Diane Rucker

Diane Rucker Email and Phone Number

Innovator | Angel Investor | Ecosystem Builder | Board Member @ SparkLearn
Diane Rucker's Location
Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area, United States, United States
About Diane Rucker

I thrive in chaos. I have a passion for change - an entrepreneurial mindset that works in organizations of all sizes. I work with startups on growth and strategy. My expertise is in helping teams to get "unstuck" - to understand the real problem that they need to solve and to take measurable action. If you want to connect with me, please include a message with your request, and I'd love to know your reasons for reaching out. I generally don't respond to unsolicited requests for investment. As a leader, I am skilled at balancing timelines, resource constraints, and near-impossible goals. A compelling need to understand these trade-offs led me to MIT Sloan School of Management to pursue an Executive MBA , specializing in Entrepreneurial Strategy. My technical background includes degrees in Materials Engineering from MIT and University of Michigan. I have direct experience in the healthcare, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, life sciences, data storage, and automotive industries. I'm an active contributor to the Twin Cities entrepreneurial ecosystem, and an advocate and mentor for startups; I'm also a full-time angel investor (primarily in Minnesota-based or Midwest startups, through several angel groups). And - if you've made it this far - I'm learning to play the fiddle. Because life's not all about work - even as rewarding and incredible as the work that I do.Credit to Bethany Birnie for the incredible photo!

Diane Rucker's Current Company Details
SparkLearn

Sparklearn

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Innovator | Angel Investor | Ecosystem Builder | Board Member
Diane Rucker Work Experience Details
  • Sparklearn
    Member Board Of Directors
    Sparklearn Nov 2023 - Present
    Morton, Illinois, Us
    SparkLearn has raised an initial seed round to market and scale the SaaS platform; I will serve on the SparkLearn board of directors as they grow and scale their business.
  • Groove Capital
    Angel Investor
    Groove Capital Sep 2020 - Present
    Minneapolis, Mn, Us
    LP at Groove Capital, focused on investments in seed-stage startups in Minnesota's growing startup ecosystem.
  • Tundra Ventures
    Angel Investor
    Tundra Ventures Oct 2021 - Present
    Tundra Ventures invests in early-stage talent and underrepresented founders, with a focus on Technology, Health, and CPG.
  • Technological Leadership Institute, University Of Minnesota
    Lecturer
    Technological Leadership Institute, University Of Minnesota 2018 - Present
    Minneapolis, Mn - Minnesota, Us
    MOT4001 - Leadership, Professionalism, and Business Basics for Scientists and Engineers1) Project Leadership, Teamwork, and Effective Communication2) The Process of Innovation3) Business Knowledge and Context
  • Bus Stop Mamas
    Advisory Board Member
    Bus Stop Mamas 2021 - Present
    Minneapolis, Mn, Us
    Serving on the advisory board for Bus Stop Mamas, an on-demand workforce engagement tool connecting businesses with an untapped pool of high-level talent: moms. Bus Stop Mamas helps to match skilled professionals with flexible work roles, solving one of the critical problems facing industry: access to talent.
  • University Enterprise Laboratories
    Executive Director And Ceo
    University Enterprise Laboratories 2018 - 2023
    St Paul, Minnesota, Us
    As the Executive Director, I lead a place-based incubator for startups, balancing the non-profit (mission work) with the for-profit (property management and P&L). I work with early-stage life science and biotech companies to create partnerships to help them grow. These include small business and shared resources, space management, financing, and connections to global innovation ecosystems.
  • Bir Network
    Consultant / Advisory Board Member
    Bir Network 2014 - 2018
    Bloomington, Minnesota, Us
    I served as an Advisory Board Member for IdeaGist, through Bir Network. IdeaGist is a virtual incubator , and is a collaborative platform for innovators and entrepreneurs to help them bring their ideas to reality.
  • Silverbow Consulting
    Principal Consultant
    Silverbow Consulting 2014 - 2018
    As an independent consultant, I choose intriguing projects that merge strategy, innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology. Some projects include:* Strategic projects for small to mid-size companies on growth, market positioning, product development, and data-driven strategy* Innovation-driven ecosystem analysis - helping a region to understand how to get more people to start new businesses* Sustainable revenue and growth planning for non-profits* Entrepreneurial and Blockchain workshops
  • Carrot Health
    Vice President Of Client Services / Projects
    Carrot Health 2015 - 2017
    Minneapolis, Mn, Us
    Carrot Health was acquired by UniteUs in 2021. I helped clients to merge their clinical data with consumer data, to understand social determinants of health and tell a compelling story. Retail companies use data science to understand their customers. But many healthcare organizations have limited experience in using consumer data. I found unique applications for our clients' data, including product development, new strategic markets, increased service line usage, targeted marketing strategies, and population risk assessments for ACOs and health insurance providers. I also deployed a project management tool (Asana) to track and coordinate work with our clients and contractors. Critical Skills Developed: Business Development, Data Analytics and Visualization, Product Strategy, Inbound marketing, Client Relations
  • Mit Trust Center For Entrepreneurship
    Project Management Consultant
    Mit Trust Center For Entrepreneurship 2014 - 2015
    The MIT Regional Entrepreneurial Acceleration Program (REAP) recruited me to work with them on a consulting project to analyze and measure innovation-driven entrepreneurship (IDE) in seven countries. I engaged with leaders from each of the seven countries to understand strategy, actions, and measurable outcomes, and to recommend changes. The seven participating countries included Andalusia - Spain, Finland, Scotland, Istanbul - Turkey, Hangzhou - China, New Zealand, and Veracruz - Mexico. I also completed follow-up work through a US EDA grant to create a plan for US startup ecosystem development.
  • Seagate
    Senior Manager
    Seagate 2011 - 2014
    Fremont, Ca, Us
    I chose this role to get closer to technology development in HAMR (Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording) in data storage. During this time, I co-developed and implemented the business strategy for an R&D Pilot Line for process development, adding 58 headcount and over $10M in capital investment. I created and led a process improvement team to reduce cycle time by 50% and improve line yield by 30% on HAMR experiments to speed the pace of learning. I coordinated a change in IT architecture to support the Pilot Line, as an Agile Business Leader, to get process data online and monitor it in real-time.
  • Seagate
    Senior Product Manager
    Seagate 2006 - 2011
    Fremont, Ca, Us
    • Platform team leader and liaison for new product development on mission-critical and business-critical data storage products, with teams in UK, US design centers, and Asia manufacturing operations• Created product roadmaps and developed critical technology paths to support them I led three generations of product teams through feasibility, development, and on-time launch. With my team, I improved product yield to over 90% for wafer, slider, assembly, and head stack builds in support of the launch and volume ramp for HDD (Hard Disk Drive) products.
  • Seagate Technology
    Product Development Manager
    Seagate Technology 2001 - 2005
    Fremont, Ca, Us
    • Management of product development on the Released Product Team, including product qualifications, launch and volume ramp for recording head technology into HDD (Hard Disk Drive). • Delivered yield, reliability, and performance improvements for four generations of products in high volume.
  • Seagate Technology
    Wafer Operations R&D Manager - Support And Integration
    Seagate Technology Oct 1997 - Mar 2001
    Fremont, Ca, Us
    * Direct management role - 7 managers and 8 administrators for 24/7 coverage* Reduced wafer cycle time from 44 days to 28 days to improve pace of R&D learning* Developed a combined metric to capture engineering value and manufacturing shipments for new developments in data storage.
  • General Motors
    Materials Engineer
    General Motors 1992 - 1997
    Detroit, Michigan, Us
    Material changes and supplier development for exterior plastics, glass, fluids, and lubricantsWorked as a business analyst for partnership with Isuzu, GM Brazil, and GM Truck GroupAwarded GM Fellowship for full time graduate study in 1995

Diane Rucker Skills

Cross Functional Team Leadership Strategy Product Development Product Management Leadership Program Management Engineering Management Strategic Planning Integration Business Strategy Operations Management Process Improvement Product Launch Entrepreneurship Analytics Strategic Partnerships Innovation Development

Diane Rucker Education Details

  • Mit Sloan School Of Management
    Mit Sloan School Of Management
    And Entrepreneurship
  • University Of Michigan
    University Of Michigan
    Materials Science And Engineering
  • Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
    Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
    Materials Science And Engineering

Frequently Asked Questions about Diane Rucker

What company does Diane Rucker work for?

Diane Rucker works for Sparklearn

What is Diane Rucker's role at the current company?

Diane Rucker's current role is Innovator | Angel Investor | Ecosystem Builder | Board Member.

What is Diane Rucker's email address?

Diane Rucker's email address is di****@****lmn.org

What schools did Diane Rucker attend?

Diane Rucker attended Mit Sloan School Of Management, University Of Michigan, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology.

What are some of Diane Rucker's interests?

Diane Rucker has interest in Rowing, Technology, Economic Empowerment, Education, Science And Technology, Stem Education, Wine Collecting, Triathlon.

What skills is Diane Rucker known for?

Diane Rucker has skills like Cross Functional Team Leadership, Strategy, Product Development, Product Management, Leadership, Program Management, Engineering, Management, Strategic Planning, Integration, Business Strategy, Operations Management.

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