Minnesota Medtech: The North Star Advantage
Tim Walz
Governor, State of Minnesota
Tim Walz is Minnesota’s 41st Governor. He was first elected Governor in 2018 and won re-election in 2022. Accomplishments from his time as Governor include providing universal free school meals for students, protecting reproductive freedom, strengthening voting rights, laying the groundwork to get Minnesota to 100% clean electricity by 2040, cutting taxes for the middle class, and expanding paid leave for Minnesota workers. Throughout his time as Governor, Tim has prioritized making Minnesota the best state in the country to raise a family.
Born in a small town in rural Nebraska, Tim’s parents instilled in him the values of public service, generosity toward your neighbors, and working for the common good that guide his commitment to Minnesota today. After high school graduation, Tim enlisted in the Army National Guard. He attended Chadron State College and graduated with a social science degree in 1989. Tim spent a year teaching abroad before returning home to serve full time in the Army National Guard and eventually accepting a high school teaching and coaching position.
While teaching, Tim met his future wife, Gwen Whipple, who taught at the same school. They moved to Mankato in 1996, where they worked at Mankato West High School. In addition to teaching social studies, Tim helped coach the Mankato West football team that won the school’s first state championship. After 24 years in the Army National Guard, Command Sergeant Major Walz retired from the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion in 2005. Tim won his first election to the United States House of Representatives in 2006 and was re-elected for another five terms serving Minnesota’s First Congressional District in Southern Minnesota.
Matt Varliek
Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development
Matt Varilek was appointed DEED Commissioner in June 2023. From 2016 to 2023, Matt served as President of the Little Falls-based Initiative Foundation, which supports economic and community development in the 14 counties and two sovereign tribal nations of Central Minnesota.
Previously, he was Chief Operating Officer for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), regional administrator for U.S. SBA Region VIII, and a candidate for Congress in South Dakota. He also served as an Economic Development Director and Speechwriter for the offices of U.S. Senators Tom Daschle and Tim Johnson, and Director of Policy and Research for Natsource LLC, an energy brokerage based in New York.
Commissioner Varilek earned a B.A. from Carleton College, a M.Phil. in Economic Development from the University of Glasgow, and a M.Phil. in Environment and Development from the University of Cambridge.
Roberta (Bobbie) Dressen
President & CEO, MAA
Roberta “Bobbie” Antoine Dressen is a strategic and visionary Health Care and Life Sciences leader focused on driving results and advancing public health. Dressen is the President and CEO of Medical Alley, a global organization based in Minnesota representing one of the most diverse and influential healthcare ecosystems in the world.
Prior to joining Medical Alley, Dressen served in senior leadership roles at some of Minnesota’s largest healthcare companies — including Boston Scientific, Medtronic, UnitedHealth, and Allina Health. At the age of 25, Dressen was named CEO of Shriner’s Hospital for Children, Twin Cities, where she successfully led a multimillion-dollar facility replacement project.
Dressen is also currently Operating Partner at LFE Capital, a private equity firm with a mission to build great wellness companies and connect extraordinary women leaders to the capital they need. In 2014, she was named one of Minnesota’s Top 10 Women Corporate Executives by Twin Cities Business magazine based on career achievements and leadership.
Peter Frosch
CEO, GREATER MSP – Speaker
GREATER MSP is the regional economic development partnership for the 15-county Minneapolis-Saint Paul region. As Chief Executive Officer, Frosch is responsible for leading the global strategy for economic development and job creation for the region, with its 3.6 million residents and Gross Metropolitan Product of more than $260 billion. GREATER MSP is a growing cross-sector partnership that includes over 350 businesses, universities, cities, counties, foundations, and nonprofit organizations. As a partnership, GREATER MSP advances inclusive economic growth and global competitiveness by executing strategies in the areas of job creation, talent, innovation, and capital.
Prior to taking on the role of CEO in 2019, Frosch served as Senior Vice President of Strategy at GREATER MSP. He earned a bachelor’s degree in History and American Studies from Northwestern University and earned a master’s degree in International Relations from Dublin City University in Ireland, where he studied as a George Mitchell Scholar.
Kylle Jordan
Business Development, Destination Medical Center
In her Business Development role, Kylle Jordan expands awareness of Destination Medical Center opportunities to healthtech partners and founders around the world. She works closely with teams throughout the Mayo Clinic network to identify opportunities for clinical collaboration, and aid in commercialization support through her network in Minnesota’s Medical Alley. Her overarching goal is to create a welcoming environment that reduces barriers to US market entry and speeds innovative approaches to the patient’s bedside.
Prior to this role, Kylle led Medical Alley’s Global program and held economic development positions with the State of Minnesota, region of GREATER MSP, Canadian Government, and international non-profit eco-labeling organizations – all with the goal of growing local economies through international market access. From Canadian farm equipment manufacturers, to Minnesotan medtech innovators, to European fisheries, Kylle has been supporting companies for over a decade to aid in their success and expansion. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and French from St. Cloud State University, and a master’s degree in Global Finance, Trade and Economic Integration from the University of Denver.
Christin Mechler
Senior Regional Investment Specialist, SelectUSA/US Embassy Berlin
Christin Mechler serves as the Senior Regional Investment Specialist for the SelectUSA Program for the Foreign Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy Berlin, promoting foreign direct investment into the United from Germany and the DACH region, as well as several other eastern European countries. Prior to this role, Ms. Mechler served as a fiscal and legislative analyst in U.S. state government, focusing her work specifically on the sectors of the justice and judicial system, public safety, and homeland security. She has also previously served as a policy analyst at the German Bundestag and worked with numerous non – governmental organizations in the areas of immigration, law, and community organizing. Ms. Mechler holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs: Global Political Economics from the Technical University of Dresden.
Stefanie Siebels
Managing Director, Solventum Germany
Stefanie Siebels is the Managing Director of Solventum Germany and Vice President of Enterprise Marketing at Solventum, a global healthcare solutions company. Based in Düsseldorf, she brings over 25 years of leadership experience in healthcare marketing, strategy, and operations.
Before joining Solventum in 2024, Stefanie held numerous senior roles at 3M, where she spent nearly 27 years. Her most recent positions at 3M included Vice President of Global Analytics, Education & Development for the Health Care division, and Vice President of Global Marketing Campaigns. She also led the Marketing Center for Health Care in EMEA and held strategic planning and business management roles across Europe.
Stefanie’s leadership has been instrumental in driving customer-centric marketing strategies, digital transformation, and cross-regional collaboration. She has a strong track record of building high-performing teams and delivering measurable business impact in complex, global environments.
She holds a Diplom Betriebswirt degree (historically equivalent to a Master’s Degree) from the International Business School in Lippstadt (1992–1995). Committed to continuous learning, she has earned certifications in Marketing Analytics from Macquarie University and Advanced Competitive Strategy through Coursera.
Stefanie also served as Managing Director of Solventum Austria from 2024 to 2025, further demonstrating her leadership across the DACH region.