Meet the Team

Samir Mayekar is an accomplished leader with a track record of driving innovation and impact across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. He serves as the Managing Director of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago where he plays a pivotal role in advancing the University’s innovation, technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, and partnership priorities.  The Polsky Center has supported the creation of over 750 companies still operating today that have raised or exited over $10B.  Samir is also an adjunct faculty member who teaches graduate courses at the Chicago Booth School of Business and the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago.

Most recently, Samir was deputy mayor for the city of Chicago, where he focused on economic and neighborhood development. He managed nine city departments and sister agencies and a staff of over 3000.  Previously he served in the U.S. government where he was part of the White House’s national security team and on the executive staff at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.

Samir also cofounded and served as CEO of NanoGraf Corporation, a global manufacturer of advanced materials for the lithium-ion battery industry that has raised over $200 million in funding and was spun out of Argonne National Laboratory and Northwestern University. He holds a BA and MBA from Northwestern, where he served as a trustee, and he is active in the Chicago civic community, serving on the boards of the Commercial Club, Civic Federation, Lyric Opera, Ravinia Festival, Hubbard Street Dance, Third Coast Percussion, and Millennium Bank. He is a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and is an alumnus of the Marshall Memorial Fellowship and the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans.

Nicole Bell serves as Chief of Staff at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. In this role, she leads strategic initiatives and operations, including HR, finance, corporate partnerships, and the UChicago Science Incubator.

Nicole brings 15 years of experience in strategy and operations most recently as the First Deputy for Economic and Neighborhood Development for the City of Chicago, where she drove equitable economic recovery through large-scale initiatives such as the Chicago Recovery Plan’s $1.2 billion in new investments. Prior to her work with the City, Nicole was a Project Leader at the Boston Consulting Group, where she worked with a diverse set of clients including universities on strategy, innovation, and operations.

A lifelong science enthusiast, Nicole has also taught high school chemistry and coached robotics at a DC Public School, and she supported the success of small businesses and job seekers at the NYC Department of Small Business Services. Nicole holds a BA with honors and an MBA with high honors from the University of Chicago and is a Leadership Greater Chicago fellow.

Erika Mercer serves as the executive director of Booth Entrepreneurship at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. In this role, she oversees all entrepreneurship programming within Chicago Booth, leading a team of staff in developing co-curricular programs and experiential learning opportunities for MBA students, alumni, and other related constituents. This includes managing the startup, private equity, venture capital, entrepreneurship through acquisition, and small business programs that serve the professional interests of students and alumni. She has been with the Polsky Center since 2010 and, over that time, has led the development and growth of numerous Polsky Center offerings.

Erika brings close to 20 years of experience in higher education, having previously held roles in the international programming offices at the University of Chicago, Harvard University, and Brown University, where she managed, developed, and promoted study abroad programs worldwide, acted as the primary contact for students, faculty, and staff on site, and provided international training and advising to undergraduates. She served as a member of several international education organizations, including The Forum on Education Abroad and NAFSA: Association of International Educators; was published in Abroad View Magazine and the Bulletin of the American Research Center in Egypt; and presented at national conferences on the topic of cultural and citizen diplomacy. She also interned in the Academic Editorial Department at Oxford University Press, where she assisted editors with the review and preparation of manuscripts for production.

Erika earned a BA, magna cum laude, from Middlebury College and an EdM from Harvard University. She has studied in Spain, Germany, and Egypt.

Madhav Rajan is Dean of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and George Pratt Shultz Professor of Accounting. His primary area of research interest is the economics-based analysis of management accounting issues, especially as they relate to the choice of internal control and performance systems in firms. He has carried out analytical, empirical, and field-based research on the role of information in incentive contracting, the value of nonfinancial and subjective performance measures, and the structural properties and usefulness of common financial ratios.

Before joining Booth, Rajan spent 16 years on the faculty of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business where he was the Robert K. Jaedicke Professor of Accounting, with a courtesy appointment in the Law School. He served as senior associate dean for academic affairs from 2010-2016, overseeing the school’s MBA program. From 2002-2010, he was area coordinator for the accounting faculty group. Previously, he served on the faculty at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, from 1990-2001.

While at Stanford, Rajan received the Robert T. Davis Award for Lifetime Achievement and Service (2017), and the Notable Contribution to Management Accounting Literature Award (2004). He also was the recipient of the David W. Hauck Award for Outstanding Teaching at Wharton (2000) and the Alexander Henderson Award for Excellence in Economic Theory (1990).

Rajan has served as editor of The Accounting Review, as well as Associate Editor for both the Accounting and Operations areas for Management Science. He has twice been a plenary speaker at the AAA Management Accounting Conference. He is coauthor of Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis, whose 16th edition was published by Pearson Prentice Hall in January 2017. He is also coauthor of Managerial Accounting, whose first edition was published by Pearson in January 2013.

He is a Director of Cavium, Inc. and iShares, Inc. and a Trustee of the iShares Trust.

Rajan received his Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the University of Madras, India, and an MS in Accounting, an MS in Industrial Administration, and a PhD in Accounting from Carnegie Mellon University.

Steven Neil Kaplan is the Neubauer Family Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Kessenich E.P. Faculty Director of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Steve cofounded the Polsky Center and the entrepreneurship program at Chicago Booth. He also started the New Venture Challenge (NVC), which is recognized as one of the top accelerator programs in the nation.

He teaches advanced MBA and executive courses in entrepreneurial finance and private equity, corporate finance, corporate governance, and wealth management. BusinessWeek named him one of the top 12 business school teachers in the country. Steve conducts research on issues in private equity, venture capital, entrepreneurial finance, corporate governance and corporate finance. He has published papers in a number of academic and business journals. Kaplan is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and an associate editor of the Journal of Financial Economics.

He is the co-creator of the Kaplan-Schoar PME (Public Market Equivalent) private equity benchmarking approach. A Fortune Magazine article referred to him as “probably the foremost private equity scholar in the galaxy.”

Full Bio

Erika Mercer serves as the executive director of Booth Entrepreneurship at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. In this role, she oversees all entrepreneurship programming within Chicago Booth, leading a team of staff in developing co-curricular programs and experiential learning opportunities for MBA students, alumni, and other related constituents. This includes managing the startup, private equity, venture capital, entrepreneurship through acquisition, and small business programs that serve the professional interests of students and alumni. She has been with the Polsky Center since 2010 and, over that time, has led the development and growth of numerous Polsky Center offerings.

Erika brings close to 20 years of experience in higher education, having previously held roles in the international programming offices at the University of Chicago, Harvard University, and Brown University, where she managed, developed, and promoted study abroad programs worldwide, acted as the primary contact for students, faculty, and staff on site, and provided international training and advising to undergraduates. She served as a member of several international education organizations, including The Forum on Education Abroad and NAFSA: Association of International Educators; was published in Abroad View Magazine and the Bulletin of the American Research Center in Egypt; and presented at national conferences on the topic of cultural and citizen diplomacy. She also interned in the Academic Editorial Department at Oxford University Press, where she assisted editors with the review and preparation of manuscripts for production.

Erika earned a BA, magna cum laude, from Middlebury College and an EdM from Harvard University. She has studied in Spain, Germany, and Egypt.

Crystal Camargo, PhD, serves as an Assistant Director for Science Programs at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. In this role, she supports a portfolio of science-focused programs and events—including I-Corps, the Collaboratorium, Innovation Fund Associates, the Commercialization Fellowship, Courses for Scientists, and Innovation Fellows—that empower students, postdocs, faculty, and researchers working at the intersection of science, business, and entrepreneurship.

Crystal has spent more than a decade helping students and faculty thrive in higher education. Her career has taken her through the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Denver, with each experience deepening her expertise and passion for learning. At UChicagoGRAD, she guided STEM master’s students as they mapped out their career paths, offering support that blended practical advice with big-picture vision. At Northwestern, she became a connector, supporting programs that brought together departments and communities, including the Center for Civic Engagement, the Bridge Scholars Program, and the Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities. She also stepped into the classroom, teaching undergraduates about film and media literacy, and later designing workshops that helped faculty explore the possibilities of AI in teaching. Today, at the Polsky Center, Crystal continues to bring curiosity, creativity, and collaboration to everything she does.

Crystal earned both her doctorate and master’s degrees in Communication and Media Studies from Northwestern University, along with graduate certificates in teaching and management. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies, Spanish Language & Literature, and Gender Studies from the University of Denver. Outside of work, she enjoys caring for houseplants, taking dance classes of all kinds, weightlifting, watching movies, and exploring new coffee shops in different neighborhoods.

Julie Colhoff is the Associate Director, Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Programs at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. In this role, she oversees the cultivation of the undergraduate entrepreneurship community, including managing the College New Venture Challenge and the new Entrepreneurship and Innovation minor.

Julie is passionate about supporting undergraduate student development. She brings over a decade of experience in higher education, with a strong background in student advising, leadership development, and program administration. Prior to joining Polsky, she served as Assistant Director of Athletics, Compliance and Retention at Malcolm X College, where she led strategic programming and support services for student-athletes. Earlier in her career, Julie coached NCAA Division I women’s soccer, including co-launching the women’s soccer program at the University of Illinois Chicago. She has also worked as an academic advisor and college instructor, assisting undergraduate students in navigating both academic and personal development goals.

Julie holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Lewis University and a Bachelor of Science from Loyola University Chicago, where she was a four-year student-athlete.

Sarah Harris is the Senior Assistant Director, Operations at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Part of the Education and Programming team at the Polsky Center, Sarah focuses on the Center’s business operations, specifically bookkeeping related to procurement and vendor relationships, and expense system management.

Sarah comes to the University of Chicago with over a decade of experience in Operations and Administration, much of which has been in Southern California’s nonprofit sector. Having worked in a wide range of positions and leadership, Sarah holds a deep appreciation for the importance of organizational culture. She is committed to creating operational systems and policies that empower people to focus on their most important work and cultivating a healthy, productive working environment that respects, honors and promotes excellence.

A recent transplant to Chicago, Sarah was born and raised in Long Beach, California. She earned a B.A. in Recreation and Leisure Services at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) and enjoys camping, reading, thrifting, and looking for ways to get involved and enjoy her local community.

Mary Kay Loncar serves as the associate director at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Mary Kay manages the day-to-day operations of the Polsky Center from budget reporting, gift, sponsorship and investment processing, contracts, and logistics. She maintains internal relationships with University of Chicago departments and external partners and considers herself a generalist committed to making sure the students the Center serves and her colleagues have the information and resources they need to do their job. 

Prior to joining Polsky, Mary Kay was an assistant director of marketing at UChicago Medicine, where she did similar work. Having spent time on the other side of the University, she was able to transfer her institutional knowledge to her current role and maintains relationships with former colleagues and contacts across campus. Prior to working the University of Chicago, she worked in advertising, marketing, and corporate communications/production. 

Mary Kay earned a B.S. in journalism from the University of Kansas.  

Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, in her spare time Mary Kay is interested in travel and spending time with family and friends. She is also working on becoming a much better cook with the support of her ‘foodie’ colleagues. 

Lucas Peralta is an experienced educator and innovator serving as the Polsky Center’s Director of Strategic Data Initiatives. His penchant for solving difficult problems has made him a key leader and process innovator at the center. Lucas is leading the development of a strategic vision on how the center can use data to better serve students, faculty, and the UChicago community. He passionately believes that process and data must be informed by the people they serve.

Lucas formerly served as the center’s Director of Entrepreneurship Programs, in which he spearheaded programs that support venture creation and entrepreneurial education. Passionate about building human-centered entrepreneurial ecosystems, Lucas strives to foster environments where innovation thrives. Lucas is a graduate of the University of New Mexico and Harvard University. He aims to contribute to best practices around strategic innovation, startup acceleration, and entrepreneurial education across the higher education landscape.

Makaia Smith serves as the Assistant Director of Events at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She will be supporting the Education and Programs team with the planning and execution of a broad range of in-person and virtual events. Makaia will play a critical role in streamlining the events process as we continue to improve our operational efficiency.

Prior to joining the Polsky Center, Makaia was the Events Coordinator for the Kankakee Public Library and Spotlight Meetings and Events, Inc. In this role, she coordinated in-person and virtual community programs and events with 3,500+ attendees.

Makaia’s education background includes a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising and Design with a minor in Event Management from Central Michigan University.

Juliet Twomey is the Assistant Director of Student Programs at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She supports a variety of programs for students pursuing careers in private equity and venture capital.

Before joining the Polsky team, Juliet led student programming for the non-profit Effective Leadership Academy, encouraging students to develop strong leadership skills. She has engaged with various community organizations, such as Solidarity Bridge, a non-profit improving global health, and worked coordinating resources for students and families with Americorps in Dayton, Ohio. Juliet also has international experience working as an English Language Assistant for a K-12 school and supporting research of APSOCECAT, a non-profit for DeafBlind, both positions located in Barcelona, Spain. Juliet graduated from the University of Dayton with a bachelor’s degree in arts & sciences.

In her spare time, Juliet loves traveling, spending time outdoors, painting, and going to concerts.

Prior to joining the Polsky Center, Heather served as the Executive Director, Head of New Business Opportunities of the Rx+ Business Accelerator at Astellas. She led ideation and incubation activities, collaborating closely with colleagues across the company and with VC partners and other external collaborators. Prior to this role, she was the Executive Director of the MedTech Accelerator program at mHUB, where she was responsible for sourcing and evaluation, as well as program execution.

Heather joined Baxter in July 2017 as part of the central innovation team. She led technical assessment teams for due diligence of new opportunities for mergers and acquisitions and venture investment. Following that initial role, Heather was appointed the Director of External Innovation, where she led Baxter’s efforts to increase open innovation partnerships across universities, incubators and accelerators, medical centers, and other partners. She supported transformational innovation for all global business units and technology platforms. She then served as a Director for Medical Operations, where she was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the medical affairs and clinical development function, including grants programs, clinical contracting, and CRO management.

Prior to joining Baxter, Heather was the Assistant Director and Head of Business Development in the Technology Commercialization and Licensing group at the Polsky Center. She spent nine years developing, protecting, and licensing University-owned intellectual property. In addition to her technology portfolio, Heather supported efforts of the commercialization team to identify and manage high-value contacts, coordinating the University’s marketing strategy for the opportunity pipeline, representing the team at multiple partnering meetings, and launching a program to cultivate relationships with venture capital groups. She worked with the team to pilot and grow a proof-of-concept fund and launched several internship programs to leverage the talents of students and postdocs exploring alternative careers. Heather completed a PhD in Neurobiology, Pharmacology, and Cell Physiology at UChicago.

Brittani Brown brings a background spanning startups, venture capital, and entrepreneurship. They have held operator roles at two digital health unicorns, supported accelerator programming at BLCK VC, sourced deals and worked closely with founders through Included VC, and most recently founded PLUG, an AI-powered platform helping small businesses identify and implement the right tools to grow. They join the accelerator team eager to bring these unique perspectives and experiences to their role at Polsky.

Jack Crewse serves as an Associate Manager of Intellectual Property and Technology Development as part of the Polsky Science and Technology team. In this role, he collaborates with a diverse group of faculty members, focusing on the protection of intellectual property in the fields of computer science and physics.

Before his tenure at Polsky, Jack was engaged as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Argonne National Laboratory’s Center for Nanoscale Materials. His research there centered on exploring new nanomaterials through analytical techniques and high-performance computing simulations. As a graduate student at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, he delved into the impact of disorder on quantum phase transitions, employing high-performance Monte Carlo simulations. Additionally, Jack spent time as a Visiting Researcher at the University of Regensburg, where he pioneered simulations for terahertz laser interactions with topological insulator materials, providing vital insights for groundbreaking experiments in ultra-fast electron dynamics. He earned his B.S. in Physics from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in 2015.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Jack is passionate about music and art, enjoys PC gaming, and is a dedicated father.

Anna Dembo, PhD, serves as a manager, intellectual property and technology development, at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She manages patent filings and prosecution for a diverse portfolio, including cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. Anna also participates in faculty outreach efforts and in assessing new technologies from intellectual property and commercial potential perspectives.

Prior to joining Polsky, Anna was a postdoctoral scholar in the laboratory of Dr. Geoffrey L. Greene, chair of the Ben May Department for Cancer Research at the University of Chicago. She also received her doctorate degree at the University of Chicago from the Committee on Cancer Biology. Anna’s research focused on preventing outgrowth of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.

In her spare time, Anna enjoys traveling, cooking, and listening to podcasts.

Kenneth Gayosa Onishi, PhD, serves as manager for business development and licensing at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Ken works with faculty in the Duchossois Family Institute to build partnerships with companies working in the microbiome and helps researchers transform their ideas and discoveries into licenses, products, services, and startups.

Prior to joining Polsky, Ken managed the chronobiology and neuroimmunology laboratory at the Institute for Mind and Biology. He earned his PhD in integrative neuroscience from the University of Chicago and his research focused on circadian rhythms and sex differences in biomedical research. While pursuing his doctoral degree, Ken performed due diligence as a George Schultz Innovation Fund Associate and screened novel University technologies for scientific merit, market size, and consumer adoption.

Ken is dedicated to commercializing microbiome-related technologies to improve health outcomes via therapeutics and diagnostics. In his spare time, Ken enjoys climbing, running outdoors, and experimenting in the kitchen.

Steven Gould, MD, serves as the Consulting Director for Polsky Technology Ventures and is responsible for leading the formation and launch of new science-based ventures from University of Chicago faculty research. In this role, he advises faculty founders, engages the investor community, and works closely with leadership.

Steve is the Founder and Principal of The Gould Consulting Group, which provides advisory services to companies, universities and venture investors seeking to develop and capitalize on healthcare innovations in biotechnology and life sciences, devices, diagnostics, and healthcare IT. He is deeply engaged in the Chicago healthcare and entrepreneurial ecosystem. He is a founding member of the Board of Directors for MATTER; chair of the Advisory Board for Point B, a mentoring program formerly called Chicago Innovation Mentors (CIM); and a member of the Bioscience committee of WBC’s ChicagoNEXT. He has also previously served as a judge in the New Venture Challenge and has been an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Polsky Center.

He has in-depth experience raising capital for and investing in early stage companies in both clinical and scientific research in an academic environment, and as an executive for a publicly traded biotechnology company. As the scientific founder and former CEO of Northfield Laboratories, he led the company’s IPO and raised nearly $300 million in both public and private financings. Prior to Northfield, Steve was Chief of Surgery at Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center and a professor of surgery at the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Steve received his BA from Williams College and his MD degree from Boston University School of Medicine. He completed his residency training in surgery at Yale and the University of Vermont, and a research fellowship at Michael Reese and the University of Chicago.

Mike Hinton, PhD, serves as a senior manager, technology marketing, at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Mike’s responsibilities include sourcing industry partners for the commercialization of a diverse portfolio of University intellectual property. He also identifies and monitors market trends and supports optimization of strategies for introducing technologies into the competitive environment.

Mike holds a PhD in microbiology and immunology from Virginia Commonwealth University and conducted research on the hepatotoxic effects of anti-HIV therapeutics under a National Institute of Health fellowship. Prior to joining Polsky, Mike served on the board of directors of Colonial Scientific, a laboratory and medical supplier primarily serving the northeast region.  He also worked as a chemist for Chemtool Incorporated providing technically oriented project management and sales support.  He also volunteered as a technical consultant with the Chicago Inventors Organization working with early stage medical device companies addressing patentability and marketability of inventions.

In his spare time, Mike enjoys spending time with family, live music shows, and outdoor recreational activities.

Alyssa Master is the Director of Venture Development at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. In this role, she works closely with life sciences faculty to translate their research into high-impact ventures—providing guidance on startup development, commercialization strategy, and investor engagement.

Alyssa is an experienced biotech leader and strategist with a strong background in scaling early-stage companies and building robust, adaptable organizations. She has held pivotal roles in startups in cell therapy and biomaterials, where she helped grow teams, align cross-functional priorities, and lead strategic operations initiatives.
Prior to joining Polsky, Alyssa worked as an independent consultant, advising life sciences startups on operational planning, vendor selection, and go-to-market readiness. She thrives at the intersection of science, strategy, and execution, and is passionate about mentoring founders and cultivating resilient, mission-driven teams.

Alyssa earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and completed postdoctoral research in pharmacology and nanomedicine at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Harrison Paul, PhD, serves as an associate manager, technology marketing, at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Harrison’s responsibilities include sourcing industry partners for the commercialization of a diverse portfolio of University intellectual property. He also identifies and monitors market trends and supports optimization of strategies for introducing technologies into the competitive environment.

Prior to joining Polsky, Harrison earned his PhD in molecular engineering from University of Chicago and conducted research on sustainable materials with enhanced transport properties for applications in water purification and biomedical devices. While pursuing his doctoral degree, Harrison performed due diligence as a George Schultz Innovation Fund Associate and screened novel University technologies for scientific merit, market size, and consumer adoption. He also co-founded Oleo Sponge, Inc. to commercialize an oil spill remediation technology from Argonne National Lab.

In his spare time, Harrison enjoys hiking, climbing, and playing tabletop RPGs.

Rahul Singal is an Associate Director at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago, where he manages accelerator programming for pre-seed startups in cleantech, quantum, and AI/data sectors. He also contributes to strategic initiatives and special projects for the Chicago Booth School of Business, including expanding deep tech accelerators globally from Chicago to Delhi and Paris.

Prior to his work with the Polsky Center, Rahul spent over five years working in technology and innovation, primarily at Accenture, where he worked across North America and Europe as part of the Enterprise Startup Partnerships and Corporate Venture Capital group. He led collaborations with emerging startups which drove over $50M in services revenue. His work spanned frontier technologies such as spacetech, AI, and quantum computing, where he played a central role in structuring partnerships, negotiating licensing agreements, and developing joint go-to-market strategies with Microsoft and other key partners.

Rahul holds a BS in Computer Science from Washington State University, where he was an Engineering and Entrepreneurship Scholar. A technologist at heart, he holds certifications in Microsoft Azure and enjoys AI engineering, full stack development, and creative writing. Whether collaborating with founders or building new tools, Rahul thrives at the intersection of innovation, business, and technology.

Shane Thomas Peace, PhD, is a manager, intellectual property and technology development, at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. He manages patent filings and prosecution for a diverse set of faculty from the Biological Sciences Division and Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. In addition, Shane participates in faculty outreach efforts and in assessing new technologies from intellectual property and commercial potential perspectives.

Prior to joining Polsky, Shane was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Chicago’s Institute for Mind and Biology, where he researched the role of cortical feedback in the olfactory system during odor discrimination tasks using electrophysiological and optogenetic tools. Shane earned a PhD in neurobiology and behavior at Cornell University where he used a microelectrode array and optogenetics to study neural synchronization mechanisms that coordinate coherent oscillations in the olfactory bulb. Shane earned a BA in psychology from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

In his free time, Shane enjoys low and slow barbeque, listening to the Mississippi delta blues, and spending time in the great outdoors.

Abigail Ingram is executive director of the Polsky Exchange, a 21,000-square-foot incubator space that leads the Polsky Center’s engagement with the South Side community through programs and initiatives that support local business owners and entrepreneurs. Prior to joining the Polsky Center, Abigail served as faculty at DePaul University’s Driehaus College of Business, teaching undergraduate and MBA courses related to entrepreneurship and business law.
Abigail also launched the Women in Entrepreneurship Institute (WEI) while at DePaul University and served as its inaugural director for three years. While at WEI, the nation’s first comprehensive institute for women founders, Abigail designed and proved a model that measurably increases economic empowerment for entrepreneurs.

An entrepreneur herself, Abigail launched her first venture, a music studio in Denver, Colorado, in 2009, and spent four years exploring sustainable business models for creative entrepreneurs. Abigail is a practicing attorney who founded and runs a boutique law firm that provides legal counsel to Illinois for-profit and not-for-profit entities.

Abigail earned her J.D. and an M.A. in English from DePaul University. She went to undergrad at Eastern Illinois University, where she also studied English.

Vince Beachum is Senior Program Manager and Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Director at Polsky Exchange.  In this role, Vince is responsible for setting the strategic direction for the Center, day-to-day operations, including one-on-one advising, strategic business & feasibility planning, business development, financial analysis & modeling, accessing capital, market research and education & training to new and existing business owners.  Vince also focuses on community outreach, works closely with community organizations, businesses and industry leaders in effort to align resources, initiatives and training.

Vince is a Desert Storm Veteran and has over 20 years of experience working for Fortune 500 companies such as General Electric and John Deere, where he led multiple business units in operations optimization, cost reduction, profit maximization and strategic growth.  After leaving the corporate world, Vince spent 12 years as owner of several small businesses, including a mechanical engineering company and logistics & distribution franchise.  Prior to joining Polsky Exchange, Vince worked as an Illinois and Indiana SBDC Business Advisor.  He is also an adjunct professor for the City Colleges of Chicago where he teaches in the Business and Supply Chain Management disciplines.

Vince earned his B.S. in Process Management from Franklin University and an M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.  Vince is a golf enthusiast, comedy buff and audio books fanatic.

In her role as Director of Strategic Partnerships, Amelia Salter drives collaboration with a range of external partners, aligning resources and relationships to strengthen the Polsky Center’s mission and the founders it serves.

Amelia brings extensive experience building strategic partnerships and programs across both the public and private sectors. Prior to joining Polsky, she worked with a boutique marketing agency to develop comprehensive marketing and communications strategies for Fortune 500 and startup clients in healthcare, life sciences, and MedTech. Previously, she served as Senior Director of Programs at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, where she managed a portfolio of programs and initiatives that provided educational content, resources, and business services to Chicago’s business community. Before joining the Chamber, Amelia spent nearly four years with the University of Illinois System’s Office of Economic Development and Innovation forging new partnerships to connect the university’s R&D assets, faculty, students, and alumni with diverse stakeholders across the state.

Amelia holds a master’s in business administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a bachelor of arts in communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She currently serves on the associate board of Chicago:Blend, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in Chicago’s venture capital and startup community. In her spare time, Amelia enjoys traveling, reading, and trying out new recipes.

Abigail Prescott serves as the Executive Director of Marketing & Communications for the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. In this role, she leads the Polsky Center’s internal and external messaging strategies to amplify the brand of the center and advance awareness of the broad suite of entrepreneurship programs available to students, alumni, faculty, and research partners, as well as the University of Chicago’s technology commercialization efforts and bolstering community engagement at through the Polsky Exchange.

Abigail holds over a decade of experience in external communications strategies and implementation. She brings experience in creative storytelling, targeted messaging, and brand identity to this role. Most recently, she held the position of Chief Communications Officer at Urban Gateways where she managed and launched an organizational visual identity rebrand; oversaw the development of a multi-platform mobile app technology solution with a heavy focus on end-user experience; and led a special task force to establish, adopt, and implement organizational core values. In her time with Urban Gateways she built a robust communications team focused on creative storytelling in order to demonstrate organizational impact to supporters and constituents. Abigail believes in the power of stories to help people connect more deeply with their passions and interests.

Abigail earned a master’s degree in arts management from Columbia College of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Illinois Wesleyan University. She believes in the power of the arts and all variety of creative practices as catalysts for change and growth – both personally and professionally.

Abigail lives in Oak Park with her husband, Hayden, and their three children, Beatrix, Isaac, and Logan. In her spare time she is a vinyasa yoga teacher, is a budding gardener, and makes extravagant cakes for her children’s birthdays.

Melissa Fassbender serves as the director, content and science communications at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. In this role, she works closely with the Science and Technology team to highlight translational research, IP-based startups, among other groundbreaking innovation and new technologies from across the University. She also is responsible for planning and managing all logistics for external brand-building opportunities and events, engaging with campus partners, media outlets, and external organizations in the entrepreneurial, science, technology, and business community.

Prior to joining Polsky, Melissa was an editor at Xconomy where she wrote about innovation in the biotech space. Before this, she held the same title at Outsourcing-Pharma, a global publication focused on drug development and clinical trials. She also was the editor of an online and print magazine dedicated to design engineering.

Melissa earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas, where she majored in literary studies and minored in communications and journalism.

Melissa is interested in old books, modern art, and coffee in any form.

Jessy Tapper Derleth, AM ’15, serves as the senior writer and content manager at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She is primarily responsible for writing the Polsky Weekly 10, a weekly email newsletter that shares the most relevant and exciting news in Polsky’s ecosystem to upwards of 25,000 subscribers from around the world every Friday. 

 Prior to joining Polsky, Jessy worked as a copywriter for a comprehensive marketing agency, helping to shape the voice and experiential language for a variety of household brand names, from Sour Patch Kids and Wheat Thins to United Airlines and the U.S. Army.  

Jessy earned her master’s degree in humanities from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University where she graduated cum laude with highest honors in English. 

Outside of her work with the Polsky Center, Jessy spends most of her time writing for other mediums, currently trying her hand at fiction. In her spare time, she loves reading a good (and sometimes bad) book, yoga, learning to cook, NFL RedZone, and her adorable French bulldog pup named Hank. 

Lisa Ballard is the Executive Assistant for Samir Mayekar and Angie Marks.  She has been with the University of Chicago for  25 years.  With 12 years of experience supporting C-suite executives in the Office of Civic Engagement, she has thrived in efficiency, organization and managing complex schedules. Lisa has established relationships with both internal and external partners.

Away from the University, Lisa enjoys spending time with her family.

Beatriz Gonzalez is the executive assistant for Bill Payne, executive director for science and technology at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She support executive administrative functions and special projects for the technology commercialization and operations teams.

Prior to working at the Polsky Center, Beatriz spent a dozen years as an assistant at a law firm in the West Loop. She enjoys working on projects at home, revamping spaces and creating new ideas.

Shakira Jones is the disclosure administrator at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She manages invention disclosure, patenting, and license agreement data and processes. Shakira brings to the team a strong background in customer relations and administration. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering with her church’s food pantry, and has worked with Habitat for Humanity in Louisiana to rehabilitate homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Jan Lach serves as a Data Manager for the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. In this role, Jan leads data governance, systems optimization and special projects to support technology commercialization.

Prior to joining Polsky, Jan served as senior assistant director, data management at UChicago Alumni Relations and Development office, where she engineered data-driven databases to improve alumni and donor engagement activities and transformed the Harper Lecture Series reporting and analytics.

Jan earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UC Irvine and a master’s degree in public policy and administration from Northwestern University. In her free time, Jan enjoys learning new skills and trekking the world to find the best street food.

Kelly McGuire is a mission-driven senior finance executive with more than 20 years of experience, she brings a strong record of profitability, sustainable growth, and team leadership across nonprofit organizations, political campaigns, and private industry. Her expertise includes strategic partnerships, process innovation, and developing human capital through identifying and leveraging individual strengths.

At the University of Chicago’s Development Innovation Lab, McGuire implemented a comprehensive project-based accounting system and led multi-year financial forecasting for complex, multi-source portfolios. Previously, she served as controller and deputy CFO for the Obama Presidential Re-Election Campaign, overseeing a $1.38 billion budget, and as CFO of a private K–12 school, where she achieved 100 percent budget accuracy on $30 million in operations and managed a $100 million endowment.

McGuire, a CPA, holds an MBA from DePaul University and a B.S. in accountancy with honors from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has also taught finance, accounting, and entrepreneurship as a graduate-level adjunct professor.