Tara Aggarwal is an innovative storyteller dedicated to empowering individuals to own their narrative and pursue their passions. At Microsoft, she serves as the Responsible AI Lead Champion for Outlook, where she ensures that cutting-edge technologies like Copilot are developed with a strong focus on safety, inclusivity, and ethical responsibility.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Tara earned dual degrees in Computer Science and Business from Indiana University. During her time at IU, she founded the Ethical AI team at the Center of Excellence for Women and Technology, blending her passion for technology with her commitment to supporting and empowering others in the field.

Armstrong helps guide IU’s efforts to further economic development and job creation, to support new business ventures, to transfer IU-developed technologies to the marketplace, and to build partnerships with businesses and universities across Indiana and throughout the nation and the world. In this role, he established the Innovate Indiana Fund and the Indiana Philanthropic Venture Fund.

Prior to this appointment, Armstrong served as Executive Director of the IU Office of Engagement and as Associate Director of the Office of Technology Commercialization at IU’s Advanced Research and Technology Institute. He also served as the Executive Director and General Counsel of the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund. In that role, he managed a $140 million fund that provided early-stage investments for collaborative research partnerships and cultivated high-tech industries for the state of Indiana.

A native of Madison, Indiana, Tony holds a B.S. from the IU Kelley School of Business, a J.D. from the IU School of Law – Bloomington, and an M.B.A. from Butler University.

Ravi is the Founder and CEO of Folia, a Bloomington-based startup that helps organizations reduce security risks and make it easier for teams to research and share new ideas. Used by top banks, law firms, and government agencies, Folia provides a secure workspace for reviewing documents, capturing insights, and collaborating without compromising sensitive information.

Before launching Folia, Ravi founded and led Branchfire, where he created innovative products for millions of users worldwide. Throughout his career, he has leveraged his background in law, business, and technology to pioneer new solutions and launch companies with global reach. Prior to his entrepreneurial ventures, Ravi practiced as a litigator, advising clients in complex, high-stakes disputes and developing strategic communication approaches.

Ravi holds a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis, as well as undergraduate degrees in cognitive science and computer science from Indiana University. He remains closely connected to the academic and startup communities by serving on the boards of IU Ventures, The Mill in Bloomington, and the Executive Dean’s Advisory Board at the College of Arts and Sciences.

Beyond building and scaling companies, Ravi invests in early-stage ventures and is a limited partner in several venture funds. A sought-after speaker and teacher, he often shares his expertise on product design, communication strategy, and data visualization with audiences across industries.

Charles Brandt develops software solutions to tackle complex data management and computational challenges in biomedical research. Since joining Indiana University in 2020, he has led the development of the Center for Medical Genomics data portal, an effort that expanded into Bioloop—an open-source platform supporting research cores across the IU School of Medicine and the broader university.

With a background in Computer Science and expertise in full-stack development, Charles focuses on user-centered design to create scalable, enterprise-grade systems. He collaborates with researchers and engineers to streamline scientific workflows, optimizing data management and high-throughput computational pipelines.

I am a skilled executive with proven experience in helping businesses to grow effectively in complex, dynamic, and sometimes chaotic situations. I have spent my entire career working with entrepreneurs to find business development and capital solutions to fuel growth. Prior to my current roles at Bridge Bank and Square 1, I served as CFO for Liquidus Marketing, Inc., a venture backed digital marketing firm where I oversaw all financial activity for the company, and provided leadership on key business development and operational measures. Prior to Liquidus, I spent nearly a decade at Silicon Valley Bank holding increasingly responsible roles, culminating as deal team leader for the Midwest market. I also served as a director for a specialty finance hedge fund focused on providing high coupon/minimally dilutive debt to late stage high-growth companies.

Additional experience includes past collaboration with several new media companies including Feedburner (Acquired by Google), MetaStories (Acquired by Brightcove), MusicNow (Acquired by AOL), and Loudeye (Acquired by Nokia). I have also have experience as an investor and/or strategic advisor in TapMe (2011 ITA Finalist acquired by Media Math), MentorMob (2011 ITA “Newcomer Award,”) Mission Ready, Mac&Mia, PerBrands, and Elevate Digital (Acquired by CivIQ).

Outside the realm of compensated activity, I am a proficient fly-fisherman and excel against really bad golfers. In addition to working on my deteriorating skills in these sports, I enjoy spending summer weekends with my wife Tricia and our two daughters at our lake cottage in Southwestern Michigan.

Randie is the Managing Principal of the Indiana geography for CLA.  CLA is a professional services firm serving the heartbeat of America with Impeccable Client Service within its wealth advisory, digital, audit, tax and outsourcing capabilities.  At CLA, we believe that by getting to know you well, we’ll be in a better position to help you. We start with a conversation, ask questions that matter, and listen. You’ll find innovative advice that is clear and actionable, driven by industry-specialized teams. We call it the CLA seamless experience, and it’s expressed in the values that drive our behavior: curious, collaborative, transparent, inclusive, and reliable. It’s simply how we do business.

Richard DiMarchi is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Gill Chair in Biomolecular Sciences at Indiana University. Dr. DiMarchi is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He is a former Group Vice President at Eli Lilly and later at Novo Nordisk. He is recognized for his contributions to the discovery and development of rDNA-derived Humalog®, rGlucagon®, and Forteo®. His academic research has broadened the understanding of glucagon physiology and the discovery of single molecule multimode agonists for the treatment of diabetes and obesity.

Professor DiMarchi is co-inventor on more than one hundred U.S. patents and co-author to more than two hundred fifty peer-reviewed scientific publications. He was identified as a top five translation researcher by Nature Biotechnology. Since 2003, he has co-founded eight successful biotech companies. In the last decade Professor DiMarchi has received numerous awards such as the Merrifield Award for career contributions in peptide sciences, the German National Erwin Schrödinger-Preis, the Alfred Burger career award in medicinal chemistry, and the 2023 AAAS Bhaumik Breakthrough Award for his contribution to the transformative advance in drug treatment of obesity.

Pattie Felts is a Managing Director and leads Fifth Third Bank’s strategy and engagement with FinTech companies through the corporate venture capital arm, Fifth Third Ventures.  Her focus is on accelerating the execution of Bank strategic priorities through investment, partnership, or acquisition of innovative companies in the FinTech sector.  Her accomplishments include Fifth Third Bank’s acquisition of Provide, a digital finance platform for healthcare practices, in which Pattie also led the Bank’s initial investment in three years prior.  In addition, Pattie led the establishment of the Bank’s venture capital fund investing strategy, where they are now a limited partner in top tier FinTech venture capital funds.  Prior to this role, she was a Director consulting to private equity firms on KPMG’s M&A Deal Advisory team.

Lisa Forbes serves as General Counsel of Builders Vision. She is a member of the Builders Vision Leadership Team and oversees legal and compliance for the Builders Vision ecosystem, including Builders Asset Management, Builders Private Capital, and Builders Initiative.

Before joining Builders Vision, Lisa served as Senior Corporate Counsel for Uptake Technologies, a technology company focused on predictive analytics and machine learning. Prior to joining Uptake, Lisa was General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Sheffield Asset Management, a Chicago-based hedge fund. She also previously served as Managing Director and Deputy General Counsel of Deerfield Capital Management, an alternative investment manager primarily focused on structured finance and securitizations. Lisa started her legal career as a corporate associate in the Chicago office of Skadden.

Lisa graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and obtained her law degree from Harvard Law School. In her free time, Lisa enjoys spending time with her daughters, yoga, and triathlons.

Matt Hay (IU MS’99, MBA’09, DrPH’26) has a long journey toward deafness and even longer journey toward learning to “hear” again with an experimental brainstem implant. Now an global in-demand keynote speaker, he first publicly shared his story on a National Public Radio (NPR) podcast titled Soundtrack of Silence. The intimate, funny and authentic peek at what it’s like to start a career, fall in love and build a life while battling a rare disease inspired actor Channing Tatum and Paramount Pictures to option the motion picture rights to Matt’s life story. Matt’s memoir Soundtrack of Silence was released in 2024 by St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of Macmillan. Publishers Weekly said Hay’s “moving memoir makes magic out of facing the music” and it immediately earned a spot as an Amazon Best Seller within the Disability category.

When Matt isn’t adding tracks to the soundtrack of his life, he passionately supports the hearing loss community as a member of the Columbia University Genetic Counseling Advisory Board and previously as a consultant to the St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf. He proudly served as a Congressional lobbyist for neurofibromatosis (NF) research funding, the genetic disorder that caused his hearing loss, and has raised money for NF research by doing endurance events, including an Ironman Triathlon and the Boston Marathon. He didn’t win either won.

Matt currently serves the rare disease community as the US Director of Advocacy for a global biopharmaceutical company and is a doctoral candidate at the Indiana University School of Public Health with a focus on global health leadership.  He lives in Westfield, Indiana, with his wife (whom he’s quick to point out is the hero of his story) and three children.

Julie Heath serves as Executive Director of IU Innovates, a new initiative that advances entrepreneurship at Indiana University. She co-chairs the Ecosystem Building Leadership Network, a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives, catalyzed by a series of initiatives funded by the Kauffman Foundation. Between 2021 and 2023, Heath developed the state of Indiana’s first entrepreneurship ecosystem strategy. Prior to her work at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, she led a community-based entrepreneur support organization with a mission to remove barriers for aspiring founders and early-stage entrepreneurs. Her career has ranged from the launch of a tech startup to intrapreneurship at the Smithsonian Institution. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, spent fifteen years on the East Coast, and now splits her time between Indianapolis and Bloomington, Indiana.

Dan Herscovici is a growth-driven CEO and executive leader with a passion for scaling products that reach millions of customers. With over two decades of experience, Dan built a reputation as a hands-on leader who delivers results. He doesn’t just talk about business growth—he dives in and drives it forward.

Dan’s leadership journey includes spearheading transformational ventures at Comcast, where he co-founded Xfinity Home and launched Xfinity WiFi, redefining connectivity for millions of consumers. His ability to drive innovation, customer-focused solutions, and operational efficiency has been the key to his success in tech-enabled services and consumer technology.

While serving as a Partner at Edison Partners, Dan applied his operational expertise to help tech companies like Recycle Track Systems, Lawnstarter, and MacroFab scale successfully. But at his core, Dan remains a product led growth operator. He thrives on tackling complex challenges, aligning teams to execute ambitious goals, and bringing technology to life in ways that genuinely benefit people.

With a background in engineering and an MBA from Wharton, Dan combines strategic thinking with a practical approach to execution. Whether building from the ground up or revitalizing established brands, Dan focuses on delivering outsized growth, profitability, and long-term success. Dan is the proud parent of a current Kelley School of Business student.

Scott is a dynamic leader with a wealth of experience in early-stage venture capital, hyper-growth companies, and strategic operations. As a Managing Partner at Starting Line, he leverages his extensive background in operations, growth, and strategy to support and scale early-stage companies. His impressive track record includes pivotal roles at Instacart, Flexport, and Foxtrot, where he has driven significant growth and operational excellence. Scott’s career highlights include:

• Managing Partner at Starting Line, focusing on investing in and scaling early-stage companies through strategic leadership and support.
• As the 10th employee at Instacart, spent 6 years in various leadership roles, including General Manager for the Midwestern teams and Director of Brand Partnerships and Strategy, where he built Instacart’s CPG advertising business.
• Led the 160-person Central team as General Manager at Flexport, overseeing commercial teams and managing P&L responsibilities.
• As SVP of Growth and Product at Foxtrot, led the e-commerce organization and was instrumental in both driving and closing the $100 million Series C funding round led by D1 Capital.
• Specializes in operations, growth, strategy, and venture capital with a proven track record in driving business expansion and building strategic partnerships

David L. Johnson is the president of Regional Growth Strategies LLC, a consulting practice working with communities, universities and foundations seeking to grow and sustain technology-based regional economies.

Johnson has been involved in the hands-on work of economic development for nearly 25 years.  He began this engagement as a community volunteer, seeking to organize and then co-founding Indiana’s life sciences initiative, BioCrossroads, in 2001-2002.  Johnson went on to serve as BioCrossroads CEO from 2005-2018.  There, he organized and led the capitalization of five seed and early-stage venture capital funds to support locally based life sciences start-ups.  He also drove the formation and capitalization of several major public-private enterprises. These include the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, an industry-university applied research enterprise; OrthoWorx Indiana, a spin-out organization focused on northern Indiana’s historically outsized concentration in orthopedics implants; and 16 Tech, Central Indiana’s first innovation district, rising on 50 acres of formerly blighted real estate in the heart of downtown Indianapolis and focused on advancing innovation opportunities in healthcare and life sciences.

More recently and also as CEO, Johnson led the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), a collaborative organization of chief executives drawn from leading Indiana companies, universities and philanthropic foundations (and the parent organization of BioCrossroads), from 2012 through 2022.

Johnson was appointed to serve as a Non-Resident Senior Fellow for the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program in 2023.

Julia participates in investment opportunities from initial sourcing all the way through execution. She builds perspectives and landscapes on specific segments, and enjoys any opportunity to gather in-person with the team.

Julia studied finance at Indiana University and began her career in Strategy & Analytics Consulting at Deloitte. Following numerous engagements in the health care space, Julia joined the team at Carrot Fertility where she supported global strategy and operations.

Joanna Mirecki Millunchick is the Dean of the Indiana University Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. Millunchick earned her Bachelor of Science in Physics from DePaul University in Chicago and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University. She was a post-doctoral fellow in Semiconductor Physics at Sandia National Laboratories and then moved to the University of Michigan.  While at Michigan, she had two distinct areas of research: materials science of semiconductors and engineering education. For the former, Millunchick developed nanoscale semiconductors for optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications. For the latter, she studied how to teach the physical sciences more equitably by examining pedagogical approaches and developing new virtual and augmented reality tools.  Millunchick became the associate dean for undergraduate education in 2017, focusing on enhancing experiential learning opportunities for students and fostering academic creativity for educators.  She continues this work at Indiana University, expanding it to make Luddy a force for socially responsible scientific and technological innovation.

Kenzie is a member of the investment team at Takeda Digital Ventures, focused on virtual-first care and PharmaTech investments. Previously, Kenzie worked in strategy on the Digital Health Sciences team within Takeda’s Data Sciences Institute. Prior to her time at Takeda, she managed the Beiwe digital health platform at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and worked in the Health and Public Service Operating Group at Accenture. Kenzie holds an MPH in Health Management from Harvard and a BA in Political Science from Indiana University.

Michelle is an Investor at HPA, and early-stage venture firm, with a professional background spanning CPG, adtech, and startups. She is a dedicated supporter and advocate for young women in the world of investing and entrepreneurship. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys culinary adventures, traveling, running, and giving back to various charitable causes.

Rahul Shrivastav is Executive Vice President of Indiana University and Provost of the Indiana University Bloomington campus. He was honored with the Colonel Allan R. and Margaret G. Crow Term Professorship at the University of Florida and was named a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, as well as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in 2020.

Shrivastav directed the highly collaborative IUB 2030 strategic planning process, in alignment with the university wide IU 2030 strategic planning effort, which calls for leading boldly in student success and opportunity, research and creative activity, and service to the state and beyond.

Between earning an IUB doctoral degree in speech and hearing sciences and returning as provost, Shrivastav held instruction-focused administrative roles at University of Georgia and Michigan State University. His research on speech perception and production continues to help design better measurement systems for treatment outcomes, improved hearing aids, cochlear implants, and mobile phones, as well as assessment and screening tools for a variety of diseases.

Daniel Spungen is a partner in the Corporate & Securities Service Group at Amundsen Davis, a full-service business law firm, where his work focuses on capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate law. He counsels startups from entity formation to solicitation of investments all the way until exit and also provides counseling funds through formation of SPVs and preparation of investment documents. Prior to joining Amundsen Davis, Daniel was the chief deputy securities commissioner for the Indiana Secretary of State, where he oversaw the regulation of the state’s securities industry. Daniel is a proud two-time graduate of Indiana University, earning his J.D. from the McKinney School of Law, magna cum laude, in 2015 and his B.S. in finance from the Kelley School of Business in 2010.

As a business law attorney at Gutwein Law, Audrey spends most of her time helping startups with entity formation and capital raising through private securities, working with clients on matters ranging from friends and family convertibles to Series A, B, and C preferred equity rounds. In addition, Audrey assists with matters that frequently arise in the emerging technology space, including software/SaaS licensing agreements, equity incentives, and online terms and privacy policies.

Audrey graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry from Purdue University before receiving her J.D. from Indiana University Robert H McKinney School of Law.

In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities like biking, hiking, and camping. She is also an avid reader and is usually listening to music.

Pete Wilkins is a Purpose First leader committed to creating a positive impact on the world.

Before he was thirty, he was a critical part of two technology startups that sold and IPO-ed for more than $2.8 billion. He later went on to lead the turnaround of a medical education company from record losses to record profits and build one of the premier online physician education communities, which he followed by starting a double-bottom-line company focused on college attainment for Latino families. Not every step was successful, but they were all purposeful.

Today, Pete leads HPA—one of the most successful early-stage venture investor groups in the country. He and his firm have partnered with hundreds of founders to help turn their dreams into reality, helping them scale their businesses from start-ups into industry leaders, many of which have gone on to join the exclusive “Unicorn Club.” As a venture investor, board member, and advisor to many entrepreneurs, Pete has created billions of dollars of economic value, but more importantly, he has helped countless founders manifest their purposes into thriving businesses that are improving the world.

In the spirit of giving back, Pete shares his perspective and insights about investing in companies and people as a Forbes contributor. He is also passionate about building Chicago’s entrepreneurial community and is actively engaged in World Business Chicago Leadership Council, Future Founders, and P33, a bold initiative to make Chicago a global technology leader. In recognition of his contributions, Pete has been named one of the Top 100 Chicago Innovators by the Chicago Tribune, was recognized as an “Innovation Blazer” by Chicago Inno, and won the Illinois Technology Association CityLIGHTS Industry Champion Award and the Chicago Innovation Award.