Speakers

John has extensive experience as a director of portfolio companies, including his current directorships at Cellectar BioSciences (NASDAQ:CLRB) and Delphinus Medical Technologies. He has assisted companies from inception to exit through IPO or acquisition. Past successes include Third Wave Technologies (acquired by Hologic following IPO), TomoTherapy (merged with Accuray following IPO), NimbleGen Systems (acquired by Roche), and Inviragen (acquired by Takeda).  He has been actively engaged in advancing the entrepreneurial ecosystem throughout his career and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Venture Capital Association, the Wisconsin Technology Council, and the Board of Trustees for the Morgridge Institute for Research.

Ema is a passionate educator and digital transformation expert with a unique background in teaching and over a decade of experience guiding companies through their digital evolution. She is the co-founder of Roloff Consulting and the Host of Leading Change. Ema has received prestigious awards and accolades, including the RISE 35 under 35 Award and recognition as an Industry Influencer by InsurTech Hartford. 

Ema’s diverse experience spans various industries, enabling her to identify patterns and facilitate insightful discussions that transcend industry boundaries. With over 300 expert interviews conducted in Digital Transformation and Innovation, Ema is a trusted voice in the field.

Heather Wentler is an advocate for entrepreneurs who identify as woman and historically marginalized gender/s; believing they are strong, independent individuals capable of success.  Professional trained as an educator, Heather pivoted into entrepreneurship as the Founder of Fractal, Madison SOUP, and is currently the Executive Director and Co-founder of Doyenne which brings a holistic approach to supporting the entrepreneurial journey & ecosystem. She has served on various organizing committees, advisory boards, board of directors, and has membership of organizations committed to advancing recognition and possibilities for all individuals.

Heather has won multiple local awards and has been publicly recognized for entrepreneurship and the work she does in the community. She serves on various committees and Boards from across Wisconsin to make sure gender and racial/ethnicity equity & inclusion is a top priority for organizations and conferences focusing on entrepreneurship.

Nick Myers is the Co-Founder & CEO of RedFox AI, an AI-focused digital healthcare company based in Madison, WI. The AI-powered RedFox platform can verbally facilitate and troubleshoot any home diagnostic or medical device closing the last mile in communication between patients, diagnostics and device manufacturers, and healthcare providers. 

Nick is a TEDx and International Keynote Speaker having delivered dozens of talks on the future of Artificial Intelligence, conversational AI, and data privacy across the U.S. and around the world. Nick is an In Business Madison 40 Under 40 and Best of Madison Business award winner, and has been featured in publications such as PR Daily, the Journal of Digital and Social Media Marketing, the Wisconsin State Journal, Wisconsin Inno, Wisconsin Health News, In Business Madison, and the PropertyGuru Property Report for his work. 

He is an outspoken advocate of the need for stricter consumer data privacy regulations and currently volunteers as a member of the Open Voice Network (OVON) Privacy & Security Workgroup. As part of his work with OVON, Nick co-authored the OVON sponsored Privacy Principles and Capabilities Unique to Voice white paper published last year. In addition, Nick co-authored a whitepaper focused on the impact of conversational AI on remote patient monitoring. 

Nick earned his Bachelor of Science in Communication from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in 2016. 

Richelle Martin is the founder and Managing Director of the Winnow Fund, a venture capital fund focused on making early-stage investments in Wisconsin-based companies. The Winnow Fund began investing in January 2021 and has invested in 9 portfolio companies. She has a particular interest in investment opportunities originating from colleges and universities. Richelle is a Wisconsin native who obtained a B.A. in Art History, Political Science, and Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Her experience includes assisting entrepreneurs in business creation and other formational matters, leading UW-Madison’s industry-sponsored research office, and administering public and private translational research funding for commercialization of innovations.

Will Robus is a seasoned executive decision maker spending the last 20 years in the C-suites of technology and security companies focused on what drives results and scales successfully.

At Outpost Security, Will works with CISOs to imagine a more expansive future for their SOC with a solid SIEM foundation – leveraging his experience delivering disruptive technologies to the market.