Mission
The mission of Synergy Ventures Foundation (SVF) is to support the growth of purpose driven diverse entrepreneurs through high-quality, long-term, individualized guidance and resources. SVF brings creativity to every engagement, providing advice grounded in real-world experience, guidance on how to utilize Madison’s ecosystem of support, and connections rooted in community engagement
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Email us at info@synergymadison.com
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Our Leadership
Stuart Hee has spent the last 21 years working in various operations and finance roles. He most recently served as a Director for the Catalytic Opportunity Zone Fund, a social impact fund investing in the Mississippi Delta. Prior to that he was a Managing Director for Kalan Capital, a private equity firm where he acted as a board member, interim CFO and interim COO for numerous portfolio companies. He joined Kalan from Bear Stearns where he spent nine years and was a Managing Director. He currently sits on the board of the Community Kitchen Co-op and on the board of the Synergy Ventures Foundation. He volunteers for CEOs of Tomorrow, a nonprofit that teaches social entrepreneurship to teens, and as a mentor for MERLIN Mentors. He holds a B.S. in Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University.
Eugenia Podestá (President) is a Senior Director on the Leadership and Social Impact team at Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international women's leadership nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. She oversees programs including the Google Impact Challenge and the VV GROW Fellowship, a global one-year accelerator for women-owned SMEs. Eugenia is global connector with over 20 years of non-profit experience. Originally from Peru, Eugenia is also a social entrepreneur and co-founder of Synergy Coworking in Madison, Wisconsin where she spearheads and supports local economic empowerment and leadership initiatives for women and communities of color. Eugenia received her BA in Spanish Literature and Hispanic Studies, and Masters in Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies, and Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also studied International Law and worked on women-led tourism development efforts at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú in Lima.
Ben Schneider serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives at Fairbanks Morse Defense, a manufacturing company based in Rock County. In his role, he works on strategy, mergers and acquisitions, data analytics, and change management, with a focus on working with business functions (e.g. finance, HR, IT, legal, health and safety, marketing, sales) to integrate recently acquired companies. Previously, he spent five years at Vital Voices Global Partnership working with women owners of small and medium enterprises across Latin America and the Caribbean. He enjoys providing pro bono consulting for small businesses. He holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University.
Spencer Hudson
A passionate advocate for social justice, Spencer Hudson is on a mission to achieve equality—and equity—for all. His commitment to improving the lives of marginalized groups in Dane County made him an effective advisor, case manager and academic coach at Madison College prior to co-founding Synergy Coworking. He has also eagerly lent his expertise and talents to local organizations such as Operation Fresh Start, Madison Urban Ministry and Mt. Zion Academic Learning Center. He holds BSW from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater.