Meet our team
The People Powering Innovation
United by a vision of empowering entrepreneurs and fostering community growth, our staff is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs turn big ideas into impactful realities. Meet the minds and hands shaping the future of Cortex and the St. Louis innovation landscape.
Meet the Team
Staff
Mike Bozovich
CFO
Maggie Crane
SVP Public Affairs
Ben Daugherty
Operations and Sustainability Manager
Rachel Deffenbaugh
Strategic Initiatives Manager
Marlon Donald
Accounting Manager
Sam Fiorello
President & CEO
Peggy Hermes
District Experience Programs Manager
Leslie Heusted
VP District Experience
Jacob Hillen
Financial Analyst
Tameka Jones
Public Affairs Manager
Wendy McKethan
Team Capacity Coordinator
Ben Molina
Entrepreneurship Programs Manager
Gabriela Ramirez-Arellano
VP Entrepreneurship
Brian Russell
VP Development
Natalie Self
SVP Equitable Economic Impact
Diana Smith
Workforce Systems Coordinator
Joel VanHazinga
Accounting Associate
Meet the Team
Board of Directors
June McAllister Fowler | Board Chair | Retired, Senior Vice President, Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs, BJC HealthCare
Robert W. Cannon | Vice-Chairman | Group President, BJC HealthCare
Amy Kweskin | Treasurer | Executive Vice Chancellor for Finance, CFO, Washington University in St. Louis
Donn Rubin | Secretary | Founding President & CEO, BioSTL
Margaret Basic | Director, Advanced Air Mobility Strategy & Wisk Collaboration, Boeing Global Services
Steven Berberich, Ph.D. | Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, The University of Missouri–St. Louis
Aaron F. Bobick, Ph.D. | Dean, James McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
Robert Cardillo | President, The Cardillo Group
Jan Holloway | Retired Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff, Monsanto Company
Richard J. Liekweg | President & CEO, BJC HealthCare
Andrew D. Martin, Ph.D. | Chancellor, Washington University in St. Louis
Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D. | President, Saint Louis University
Jason Q. Purnell, Ph.D. | President, James S. McDonnell Foundation
Derek Rapp | Managing Director, RiverVest Venture Partners
Judy Sindecuse | CEO/Managing Partner, Capital Innovators
Kristin Sobolik, Ph.D. | Chancellor, University of Missouri–St. Louis
Christopher D. Spilling, Ph.D., CChem, FRSC | Vice-Chancellor for Research and Economic & Community Development, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Gregory Triplett, Jr., Ph.D. | Dean, School of Science & Engineering, Saint Louis University
Sean J. Walsh | Managing Director and Co-Founder, 1904Labs
EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS
L. Jared Boyd | Chief of Staff, City of St. Louis Mayor’s Office
Michael Browning | 9th Ward Alderman, City of St. Louis Board of Aldermen
Rodney Crim, CEcD | CEO and President, St. Louis Economic Development Partnership
Sam Fiorello | President and CEO, Cortex Innovation District
Neal Richardson, MBA | Executive Director, St. Louis Development Corporation
Meet the Team
Founding Partners
