What to know about the leadership of the Minnesota Twins Accelerator by Techstars:
- The Minnesota Twins Accelerator by Techstars has announced its leadership team
- Brett Brohl (Managing Partner of Bread and Butter Ventures, Managing Director of Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator) will be Managing Director
- Sarah Bain (most recently Senior Investment Manager of Techstars) will be Venture Principal
- Jessica Stalbaum (most recently Program Director of Techstars) will be the Director of Platform
- The Twins say the new accelerator will continue to fill out with new hires including a Venture Associate and Program Manager
- Applications for the inaugural Minnesota Twins Accelerator cohort are open until Wednesday, July 28
Check out our previous coverage on the Minnesota Twins Accelerator by Techstars, and learn more about the new leadership team by reading the release below.
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – Bringing experienced industry leaders to their new joint venture, the Minnesota Twins and Techstars today announced three program team appointments for the Minnesota Twins Accelerator by Techstars: Brett Brohl as Managing Director, Sarah Bain as Venture Principal and Jessica Stalbaum as Director of Platform. The trio has previously been involved in the creation and operations of multiple, highly-successful Techstars accelerator programs in Minnesota.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Brett, Sarah and Jessica to the Twins family,” said Joe Pohlad, Twins Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy and Growth. “Their expertise and vision will prove invaluable in creating a program that is beneficial to the startup community as well as the Minnesota Twins organization.”
Brohl is a renowned local entrepreneur, investor and mentor who has served as the managing director for the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator, with partners Cargill and Ecolab, since its inception in 2016. He will serve in the same capacity with the Minnesota Twins Accelerator, helping to build and lead a program that attracts and advances world-class startups focused on the intersection of technology, sports and entertainment. Brohl’s extensive experience includes stints as director of the inaugural Techstars Startup Next Food & Ag Accelerator in partnership with Land O’Lakes and as the entrepreneur in residence at the Techstars Retail Accelerator in partnership with Target. A founding member of the Forge North coalition, Brohl will remain involved with both the Farm to Fork Accelerator and his own, Minneapolis-based venture capital firm Bread & Butter Ventures.
As the venture principal for the Minnesota Twins Accelerator, Bain, who has been with Techstars since 2016, will be responsible for maximizing investment returns through all aspects of sourcing, founder support, accelerator experience and follow-on investment needs. Most recently, Bain was a senior investment manager at Techstars, where she helped maximize the health and growth of over 150 Techstars portfolio companies with a market cap of $3.4 billion; prior to that, she spent three years running the Techstars Retail Accelerator. An alumna of St. Olaf College, Bain has also worked locally with HandsOn Twin Cities, BestPrep and Target.
Stalbaum, like Brohl, has played a key role in the development of the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator, first as a program manager and then as its program director beginning in 2019. She will assume similar duties with the Minnesota Twins Accelerator, responsible for executing year-round operations to support current program participants, mentors and staff, along with accelerator alumni. Stalbaum was a founding member of Local Crate, a locally-sourced meal kit delivery service that began in the Twin Cities, went through the Techstars Retail Accelerator in 2017 and has since expanded to California, North Carolina, Texas and Rhode Island.
The program team for the Minnesota Twins Accelerator by Techstars, which will be headquartered in the Twin Cities, will be rounded out with additional hires for a venture associate and program manager.
Applications for startups to participate in the inaugural Minnesota Twins Accelerator cohort, which runs from November 2021 through February 2022, are being accepted through Wednesday, July 28 at techstars.com/accelerators/minnesota-twins.
