Speakers

Joel Crandall leads the overall management and strategic direction of the Minnesota Technology Association, with a focus on enhancing member value and driving community impact. Joel brings a wealth of experience in technology and leadership, having previously worked with Genesys Works and U.S. Bank. Known for his deep care, community-building skills, and commitment to talent development, Joel is dedicated to advancing MnTech’s mission. Outside of work, Joel enjoys investing in his family, church, and community in North Minneapolis, savoring a good cup of coffee, and rewatching his episode of Wheel of Fortune.

Galin Jones is the Lynn Y. S. Lin Professor of Statistics and the inaugural Vice Provost for Artificial Intelligence at the University of Minnesota, where he leads the university's AI Hub, which cultivates a public-private pipeline to train Minnesota’s workforce for the AI economy, drive economic growth, and support responsible statewide AI adoption. He earned his Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Florida. His research focuses on statistical methodology and interdisciplinary applications in neuroimaging, astrophysics, and environmental sciences. Dr. Jones is an elected Fellow of both the American Statistical Association and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. His editorial roles include serving as Past Editor of the Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics and Co-Editor of ASA Discoveries.

Marc Kermish oversees Protolabs’ global technology organization, leading its strategic initiatives and artificial intelligence (AI) strategy. Kermisch brings more than 25 years of senior executive experience at technology and R&D organizations across diverse industries, including manufacturing, software, and retail. Most recently, he served as Chief Technology Officer for Emergent Software, a technology company specializing in software development, cloud transformation, AI, and data engineering solutions. Prior to Emergent, he was Global Chief Digital and Information Officer at Case New Holland (NYSE: CNH), a manufacturer of agriculture and construction equipment where he focused on developing autonomous vehicles, precision farming applications, and electric powertrains.
 

Kaleb Kim is currently a junior at the Carlson School of Management, double-majoring in finance and accounting with a minor in business analytics. On campus, he works as a Carlson Ambassador and a mentor for Carlson’s Emerging Leaders of Color (ELOC) program. Kaleb is also an active member of the professional business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi and has been a part of the University of Minnesota's auditioned choir ensemble. Outside of school and work, he stays active by playing pickle ball and swimming, and making music with his voice, piano, and guitar. Looking ahead, Kaleb hopes to build a career helping people in a meaningful way and always pushes himself to challenge what's possible. 
 

Jeremy Lembeck is director of data & analytics at Land O’Lakes, where he leads enterprise strategy for data, analytics, and AI. He has led the modernization of the company’s data and AI platforms and designed its AI operating model, including multidisciplinary teams embedded across the businesses to turn data into actionable insights. Jeremy also chairs Land O’Lakes’ AI Governance Council and leads efforts to scale responsible AI adoption, strengthen data governance, and build data and AI literacy across the organization. Prior to joining Land O’Lakes, Jeremy spent nearly a decade in consulting, including roles at Capgemini, specialized analytics firms, and Deloitte. He advised global organizations on using data and analytics to answer critical business questions and improve decision-making.
 

Breck Marshall is a principal at PwC and a leader in the Workforce Solutions practice with a focus on the Pharma Life Sciences and Healthcare industries. With over 30 years of experience, Breck specializes in designing and executing change strategies and new operating models, including workforce planning, spans and layers, culture development and ways of working integration with AI and integrated performance support. He has worked with many of the fortune 200 companies spanning all industries, over 20 higher education institutions, and supported transfomation efforts across both Federal and State governments.

Some his recent work includes developing learning and digital skill adoption programs to drive new ways of working with technology (e.g., Automation, CoPilot, GPT, etc) as well as leadership development initiatives to make new ways of behaving stick. Breck has been an advisor to prior White House administrations on workforce development and is a frequent conference speaker and podcast commentator on workforce and talent issues and trends. His leadership and strategic acumen are instrumental in helping organizations adapt to modern work environments and drive greater workforce performance.
 

Amy McPhillips is vice president of HR IT and employee experience at Kyndryl, where she focuses on making it easier for employees to get work done in a digital and increasingly AI-enabled world. She is passionate about simplifying the employee experience by reducing the “navigation tax” and orchestration burden so employees can focus on meaningful work. With more than 25 years of experience across Intel, Medtronic, and Target, Amy has led large-scale transformation across HR systems, digital workplace systems, and IT strategy and operations. At Kyndryl, she supports the mission to design, build, manage, and modernize the world’s critical technology systems, bringing a relationship-driven leadership style grounded in trust, connection, and empathy.

Marshall Tokheim is vice president for business transformation, responsible for strategic governance and activation of Ecolab’s Enterprise Operating Platform – aligning talent, process, data, and technology for transformational leverage. This includes deployment of ERP/CRM, enterprise systems, analytics, process orchestration, and agentic AI solutions. Marshall works within Ecolab’s Enterprise AI organization and collaborates with global commercial and functional leaders to enable efficient delivery of enterprise business processes. Marshall has 28 years of strategic finance, technology, and business leadership in the manufacturing and financial services industries.
 

Pranu Vedere is currently a junior at the Carlson School of Management, studying Management Information Systems with minors in Strategy and Analytics. She is passionate about deepening her understanding of how business and technology work together to drive impactful solutions. Pranu’s interests lie in product management, business analysis, and strategy. In school, she is involved with Carlson's Business Board representing the student body, Emerging Leaders of Color (ELOC), and is a Carlson Ambassador. Outside of school, she has a passion for bollywood/hip hop dancing and having fun debates with friends and family.