John Pournoor, CEO, Government Analytica. A foundng member, John Pournoor is the CEO and founder of Government Analytica. He has 35 years of experience working at the nexus of governments and industry, most recently as VP of Government Affairs at 3M with operations in 29 states and in over 37 countries. He has worked internationally with heads of state, cabinet members, ministers, parliamentarians, legislatures, ambassadors, diplomats, associations, NGOs, multilateral organizations, foundations, and think tanks. Government Analytica provides its private and public sector clients research, analysis, and public-value thought leadership insights and content to better engage governments in health care, infrastructure, technology, trade, supply chains, safety, and security sectors.
Robert Suarez, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Reuseful. Reuseful is a hybrid Venture Lab + Pre-Seed funding team building a portfolio of Regenerative and Circular ventures with a focus on Waste-To-Value models. Robert is a venture design and innovation leader with over 20 years of experience in creating and scaling sustainable solutions for people, systems, and planet. He originates, develops and grows impact ventures in the areas of regenerative ecosystems, circularity and humane tech. Robert is an award-winning design and innovation outcomes for large corporations, startups, and impact partners, such as Planet Home, Singularity Labs, and IDEO. He holds a Master's degree in Biomimicry from Arizona State University and BFA in Industrial Design from Carnegie Mellon University.
Devry Boughner Vorwerk, CEO of DevryBV Sustainable Strategies. A founding member, she is a well-known global food executive and corporate officer, having served as Chief Communications Officer and Global Head of Corporate Affairs at Cargill and as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Grubhub. Devry was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and was named one of the world’s top 100 global communicators three years running by the influential Holmes Report. Currently, Devry is a committee member of the U.S.-Pacific Economic Cooperation Council; a senior fellow at The Conference Board; and a member of the International Advisory Council of APCO Worldwide.
Prasad Boradkar, Dean of the College of Design at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Prasad Boradkar is dean of the University of Minnesota’s College of Design. A founding member, he is a designer, anthropologist, educator, and researcher with several years of experience leading design and research teams in both academia and industry. Most recently Boradkar served as UX research and sustainability lead at Google’s Advanced Technology & Projects Division, where he led efforts on user experience research and sustainable development for health and wellness products.
Patricia Khashayar, Director, International Institute for Biosensing (IIB). A founding member, Patricia Khashayar is the Director of the International Institute for Biosensing (IIB) in the Research Computing, Research & Innovation Office at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. In this role, she leads a coordinated and collaborative national and international initiative that brings together experts from academia, nonprofits, industry, and government agencies. Her work focuses on developing real partnerships, identifying barriers to advancing biosensing research, and generating innovative solutions. A Medical Doctor by training, Patricia holds a PhD in Nanobiotechnology and Biomedical Engineering. She got her MBA in entrepreneurship from London Business School.
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Michael Sheldrick, Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Affairs Officer, Global Citizen. Michael is a policy entrepreneur, author and a driving force behind the efforts of Global Citizen to end extreme poverty and build climate resilience. As a Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact, and Government Affairs Officer, he has mobilized over $43 billion in support for healthcare, education and climate from governments, businesses, and foundations. Michael is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, and the author of the Amazon best-selling book, From Ideas to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World (Wiley: 2024)