2025 Speakers
Highlights from our previous conference
Keynote
Mike Evans
Founder of Grubhub and Fixer
Mike Evans founded GrubHub in his spare bedroom and grew it into the multi-billion-dollar online food delivery colossus that is a household name. After leaving GrubHub post-IPO, he punted it all to ride his bike across the United States. His book Hangry came out November 2022.
About Speakers
Alexander Jekowsky
Co-Founder & CEO at Cents
Alexander Jekowsky is a distinguished serial entrepreneur and a Forbes 30 under 30 recipient. He has raised over $100M in venture capital in his career and has completed several M&A transactions after selling his first business at the age of 23.
Avihou Barkay
(Kellogg MBA '07) President & Chief Commercial Officer at Plus One Robotics
Avihou Barkay is an accomplished technology executive with over two decades of experience in leading and scaling global businesses in the robotics, electronics, 3D printing, and telecom industries. His career is defined by a relentless commitment to customer centricity and an execution-oriented culture.
Jason Barsema
(Kellogg MBA '14) Co-founder & President at Halo's Investing Inc
As the Co-Founder & President of Halo Investing, Jason Barsema built the Halo platform to democratize access to protective investments. After receiving his B.A. from NIU, and M.B.A. from Northwestern, Jason spent over a decade in Private Banking, managing portfolios for Ultra High Net Worth Individuals & Institutions.
Karuna Rawal
(Kellogg MBA '90) CRO & CMO at Nature's Fynd
Karuna is an award-winning marketer who has helped build and shape some of the world's most iconic brands. She is a brand builder at heart with the ability to create new products and channels to drive profitable brand revenue and enterprise value.
Plamen Petrov
(NU MEM '07) Former CEO at Healee
Plamen Petrov is experienced business & technology leader, successful as both entrepreneur and intrapreneur, as well as Fortune 20 executive, having held various roles such as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Data Officer, VP for AI, spinoff & startup cofounder.
Brad Weisberg
Co-founder & CEO at Snapsheet
Brad Weisberg is the Founder and CEO of Snapsheet, a pioneering leader in virtual claims management technology that is transforming the insurance industry. With a passion for innovation and a relentless drive to improve customer experiences, Brad has built Snapsheet into a market disruptor, helping over 150 insurers, streamline their claims processes through cutting-edge automation and AI-driven solutions.
Julie Roth Novack
(Kellogg MBA '93) CEO and Co-Founder at PartySlate
Julie Novack is the CEO and Co-Founder of PartySlate, a premier photo-rich marketplace connecting people planning events with top-tier planners, venues, and vendors. With over 20 years of digital marketing experience working with some of the world's most renowned brands, Julie has channeled her expertise into transforming the events industry.
William Fiely
(Kellogg MBA '04) Co-founder & CMO at Aligned Modern Healthcare
Bill Fiely founded Aligned Modern Health, an integrative medicine clinic that sees patients in person in one of their 18 locations and virtually in select states around the country. Prior to Aligned Modern Health, Bill held management roles at PepsiCo, SC Johnson and BBDO. Bill graduated from the Kellogg School of Management has a BA from Vanderbilt University.
Veetahl Eilat-Raichel
(Kellogg MBA '10) Co-founder & CEO at Sorbet
Veetahl Eilat-Raichel is an award-winning Co-founder and CEO of Sorbet, a pioneering fintech platform that unlocks the value of PTO (Paid Time Off). With over 20 years of experience in multinational fintech, IT, and CPG, Veetahl has led Sorbet through three successful funding rounds, raising $52M and scaling the company across multiple markets.
Akshat Thirani
Co-founder & CEO at Amper
Akshat Thirani is the CEO and co-founder of Amper Technologies, a company transforming the manufacturing industry with its innovative FactoryOS solution. Growing up in a family of manufacturers, he was immersed in the complexities of factory operations from an early age—an experience that later fueled his entrepreneurial journey.
