Jamie Darin Prenkert is the 13th dean of the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. He began his tenure on July 3, 2023, leading a school of 5,000 current students and 400+ faculty and staff, with 60,000 alumni in more than 100 countries. In addition, Professor Prenkert is the Investors in Leadership Distinguished Chair. Prior to joining the Carlson School, Prenkert served as Executive Associate Dean for Faculty and Research and Charles M. Hewitt Professor at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University-Bloomington. During his 20 years at Indiana, he served in several administrative leadership roles and taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses. 

His research focuses on issues of employment discrimination and the human rights obligations of transnational corporations. He is the lead coauthor of a leading business law/legal environment of business textbook, Business Law: The Global, Ethical, and Digital Environment, currently in its 18th Edition. 

Prior to joining the Kelley School faculty, Dean Prenkert was a senior trial attorney for the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He also practiced with the law firm of Baker & Daniels (now Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP). He earned a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School and a B.A., summa cum laude with honors in Political Science, from Anderson University.

Dr. Angela Spranger transfers her knowledge and experiences in ways that people relate to and remember. Her mission is to educate and encourage, and she believes in taking advantage of “any excuse to celebrate!” Professionally, Dr. Spranger serves as both the inaugural Senior Diversity Officer and the founding Director of the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Business for the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

Within the school, Dr. Spranger works to shift the culture and deepen a sense of belonging for students, faculty, and staff. In the community, Dr. Spranger supports regional partners to promote inclusive excellence. She provides corporate consulting on employee relations, professional development, and compliance and diversity.

In her current role, Kiera Fernandez serves as Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer and Senior Vice President of Talent & Change. Kiera is responsible for leading and advancing Target’s enterprise-wide diversity, equity and inclusion strategy as well as leading our talent and change team; specifically amplifying our learning and development strategies and culture and team member experience vision. In addition to her human resource (HR) expertise, Kiera has an extensive background in retail operations, process and project management, store operations and team leadership. 

Kiera began her career at Target in 2001, as an executive team leader for stores, subsequently serving in a variety of leadership roles. Since that time, Kiera has lead teams in merchandising, stores, operations and HR. Over the last several years, she has continued to build a career across multiple HR functions, including her enterprise role leading DE&I, talent management and development. 

Kiera received her Masters of Arts degree in Human Resource Management from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. 

Connecting the importance of well-being to her personal life, Kiera is a certified yoga instructor and spends much of her free time teaching and practicing in her community.

Alex Tittle is the Chief Diversity Officer for Be the Match of the National Marrow Donor Program. In this role, he is responsible for the strategy, execution and administration, program performance, and communication related to Be the Match’s diversity, equity and inclusion activities. In addition to this role, Alex is the founding consultant for DiversityACT, which is a firm that supports the transformation of organizations in their unique DEI work. 

He has held senior roles with healthcare organizations, the NFL’s MN Super Bowl Host Committee, MN Sports Facilities Authority/Vikings, the MN Department of Transportation and honorably served ten years' active duty in the U. S. Army. Alex earned his Bachelor’s degree from The Citadel and a dual Master’s degree in Human Resources & Management. 

Alex currently serves on the board of directors for the Page Education Foundation, the University of St. Thomas Law School, Minnesota Sports Events-Champions Council and is the board chairman for Turning Point, a chemical treatment organization in North Minneapolis.

Since 2014, Dr. Joe Hobot has been President and CEO of American Indian OIC, a culturally specific education and workforce development agency in South Minneapolis. 

Dr. Hobot is a descendant of the Hunkpapa Band of the Lakota Nation from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation – where his grandfather and mother are both enrolled members. Born and raised in the Twin Cities, Dr. Hobot has earned degrees from the University of Minnesota, the University of St. Thomas, and Hamline University. He serves as an adjunct faculty member of the Falmouth Institute – providing onsite trainings throughout Indian Country to tribal leadership, and in 2017, published “Resurgence: Restructuring Urban American Indian Education,” a report commissioned by the National Urban Indian Family Coalition. 

Dr. Hobot has served on the Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership’s Board of Directors and on the US Department of Labor’s Native American Employment and Training Council. He has been recognized with community leadership awards from the Citizens League and Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce, and has completed fellowships with the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and the Aspen Institute.

Dr. Stephanie Burrage is proud to be appointed by Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan as Minnesota’s first Chief Equity Officer. She is responsible for connecting external stakeholders with state government partners for the purpose of achieving equity and opportunity for everyone in the state of Minnesota. 

Prior to her appointment as Chief Equity Officer, she served as Minnesota’s Education Deputy Commissioner. Dr. Stephanie Burrage helped lead an agency with more than 450 employees serving over 890,000 students in 554 school districts. Dr. Burrage worked to promote educational policies and initiatives focused on closing the achievement gap with the mission of improving educational achievement for children from pre-K through grade 12, adult education and library services. Dr. Burrage believes in providing all students with equitable access to high-quality programming immersed in academic rigor, supporting the social emotional development of the whole child, and providing students with multiple pathways to success. Her most rewarding work remains her connections with communities and families through meaningful conversations, amplifying their voices and advocating for a bold future for all.

James D. White is a transformational leader with over thirty years' experience as a CEO and operating executive in the consumer products, retail, and restaurant industries, as well as an experienced corporate director and adviser with twenty years of experience on more than fifteen public and private boards. White currently chairs the board of the Honest Company and is Executive Chair of the startup Air Protein, in addition to several other boards. 

As Chair, President, and CEO of Jamba Juice from 2008–2016, he led the successful turnaround and transformation of the company from a made-to-order smoothie shop to a global healthy-lifestyle brand. He has held senior executive positions at Safeway, Gillette, and Nestle Purina PetCare. In 2020, he launched his own firm, Culture Design Lab, to coach, train, and lead CEOs, boards, Chief People Officers, and Chief Diversity Officers on operationalizing his diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) playbook. White is regularly featured in the media for his work, including Harvard Business Review, The Mentor, Shark Tank, the Wall Street Journal, the San Francisco Chronicle, Savoy, and Black Enterprise.

Matt Ladhoff teaches as a part of the Impact Lab at Carlson School of Management. Matt currently teaches courses in Problem Solving, Leadership Development and Social Entrepreneurship. Matt also serves as an advisor for the MBA startup venture enterprise at University of Minnesota and as a part of the Mandela Fellowship Program for Young African Leaders. 

Matt believes in using business as a force for good and often speaks about the intersection of business acumen and mission oriented work. Previously, Matt has worked at an impact analytics consultancy, as well as in nonprofit fundraising and program development. Matt also worked for three years in corporate sourcing for 3M and three years leading education grant making the 3M Foundation. His six years’ experience at 3M also included leading 3M’s New Employee Network. 

Matt was a member of the 2022 Humphrey Policy Fellows Program, and was previously a member of the 2018 Leadership St. Paul Cohort. Matt Ladhoff holds an MBA from Carlson School of Management at University of Minnesota and a B.A. in Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University. 

Matt currently sits on the Humphrey Policy Fellows Advisory Board, as well as serves on the Education Day subcommittee of Leadership St Paul in addition to leading the Interns for Impact Program as a part of Impact Hub MSP.

Andrea Ferstan is Vice President of Innovation, Policy and Research with the Center for Economic Inclusion. She is a recognized leader in the work of racial equity and economic inclusion and is known for leading regional and statewide program and policy initiatives, driving system change, and developing cross-sector partnerships. She has served as a national spokesperson and thought partner. As the Vice President of Innovation, Policy and Research, Andrea leads the Center’s development of new tools and services designed to support employers in taking measurable, sustainable action to transform their workplaces into inclusive and competitive organizations. This includes innovative services like Project Vanguard, an accelerator and fund focused on maximizing wealth-building opportunities for Black and Latina women business owners in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region; regional coalition-building to drive a shared agenda focused on dismantling racism within current workforce and economic engines and building new economic engines within communities of color; and development of the Center’s Racial Equity Dividend’s Index, a tool to measure organizational progress toward building inclusive workplaces. Andrea also serves as a lead systems change strategist, coalition and network builder and facilitator of strategic partnerships and policy efforts. 

Andrea has a Master of Social Work degree in policy, planning and administration from Western Michigan University and is mother to two children, Max (22) and Ivy (19).

Tiffany Orth is the Executive Director of Move Minneapolis, a subsidiary of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber that works to promote sustainable commute options for downtown Minneapolis. Tiffany also serves as the Chamber’s Vice President of Mobility, where she works to develop and advance its transportation priorities. Prior to joining the Chamber, Tiffany worked as the Director of Operations for Strategic Initiatives at GREATER MSP, where she helped support and manage multiple initiatives advancing the regional economic development strategy. Previously, Tiffany worked for the MN Sports Facilities Authority; the public entity charged with planning and designing U.S. Bank Stadium. She also coordinated the gubernatorial appointments process for judicial and state agency positions in the Office of Governor Mark Dayton and supported Governor Dayton’s inaugural transition team. Tiffany earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Journalism from the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul.

Javi (Javiera) McGuiggan is from Chile and has lived in MN since 2011. Originally a Civil Hydraulics engineer, Javi also has an Master in Public Affairs from Humphrey School and an Executive MBA from Carlson School at the University of Minnesota. 

She started her career in P&G, followed by 14 years at 3M company where she served in several roles including sales, supply chain, marketing, and business management at local, regional and global levels. In 2019 she became the Global Business Director for the Power Systems Business within Cargill’s Bioindustrial Group. In addition to this, she most recently became a Business Reporter for Telemundo MN. 

She is an active community member, Chair of Cargill’s Hispanic Latino Council, board member of Feed my Starving Children, and advisory board member at CWIEME Berlin. 

She is a mother to Jack (6yo) * Six Sigma Green Belt, SCRUM Master. Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese. Interests: Global Economic Development, Public Policy, DE&I, Sustainability. Hobbies: Volleyball, Singing, Dancing.

Dr. Simon Shannon is currently a Director of Business Development in 3M’s Transportation and Electronics Business Group (TEBG) focusing on accelerating 3M’s footprint in Data center and 5G solutions segment, a critical growth vector for the business group. He works closely with customers, and partners with the business / corporate laboratories, and appropriate divisions to help prioritize and commercialize 3M solutions addressing our customers’ most critical challenges in this space. 

Dr. Shannon holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from University of Minnesota Morris, a Ph.D. in organic chemistry and MBA from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities Campus. 

He joined 3M in 2004, and has several unique experiences having supported Corporate research, 3M Oral Care, Industrial Mineral Products, Lean Six Sigma (Certified Black Belt) and Advanced Material Divisions. Dr. Shannon also worked for 5 years at Corning, Inc as a researcher, technical supervisor, and project manager. 

Over his career, Dr. Shannon has developed a strong track record with leading cross-functional teams, global portfolio & project management, research & development, new product commercialization, Lean Six Sigma business process, cost improvement activities and change management. He holds 18 US patents and received several professional awards from his service and professional work. 

Notable awards received from Dr. Shannon’s service and professional work include the 2019 Man of the Year by Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, 2019 Global Lean Six Sigma Transformational Leadership Award, TIME Magazine’s 50 best inventions of 2018–3MTM Smog-reducing Granules, 2017 National TRIO Achiever Award Recipient. As recent as January 2023, Dr. Shannon was selected by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal in the first cohort of “Black Leaders You Need to Know” in a Black History Month Feature, and was awarded the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award by his alma mater, University of Minnesota-Morris. His service has included Chair of 3Ms African American network, leadership in Omega Psi Phi and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternities, and Board membership of NOBCChE, Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, and Better Futures Minnesota. 

Dr. Shannon currently lives in Woodbury, Minnesota with his wife Bridgette, sons DJ (18), Jaxon (10), and daughter Charlie (7).

Tawnya Stewart is the Chief of People and Culture at Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures (MLCV). As an entity rooted in Indigenous ownership and operations, MLCV stands at the forefront of equality advocacy and diversity celebration. Recognizing their most significant potential for impact is within their organizational boundaries. As Chief of People and Culture Officer, Ms. Stewart collaborates with business leaders across the portfolio to integrate racial equity strategies while reinforcing an inclusive culture. The best company cultures are those where, beyond diversity and inclusion, people feel like they belong. 

Tawnya's background includes creating talent strategies specializing in inclusion & diversity, culture change, values-driven work, employee experience, talent acquisition, and leadership development. 

Tawnya's academic achievements include an MBA from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and a bachelor's degree in business and communications. She also possesses a master's degree in human resources from Loyola University Chicago. She is also a quality administrator for the intercultural development inventory. 

Beyond her professional pursuits, Ms. Stewart has an affinity for music, travel, reading, podcasts, and theatre. She resides with her son in Golden Valley, Minnesota, and invests time in understanding her Ojibwe heritage. Anchoring her philosophy is the tenet to "let love rule." 

Tawnya believes belonging is fundamental to human ingenuity. Feeling seen, safe, courageous, and connected, allows people to be their best selves personally and professionally. We all want to belong and feel part of something bigger than ourselves.

Charlene Vance is an accomplished business leader recognized for advancing businesses while transforming systems, people, and culture. She is acknowledged for an inspirational and transformational leadership style and proven ability to drive and deliver results in ambiguous and rapid change environments. Vance has 22 years of strategic and P&L leadership roles at fortune 100 companies with career experiences that include sales, marketing, portfolio management, strategy, and Lean Six Sigma operations. She is currently the Director of Product Management responsible for the APU Portfolio at Thermo King, a Trane Technology company and a global climate innovator. Thermo King is a worldwide leader in sustainable transport temperature control solutions. 

Vance earned her MBA from the Carlson School of Management from the University of Minnesota and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Dr. Ramírez Fernández has more than 20 years of experience in higher education administration. She is recognized for her leadership on issues of diversity and campus climate at several leading universities, and specializes in higher education curriculum, institutional models that support student success, strategic enrollment management, and assessment. Dr. Ramírez Fernández served as the Richard Feldman Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at the University of Rochester, recruited to open the University’s inaugural Office of Equity and Inclusion and to serve as the institution’s first chief diversity officer. Prior to Rochester, she served as Associate Vice Provost for Strategic Affairs and Diversity at Virginia Tech. Dr. Ramírez Fernández earned a doctorate in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in Counseling and Human Development from the University of Iowa, and a BA in Psychology with a concentration in Spanish Literature from the University of Puerto Rico.

John Hardy is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion professional with 15+ years with a focus on cultural competence education and leadership development. As Director of learning on the ID&E team at Best Buy, he's helped transform the organizational culture, partnering with countless leaders to advance the practice of inclusive leadership through the behaviors of vulnerability, empathy, courage, and grace. As a sought-after facilitator, guest speaker and host, John’s aim is to help others develop bold, inspiring, and inclusive cultures that solve for the complex challenges people face within organizations. Beyond his corporate role, John is a music producer, a mentor, and a dedicated collaborator in the realm of "good trouble."

With over 13 years of experience in higher education and previous work in human resources, Dr. Julia Hemme currently serves as the Assistant Director in the Carlson School of Management's Center for Inclusive Excellence. Within this role, Dr. Hemme leads and develops initiatives and events that support DEIJAB mission and goals, focuses on strategic planning and continuous improvement, aims to develop a more inclusive culture for faculty, staff, and students, and builds partnerships within the Carlson School and with local and national organizations and communities. 

Dr. Hemme brings knowledge and skills in project and program management, change management, enrollment management, event planning, operations, advising, training, and instruction. She holds a Masters in Human Resource Development & Adult Education from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership & Management from Capella University.

Kingshuk K. (KK) Sinha is a Professor and Chair of the Supply Chain and Operations Department, and is the holder of the Elmer L. Andersen Chair in Sustainable Supply Chain at the Carlson School of Management. He also serves as a Graduate Faculty in the University of Minnesota’s Bioinformatics and Computational Biology program. Dr. Sinha’s areas of research interests and expertise include Technology and Innovation Management, Healthcare Supply Chain Management, Global Supply Chain Management, Responsible Supply Chain Management and Data Analytics and AI applications. His inquiries are predominantly empirical, motivated by contemporary and consequential real-world business and societal problems, and conducted in partnership with firms and not-for-profit organizations. His current research projects are focused on: (i) reducing the disparities in mental and physical healthcare delivery in underserved communities with a focus on improving affordability, access and awareness of care; (ii) leveraging technological advancements (e.g., surgical robots, precision medicine, telemedicine, mobile apps and artificial intelligence) to improve the affordability and accessibility of healthcare delivery; (iii) managing supply chain risks with the rapid growth in adverse events and recalls related to medical devices and drugs; and (iv) the design and sustenance of pandemic (COVID-19) care supply chain.

Dr. Nitya Chawla joined the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management as an Assistant Professor in the Work and Organizations Department in June 2023. She earned her Ph.D. in Management from the Eller College of Management at The University of Arizona in 2020. Nitya’s research broadly focuses on understanding how we can create humanized workplaces that allow employees to thrive, both at work and at home. In service of this goal, her work often explores issues tied to diversity and inclusion within organizations as well as the importance of employee well-being. Recognizing that employees’ abilities to thrive in their careers long-term is intricately tied to their early work experiences, Nitya's research also examines the factors that prompt successful job searches. Nitya’s research has been published in Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Organization Science, Research in Personnel and Human Resource Management, and Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives in Science and Practice. She is currently teaching BA3001: Race, Power, and Justice in Business to Carlson undergraduate students.

Dr. John W. Budd (he/him) is a Professor of Work and Organizations in the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, where he holds the Industrial Relations Land Grant Chair. He is a graduate of Colgate University and earned a Ph.D. degree in economics from Princeton University. Professor Budd is the author of several books and numerous journal articles. Professor Budd is a Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA) Fellow, and has been chair of the Department of Work and Organizations, Director of the Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies, and Director of Graduate Studies for the University of Minnesota's graduate programs in Human Resources and Industrial Relations. He is currently serving on the Governor’s Committee on the Compensation, Wellbeing, and Fair Treatment of Transportation Network Company Drivers.

Dr. John Kammeyer-Mueller examines how workers adjust to new jobs, human resources practices, the relationship between individual differences and career development, and how attitudes and emotions shape behavior in organizations. In recent years he’s been especially interested in the ways interpersonal relationships with co-workers and supervisors can affect how new hires see their work environments over time. He has published over 50 peer reviewed articles and book chapters, in publications such as the Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, and Journal of Management, among others. He served as an associate editor for Personnel Psychology and was chair of the Research Methods Division for the Academy of Management. 

As an educator, he’s taught courses related to organizational behavior and human resources in Carlson School’s specialized master's, MBA, and doctoral programs. He has also contributed to talent management in organizations as co-author of the textbook Staffing Organizations and as the faculty director for the Masters in Human Resources and Industrial Relations program. Besides his academic work, he provided human resources consulting with several organizations, including the Minneapolis Public Schools, Minnesota Department of Economic Security, Florida Nurses Association, University of Minnesota, Allegiance Healthcare, 3M, Merck, American Express, Cargill, and General Mills.

Dr. Kalan Norris is a Post Doctoral Associate in the Work and Organizations Department at the Carlson School of Management. His research and teaching specialize in the areas of organizational behavior, leadership, diversity and inclusion, power and influence, and research methods. Kalan’s primary research focus centers on diversity and inclusion, with a particular emphasis on examining within-race differences to better understand the nuanced experiences of racially and ethnically diverse employees. His research is published in reputable outlets such as Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, the Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, and the Future of Scholarship on Diversity and Inclusion in Organizations. Kalan holds a Ph.D. in Management from the University at Buffalo School of Management, a Master of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Valdosta State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Central Florida. Dr. Norris is also a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated.

Dr. Joel Waldfogel was previously the Ehrenkranz Family Professor of Business and Public Policy at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, where he and had served as department chair and associate vice dean. Prior to Wharton, Waldfogel was an associate professor of economics at Yale University. 

His main research interests are industrial organization and law and economics, and he has conducted empirical studies of price advertising, media markets, the operation of differentiated product markets, and issues related to digital products, including piracy, pricing, and revenue sharing. He has published more than 50 articles in scholarly outlets, including the American Economic Review, the Journal of Political Economy, and the RAND Journal of Economics. He also has published several books, including Digital Renaissance (Princeton University Press, 2018), The Tyranny of the Market: Why You Can't Always Get What You Want (Harvard University Press, 2007) and Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays (Princeton University Press, 2009). During 2021-2022 he was the Kamenstein Scholar at the US Copyright Office. He has also written for Slate. 

Waldfogel received a BA in economics from Brandeis University and a PhD in economics from Stanford University. He grew up in South Minneapolis, graduating from Washburn High School.

Susanna Gibbons has over 30 years of industry experience across multiple asset classes - equities, alternatives, and fixed income; and multiple roles - analytical, portfolio management, asset allocation, and educational. She serves on the Investment Advisory Council for the Minnesota State Board of Investments, the Editorial Board for the CFA Society of Minnesota, and as chair of the Investment Committee for the Girl Scouts River Valleys. She is currently exploring the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into decision making, is passionate about teaching sustainable investment practices, and is a fellow within the Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota. She earned an MBA in Finance from the NYU Stern School of Business and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Dr. Mani Subramani is an associate professor in the Department of Information and Decision Sciences at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. His research interests include Learning and Expertise Development, Knowledge Management in Firms and the Influence of technologies on Organizational Capabilities. His work has been published in the Academy of Management Journal (AMJ), Information Systems Research (ISR), MIS Quarterly, Journal of MIS, Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS) and Sloan Management Review. He has served as the Associate Editor for Information Systems Research and MIS Quarterly and the Guest Co-editor (with V. Sambamurthy) of the MIS Quarterly Special Issue on Knowledge Management and Information Technologies. His paper titled the "Dot Com Effect: The Impact of E-Commerce Announcements on the Market Value of Firms" won the Best Paper award at the 20th International Conference on Information Systems.

Dr. Tracy Wang is the John Spooner Professor of Finance. Her expertise lies in the fields of corporate governance, law and economics, and behavioral finance. Her current research explores the impact of prominent societal trends such as increasing attention to ESG and DEI, increasing polarization in ideology, and increasing income inequality on corporate finance and corporate governance. She has also established expertise in research related to corporate securities fraud, securities market regulation, and the value impact of management. She has published in top economics, finance, and accounting journals such as Journal of Finance, Review of Financial Studies, Review of Economic Studies, Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Journal of Accounting and Economics. She currently serves as an editor for Journal of Corporate Finance.

Amanda Nusz leads Target’s commitment to co-create an equitable and regenerative future together with its guests, partners, and communities. In June 2021, she led the launch of Target’s sustainability commitments through its enterprise-wide sustainability strategy, Target Forward. As president of the Target Foundation, she works in support of a team that has created a learning lab to shift and transform the systems that create greater equity and opportunity for all. 

Previously, Amanda served as vice president of quality and responsible sourcing in Target’s global sourcing organization, ensuring that Target’s vendors and suppliers operated safe, ethical, and efficient factory environments to produce high-quality, sustainable, and consumer-safe products. 

Prior to her role in global sourcing, Amanda led the development of one of Target’s owned brands by spearheading the creation of the kids’ line, Cat & Jack, a high-quality and affordable brand co-created with families. Cat and Jack is designed to be durable and responsibly sourced, focusing on inclusivity in its messaging and forward-thinking adaptive and seamless lines. 

Amanda received her bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Minnesota and an executive degree from MIT. She is married with two lovely, soccer-obsessed children.

As Senior Vice President, Planning, Dexter Newman builds the forward-looking view of demand on the business. He bridges merchandising’s strategy to the operations, ensure product assortments are financially viable and ensures that inventory projections and commitments are appropriate to maintain an exceptional guest experience. 

He joined Target in 2018. Before Target, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Famous Dave’s of America from 2016 to early 2018. From 2013 until 2015, Dexter served as Vice President and a Division Chief Financial Officer at Bloomin’ Brands, a casual dining company with more than 1,400 restaurants in 49 states and 21 countries and territories, where he had primary responsibility for overseeing the operations, investment, and other financial decisions of the company. He was formerly Bloomin’ Brands Vice President, Treasurer, and Head of Risk Management from 2012 through 2013, where he was primarily responsible for capital markets, financial risks management, cash management, and insurance. 

From 2002 to 2012, he was employed in numerous roles with Best Buy Co., Inc., a consumer electronics retailer, most recently serving as Senior Director and Chief Financial Officer of Best Buy’s Private Brands and Global Sourcing Group and previously serving as Senior Director and Deputy Treasurer. Before his role within Treasury at Best Buy, Dexter worked as Director, Strategy Development and Operations for Best Buy International and held numerous other positions within the company’s finance function. Mr. Newman holds an MBA from the University of St Thomas, Opus College of Business, and a BA in management from St John’s University. 

A fun fact about Dexter is that he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in the winter.

Professor Soumya Sen is the 3M Fellow in Business Analytics and Associate Professor of Information & Decision Sciences at the Carlson School of Management of the University of Minnesota. He received the B.E. (Hons.) in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering from BITS-Pilani, India, in 2005, and both the M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical and Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008 and 2011, respectively, during which he collaborated with faculties from both engineering and the Wharton Business School. He carried out his postdoctoral research at the Princeton University before joining the University of Minnesota. Soumya’s research takes a multi-disciplinary approach involving computer networks, economics, and human-computer interaction. His research interests are in Internet economics, digital communication systems, and data analytics for societal good. 

Soumya has published in and served as a reviewer for several highly cited IEEE and ACM conferences and journals. His research articles have received media coverage in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, MIT Technology Review, Forbes, Star Tribune, ACM Tech News, Discovery, Politico, as well as several European news media. Soumya received the 2022 UMN Community-Engaged Scholar Award, 2022 Outstanding Service Award from Carlson School, 2021 INFORMS ISS Design Science Award, 2021 Silver Stevie Awards from the American Business Association, 2021 AACSB Innovations that Inspire Award, 2021 Faculty Interactive Research Program Award from the Center for Urban & Regional Affairs, Poets & Quants 40U40 Best Business School Professors in 2021, McKnight Presidential Fellowship from the University of Minnesota in 2019, Carlson School's Outstanding Research Award in 2019, Jim & Mary Lawrence Fellowship in 2018, Adobe Digital Experience Research Award in 2018, IEEE INFOCOM Best Workshop Paper Award in 2017, Timothy Nantell Teaching Grant Award in 2016, Carlson School's Outstanding Service Award in 2016, INFORMS ISS Design Science Award 2014, Grant-in-Aid Award from the University of Minnesota in 2014, Princeton Keller Center Innovation Award in 2013, BITSAA 30 under 30 Award in 2012, IEEE INFOCOM Best Paper Award in 2012, and was a finalist at the 2011 Vodafone Wireless Innovation project. 

Soumya is the founder of the "Smart Data Pricing" (SDP) Forum, which promotes industry-academic interaction on Internet pricing research. He has been the Chair of international SDP workshops from 2012 – 2016 and its Steering Committee member since 2016. He is also a co-founder of a startup, DataMi, which provides Internet pricing solutions for telecom providers around the world. Soumya is the editor of a book titled "Smart Data Pricing", published by J. Wiley & Sons. He served as the academic director for Carlson's MS in Business Analytics (MSBA) program in 2021-2022, and is presently the faculty director of Carlson Executive Education's Cloud Computing bootcamp. He is also the director of research of the Management Information Systems Research Center (MISRC) at the Carlson School of Management.See below for website

Jazz Hampton is CEO and General Counsel at TurnSignl. TurnSignl is a Minnesota-based tech company that provides real-time legal guidance from an attorney to drivers, all while their camera records the interaction. 

Hampton has been featured on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, MSNBC, CBS, NBC Top Story, and was recently named one of Minneapolis-St. Paul’s 40 Under 40 for his work at TurnSignl and in the community, where he sits on the Board of Directors at the Minneapolis Foundation and Catholic Charities Twin Cities. He is also a Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain’s Philanthropic Advisory Council member. 

Before joining TurnSignl, Hampton was the Director of Diversity and Inclusion and a practicing attorney at Foley & Mansfield, a national law firm with 150+ attorneys, as well as an adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, an Emerging Leader within Twin Cities Diversity in Practice, and the Co-Chair of DRI’s Young Lawyer Diversity Committee.