administration at Marquette University College of Business Administration

Grady Buchanan

Managing Director at NVNG Investment Advisors

Building the Physical AI Economy: Where Intelligence Meets Industry

Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving beyond software, and it will be deployed across factories, fleets, warehouses, job sites, and critical infrastructure that powers the global economy. Leaders from Ironspring Ventures, Kajima Corporation, Caterpillar Ventures, and Dynamo Ventures will explore how Physical AI is reshaping industrial operations, accelerating automation, and creating new opportunities for startups and established manufacturers alike. From venture investment to corporate adoption, this session dives deeper into what it takes to transform intelligent technologies into scalable solutions for real industries.

Ty Findley

Co-Founder & General Partner of Ironspring Ventures

Mike Mahan

Director at Caterpillar Ventures

Aki Manda

Technology Development Manager at Kajima Corporation

Madelyn O’Farrell

Principal at Dynamo Ventures

The Fintech Evolution and the Next Wave of Financial Infrastructure

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how financial services are built, delivered, and scaled. Join leaders from Restive Ventures, Deciens Capital, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, and FinStrat Management for a conversation on how AI is transforming financial infrastructure, accelerating startup growth, and changing the way corporations identify, adopt, and invest in innovation. From enterprise adoption and regulation to venture investing and the future of trust, this session explores what comes next for the systems powering the global economy.

Mike Sias

Vice President of Corporate Development and Venture at Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures

Ty Griffin

Managing Partner at Restive Ventures

Ishan Sachdev

General Partner at Deciens Capital

Kristian Marquez

Founder & CEO of FinStrat Management, Inc.

Beyond the Grid: Energy, Power, & Infrastructure as Venture Platforms

Reliable energy has become one of the defining competitive advantages of the modern economy. As artificial intelligence, electrification, advanced manufacturing, and critical infrastructure drive unprecedented demand for power – utilities, startups, and investors are working together in entirely new ways. Titanium Ventures, WEC Energy Group, AILIT Rail, and Energize Ventures will explore how innovation, venture capital, and industrial partnerships are modernizing the grid, accelerating electrification, and building the resilient infrastructure needed to power the next generation of economic growth. From venture investment to real-world deployment, this session examines why energy infrastructure has become one of today’s most dynamic areas of innovation.

Elizabeth Ehrke

Manager Operational Excellence at WEC Energy Group, P.E.

Ana Hugener

Principal at Energize Capital

Abhinav Jain

Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Titanium Innovation Investments

Christian Lind

CEO & Co-Founder of Ailit

Logistics in Flux: Building the Next Global Backbone

Global supply chains are being redefined by artificial intelligence, real-time data, and an increasingly unpredictable world. As market volatility, geopolitical shifts, and evolving customer expectations reshape logistics, corporations are rethinking how they move goods, evaluate technology, and build more resilient operations. Hear from Autotech Ventures, GoodShip, KBX Logistics, and GenLogs in a conversation on how startups, enterprise leaders, and investors are creating smarter, more connected supply chains through AI, freight visibility, and next-generation logistics technology. Discover why the future of logistics is no longer just about moving freight, it’s about making better decisions across the entire supply chain.

Burak Cendek

Managing Director at Autotech Ventures

Jamie Hess

VP Operations Engineering & Digital Portfolio at KBX Logistics

Autumn Siudzinski

Enterprise Customer Success Director at GenLogs

Ryan Soskin

Co-Founder and CEO of GoodShip

The New Consumer Economy: How the Next Generation Shops, Scrolls, and Spends

Consumer behavior is evolving at an unprecedented pace as artificial intelligence, digital media, and changing cultural trends reshape how people discover brands, make purchasing decisions, and engage with companies. Leaders from The Starting Line, Listen Ventures, Mercurius Media Capital, and Marquee Ventures will explore the forces redefining the modern consumer; from AI-powered discovery and personalized marketing to creator economies, generational shifts, and the future of retail. Discover how changing consumer expectations are creating new opportunities for founders, investors, and corporations alike.

Ezra Galston

Managing Partner at Starting Line

Erik Hammer

Managing Partner at Marquee Ventures

Sophia Huard

CEO & Co-Founder of Ghost Social

Ellen Wilcox

Partner & Head of Listening at Listen Ventures

Sustainability at Scale: Climate Innovation That Works in the Real Economy

Sustainability is no longer just an environmental goal, it’s becoming a competitive advantage. The next generation of climate innovation will be built where sustainability and business performance intersect. Convergent Ventures, Amber Industrials, Black & Veatch, and GigaClimate will discuss how emerging technologies are reshaping manufacturing, infrastructure, chemicals, and energy. This session will examine what it takes to build climate solutions that create real economic value and what it takes to move those innovations from breakthrough ideas to widespread commercial adoption.

Julia Davourie

Co-Founder & General Partner at Convergent Ventures

Leon Downing

Director of Research & Innovation, Water Solutions at Black & Veatch

Kalle Marsal

Partner at GigaClimate

Jordan Swisher, PhD

Chief Science Officer at Amber Industrials

Keynote: Unlocking the Future of Human Data: The Future of Technology Starts Under the Surface

The next generation of artificial intelligence won’t simply rely on better software, it will depend on richer, real-world data captured directly from the human body. Rich Yang, CEO of Biolinq, will be joining us for our keynote exploring how wearable biosensing, metabolic health, and next-generation medical technology are transforming healthcare while creating entirely new opportunities at the intersection of AI, hardware, and personalized data. Following his presentation, Rich will be joined by Tristan Hunt, Partner at Averin Capital and one of Biolinq’s early investors, for a fireside conversation on building a category-defining company, navigating regulated healthcare innovation, and why the future of technology may begin beneath the surface of the skin.

Rich Yang

CEO at Biolinq

Tristan Hunt

Partner at Averin

The Innovation Wishlist: Inside the Priorities of Wisconsin’s Leading Companies

What are leading corporations trying to solve, what technologies are they looking for, and how can the innovation ecosystem work with them? Giving the venture community a rapid-fire look inside several major Wisconsin organizations, hear perspectives from leaders across some of Wisconsin’s most influential companies as they share the technologies they’re exploring, challenges they’re trying to solve, and emerging capabilities shaping their industries. From AI and automation to workforce, operations, customer experience, and beyond, The Innovation Wishlist gives founders and investors a rare look inside corporate priorities and where opportunities exist to build, partner, pilot, and invest together.

Robert Cordova

CTO at Milwaukee Bucks

Robbie Oldenburg

Director of Business Development – Science & Tech at Findorff

Zach Richman

Senior Vice President Product Marketing at Milwaukee Tool

Dan Scalia

Chief Investment Officer at Johnsonville Holdings, Inc.

Sachin Shivaram

CEO at Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry

Yollande Tchouapi

Regional Vice President , Buildings Solutions North America at Johnson Controls

From Venture to Enterprise: Technologies Built for the Real World

What does it take for emerging technology to move from a venture-backed idea to something corporations can actually deploy? This session brings together investors and the founders they’ve backed for a series of quick-hitting case studies exploring the real-world problems driving the next generation of enterprise innovation. Hear how startups are solving challenges across industries, why investors believe these technologies can scale, and what corporate leaders should know as they evaluate, pilot, and adopt emerging solutions.

Jenna Abelli

Principal at Anzu Partners

Devin Bhushan

Founder & CEO of Squint

Gabriel Kalejaiye

Founder & CEO of Openlayer

Peter Ladwig

VP, Technology & Engineering at Niron Magnetics

Matt McLaughlin

Senior Operating Partner at Race Capital

Jennifer Miller

Sr. Director, Corporate Development at Oshkosh Corporation

Matt Wyman

CEO & Co-Founder of Okareo

Reshaping America’s Talent Engine: AI, Automation, & the Workforce of the Future

The future of work will be shaped by more than artificial intelligence. It will be defined by how effectively we prepare people to build, adapt, and thrive alongside rapidly evolving technologies. With leaders from Waukesha County Technical College’s Applied AI Lab, Manpower, ARTT, and Conduit – we’ll dive into a conversation on how education, industry, and entrepreneurship are reimagining workforce development for the AI era. From technical training and lifelong upskilling to skilled trades and advanced manufacturing, this session explores how the next generation of talent will power the future economy.

Sarah Buszka

Executive Director, Applied AI Lab at Waukesha County Technical College

Darrell Hunt

VP – North American Analytics at ManpowerGroup

Jacob Martin

CEO at ARTT

Daniel Pereira

CEO at Conduit

Generations of Growth: Family Businesses Investing in What’s Next

Family-owned businesses have long been the backbone of the Midwest economy. Family capital is now playing an increasingly important role in venture investing, but not all families invest for the same reasons. Many of those same families are becoming influential investors in emerging technologies and the next generation of entrepreneurs. Join leaders from Starframe Ventures, Palermo’s Pizza, SkaraVC, and Blue Sky Capital for a conversation on how family capital differs from traditional venture investing, how operating businesses create strategic value beyond writing checks, and why patient, multigenerational capital is uniquely positioned to help build the Midwest’s next era of innovation.

Jasper Fallucca

Vice President of Corporate Development at Palermo Villa Inc.

Will Gray

Co-Founder and General Partner of Starframe Capital

Joey Mullick

Managing Director at SkaraVC

Tony Tagliapietra

Chief Investment Officer at Michels Family Office

Builders’ Showcase

Meet the founders building the next generation of companies across AI, advanced industry, infrastructure, and emerging technology. In this fast-moving +Venture North tradition, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and Milwaukee Tech Hub will host a diverse group of entrepreneurs from across the NVNG portfolio and beyond for conversations highlighting what they’re building, the problems they’re solving, and the opportunities to connect their companies with Wisconsin’s corporate and investment community.

John Miller

Secretary and CEO at Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation

Joe Poeschl

Executive Director at MKE Tech Hub Coalition

Scott Coller, PharmD

Founder & CEO of Gesund Health Data, Inc.

Shane Emmons

Founder & CEO of Swept AI

Tina Chan Gonzalez

Chief Operating Officer at Ordify AI

James Hollis

CEO of Novamera

Tyler Hurd

Co-Founder of Sum Hydration

Alexander Lüking

Co-Founder & VP Sales at FibreCoat

Abby Nawrocki

Founder & CEO at Stock

James Rhodes

Founder & CEO of AlphaBitCore

Alex Taylor

Founder of Orb Aerospace

Dave Zvenyach

CEO & Founder of MakeGov

Closing Remarks

Grady Buchanan

Managing Director at NVNG Investment Advisors

Inside Marquette’s College of Business: Developing the Next Generation of Innovators

Please join us for a reception at the Marquette University Business School Lobby with our speaker, Dr. Matteo Arena .

Matteo Arena

Executive Associate Dean at Marquette University College of Business Administration