Our Team

Mark Reitsma brings a diverse background, with over 10 years in nanotechnology and early-stage device technology R&D, and 6 years in capital equipment sales and account management. Mark has a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Newcastle, Australia, and an MBA from DePaul University, Chicago

John is VP-SEC Reporting at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago. He is also Adjunct Professor in Finance and Accounting at DePaul University and an avid supporter of Chicago entrepreneurship. He has an MBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Chicago.

Ron founded Heartland Angels in 2003. He is an Adjunct Professor at the UIC Liautaud Graduate School of Business. He has served as CEO of several companies in the healthcare space and as a Principal in a Consulting firm specializing in early stage companies. Ron is a licensed physician with an MBA in Finance and a professional history spanning both the practice of medicine and the creation and administration of medical and non-medical related organizations.

Loren Minkus is an accomplished business executive with over 38 years of broad business experience with Motorola and seven years of consulting with Concept Equity Group. He has expertise in corporate venture capital, private and public equity sales, corporate business development, business valuation, strategy, finance, marketing, equity pitch presentations.

Robert Osborne has over 25 years of experience in computer engineering, software development, and financial risk management. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). He is currently the Director of Software Development at a financial services company in Chicago.

Polina Goryunov, PhD, MBA, is a neuroscientist and clinical researcher in the fields of vascular health and pain management. In her current role as a Program Director at MATTER, Polina is responsible for managing its healthcare startup portfolio and helping accelerate the growth of its businesses. Previously, as the Director of Research at Recovery Force, she spearheaded the clinical validation of a novel compression FDA Class II medical device for patients at risk of developing blot clots. Polina has also previously served as an Investment Manager at Elevate Ventures and an Associate in Technology Transfer at Indiana University (IURTC). Polina has a PhD in Medical Neuroscience and a MBA in Entrepreneurship and Finance from Indiana University. She also holds a BS in Biology and Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Bill began his career at Ernst & Young (EY) in the transaction advisory service practice, providing financial due diligence services to strategic and private equity acquirers. After leaving EY, Bill entered the private equity industry, first at Prism Capital and then at Prospect Partners, serving as CFO and CCO, responsible for all accounting, financial reporting, and compliance functions. Bill is currently Executive Vice President/ CFO of First Financial Credit Union. Bill earned a B.S. Degree from DePaul University and an M.B.A from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He also is a Certified Public Accountant.

Paul’s career spans over 30 years, specializing in corporate speech writing and presentation coaching for consulting/accounting firms and Fortune 500 senior executives. Over his career, Paul has founded five startups, holds two patents, and now offers presentation coaching services for entrepreneurs in a variety of industry and technology spaces. Paul has authored two books on skills and tactics needed to deliver persuasive presentations, including “Visual Selling: Capture the Eye and the Customer Will Follow.” John Wiley & Sons.

Scott M. Anderson, a principal at Anderson Financial Services, brings 24 years of experience performing business valuations, investment banking services, and cash projections at Deloitte, Robert W. Baird, and restructuring firms in the Chicago area. His advisory work has focused on the critical role of financial forecasts for business transactions, financial restructuring, and enterprise valuation. With early stage companies, he has advised founders through angel and Series A financing rounds, served as CFO and performed financial diligence for investors. Mr. Anderson has a BSEE from Northwestern University and an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago.