Meet the Heartland judges

Marco Assis
CEO and Partner
Propio

Marco Assis is the CEO and Partner at Propio. He joined Propio in June 2017 as a vice president of finance and operations and became CEO and Owner in November 2019. Since then, Marco has been leading Propio through a very successful growth cycle, reshaping the entire organization and resulting in more than 100% growth year over year and approximately 40x revenue growth in less than five years ($14 million in 2020 to $600 million in 2025). In the past five years, he has led and brought two private equity partners (TTCP, a middle-market healthcare fund, and LGP, with more than $70 billion in assets under management) as strategic investors to the business.

Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, also fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, Marco grew up working in his parent’s bakery and grocery store and also spent his teenage years as a computer and English tutor in his hometown. Marco is a proud father to his seven-year-old and two-year-old boys. Marco is passionate about soccer and investments in both public and private markets. 

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Nicole Atchison
Chief Executive Officer 
PURIS Holdings

Nicole Atchison is Chief Executive Officer of PURIS Holdings, a family‑owned portfolio of companies advancing US-based ingredient innovation through integrated seed genetics, processing technologies and direct farmer relationships across the US. Working alongside her family leadership team, Nicole focuses on building resilient, scalable food system businesses designed to endure across generations — linking long‑term vision with disciplined execution.

Founded in 1985, PURIS has evolved into a North American leader in pea protein and specialty food‑grade soy through a closed‑loop model that aligns innovation, operational excellence and value creation from farm to finished ingredient. Nicole serves on the boards of PURIS companies and contributes industry leadership through board service with the US Pea & Lentil Trade Association, the US Dry Pea & Lentil Council, AgriGrowth and Rival Foods.

Nicole holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University. She lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, with her family and enjoys coaching youth sports and exploring national parks. 

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Thomas Barrett
Partner and Co-Managing Director 
Barrett Petfood

Thomas Barrett is Partner and Co-Managing Director at Barrett Petfood, where he oversees sales, marketing and strategic growth of one of Minnesota’s leading super-premium pet food manufacturers. 

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Brad Batz
Chief Executive Officer
Fike Corporation

Brad has served as the CEO of Fike Corporation since January 1, 2017. Fike is an 80-year-old, family-owned, global business founded in 1945 by his grandfather, Lester Fike, Sr.  Fike is the experienced, trusted expert in rupture disc technologies, explosion protection, and fire alarm and fire suppression solutions with a vision to eliminate catastrophic loss of life and assets for companies across the globe.

A native Kansas Citian and proud graduate of the University of Florida, Brad is committed and excited to lead Fike Corporation to future generations of family, employees and customers across the globe. 

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Jamie Candee
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Board Director
Edmentum

Jamie Candee leads Edmentum’s strategic vision and long-term growth as President, CEO, and Board Director. A former educator with 15 combined years of leading Edmentum, Jamie has put educators and unique student needs at the forefront of Edmentum’s comprehensive K–12 digital solutions, which leverage adaptive technologies to accelerate learning, improve student achievement and enable pathways to careers. Under her leadership, Edmentum has grown significantly and now serves more than five million students in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Jamie is particularly passionate about how the responsible use of learning innovation can substantially change outcomes for students in marginalized communities, as well as those who learn differently (like she did as a child).

Jamie has received numerous awards, including 2025 Global Leader of the Year from the EdTech Awards, Calibre One’s Top 25 Women Leaders in US PE-Backed Software for 2025, the 2023 Tech Edvocate Best Global EdTech Leader, ASU+GSV’s 2022 POW! (Power of Women) Award, and the 2021 Entrepreneur Of The Year Award Heartland Region by Ernst & Young LLP. She is a Pahara fellow and serves on several boards, including America Succeeds and Primrose Schools. In 2017, Jamie founded Edmentum’s foundation, We Can Learn, which supports organizations seeking to improve global outcomes for children.

Jamie holds a Master of Business Administration from Bethel University and Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin.

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Ron Konezny
Chief Executive Officer and President
Digi International

Ron Konezny joined Digi International in December 2014 as Chief Executive Officer and President. Prior to joining Digi, he was Vice President, Global Transportation and Logistics division of Trimble Navigation Limited, a global provider of navigation and range-finding equipment and related solutions. He had served in that role since September 2013. Prior to this position, he served from August 2011 to September 2013 as the General Manager of this division and as the Chief Executive Officer of PeopleNet, Inc., after PeopleNet was acquired by Trimble in 2011. Ron was a founder of PeopleNet where he had held a variety of executive positions since 1996, including Chief Technology Officer; Chief Financial Officer; Chief Operating Officer; and, from September 2007 through PeopleNet’s acquisition by Trimble, Chief Executive Officer. PeopleNet is a leading provider of telematics solutions for the transportation industry.

Ron has extensive leadership experience in the wireless machine to machine and Internet of Things industry, transforming hardware, software and services into complete solutions that support customers’ end-to-end journey. He brings this breadth of corporate strategy, manufacturing, operation, technology, finance and business development knowledge and expertise to his role on the Digi Board of Directors.

Ron is a two-time Entrepreneur Of The Year^® winner. In 2009, as CEO of PeopleNet, Ron won the Technology category. In 2024, as President and CEO of Digi, Ron won the Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in the Heartland Region. 

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Lindsay Mullenger
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Petite Keep

Lindsay Mullenger is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Petite Keep, a personalization-first, heirloom keepsake brand built on life’s most meaningful moments. She launched Petite Keep in 2020 with a simple question that occurred to her while sitting on her daughter’s nursery floor: where do I put these things I never want to let go of?

What began as a solution for her own family has grown into a multimillion-dollar, category-defining brand recognized on the Inc. 5000 and featured on Shark Tank. Today, Petite Keep helps families hold tight childhood memories, celebrate milestones and build traditions through thoughtfully designed, personalized Trunks and heirloom keepsakes made to last for generations.

Lindsay leads a fully female team and has built Petite Keep around a clear set of core values, including the tip-top value: Customer Obsessed, Always! Known for blending brand vision with operational excellence, she is focused on scaling Petite Keep into a household name while staying deeply rooted in the emotional connection that started it all.

Before founding Petite Keep, Lindsay built her career in business development at Procter & Gamble and Duracell. She is passionate about empowering women to build meaningful businesses, creating products that become part of family traditions and proving that brands built with heart can scale with strength. 

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Jason Sondell
Partner
Northwest Equity Partners

Jason Sondell leads Northwest Equity Partners’ origination efforts with responsibility for the firm’s origination strategy, market visibility and early access to high-quality investment opportunities across the firm’s core sectors and geographies. Jason has been with the firm for more than two decades and previously served in senior investment roles. Earlier in his career, Jason worked at Credit Suisse First Boston in the Global Industrial and Services Group and at Prudential Capital Group, focusing on private debt, mezzanine and equity investments. 

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Bret Weiss
President and Chief Executive Officer
WSB

Bret Weiss is President and CEO of WSB, a design and consulting firm specializing in engineering, community planning, and environmental and construction services. Headquartered in Minnesota, WSB is a fast-growing organization that operates across the US from more than 50 offices. WSB has been regularly recognized as a Top 200 Workplace by the Star Tribune newspaper, a Hot Firm by the Zweig Group and a Top 500 Design Firm by Engineering News-Record, and recognized in 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025 as a Fast 50 honoree by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. Bret is one of the founders of WSB and has worked in the civil engineering community for more than 30 years. Bret is a passionate leader who is committed to his staff and clients. He believes that a strong culture drives results, and he inspires his team to discover thoughtful and creative solutions to infrastructure challenges. Bret is a champion and advocate of business and remains active in driving opportunities throughout WSB communities. He is actively involved in organizations both inside and outside of the architecture, engineering and construction industry. Bret advocates for the business community with active involvement in the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and as a former board member for the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber’s Foundation. In 2025, Bret won the Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in the Heartland Region, an honor given out by Ernst & Young LLP. He also dedicates time to the arts by serving on the Hennepin Arts Board of Directors. A University of Minnesota graduate and student athlete, Bret is an avid Gopher fan. Outside of the office, he enjoys golf, travel, live music and the occasional dive bar. 

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