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Vetted Founders in Illinois
Pre-screened and vetted in Illinois.
Executive FinTech Founder and Software/Finance Leader specializing in data pipelines and valuation
hemant jha
Executive Design & Innovation Leader specializing in product, strategy, and sustainable systems
“Product/system designer focused on ultra-clean, modular, customizable work/organization environments (e.g., making stations for studios and fabrication spaces). Emphasizes rules-based interaction models, restrained structural visual language, and hands-on field research/prototyping to embed industrial constraints (tolerances, load paths, safety) into intuitive, training-free user experiences.”
Executive Managing Director/CEO specializing in private equity, M&A, and AI analytics
Melissa Douros
Executive Product & Operations Leader specializing in FinTech, governance, and digital transformation
“Operations/product transformation leader with experience driving customer-centric operating model changes at Discover, shifting from a centralized PMO/SAFe to a Product Delivery + Scrum structure aligned to customer journeys. Cites measurable outcomes including a 54% reduction in compliance issues and 20% new product revenue growth, and currently advises a startup board mentoring a first-time founder on org structure, roadmap, and governance-focused decision-making.”
Junior Analytics & Consulting Professional specializing in retail and experimentation
Senior Finance & Venture Investing Professional specializing in FinTech and early-stage startups
Sehar Uddin
Senior Digital Marketing & Technical SEO Strategist specializing in B2B and B2C growth
“Performance marketer with pharma advertising experience managing $50K+/month budgets across search, display, and programmatic. They highlight measurable efficiency gains—about 20% lower CPA and 30% higher conversions over two quarters—while using a structured, statistically minded testing approach and full-funnel budget allocation across Meta, TikTok, and Google. Seeking contract/freelance work.”
Lew Donley
Senior Creative Design & Innovation Leader specializing in brand strategy and human-centered design
“Creative director/designer spanning high-polish marketing brand work and enterprise innovation: built a full podcast brand ecosystem and a cinematic historical visualization using Google Veo 3. Also led an AR/VR-assisted remote troubleshooting initiative at TriMas (HoloLens-style workflows), delivering a 40% MTTR reduction and cutting expert travel by 50%+ while standardizing reusable interaction components for global teams.”
Mid-level Software Engineer specializing in systems, networking, and computer architecture
Executive Technology Leader specializing in AI-native SaaS and enterprise platforms
Senior Customer Support Specialist with SaaS support leadership and technical troubleshooting expertise
Junior Procurement & Business Analyst specializing in strategic sourcing and financial analysis
Michael Ott
Executive AgTech founder and CEO specializing in agriculture, biotech, and energy
“Seasoned entrepreneurial operator who has raised $185M across ventures in seed treatment, drone spraying, gene editing, and biofuels. Has worked closely with accelerators including AgLaunch and Iowa Startup Accelerator as both a participant and later a mentor, and is now open to either founding a new impactful company or stepping into an experienced CEO/C-suite role.”
Scott Campbell
Executive CTO and startup founder specializing in SaaS, AI, and healthcare technology
“Serial founder and fractional CTO with 8 companies founded and 3 exits, now looking to commit full-time to a venture-backable startup. Currently advising two startups that recently raised $400K friends-and-family and $1M pre-seed, and brings thoughtful perspective on venture-scale economics, team quality, and AI disruption risk.”
Executive Enterprise Technology Leader specializing in ERP, SAP integrations, and transformation