The Minnesota Twins announced Wednesday the three people who will run the team's inaugural accelerator run by Techstars.
Brett Brohl will be managing director, Sarah Bain will be venture principal and Jessica Stalbaum will serve as director of platform. All three have previous experience creating and operating successful Techstars accelerators in Minnesota.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Brett, Sarah and Jessica to the Twins family,” said Joe Pohlad, Twins executive vice president of brand strategy and growth, in a statement. “Their expertise and vision will prove invaluable in creating a program that is beneficial to the startup community as well as the Minnesota Twins organization.”
Brohl is a managing partner at Bread and Butter Ventures and has served as managing director for the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator since it was founded in 2016.
In her role, Bain will be in charge of maximizing investment returns through sourcing, supporting founders and assisting with investment needs.
Bain was most recently a senior investment manager for Boulder, Colo.-based Techstars, where she helped grow over 150 portfolio companies with a market cap of $3.4 billion.
Stalbaum comes to the cohort with experience in the Farm to Fork Accelerator, both as a program manager and then as a program director. As director of platform, she will execute year-round operations to support participants, mentors and staff.
The program team will also be hiring a venture associate and program manager.
The Twins announced the accelerator in April. The 10 participating companies could include software companies, digital media companies, fan engagement apps and more.
Five executives from the Twins, including President and CEO Dave St. Peter and Twins Assistant General Manager Daniel Adler, and two from the Pohlad Cos. will serve as mentors to startups in the program. The Twins will also have an opportunity to invest in the companies.
Applications to participate in the cohort are being accepted through Wednesday, July 28.
The program will begin in November and run through February.
