BUSINESS TRACK FINALS JUDGES
PHIL SORAN, Founder, Flipgrid & Compellent Technologies Phil Soran is a serial technology entrepreneur whose ventures have generated thousands of jobs. He was inducted into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame (2016) and the Titans of Technology Hall of Fame, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Minnesota High Tech Association (2019). He was also named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young (2008) and El Dorado Ventures (2007). Mr. Soran founded, led, and grew Compellent Technologies from his basement in 2002. The company went public on the NYSE in 2007 and became one of the world’s fastest-growing data storage firms before its $960 million acquisition by Dell in 2011. Before Compellent, he co-founded and served as CEO of XIOtech Corp, also started in his basement in 1995, which was acquired by Seagate in 2000 for $360 million. He later co-founded and served as Executive Chair of Flipgrid, an education technology platform spun out of the University of Minnesota, acquired by Microsoft in 2018. Earlier in his career, he spent a decade at IBM in management, sales, marketing, and technical roles. Mr. Soran currently serves on the boards of Piper Sandler and SPS Commerce. Before entering the tech industry, he began his career as a junior high math teacher in Colorado.
JOHN STERN ‘08 MBA, Vice Chair & CFO, US Bank John Stern serves as vice chair and chief financial officer of U.S. Bancorp, the fifth-largest commercial bank in the United States. He joined the organization in 2000 and assumed leadership of the Finance division in 2023. Throughout his tenure, John has held a series of senior leadership roles, including president of the Global Corporate Trust and Custody business from 2021 to 2023 and corporate treasurer from 2013 to 2021. His extensive experience spans financial strategy, capital management, and operational leadership. Mr. Stern is actively engaged in the community, serving on the boards of Greater MSP (the Minneapolis–Saint Paul Regional Economic Development Partnership) and the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management Board of Advisors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas.
#USTFowlerChallenge @schulzeschool
17
Powered by FlippingBook