Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Leaders of Minnesota for 2024. In the heart of the Midwest, Minnesota is a vibrant economic hub fueled by diverse companies and dynamic leaders at global companies such as Best Buy and Medtronic. The state’s economy is bolstered by an energetic business landscape that fuels key industries emphasizing healthcare, science, technology, and manufacturing. Many of the top women leaders in The North Star State are focused on advanced technological solutions in these industries that improve the lives of Minnesotans and people across the country and the world.
The top 50 women leaders hold many high-ranking positions, including Ning Li, the Head of Platform Development at Genesis Medtech Group, a pioneering medical device company providing AI-driven systems and enabling intra-operative and post-operative solutions for surgeons.
Kristi Einhorn, Chief of Staff at Medtronic, is another global leader with an impressive career. Einhorn plays an integral role in solving some of the most complex health challenges using advanced, innovative technologies. She and her team are responsible for advancing the standard of care for people living with cranial and spinal conditions worldwide.
Lastly, we extend our honors to Deb LaMere, the Chief Human Resources Officer at Datasite, a game-changing software that provides confidential management of communication between parties. In her role, LaMere is responsible for sourcing, recruiting, and developing industry-leading talent to help bring Datasite to the next level of success.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 50 Women Leaders of Minnesota for 2024.
1. Carla Vernon
Chief Executive Officer & Board Director, The Honest Company
Carla Vernón joined Honest as Chief Executive Officer in January 2023. As the first Afro-Latina CEO of a US publicly traded company, Vernón brings a new era of leadership that reflects the diversity of Honest’s consumers. In her role, Vernón will be laser-focused on driving category growth, business innovation, and profitability to deliver the company’s core mission of inspiring everyone to love living consciously. Honest is a California-based online marketplace that allows users to buy products, such as beauty, personal care, and vitamin supplements for men and women.
Before joining Honest, Vernón served as the vice president of consumables categories at Amazon.com, Inc., where she had P&L responsibility for household essentials, wellness, beauty, baby, food, and beverage categories on Amazon.com, as well as responsibility for technology development for those categories. Before joining Amazon, Vernón spent more than two decades in various P&L leadership roles at General Mills, Inc., most recently serving as the operating unit president of the Natural & Organic Division from July 2017 to April 2020.
Vernón holds a BA degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from Princeton and a Master of Business Administration from Texas McCombs School of Business. Vernón serves on the Princeton University's Board of Trustees.
2. Amelia Wiliams Hardy
Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer & Senior Vice President Talent Acquisition, Best Buy
Amelia Williams Hardy is the Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer and Senior Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Best Buy. In this role, she oversees the company’s strategy for creating and sustaining a more equitable environment and workforce, both at Best Buy and in the communities they serve, and is responsible for building an inclusive culture company-wide that is also representative of the customers that they serve. Her responsibilities include ID&E, talent acquisition, and ESG coordination.
Most recently, Hardy served as Best Buy’s VP of strategic community engagement, guiding the company’s work to connect with the community and drive change with external partners in multiple areas of ESG. She has also served in several other leadership positions at Best Buy, including senior director of health partnerships and director of brand marketing. Before joining Best Buy in 2014, Hardy held a variety of leadership roles at Fortune 100 companies, including 14 years at 3M. Her career experiences include marketing, strategy, brand management, P&L management, and product commercialization.
Hardy currently serves on multiple national and community boards, including the Boys & Girls Club of the Twin Cities, MEDA, The Cowles Center, the Northside Achievement Zone, and Minnesota Community Care. Hardy earned her bachelor’s degree from Xavier University of Louisiana and has an MBA from Tulane University. She has been honored as one of the Top 100 national leaders in DEI, Power 50, and Notable Executives in the Twin Cities.
4. Melissa Voigt
Vice President of Client Success, WebMD Health Services
Melissa Voigt is the Vice President of Client Success at WebMD Health Services, a global well-being company that designs well-being programs for large employers, the public sector, health plans, and health systems. In this role, she leads a highly tenured client success team that partners with clients to deploy comprehensive well-being solutions.
Voigt has built a 20-year career in the well-being industry and is passionate about helping organizations create well-rounded programs that drive population health behavior change. Starting her career as a personal health coach and evolving into providing clients with strategic consultation on their well-being program design, she has had a storied career and found success in dedicated well-being program management, account management, and account operations.
Voigt was with StayWell before WebMD, where she served in various roles and was responsible for new client acquisition, client expansion, account management, and dedicated well-being program management. Before that, Voigt held progressive account strategy, program management, and operations roles at HealthPartners, where she led the delivery of integrated health and well-being solutions for the health plan's employer clients. She holds an undergraduate degree in biological sciences from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.
5. Nicole Newville
Founder & President, KOSE
Nicole Newville is the Founder and President of KOSE, a digital-first media agency located in the North Loop of Minneapolis. With Newville’s leadership, KOSE has grown its revenue every year since it was founded in 2013. That incredible growth has led to career development for the team she leads, as well as job creation in the industry. Since 2020, the height of the pandemic, KOSE has increased its capabilities to better serve existing clients and has attracted new clients within the higher education, manufacturing, and restaurant industries.
Early in her career, Newville harnessed the power of digital for other agencies. She was VP of strategy and media at space150 and served as interim director of its New York City office. There, she focused on connecting brands with their audiences by pinpointing the intersection of human needs and technology. During her time at space150, the agency doubled in size and increased its media billings tenfold by adding powerhouse brands like Buffalo Wild Wings, Dairy Queen, American Express, Optum Health, and General Mills to the roster.
Newville was recognized by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as a 2022 Women in Business Honoree. She is the President of the Koch Hills Homeowners Association, and she serves on the board of directors at MNSNAP (Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program) and the University of Minnesota’s Backpack Communications, a student-run communications agency. There, she and the KOSE team mentor students in real-world advertising applications. In addition, she volunteered as a girls' volleyball coach for Avail Academy. Newville received her MBA from the Carlson School of Business and an undergraduate degree in Journalism from the University of Minnesota.
6. Kristi Einhorn
Chief of Staff Business Planning, Enabling Technologies, Medtronic
Kristi Einhorn is the Chief of Staff and Business Planning for Enabling Technologies at Medtronic, the team responsible for advancing the standard of care for people living with cranial and spinal conditions worldwide. In this role, Einhorn aligns strategic, operational, and financial goals while balancing investments to accelerate innovation across the Enabling Technologies product portfolio. This work enables Medtronic’s mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life for patients around the globe.
Before her current role, Einhorn held leadership positions in strategy, marketing, finance, and operations, heading global teams across industries, including retail, healthcare, financial services, and government. She is known for her results-oriented problem-solving, building inclusive teams, and attracting, keeping, and advancing diverse talent. Additionally, her community involvement supports the development of the next generation to gain the skills needed to thrive in an increasingly complex and culturally diverse global society.
Einhorn served honorably as a captain in the United States Air Force and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Project Management Professional. She holds a Master of Science in Aerospace from the University of North Dakota and an undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of St. Thomas.
7. Angela Volk
US Vice President of Sales, Medical Solutions Division, 3M
Angela Volk is the US Vice President of Sales in the Medical Solutions Division of 3M. 3M Medical Solutions Division is focused on addressing these challenges and meeting the needs of patients every day.
Volk has spent her career in the medical device industry across several functions, including R&D, marketing, medical affairs, sales, and sales operations, and across several disease states, including cardiology, urology, and wound care. While she has a unique cross-functional background, her greatest strength lies in culture creation and developing high-performance leaders. Her most rewarding endeavors lie in developing high-potential women, whether through direct coaching/mentoring, creating networks or platforms where women can encourage and support each other, or demonstrating by example that achieving is possible for anyone willing to take risks, have leadership courage and believe in their ability to figure things out.
Volk grew up in rural North Dakota and received her undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from North Dakota State University and her MBA in marketing from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
8. Sonja Dusil
Commercial Real Estate Executive, SMD Real Estate, LLC
Sonja Dusil is a Commercial Real Estate Executive for SMD Real Estate, LLC. Dusil has over 20 years of experience in capital markets, investment sales, equity and debt structure, asset strategy execution, and agency leasing.
Dusil was previously the SVP commercial development and national sales leader at United Properties, where she oversaw the development of built-to-suit and pre-leased office properties in Minnesota, Colorado, and Texas. She also handled dispositions for all company assets, including sales strategies, timing, and selection of investment sales teams, and oversees all negotiations through to closings. Before United Properties, Dusil served as SVP for CBRE as part of the Instructional Capital Markets Team, specializing in the sales of office and industrial assets and assisting clients with sourcing equity for development and JV partnerships. She also served as an executive director of brokerage services for Cushman Wakefield Northmarq, where she focused on the Minneapolis market.
Dusil served as the President of NAIOP Minnesota in 2015 in addition to serving on the board and holding a variety of committee chair positions and is currently a NAIOP National Forum member. She has been a recipient of numerous awards and accolades throughout her career. She earned her undergraduate degree in business and marketing from the University of Northern Iowa. Dusil is a licensed real estate broker in Minnesota.
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9. Suzanne Hansen
Chief Medicare Program Officer, One Medical
Suzanne Hansen is the Chief Medicare Program Officer of One Medical, a membership-based primary care practice on a mission to make quality care more affordable, accessible, and enjoyable for all through a blend of human-centered design, technology, and an exceptional team.
Hansen was previously chief operating officer at Iora Health, where she led the operating teams to deliver high-quality clinical care and experience for patients, while also achieving Iora’s growth and performance objectives. Previously, Hansen served as VP at DaVita, where she led a multi-state region with 65 facilities. While at DaVita, she also led the transformation team for DaVita Medical Group. In that role, she deployed post-acute and home-based care team models for chronically ill patients, resulting in reductions in readmissions and length of stay, as well as improved quality outcomes and patient satisfaction. For more than two decades, Hansen was a leader at HealthCare Partners. In the role of VP of operations, Hansen led 19 medical offices and three IPA networks serving over 200,000 patients in Southern California, successfully achieving the triple aim of improved quality and patient experience with overall cost of care reduction
In both employed medical group models, as well as affiliated physician models, Hansen has demonstrated an ability to create lasting solutions for the local medical ecosystem that have measurably improved both customer and organizational outcomes. She received her Master’s degree in Health Administration from the University of Southern California and her Bachelor's Degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
10. Carrie Ackerman
Vice President & Program Director, U.S. Bank
Carrie Ackerman is a Vice President and Director of the Workplace Violence Prevention & Internal Fraud Investigations Programs at U.S. Bank. She built and currently manages an enterprise-wide Workplace Violence Prevention Program and Team at the bank. Ackerman also leads an enterprise-wide Internal Fraud and Sales Misconduct Investigations Team and Program.
Ackerman has extensive experience leading multidisciplinary teams of professionals. She managed Target Corporation's Threats of Workplace Violence Program and led its Threat Assessment Team for five years before joining U.S. Bank. She is on the advisory council for the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators and is currently the VP of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals' Great Lakes Chapter after terming out of the president role. Ackerman has represented Target at summits on workplace violence, suicide prevention, and domestic violence; and has presented nationally and internationally on behalf of Target and U.S. Bank. She has worked with corporations, law firms, advertising agencies, governments, schools, and nonprofit organizations in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Ackerman taught English and Spanish in Prague, Czech Republic. She also worked at a law firm in Rome, Italy, assisting with European Commission projects, and she has clerked for the Chamber of Commerce in Bilbao, Spain. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in international relations and public relations. She obtained her JD at Hamline University School of Law and is a licensed attorney in the State of Minnesota. Ackerman has practiced criminal defense and immigration law throughout the state.
11. Miriam Chickering
Chief Executive Officer, NextGenU.org
Miriam Chickering the CEO of NextGenU.org. She was appointed in 2020 from her first role as chief operating officer. NextGenU.org's facilitated Public Health Program (Public Health U) currently has 150 enrollees from 45 countries, and the open courses on the NextGenU.org platform for physicians and allied health professionals have registrants from every country and through more than 2,000 institutions while over 30,000 Humanitarians have been trained through Humanitarian U another program at the Frank Foundation. Nurses International provides nursing courses to educators in 147 countries.
Chickering builds globally scaled education solutions in healthcare and science education. She and her teams create synergy and opportunity for learners everywhere through work at NextGenU.org and Nurses International. She is a transformative leader who specializes in team building, strategic partnerships, nourishing volunteer networks, and managing costs. Chickering indulges her curiosity and love of learning by bringing experts together for innovation and collaboration. She enjoys participating in think tanks, most recently, on K-12 education, which resulted in a project in primary STEM curriculum funded by IDRC and occurring now across four school systems and three countries providing materials to 10,000 primary school students.
Recent accolades include Chickering receiving the 2021 Humanitarian Service Award for Transformative Global Leadership in Democratizing Education from NHSD/Humanitarian Pakistan and for co-authored research she led, which received the 2021 Translating Science into Nursing Education award from Sigma Theta Tau with the US Nurses’ Honor Society. She has a BS in nursing from Pensacola Christian College and has studied nonprofit financial stewardship at Harvard University.
12. Lisa Sterling
Chief People Officer, Perceptyx
Lisa Sterling is the Chief People Officer of Perceptyx. Perceptyx is the Employee Experience (EX) transformation company, providing enterprise-grade employee listening, analytics, and behavioral science that activates people and delivers business impact. More than 600 global enterprises, including one-third of the Fortune 100, use Perceptyx’s multi-channel employee listening, AI-powered recommendations, and personalized coaching to close the loop between insights and action.
Sterling is a visionary and charismatic leader with over two decades of experience in revolutionizing the business and HR realms to foster cultural and organizational excellence. Since joining Perceptyx in 2022, she has spearheaded the company's growth and orchestrated a transformative journey for its people and culture. She plays a pivotal role, sharing insights and expertise with HR and technology professionals worldwide, while also collaborating with global organizations to drive innovation and success.
Previously serving as a chief administrative HR, culture, and people officer, Sterling led one of the most radical cultural transformations for a fast-growing, high-tech company. She has navigated people and organizations through successful IPOs and served as an advisor, mentor, and coach to CHRO and up-and-coming HR leaders across the globe. Sterling graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with an undergraduate degree in business administration and management.
13. Deb LaMere
Chief Human Resources Officer, Datasite
Deb LaMere is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Datasite. Deb is responsible for all aspects of the firm’s human resources strategy, including talent management, leadership development, and compensation and benefits. She works closely with leadership around the globe to build a culture that attracts, retains, and develops top talent.
Prior to joining Datasite in 2019, Deb served in senior employee engagement roles at Ceridian, the cloud-based global human capital management (HCM) software company. These roles included Employee Engagement Product Manager for key modules of Ceridian’s cloud HRIS system and Vice President, Employee Experience & Culture. Before that, she was a Senior HR Consultant at Lawson Software and held several HR leadership roles at Allina Hospitals & Clinics in Minneapolis.
Deb holds an MA in industrial relations and human resources from the University of Minnesota, and a BA in business administration from the University of St. Thomas.
14. Trudi Noel Trysla
EVP, Chief Administrative Officer, & General Counsel, Fairview Health Services
Trudi Noel Trysla is the Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, and General Counsel for Fairview Health Services, an industry-leading, award-winning, nonprofit offering a full network of healthcare services. Noel develops Fairview’s overall legal strategy and leads Fairview’s legal and ethical adherence to federal and state law and healthcare public policy. She oversees Fairview’s legal and risk management functions. Noel, named general counsel in February 2014, has more than 20 years of legal experience in healthcare.
Before joining Fairview in 2008 as associate general counsel, Noel served as senior legal counsel at Medtronic Inc., as legal counsel for Mayo Foundation in Rochester, and as an attorney in private practice. Noel earned her law degree from the University of Minnesota and her undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska. She is licensed to practice in Minnesota and the Eighth Circuit.
Noel is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, the American Bar Association, and the Minnesota Bar Association’s Health Law Governing Council. She also is active on various Fairview boards and community boards, including the Fairview Pharmacy Board, the Minnesota Center for Health Care Ethics, and the Minnesota Epilepsy Foundation. She is a frequent lecturer on healthcare topics, including accountable care organizations and models.
15. Tracey Gibson
VP & Chief Diversity Officer, Andersen
Tracey Gibson is the Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for Andersen Corporation. Gibson joined Andersen in November of 2019 and brings a solid background in corporate social responsibility, strategic global inclusion and diversity, and operations. Andersen was founded in 1903 on the philosophy of working "all together" to deliver on its promise to its customers. Every day, the company's more than 13,000 employees are empowered to imagine what's possible and do what's right.
Gibson is a strong visionary and insightful leader who connects people, processes, and technology to transform cultures, build capabilities, and deliver operational excellence that helps businesses thrive. Most recently, Gibson served the state of Minnesota as the statewide director of recruitment, retention, affirmative action, and inclusion. Gibson spent 30 years with Cargill, Incorporated in finance, HR, diversity and inclusion, and global community engagement.
Gibson holds an undergraduate degree in accounting from Fort Valley State University, and she has a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Biblical Preaching from Luther Seminary.
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16. Teri Kaslow
Chief of Data & Analytics and VP of Enterprise Data & Analytics, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota
Teri Kaslow is the Chief of Data and Analytics and Vice President of Enterprise Data and Analytics at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. In this role, Kaslow has accountability for enterprise data, business intelligence, and advanced analytics spanning diverse enterprise needs, such as data science, quality and risk adjustment analytics, member and provider analytics, population health analytics, and trend analytics.
Kaslow is a proven thought leader working side-by-side with business partners to address creative data and analytic solutions to improve the healthcare ecosystem. She has a passion for creating more meaningful personalized interactions and improved health outcomes for members by leveraging an integrated, holistic view of the member and applying impactful analytics, inclusive of understanding the unmet social needs of members through the advancement of social determinants of health analytics.
Kaslow joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota in 2022 from Optum, where she focused on utilizing data and disruptive technologies to enable better business outcomes. Additionally, she has worked in credit risk analytics, marketing analytics, and loyalty analytics with corporations, such as Fair Isaac Corporation, Carlson Companies, and Deluxe. Kaslow graduated from St. Olaf College with an undergraduate degree in economics and mathematics with a concentration in statistics, as well as completed graduate coursework in economics at the University of Minnesota. She remains active in academia as an adjunct faculty member instructing courses in economics and statistics.
17. Kimberly Halva
VP & Senior Counsel, Fairview Health Services
Kimberly Halva is Vice President and Senior Counsel for Fairview Health Services, an industry-leading, award-winning, nonprofit offering a full network of healthcare services. Halva serves as the principal attorney and corporate secretary for Fairview Pharmacy Services, a subsidiary of Fairview Health Services, with 40 retail and 12 inpatient pharmacies, 1,500 employees, $1.2 billion in annual revenue, and over 2.5 million ambulatory prescriptions filled each year.
Halva has more than 25 years of legal experience in healthcare, successfully advising insurance companies, healthcare providers, and pharmacies on the legal complexities impacting their businesses. She leads the legal functions for Fairview’s pharmacies, transportation, imaging, and laboratory services, advising on governance, nonprofit status, legislation, and licensure. She oversees Fairview's legal strategy related to 340b, CAR-T therapies, specialty pharmacy, drug diversion, and pharmacy contracting. Her expertise extends to complex healthcare payments and regulatory matters, including 340b, risk adjustment, and government reimbursement methodologies.
Before joining Fairview in 2016, Halva served as legal counsel and the Medicare Finance Compliance Officer for UnitedHealth Group. She earned her law degree from the William Mitchell College of Law, her Master's degree in Public Health from the University of Minnesota, and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire.
18. Laura Brock
Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer, nVent
Laura Brock is the Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer at nVent. She joined nVent in October of 2018 and is responsible for leading inclusion and diversity, as well as employee engagement, and she oversees the nVent Foundation.
Brock brings over 25 years of experience in the inclusion and diversity space having held leading DEI roles in U.S. Bank and Hormel Foods, where she was responsible for building the foundation for global strategy, the implementation of councils, employee resource groups, diversity recruiting, training and development, and pillar infrastructure. Brock spent almost 20 years at Medtronic, starting her career in legal and moving into the Office of Workplace Inclusion both as a master facilitator, as well as a corporate diversity consultant. Brock is an advisory board chair of IBelongHere, a nonprofit organization focused on building diversity and inclusion in the electrical distribution industry. She received her undergraduate degree from Bethel University and holds a Diversity Management Advanced Practitioner degree from Cornell University.
Brock is known for building a solid and sustainable DEI foundation across pillar platforms. She understands the need to integrate inclusion and diversity principles into organizational infrastructure whether it is policy, process, or programming. She has a proven track record of developing I&D councils and establishing award-winning employee resource groups. She is passionate about empowering others and creating an environment where shared accountabilities enhance the organization's inclusive culture and drive business growth.
19. Rebecca Lieberman
Vice President of People, Optum
Rebecca Lieberman is Vice President of the People Team for Optum. In this role, she leads the people strategy and partners with the chief digital and technology officer on advancing the business through forward-thinking solutions, development of innovative, consumer-based outcomes, upskilling of capabilities needed to meet current and future customer needs, and creating an inclusive culture.
Before joining Optum in 2021, Lieberman spent five years at the Radisson Hotel group in a variety of roles, most recently as CHRO leading the HR, communications, responsible business, and facilities functions for the Americas. In this role, she was responsible for leading and enabling the business to deliver on the achievement of strategic and operational business goals. Additionally, she developed and deployed globally aligned strategies throughout the Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific regions for both performance and talent. Lieberman was the owner and principal human resources consultant for RTL Consulting, where she specialized in HR strategy and organizational effectiveness for various companies going through M&A and divestitures. She also spent 10 years at Target Corporation serving in a variety of leadership roles and leading organizational transformations for both corporate and stores divisions.
In addition to her corporate experience, Lieberman currently serves as chair on the foundation board of directors for Children’s Hospitals of Minnesota. She holds an undergraduate degree in mass communication and journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.
20. Julie Henson
Chief Executive Officer & Chief Advisor, Henson Advisors, LLC
Julie Henson is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Advisor for Henson Advisors, LLC. Henson Henson is an executive performance coach and business development leader, as well as a transformative influencer who has reshaped the trajectories of executives, lawyers, and athletes over her illustrious 25-year career.
Henson is a driven leader with over two decades of transforming relationships and driving revenue coaching high-performing individuals within law firms, corporations, and professional athletics. Henson is a client strategist and diplomat who is key in expanding client relationships by bridging the gap between client and customer, driving key growth, sparking innovation, and impacting and recreating a healthy and authentic culture that drives revenue.
Henson is known for leading organizations through transformational change, including assessment, strategy, and execution around each phase of highly complex mergers and reorganizations with a focus on client and talent integration. She co-founded and leads the Strategic Coalition of Law Firms of Minneapolis, which brings together 20 top law firm managing partners to leverage their shared commitment to the City of Minneapolis by stepping up as vocal leaders in supporting their business community through the challenges presented by Covid-19 and social unrest.
21. Bethany Rivard
Chief Operating Officer, Stone Arch Advisory Group
Bethany Rivard is the Chief Operating Officer of Stone Arch Advisory Group (formerly known as Volk & Associates Wealth Management). At Stone Arch Advisory Group, their mission is to ensure the vision you set forth for your family's future will come true, regardless of the economy, tax structures, and governmental regulations.
Rivard was brought on board in 2019 as director of operations and relationship manager to help develop and grow the firm. She was appointed to her current role in 2021, where she plays a crucial role in overseeing office operations and providing leadership, management, and vision execution planning. Rivard is a vision driver, helping the principals define their goals and develop the action plan with the team to help achieve them.
Before joining Stone Arch Advisory Group, Rivard was the director of business development and operations at Northwestern Mutual. She has two Associate of Arts and Sciences degrees, the first in marketing and design from Dakota County Technical College and the second in business administration, management, and operations from Minneapolis Business College.
22. Veronica Correa Janssen
Global Head of Labs, Elavon (U.S. Bank)
Veronica Janssen has over 25 years of experience in the payments and financial services industry. She brings expertise in the areas of product development and management, sales enablement, and program management. Since 2017, Veronica has been responsible for defining and driving the execution of product strategy for the vertical markets in North America at Elavon. Since then she was named Head of Labs for North America and has now been named Head of Labs Globally.
Janssen is a visionary leader and a frequent subject matter expert at various Elavon conferences. She is a certified New Product Development Professional and Pragmatic Marketing Founder. Janssen earned an MBA from Tulane University in finance and global competitive strategy.
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23. Kari Snaza
Co-Founder & President, Oasis Health Partners
Kari Severson Snaza is Co-Founder and President of Oasis Health Partners, which is building the leading value-based care solution for seniors in rural America.
Severson serves on the board of directors for US Anesthesia Partners (USAP) and Spire Health. She previously served as chief strategy officer of the Mayo Clinic. Before Mayo Clinic, she spent 15 years with UnitedHealth Group in leadership roles across the Optum and UnitedHealthcare businesses. Severson’s professional experience also includes founding a social wellness startup, Walkway, and various healthcare advisory and consulting engagements.
Severson received her undergraduate degree in business administration from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and her MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. She is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
24. Traci Lehman
Executive Vice President, Sentry Management
Traci Lehman is the Executive Vice President of Association Management at Sentry Management Inc. She serves Sentry Management by supporting nine divisions in the Midwest and South regions. She guides the division presidents in setting strategic goals to help them meet their client service level commitments and overall financial goals. Lehman works closely with other key executives in the company to develop long-term strategic plans to improve operations and drive revenue growth to be the best community management company in the country.
Before Sentry Management, Lehman served with Cities Management in Minneapolis for over 20 years. She guided the company's strategic direction, vision, and growth initiatives, as well as continued to oversee day-to-day operations at the company of over 50 employees. She was one of only a small handful of female presidents in the community management industry. Before being named president in 2011, she held a senior leadership position for eight years. Her duties included supervising and training 15 community managers for properties, setting company policy and procedure, marketing services, and oversight of property management operations, including the client services staff.
In addition to her careers with Sentry Management and Cities Management, Lehman demonstrated leadership in the community management industry on a national and local level. She is the past president of the Community Association Institute-Minnesota Chapter and has served on the board of directors of the Minnesota Multi-Housing Association. She was committee chair of the CEO-MC Retreat Planning Committee with the Community Association Institute.
25. Trish Backes
Group SVP & Virtual Market Lead, uncapped communications, a GCI Group company
Trish Backes is a Group Senior Vice President and Virtual Market Lead at uncapped communications, a healthcare communications agency partnering with biotechnology and medical technology companies to unlock their full potential.
With two decades of public relations experience in the highly regulated life sciences industry, Backes is adept at devising impactful communication strategies tailored to reach and influence the full gamut of stakeholders along the healthcare continuum. Backes leverages her deep knowledge of corporate reputation, product promotion, issues mitigation, disease state education, media relations, and change management to solve business challenges and uncover new opportunities for her clients.
Previously, she led communications strategy, public relations programming, and issues response efforts for all business units at Boston Scientific Corporation. Backes holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Saint Thomas, where she earned a major in communication studies with an emphasis in rhetoric and secured a minor in journalism.
26. Melissa Carmichael
Advisor, Homegrown Capital
Melissa Carmichael is an Advisor for Homegrown Capital in the Minnesota region. She provides expertise, guidance, and connections to investment fund and their portfolio companies. Homegrown Capital LLC is a South Dakota-based private equity fund that invests in early-stage, technology-driven companies in the Northern Plains.
Carmichael was previously the VP of North American growth at Seedz, a Brazilian ag-tech company founded in 2017. As a renowned global thought leader in agriculture, Carmichael is dedicated to revolutionizing the agribusiness sector. Before joining Seedz, she was the VP of strategy and innovation at Bremer Bank, where she spearheaded the bank's innovation practice, built engagement within the fintech and ag-tech ecosystems, executed strategic partnerships, and informed and educated the executive team.
Carmichael is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and serves as an advisor to Homegrown Capital, a South Dakota-based VC that invests in early-stage companies in the Northern Plains. In 2019, she was named one of the Top Women in Finance by Finance & Commerce. Carmichael is passionate about addressing the challenges of feeding a growing global population, advancing technology in the agricultural sector, and promoting sustainability. Her expertise and thought leadership has made her a well-respected figure in the industry.
27. Diane Kaufman
Vice President of Human Resources, Electromed Inc.
Diane Kaufman serves as the Vice President of Human Resources at Electromed, Inc. Kaufman possesses expert human resources leadership skills and is a culture game changer and has previously implemented eight new people programs in eight months resulting in significantly reduced turnover and improved hiring, securing national top talent, and retaining great existing talent. She has championed and implemented people programs increasing collaboration and trust, engagement, and creating a culture, where people want to work and stay resulting in unsurpassed productivity. Kaufman is a member of the executive leadership team and serves on the board of the Directors Compensation Committee and American Lung Association. She is a former SVP of global HR for Ergotron, headquartered in the United States with four subsidiaries, China operations, and representation in 67 countries.
Kaufman has vast expertise in multiple functions and industries in the global HR and business world, including championing cultures of pure productivity that get results with a no-nonsense approach. Her unique and innovative ability to revolutionize workplace cultures into productive, results-driven, rewarding, and enjoyable environments is unsurpassed. Her uncomplicated, creative HR practices that only add value to the growth of the company and its people combined with her business savviness is what has made her a truly accomplished leader with proven performance results. Kaufman is known for her most admiral skill of mastering people influencing, instilling great cultures, HR operational efficiencies, effective coaching, and expert knowledge in business and HR.
In addition, Kaufman is the author of two published books, HR Bullcrap! and The Magical Mystical Santa Sleigh, her first children’s book in a potential series to come. Kaufman attributes her career and personal successes to those she is surrounded by – the great employees who make it happen and her friends and family.
28. Sarah Haecker Meeks
Executive Director, Haecker Cell + Gene Medicine Advisory
Sarah Haecker Meeks is the Executive Director of Haecker Cell + Gene Medicine Advisory. In this role, she focuses on cell and gene medicine strategic planning, business development, licensing, and therapeutic product commercialization advisory.
Meeks has over 20 years of senior-level management experience in business development in the biotech sector. She was previously the SVP of global business development at MaxCyte Inc. and the chief scientific officer for Adjuvant Partners, leading business development and corporate strategy for several clients, including large-cap pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, technology providers, and major medical centers with a focus on cell and gene therapy. Before that, she was the VP of business development for Synpromics Ltd. from 2016 until its acquisition by AskBIO in 2019. She is on the founding team of Cardiogen Sciences, Inc. (acquired by Audentes Therapeutics) and was the senior director, of technology sections at the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, including launching and managing the Gene Therapy Section and the Genome Editing Task Force.
Meeks holds a Doctorate in Molecular Biology and Bioethics from the University of Minnesota and an undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship with James M. Wilson, MD and PhD in the University of Pennsylvania’s Human Gene Therapy Program focused on in vivo muscle-directed gene therapy. She served as a licensing manager for the UPENN Center for Technology Transfer and continued her education by taking classes in the MBA program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
29. Kelsey Soby
Senior Director, External Communications, C.H. Robinson
Kelsey Soby is an Emmy-award-winning storyteller whose dynamic journey as a strategic communications professional has been one of growth, adaptability, innovation and impact across different media platforms, communications channels, and industries.
Kelsey began her career in the Tennessee Governor’s Communications Office before graduating Magna Cum Laude from Vanderbilt University. She spent a decade in the public eye as a television news reporter and anchor in various news markets, most recently at KSMP TV in Minneapolis.
She joined the advertising agency Periscope as the Director of Marketing and Business Development, successfully increasing brand visibility and earned-media coverage by 700%. Then, promoted to the role of Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations (PR), Kelsey developed, launched, and led a PR-client-services arm of the company.
She pivoted into the corporate world in 2020, joining Global Fortune 200 company C.H. Robinson Worldwide as the Director of External Communications, Social Media, and PR, where she led the development of the company’s PR Center of Excellence. Now, as Senior Director of External Communications, Kelsey is a leader across corporate reputation and marketing, issues management, and PR and gets excited daily to leverage powerful storytelling to drive business transformation and impact.
Kelsey’s passion for innovation and development extends into her personal life as well. She enjoys mentoring women seeking transitions and growth in their careers. She also created Goody2Cheeks, a pancake and baking mix brand on a mission to spread goodness by making kids’ lives healthier, parents’ lives easier and the world a bit better. Her favorite baking partners include her husband and three children, ages 1, 4, and 6.
30. Kristin Prestegaard
Chief Audience Officer, Minneapolis Institute of Art
Kristin Prestegaard is the Chief Audience Officer for the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Over the past 15 years, Prestegaard has steadily risen toward senior leadership by being a visionary, savvy communicator, and a roll-up-her-sleeves doer. Under her leadership, the division of Audience has set a new vision for museums. She oversees brand, communications, engagement and programs, learning, and audience strategy. As one of the first to develop an Audience Engagement Division, Prestegaard is also a founding member of the International Audience Engagement Network.
Before joining the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Prestegaard was the director of marketing and communications for the Edina Chamber of Commerce. Before that, she was a marketing manager for WCCO-TV and an advertising assistant for Fox Sports Net.
Prestegaard earned her undergraduate degree from Gustavus Adolphus College and a Master’s degree in Leadership from St. Catherine University. She holds certificates from Cornell University, The Wharton School, and Harvard Business School.
31. Lindsey Hickey
Chief Executive Officer, Simek’s
As the CEO of Simek’s, Lindsey Hickey is on a mission to make mealtime a better time for all. Hickey joined Simek’s in 2008 and became co-owner and president in 2010 to firmly establish the company as a second-generation family-owned and certified women-owned organization Under her leadership, Simek’s has grown from a local frozen food company to the fastest-growing frozen lasagna brand and meatball brand in the US. Hickey has fortified strategic partnerships with key retail industry leaders, launched innovative new items, expanded distribution into new markets, donated millions of meals, and removed ocean-bound plastic from the environment. With her passionate expertise, she led Simek's team to increase sales by 148% in 2022 as compared to 2021.
Hickey believes in using business as a force of good and proudly led the organization through their B Corporation certification in 2022, making Simek’s the only women-owned frozen food brand in the US with this certification. She also led the launch of impact partnerships with Feeding America and RePurpose, where every product purchased donates a meal locally and removes the same amount of plastic from the environment as used in the packaging and shipping of that product. In 2022, Simek donated over 2.8 million meals and removed the equivalent of 26.3 million plastic bags from the environment, furthering their mission to provide great food for the greater good.
Hickey has been recognized for her outstanding leadership numerous times. In 2018, she was a Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal 40 under 40 recipient. Hickey was recognized in 2023 with the Frozen & Refrigerated Women Achieving Remarkable Distinction Award and the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Women in Business Award. She has also been featured in many national news articles, including Forbes and Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer, as well as local news channel’s TV segments and articles, for her achievements at Simek’s.
32. Angelina Lawton
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Sportsdigita
Angelina Lawton is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sportsdigita, where she combines her passion for sports, branding, and technology to become the. Sportsdigita has disrupted the industry by partnering with more than 450 brands across professional sports and enterprises to elevate presentations with their interactive platform, DIGIDECK.
Lawton is a visionary entrepreneur, award-winning CEO, and dynamic leader in the sports technology space. She is a respected leader in the sports industry and was recently named by Forbes as one of The Most Powerful Women in US Sports and was featured in Inc. Magazine for her success. Her professional career in the sports industry started with the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning, where she served as the SVP of corporate communications. During her time with the Lightning, Lawton witnessed the need for a better way for teams to tell their story effectively when pitching six and seven-figure deals to marquee brands. Harnessing this experience in the NHL, she founded Sportsdigita in 2011 with a mission to revolutionize the way teams present themselves on "game day" while driving revenue.
Lawton received an undergraduate degree with a focus in journalism from Arizona State University. She was formerly the SVP of corporate communications for the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning.
33. LuAnn Heinen
Vice President, Business Group on Health
LuAnn Heinen is a Vice President at Business Group on Health. She works with health and benefits leaders to navigate complex employee health and well-being issues. She’s a key member of a team of experts who serve employers by providing both a tenacious voice in healthcare policy and a forum for collaboration to implement more effective and innovative approaches to employee health and well-being. Business Group on Health is a nonprofit membership organization of 450 companies, including 74 of the Fortune 100.
Heinen is known for her thought leadership and ability to convene business leaders to address major health and well-being concerns. For more than 15 years, she has led summits of business leaders to consider both long-standing and emerging health and well-being challenges and opportunities. She developed the Best Employers: Excellence in Health and Well-being awards and continues to oversee the program. Heinen also co-hosts the award-winning Business Group on Health podcast featuring conversations with guests who bring insight and perspective on modern healthcare issues. In her podcasts, she has covered topics, such as the youth mental health crisis, eating disorders, disability inclusion, why friendships at work are good for business, the mind-gut connection, working with cancer, and the social and emotional tax of sleep loss.
Previously, Heinen consulted independently for Be The Match and other nonprofits and worked in research and evaluation at UnitedHealth Group. Her early experience was with The Lewin Group, a policy consulting firm, and Harvard Health Plan in Boston. She graduated from Stanford University with a human biology degree and from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University with a Master of Public Policy.
34. Stephanie Flies
Chief Executive Officer & Founder, City Mom Collective
Stephanie Flies is the CEO and Founder of City Mom Collective, growing the network after founding its original site, Scottsdale Moms Blog, in 2009. Now living in the greater Minneapolis area, she oversees the national network by spearheading growth strategies while shepherding and encouraging an ever-increasing number of moms managing individual hyper-local parenting websites.
Flies is a leader and visionary with a passion for inspiring and connecting women through the power of building and empowering local communities. In 2010, Flies launched Scottsdale Moms Blog with a friend. Little did she know that in a few short years, this single site would grow to nearly 80 sites around the country, allowing over 100 women to own their small businesses, representing thousands of voices of moms from around the country as contributors and writers, and come to be known as City Mom Collective.
As City Mom Collective’s CEO, Flies is passionate about leading with grace and a heart of service. She does this by empowering moms throughout the US to launch parenting sites in their cities, giving a balance of motherhood and entrepreneurship to thousands of women. She considers leading the City Mom Collective team and its sister site owners a great privilege. Flies is married and a mom to three girls. She loves throwing a great party, connecting people, and cooking with a glass of red wine in hand.
35. DeAnna Murphy
Chief People and Culture Officer, Thrivin Global
DeAnna Murphy is the Chief People and Culture Officer for Thrivin Global, and she’s a global advisory board member for WorldWorking. Her 27-year international career as an organizational psychologist, expert learning and development practitioner, and executive coach has taken her to 69 countries and given her extensive proficiency in the talent pipeline and leadership development, assessment of organizational needs and culture, design, implementation, and evaluation of programs and assessment tools, strengths identification, application, and development, and coaching and facilitation of professional development experiences.
Murphy oversees and furthers the development of Thrivin's People Acuity "power skills" solution suite of products. She is the co-creator of the StrengthsMultiplier strengths assessment, self-leadership, strengths at work, and the organizational coach certification and cutting-edge leadership/talent development process. She has been the director of the Strengths-Based Leadership Institute and on Gallup’s corporate advisory panel and their prestigious coach council. She is endowed as a Top 100 Global Coaching Leader and is the recipient of the International People Achievement Award. Murphy is a widely regarded keynote speaker and the author of Shift Up! Strengths Strategies for Optimal Living, Choose to See You, and the soon-to-be-released book, The Success Multiplier, featuring the top seven hottest power skills needed to lead and work in today's VUCA marketplace.
Murphy received undergraduate and master’s degrees focused on organizational psychology, leadership, and team development from Brigham Young University. She has completed over two dozen training certifications from FranklinCovey, Coaches Training Institute, InviteChange, Center for Right Relationships, and Gallup and has logged over 15,000 hours creating and delivering OD programs that have been delivered globally.
36. Katie Steller
CEO, Steller Hair Co
Katie Steller is the Founder of Steller Hair Company, a values-driven hair salon located in NE Minneapolis, and Executive Director of the Steller Kindness Project. Katie entered the hair industry when she was 18, but her story began much earlier. At age 11, she was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. This diagnosis dictated much of her childhood but did not dictate her spirit. Throughout illness and life circumstances, she became a determined fighter. When Katie turned 18, her illness progressed beyond remission, and she had her large intestine removed. This created the circumstances that inspired her to become a hairstylist. Her serious health challenges resulted in hair loss. Losing something can make one realize its value. Seeing Katie’s distress, her mom decided to book her a hair appointment with a family friend. Katie had never received a professional haircut before, and after having her hair cut and styled, she realized the impact a hairstylist could have on their client. She was more than an illness during her appointment: she felt like a person. A person who was beautiful, cared about, and important. This experience changed her personally and professionally.
In every aspect of her life, Katie strives to advocate for people, her employees, clients, and all members of her beloved community. She believes in showing up, even when difficult, and doing her best in every situation daily. The reputation and growth of Steller Hair Company are evidence that she is succeeding in these goals. In 2017, Katie had the idea to start a project that would help spread positivity and kindness. Katie decided that she wanted to use her skills as a hairstylist to celebrate and uplift those around her. She started by offering free haircuts to those in need and publishing stories of people doing good in their communities, even in small ways. Her idea developed into the Steller Kindness Project, now a nonprofit organization that recognizes and celebrates those in the community who show up, and have a positive impact on those around them without even knowing it. Because if fear is contagious, what can’t kindness be?
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37. Kathryn Lammers
Partner, Heimerl and Lammers
Kathryn Lammers is a Partner at Heimerl and Lammers (H&L), where she leads the family law department. She has represented hundreds of clients in civil litigation cases in Minnesota, the vast majority of which have been in family law matters. She has experience in virtually every aspect of the litigation process, including appeals, jury trials, bench trials, summary judgment hearings, motion practice, and ADR, including Early Neutral Evaluations.
Lammers uses her leadership and interpersonal skills to handle a full range of family law concerns from custody and parenting time to the division of complex assets. She believes that the practice of family law should be civil and treat all parties with respect even in the most acrimonious of disputes. She has received compliments from clients, the court, and opposing attorneys as to her professionalism and competency in handling family law cases. Lammers’ clients have described her as "knowledgeable," "excellent," and an "attorney who truly cares." Her clients have lauded her for being calm and collected in court, and tough on the opposition.
Lammers is on the bench and bar committee at the Hennepin County Bar Association, working to bring the members of the bench in contact with members of the bar through education. She also serves as a volunteer investigator on the 4th Judicial District Ethics Committee. She has a JD from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
38. Maria Awes
Executive Vice President, Committee Films, Inc.
Maria Awes is the Executive Vice President of Committee Films, a Minneapolis-based production company that produces a wide range of projects for television, film, advertising, branding, and music.
Awes is an award-winning investigative journalist who spent the first decade of her career working in the Minneapolis/St. Paul television news market. After following countless cases of crime and justice as a producer and storyteller, she took her passion for sharing complex, important stories to the next level. Joining forces with her husband to help create Committee Films, a boutique television production company in Minneapolis. Her breadth of storytelling expanded to include rich, diverse projects across many genres.
At Committee, Awes has overseen the writing and production of a multitude of television series and specials for networks, including, but not limited to, ABC, Hulu, MSNBC, History, Travel, HGTV, and ID. Driven by her desire to expose the truth and bring victims justice, her main interest lies in the true crime and mystery space, but she is also passionate about other concepts, as well. In addition to her work on television series and specials, she also helps oversee commercial and branded content production at the company.
39. Gina Ciganik
Chief Executive Officer, Healthy Building Network
Gina Ciganik, Chief Executive Officer of Healthy Building Network (HBN), has been growing and scaling HBN’s vision since assuming the CEO role in 2016. Before HBN, Ciganik was VP at a Minneapolis-St. Paul area real estate developer, where she spent two decades creating thousands of healthy, high-performance affordable homes. Her efforts culminated in the construction of The Rose, a 90-unit apartment building in Minneapolis that set a new national standard for healthy materials.
Ciganik is recognized as a national leader in transforming human and environmental health through capacity building, strategic partnerships, and innovative business practices. A champion of equity and environmental justice, she is an innovator with a proven track record of creating leading-edge, nationally recognized sustainable spaces where they live, work, and play.
Ciganik was named to Finance and Commerce’s Top Women in Finance (2012 and 2015), and in 2021, she received a Women in Sustainability Leadership Award, one of the most prestigious awards honoring leadership in sustainability across the globe. She completed the Achieving Excellence program at Harvard University's JFK School of Government and holds an undergraduate degree in housing from the University of Minnesota.
40. Debra Laaser
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist & Chief Executive Officer, Faithful & True
Debbie Laaser is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for Faithful & True, a Christian counseling center located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
Laaser was involved in recovery with her husband for over 30 years. After his passing in 2019, she became the director of their counseling center, Faithful & True, treating men struggling with sexual addiction and their spouses. She counsels women who have been sexually betrayed, leads counseling groups for women, counsels couples who are dealing with sexual addiction or sexual unfaithfulness, and leads intensive workshops for women.
Laaser has facilitated therapy groups, individual counseling, and intensives for betrayed wives for over 20 years. She authored From Trauma to Transformation and Shattered Vows, co-authored with her husband Seven Desires and A Toolkit for Growth, and published research, “Posttraumatic Growth in Relationally Betrayed Women.” Laaser has an MA in marriage and family therapy from Adler Graduate School.
41. Ning Li
Head of Platform Development, Genesis Medtech Group
Ning Li is the Head of Platform Development at Genesis Medtech Group, where she leads digital surgery product line development, providing AI-driven systems and enabling intra-operative and post-operative solutions for surgeons.
Li is an innovation leader in digital product research and development, including various industrial solutions with Artificial Intelligence. She joined the Fortune 500 company Seagate Technology in Minnesota in 1998. Over her 18-year tenure, she focused on advanced technology research and product development management. She held a technical leadership role leading teams to deliver world-class innovation results. She has managed product development from prototype to volume production, and the product has achieved industry-first in time-to-market and record-setting performance benchmarks. She was later responsible for advanced technology roadmap, architecture design integration, and customer technical communication. In 2016, she moved to Pittsburgh and co-founded the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning platform company Petuum, where she held various executive positions. She led the company to grow over 100 employees with investments from Softbank, Tencent, and Northern Light Ventures. Li has been a venture partner at Foothill Ventures since 2019.
Li received her undergraduate degree from Tsinghua University, her MS and PhD from Rice University, and her Executive MBA from the University of Minnesota.
42. Marcia J. Bunge
Professor of Religion and Bernhardson Distinguished Chair, Gustavus Adolphus College
Marcia J. Bunge is a Professor of Religion and the Bernhardson Distinguished Endowed Chair at Gustavus Adolphus College and an Extraordinary Research Professor at North-West University in South Africa. Bunge is a scholar, faith leader, and child advocate. She has written widely on children and youth and has been engaged in several academic and advocacy efforts devoted to children and child wellbeing. She regularly speaks about her work in the US and abroad and has participated in child-focused consultations and initiatives on six continents.
Bunge's primary area of research is perspectives on children and childhood in world religions, and she has published six volumes on the subject, including The Child in Christian Thought (Eerdmans, 2001), Children, Adults, and Shared Responsibilities: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives (Cambridge University, 2012), and Child Theology: Diverse Methods and Global Perspectives (Orbis Books, 2021). Bunge has also written about the moral and spiritual formation of young people, issues in higher education, and the history of education and child protection in Germany and Scandinavia.
She is an ELCA Lutheran, co-founder of the Gustavus Academy for Faith, Science, and Ethics, and co-editor of a collection of essays entitled So that All May Flourish: The Aims of Lutheran Higher Education (Fortress, 2023). Over the years, Bunge has procured institutional and research grants totaling more than $4.5 million. She earned her BA from Saint Olaf College and her MA and PhD from the University of Chicago.
43. Shannon Gilbert
Director of Claims Management, Brown & Brown
Shannon Gilbert is a Director of Claims Management at Brown & Brown with more than 30 years of experience in a variety of casualty claims roles.
Gilbert has worked for TPA’s insurance carriers, a Risk Management Department, a law firm, and a consulting company. Gilbert works on behalf of Brown & Brown clients to ensure the best business outcomes and cultural fit in many aspects of their Workers’ Compensation Program. She is actively involved in working with clients on claim closure initiatives, litigation management issues, RFP processes, workflow, and process management (both internal and within the TPA/Carrier), audits, strategic program planning, and training opportunities. She also organizes client claim reviews and round table discussions on complex claims and keeps clients apprised of the constantly evolving jurisdictional changes in the workers’ compensation arena.
Outside of work, Gilbert has been involved in a variety of community organizations and activities. She was a member of her local hockey board of directors for nine years and among her many activities, she organized the volunteer program for the association and the SKATE program. SKATE is a program designed to recognize hockey players who maintained above a 3.0 GPA throughout their busy hockey season. Gilbert was also one of the founders of her local fire department auxiliary organization, which helped fundraise and secure grants for necessary equipment for the fire department.
44. Joni Thome
Partner, Wanta Thome PLC
Joni Thome is a founding partner of Wanta Thome PLC and is a practicing MSBA Certified Employment Law Specialist. She has been recognized locally and nationally for her work for employees and others adversely affected by discrimination and hostility due to their protected status.
Thome has worked for employees and students for over 30 years with unwavering commitment. She is a founder of the MN Lavender Bar Association and board member emeritus. She has also served on boards or worked as a volunteer for several organizations over the years, including Gender Justice, the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association, OutFront MN, Minnesota Aids Project, Cancer Legal Care, Seward Childcare Center, and the MN Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association.
Thome has been named SuperLawyer each year since 2005 and consistently received recognition as a Top 50 Woman Lawyer and Top 100 Lawyer in Minnesota. She co-taught sexual orientation in the law at HUSL for several years. She is the recipient of community service awards from the MN Lavender Bar Association, MN NELA's Karla Wahl Dedicated Advocacy Award, and Cancer Legal Care's service award. Most of all, Thome is known for her passion for the pursuit of justice for her clients and the greater good.
45. Kristin Parrott
Senior Manager Product & Design, Abbott
Kristin Parrott is the Senior Manager of Product and Design at Abbott, a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Parrott was previously a director of product and design at Bigfoot Biomedical, a leader in developing intelligent, connected injection support systems for people living with insulin-requiring diabetes.
Parrott has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry and has dedicated her career to designing products and services to improve health outcomes for patients and streamline care delivery for healthcare providers. She started her career as a registered nurse working in critical care and cardiology and in 2003 made the transition to telehealth startup company Cardiocom, which was eventually acquired by Medtronic in 2013. During her combined 18 years there, Parrott held leadership roles in program and product management, clinical services, and clinical informatics, which allowed her to become adept at leading teams and delivering innovative, digital health solutions.
Parrott serves as a delegation director, leading a group of student delegates for the YMCA's Youth in Government program. She earned her undergraduate degree in nursing from the University of North Dakota.
46. Suzi Kim Scott
Owner and Principal, SKS Communications
Suzi Kim Scott is Principal and Owner of SKS Communications, a strategic communications and reputation management consultancy with expertise in media relations and stakeholder advocacy. She has 16 years of experience in communications and public relations and brings a passion for collaboration, storytelling, and working with a diverse stakeholder group to engage dynamic teams. As a communications and public relations strategist and change management consultant for large nonprofits and corporations, she builds and heightens reputations while creating cohesive brand experiences for her clients through exceptional storytelling. Suzi creates frameworks and drives communications strategies for new projects, mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, and recruitment challenges.
As a mentor and business owner, she excels at fostering team growth, identifying and onboarding creative thinkers, and embracing her clients’ culture. Suzi helps tell her clients’ stories externally and internally while supporting the team and the client’s broader business goals. She works closely with executives to develop communications strategies in service of their business priorities and to drive their reputations.
Suzi’s experience spans board development, governance, strategic planning, industry thought leadership and systems change. She has dedicated a career and board service to social impact and equity, particularly in public health, children's rights, economic development, and education.
47. Dr. Sousada Grande
Network Director of High School Placement, Prodeo Academy
A transformational youth mentor, licensed educator, and network leader, Sousada Grande “saves” young people by helping them build their capacity to see circumstances that scream impossible as “I’m possible.” Something she learned from her own life’s journey after being born in a refugee camp in Thailand.
Dr. Grande began her career as a licensed high school mathematics teacher in urban settings and has held multifaceted leadership roles in charter and private schools, including instructional coach, assistant principal, social justice mathematics education consultant, and principal. Currently, she serves as a Network-level Director of High School Placement at Prodeo Academy, a college preparatory school with two campuses: Columbia Heights and St. Paul.
In her inaugural year of serving in this role, Grande utilizes her multilingual skills to engage families and community partners. Her leadership, coupled with her capacity to fundraise, and connect with donors, and community and school partners, has so far enabled Prodeo Academy 8th graders to garner over $750,000 in scholarships, grants, and gifts to attend their top-choice private high schools.
Dr. Grande is passionate about creating access to high-quality education for underserved students from low-income communities. She also adamantly believes that all students, no matter their socio-economic status, ethnicity, or zip code deserve the opportunity to contribute productively to society and build generational wealth. Through her own life’s journey, she knows that education is one of the major gateways to enable her belief to become a reality. She is proud to serve in a neighborhood she once called home.
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