Founder & CEO | Investor | Champion for Wisconsin Entrepreneurs

Laura Strong is a strategic leader and investor driving innovation in biotech and venture funding, with over 25 years of entrepreneurial and operational experience in high-growth industries, including biotech, health tech, and venture capital. As Founder and CEO of Valency Fund, she is dedicated to closing the funding gap for growth-stage businesses in Wisconsin, providing innovative capital solutions to help companies scale sustainably.

Throughout her career, Laura has held key leadership roles in venture-backed and entrepreneurial companies. She served as a strategic advisor for radiopharmaceutical and health technology firms and previously led clinical evidence and validation strategies at Exact Sciences, helping to advance IVD product development. She began her career at Quintessence Biosciences, playing a pivotal role in early-stage drug discovery and clinical trials for novel oncology treatments.

Beyond her executive leadership, Laura is a dedicated mentor and advocate for Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. She mentors founders through MERLIN (Madison Entrepreneurs Resource Learning and Innovation Network) and Creative Destruction Labs and has served as President of the Board for BioForward Wisconsin and StartingBlock Madison. She currently sits on the board of Total Water, a high-purity industrial water systems provider operating across 11 states.

Laura is also an adjunct faculty member in the Masters in Biotechnology program at UW-Madison, where she guides students in integrating scientific and business principles into their thesis projects.

A National Institutes of Health predoctoral fellow, Laura earned her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is the co-author of 19 publications and co-inventor on 10 issued U.S. patents, demonstrating her deep expertise in scientific innovation and commercialization.

Board Member | Experienced Leader in Biotechnology, Commercial Strategy & Corporate Governance

Ralph Kauten has been a pioneering leader in biotechnology since 1979, playing instrumental roles at Promega Corporation and founding or leading PanVera Corporation, Mirus Bio, Quintessence Biosciences, and Lucigen Corporation. With deep expertise in vision-setting, commercial strategy, and execution, he has helped scale innovative companies in the life sciences sector.

Beyond biotech, Ralph has served on Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards across healthcare, banking, and manufacturing, bringing a strategic approach to growth and financial oversight. He currently sits on the boards of First Business Bank, BellBrook Labs, and the Nordic Group of Companies.

His career spans academia, finance, and manufacturing, including roles as a Faculty Member at UW-Whitewater, Plant Controller at Heublein, Inc., and Senior Auditor at Grant Thornton, CPAs. Ralph holds an MBA from UW-Madison and a BBA from the University of Iowa.

Board Member | Senior Credit Officer & Economic Development Strategist

Todd Kearney is the Senior Credit Officer at IncredibleBank (IB), overseeing the commercial underwriting process for a $1B+ loan portfolio, including risk assessment, loan approvals, and portfolio analytics. He also represents IB on Madison Development Corporation’s Venture Debt Fund, reinforcing his commitment to fostering innovative financing solutions.

Previously, Todd managed a $100M Bond Fund at United FCS, co-investing with community banks across the Midwest to drive business development. During this time, he also advised a group of local entrepreneurs in establishing an angel fund to support early-stage ventures.

Earlier in his career, Todd served as Director of Business Development at the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, appointed by Governor Tommy Thompson to oversee state economic development funds, including the Wisconsin Technology Development Fund and the Major Economic Development Fund.

A CPA and graduate of UW-Madison, Todd brings a unique blend of financial expertise and economic development experience, making him a valuable asset in bridging capital gaps for Wisconsin businesses.