Entrepreneur Panel: Maximizing Value from a Mentor

Mark Capaldini

Director and Trustee | Business Advisor | MESA Mentor | Red Cross Volunteer | 3x President and CEO

Career mostly in B2B SaaS, both in the Washington, DC metro area and in the MSP metro area. I have been a CEO, CEO Advisor, CEO Coach, and Board Director. My various past roles allow me to be a sounding board, peer, resource, coach, confidential advisor, and "nudge." I've led companies with revenues $5-50 million. BS, Engineering & Applied Science, Yale. MBA, Harvard Business School.

www.linkedin.com/in/markcapaldini

Derek Borkowski

Derek Borkowski, PharmD is pharmacist, software engineer and the founder of Pyrls—a modern medication knowledge platform for healthcare professionals. Prior to founding Pyrls, Derek practiced as a community pharmacy, worked in product management, and the pharmaceutical industry. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Minnesota.

Wessam Sonbol

Wessam Sonbol is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Delve Health, a leading provider of decentralized and hybrid clinical trial solutions. With more than 25 years of experience in clinical research and healthcare technology, Mr. Sonbol has built a reputation for driving innovation that enhances patient engagement, streamlines study operations, and improves data quality across global trials.

Under his leadership, Delve Health has developed a patient-centric platform that supports over 65 languages and integrates wearables, eConsent, remote assessments, and AI-driven engagement tools to enable more inclusive, efficient, and outcome-focused clinical research.

Mr. Sonbol's entrepreneurial journey was inspired by a personal mission to make clinical trials more accessible—an effort that has positioned Delve Health at the forefront of the digital health transformation. He is widely recognized for his strategic vision and deep commitment to advancing research through technology.

Brian R Gezella

Brian Gezella is the founder and CEO of LearnYour Benefits. LearnYour Benefits is an employee benefits communications and client service platform. Our mission is to provide brokers and employers with an effective SaaS platform that improves how employees understand and utilize their employee benefits. LearnYour Benefits borrows many features from marketing automation platforms to efficently improve the awareness of benefits, the findability of answers, and employees' understanding of how to maximize the value of their benefits. By helping employees we help their employers, their insurance brokers, and their vendors minimize waste and maximize effectiveness. LearnYour Benefits was founded in 2017 in Minneapolis, MN, and is backed by multiple investors and funds from Minnesota and California. LearnYour Benefits now serves hundreds of employers, brokers, and employee benefits providers across the United States.

Brian has had a surprisingly diverse career working in high-level roles in CPA firms, marketing agencies, manufacturers, and technology companies. Early in his career Brian was a CPA for a large local CPA firm. After that, Brian was the CFO of a marketing agency located in Minneapolis, MN. Immediately before starting LearnYour Benefits, Brian was a COO and CFO consultant and helped multiple manufacturers and technology companies with finance, strategy, operations, and raising outside investments.

Brian lives in Maple Grove, MN with his wife, two teenage boys, and a young labrador retriever.

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