Speakers

Lee serves as the Associate Director of Economic Development and Student Programs for Penn State University where she focuses on identifying new strategies and programs designed to increase the impact of IPS's mission to spur economic development, job creation and student career success for Pennsylvania. Key initiatives include building resources and services to support IPS's state-wide network of 21 LaunchBoxes and innovation spaces, piloting and building programs to facilitate diverse, inclusive, and equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems, and increasing opportunities for Penn State students to build entrepreneurial skills, engage in, and identify new entrepreneurial opportunities.

Prior to this position, Lee served as the director of the Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank, for five years building programming and support services for local entrepreneurs and students. Prior to coming to Penn State, Lee was the co-founder and CEO of Erickson Barnett, a full-service B2B marketing agency with clients that included AT&T, The Kauffman Foundation, LexisNexis, and some of the largest venture capital firms in the nation including NEA, Oak Investment Partners, and Columbia Capital.

Alex Meis is a recognized national expert in chronic absenteeism and attendance improvement, currently serving as Senior Director of Product Management at ParentSquare. She has dedicated her career to empowering school districts to enhance student attendance. As Chief Product Officer and a founder of Kinvolved, the leading K-12 attendance improvement organization, she drove its successful acquisition by PowerSchool in 2021. At PowerSchool, Alex spearheaded the integration of Kinvolved, and developed and launched two new communications products, significantly impacting the K-12 landscape.

Her achievements have earned her a place on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and her expertise has been featured in prominent media outlets, including the New York Times, NPR, and Harvard Business Review. Alex holds a Master's in Public Administration from NYU's Wagner School of Public Service and a BA in Psychology from Lafayette College. Outside of her professional endeavors, she mentors early stage founders, angel invests in mental health and education startups, and enjoys golfing and spending time with her fiance and two pups, Jolly and Penny.