Session #4: Venture Funding Panel

​Panelists

​Austin Lignell is an MBA candidate at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, concentrating in Entrepreneurship, and Finance. He currently directs 99 Tartans, a syndicate of CMU alumni investing in university-led ventures. Austin also serves as Venture Capital Intern at Illuminate Ventures. Prior to his MBA, he spent three years in business valuation, completing over hundreds of valuations for venture-backed companies and M&A transactions. His expertise spans financial modeling, venture capital, and operational strategy.

​As Platform Manager of Innovation Works (IW), Jordan Marinkovich supports the growth of software, hardware and health-tech startups throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. She has a passion for creating innovative, equitable opportunities and a community of support to advance entrepreneurs to their next stage of growth. Jordan works closely with IW’s portfolio companies to help them leverage resources and networks to promote their growth and profitability. Prior to overseeing IW’s Platform offerings, Jordan worked in marketing and communications across several industries including legal, non-profit, and healthcare fields. In her free time, Jordan enjoys mentoring with the Pittsburgh Tech Council’s L.A.U.N.C.H program which helps support high school girls with interest in STEM careers. She also serves on the board of getWITit Pittsburgh and is an active member in VC Platform, Let’s Talk Ops and the Old Girls Club. Jordan holds a BS from Carlow University and an MBA from Point Park University.