Speakers

Erika Swift, MBA, MHA, serves as a Professor of Practice with a joint appointment at Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Harrisburg. She is also the director of the Center for Medical Innovation at Penn State College of Medicine, where she leads efforts to foster a thriving innovation ecosystem. The Center provides essential education and resources to drive medical innovation, ultimately generating both economic and social impact.

With over 25 years of experience in economic development, technology commercialization, and new business development across various industries-including medical devices, consumer goods, and dental equipment-Erika joined Penn State College of Medicine in 2015 to spearhead technology development initiatives. She was pivotal in establishing the Center for Medical Innovation, officially launched in February 2017, aligning with the College of Medicine's broader mission of cultivating a culture of innovation.

Beyond her role at Penn State, Erika served as President of BioStrategy Partners, Inc., a nonprofit consortium dedicated to advancing academic research into the marketplace, from 2018 to 2024. She continues to contribute as an officer and board member.

Erika holds a Bachelor of Science in business with a concentration in international business from Bloomsburg University, an MBA from York College of Pennsylvania, and an MHA from Penn State University.

Jen Gilburg joined the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development in September 2023 as Deputy Secretary of Technology and Entrepreneurship. She has decades long experience in technology and advanced manufacturing in the private sector. She has been on the forefront of such high growth technologies as data security and artificial intelligence, and has worked in advanced technologies for automotive, medical and robotics industries.

As Deputy Secretary of Technology and Entrepreneurship, she focuses on implementing the Shapiro Administration's and DCED's vision of attracting, fostering, and investing in people and companies focused on technology and innovation across multiple sectors, and throughout the state.

Elizabeth (Liz) Hodgson is the Vice Chair of the firm's Emerging Companies and Venture Capital Group and represents companies and their founders and investors in every stage of a company's lifecycle from formation to exit. Liz works closely with clients to help them start, grow, invest in, purchase and sell businesses and advises on day to day matters to help align their business objectives with their legal needs. Her experience includes: choice of entity; corporate governance; corporate finance; private equity and venture capital transactions; securities offerings; commercial contract preparation and review; intellectual property protection, licensing, and commercialization; mergers and acquisitions; restrictions on foreign investment and acquisition of U.S. companies and the review process conducted by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS); and day-to-day general corporate matters.

Liz has vast experience working with companies and closely held businesses in the life sciences, biotechnology, technology, health care, software and information technology sectors, and is particularly passionate about working with female founders, investors, executives and entrepreneurs. She combines her legal skills and own entrepreneurial spirit to identify with and deliver for her clients.

Liz received a B.A. in English with a minor in Spanish from The Pennsylvania State University. She received a J.D. from The Pennsylvania State University, The Dickinson School of Law. While in law school, she was a member of The Woolsack Society and was Editor-in-Chief of the Penn State Law Review.

Dr. Matthew C. McKinney is an entrepreneurship educator, program leader, and entrepreneur whose career spans higher education, startup development, outdoor recreation, and experiential learning. As of August 2026, he serves as Assistant Director of Research Startups at Penn State, where he manages the Startup Leadership Network, Penn State Alumni Entrepreneurs Network, and Entrepreneur-in-Residence program. In this role, he strengthens Penn State's entrepreneurial ecosystem by connecting researchers, entrepreneurs, alumni, and experienced business leaders with the resources and relationships needed to advance new ventures.

Previously, Dr. McKinney served as Entrepreneurship Program Manager in Penn State's Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization, where he developed and managed student-focused entrepreneurship and economic development initiatives. His work included leading Penn State Startup Week, developing the Penn State Alumni Entrepreneurs Network, supporting university startup initiatives, and serving as an NSF I-Corps trainer for Penn State and the Mid-Atlantic region.
Dr. McKinney also serves as part-time faculty in the University of Arizona's Eller College of Management, facilitating graduate-level entrepreneurship courses through the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship. Previously, he was a faculty member in the Department of Entrepreneurship at the Bullis School, where he developed and taught courses in entrepreneurship, business model design, leadership, finance, and global trade and coached student venture teams from ideation through launch.

From 2015 to 2019, Dr. McKinney served on the faculty at Gallaudet University, teaching courses in entrepreneurship, adventure recreation, event planning, and recreation management. He also served as Faculty Fellows Coordinator for Gallaudet's Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute, leading a multidisciplinary cohort of faculty working to integrate entrepreneurial thinking across the curriculum. During his time at Gallaudet, he helped develop entrepreneurship courses, student pitch competitions, business partnerships, and experiential learning opportunities.

Dr. McKinney earned his Ph.D. in Recreation, Park and Tourism Management and Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and the Environment from Penn State, where he also earned an M.S. in Recreation, Park and Tourism Management and a B.S. in Recreation and Park Management. He is currently pursuing an additional M.S. in Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Penn State.

Entrepreneurship has been a consistent thread throughout Dr. McKinney's career. He co-founded Venture Navigator, a SaaS product designed to guide entrepreneurs through the entrepreneurial journey. He also founded Mt. Nittany Outfitters, an e-commerce outdoor recreation business that grew to more than $500,000 in annual sales. He later founded Happy Valley Trading Cards, which has served more than 10,000 customers. His nonprofit and community work has included serving on the Board of Directors of Global Capacity, consulting with the International Mountain Leadership Institute in the Himalayas of northern India, and founding and co-chairing Bison Adventures. This organization provides recreational experiences for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

An avid outdoorsman, Dr. McKinney completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2005 as a fundraiser for the Memphis Leadership Foundation. His interests include backpacking, boating, cycling, fly-fishing, gardening, travel, entrepreneurship, and spending time with family and friends.