Faculty and Staff

Toby Nord, Professional Director 

Toby Nord is the Professional Director of Carlson Ventures Enterprise, a unique year-long program for full-time MBA students designed to teach entrepreneurial skill through experiential learning. He is also an MBA faculty member teaching Corporate Venturing, New Product Design and Business Development, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Design for Sustainable Development, START-UP, and Business Anthropology.

Prior to joining the University in 2006, Toby spent 20 years with various Minneapolis based companies including Best Buy, where he worked in Strategic Marketing, Business Development, Strategy and Innovation. Some of this work is highlighted in the Harvard Business Case Best Buy: An Innovator’s Journey. Toby also consults nationally, focusing on growth, innovation, business creativity and strategy. He received his MBA from the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota and his BA from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Dan Forbes, Academic Advisor

Daniel Forbes is an Associate Professor in the Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship department at the Carlson School.  Since joining the Carlson School in 2000, Dan has taught courses on strategy and entrepreneurship to students in the MBA, undergraduate and executive education programs.

He also does research that sheds light on how people can build and manage organizations more effectively.  He is especially interested in how people exchange knowledge and make decisions while creating new ventures.  He has worked closely with several initiatives that help the U. of M. connect with businesses and communities throughout Minnesota, including the Food Industry Center and the Center for Integrative Leadership.

Prior to his academic career, Dan worked in banking and as a program manager for a non-profit organization. He holds a Ph.D. from New York University, and his undergraduate degree is from the University of Chicago.

Board of Directors

Gregg Forsberg (2004) - Vice President, Best Buy

James Craig (2005) - Marketing Manager, Mettler-Toledo International

Chris Goralski (2006) - Vice President, 3M

Diana Flotten (2007) - Director, American Public Media Group

Adrienne Peirce (2008) - Product Manager, Leadpages

Alex Haley (2009) - Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality & Healing

Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas (2010), - Corporate Strategy Consultant

Thompson Aderinkomi (2011) - Co-Founder & CEO, Nice Healthcare

Mike Robinson (2014) - Field Marketing Manager, Boston Scientific

Ryan Petz (2014) - Co-Founder & CEO, Fulton Beer

Tim O'Neil (2015) - Executive Director, Bunker Labs Minneapolis

Elise Maxwell (2016) - Founder, Ova Woman