Victoria Gonzalez has spent thirty years leading organizations as a change agent and entrepreneur. Educated as an engineer, she worked for Fortune 100 companies for 15 years learning how big corporations implement new technology solutions. In 2000, she shifted her focus to technology start-ups, playing a significant role in helping to build the biotech start-up community in St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to starting six companies, Victoria has worked with other community leaders to build the entrepreneurial infrastructure for technology start-up companies by participating on the boards of BioGenerator, IT Enterprise Network (ITEN), Helix Center, BRDG Park, Missouri Venture Forum, and Missouri Technology Corporation, an appointment made by the Governor of Missouri. More recently, Victoria has turned her focus to education and small businesses as effective ways to address the socio-economic divide in our country and her community. She recently partnered with Justine Petersen to raise an impact investment fund to provide much needed capital, expanded networks, and broader markets to small businesses in low-to-moderate income areas. She serves on the board of Marian Middle School, whose mission is to break the cycle of poverty of inner-city girls. And she currently co-teaches “The Basics of Bioentrepreneurship” at Washington University in St. Louis. Victoria received a BS degree in electrical engineering from Texas A&M in 1984 and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis in 1990. Married to Steve Welker, they have two daughters. When she is not spending time with family, she enjoys reading, biking, fishing and hiking.