UMRF VENTURES - Key Persons
Cruz Segura-Ramirez joined UMRF Ventures in September 2017 and currently serves as Manager of Workforce Management and Business Analyst. He previously served as a Technical Support Agent, Technical Support Shift Lead and Level 2 Technical Support Agent. Prior to UMRF Ventures, he worked in education through curriculum design, lecture and instruction, and tutoring. Cruz holds a B.S. in Physics from the University of Central Arkansas and an M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Memphis.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Information Systems and Executive Vice - President for Research & Innovation at the University of Memphis
Dr. Jasbir Dhaliwal is Professor of Information Systems and Executive Vice-President for Research & Innovation at the University of Memphis. He also serves as Executive Director of the University of Memphis Research Foundation which holds all the equity in UMRF Ventures Inc. He led the innovation team that developed the business model leading to the founding of UMRF Ventures Inc. in 2017 and serving as its founding President. He has significant international experience in leading applied innovation at universities in Canada, Singapore and Norway. He is currently leading the University of Memphis into the top-tier national Carnegie R1 ranking as Tennessee's second flagship public research university. His other interests include hiking the Wolf River trails of Shelby Farms; canoeing the lakes of Norway and British Columbia, Canada; and being active as an angel investor in technology start-ups from his home in Germantown, Tennessee.
Jasmine Sankhon joined UMRF Ventures in August 2017 and currently serves as Manager of the Level 1 and Level 2 Enterprise Common Services Desks for the company's venture with FedEx. She previously served as a Supervisor and Assistant Manager for Level 1 ECS. She is very proud of her contributions to the development of the training and quality programs used within the company today. Prior to joining UMRF Ventures, she was a Technical Lead for the University of Memphis's IT Support Desk and a Senior Phonathon Supervisor for the University of Memphis's Annual Giving department. She is a proud University of Memphis graduate with a B.A. in Anthropology with a minor in Biology. In her free time, she enjoys working out, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.
Job Titles:
- Director of Project Management and Corporate Initiatives
- Managing Director / Business Division B
Jutta "JT" Schneider joined UMRF Ventures in November 2019 as Director of Project Management and Corporate Initiatives, bringing over 25 years of experience in organizational development and customer service. She also lead the project to develop the strategic plan for the company. Since August 2023 she serves as Managing Director and is responsible for the business operations and strategic development of several clients, including FedEx IT Command Center and Sedgwick. A native of Germany, JT relocated to Memphis with her family in 2016. After earning a master's degree in Information Science from Saarland University in Saarbruecken, Germany, she held several leadership positions in customer service, process improvement, and organizational structure. In 2009, she created her own management consulting firm with clients including an international online bank and a global telecommunications company. In her free time, JT enjoys spending time with family and cooking. Her German dishes are a favorite among friends and neighbors in Memphis. She is happiest juggling multiple home improvement projects at once. Training the family dog Maya is an ongoing "process improvement" project.
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Manager for the Systems Analytics and Information Security Teams
Katy Higgins joined UMRF Ventures in June 2018 and currently serves as Manager for the Systems Analytics and Information Security teams. She previously served as Operations Lead. Before her position with UMRF Ventures, she held a variety of different leadership positions in retail and academic research settings. She is a magna cum laude graduate with B.S. degrees in Psychology and German, and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Information Systems and a master's certificate in Business Project Management. In her spare time, she likes to read, paint, and ride her horse.
Dr. Wang joined the Department in Fall 2004 after finishing her PhD at UCLA. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 2010 and to Full Professor in 2016. She became the department chair in Feb. 2016. Her research focuses on improving the scalability, reliability, and security of the Internet. She has received multiple major research grants from NSF, NIST, and DoD as well as several grants from the university. Most recently, she is on a team that received over $15 million from NSF for their "Named Data Networking" project. At the University of Memphis, Dr. Wang has taught a variety of courses including Networking and Information Assurance, Advanced Computer Networks, Wireless and Mobile Computing, Models of Computation, Web Services and the Internet, and Data Structures. As an active member of the research community, she has served on the program committee of more than 50 conferences and workshops. She is also interested in promoting female participation in computer science, co-organizing a "Networking Networking Women" panel at ACM SIGCOMM 2008 and an N2Women dinner at ACM SIGCOMM 2019. She started and has been advising the Women in Computing student chapter at the university.
LaShawn Willingham joined UMRF Ventures in July 2018 and currently serves as Manager for the Sedgwick Support Center. She previously served as the Supervisor of the Sedgwick Support Center. Before her management role with Sedgwick, she was a Level 1 agent with the ECS Venture, where she was shortly promoted to shift lead as well as a Level 2 agent. She is a University of Memphis graduate with a B.S. in Health Service Administration with a minor in Public Relations. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and journaling.
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Manager of the Raymond James Ventures
Lauren Boyette joined UMRF Ventures in October 2018 and currently serves as Manager of the Raymond James ventures. She previously served as a Technical Support Agent, Technical Support Shift Lead, and Supervisor. Lauren graduated from the University of Memphis in 2021 with a B.B.A. in Management. Lauren strives to help students develop professionally. She is proud of her academic and professional achievements and loves to assist in the success of others.
Job Titles:
- Co - Owner and President of Fogelman
Mark Fogelman is co-owner and President of Fogelman, a privately held multifamily investment and management company headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. Mark holds a BSM degree from Tulane University's Freeman School of Business where he was the recipient of the Evelyn and William Burkenroad Award, and currently serves as a Trustee on the Freeman School Council and The Tulane President's Council. He is past president of the Tennessee Apartment Association, Temple Israel and is on the board of governors of New Memphis Institute, The National Multi-Housing Council and Peak Campus Housing.
Patrick began his FedEx career as a package handler in 1993. He was promoted to Managing Director of Hub Operations in 2014 and Vice President of the Memphis Hub in April 2016. After serving over two years as Vice President of the Memphis Hub Night Operations, Patrick made the transition to Vice President/GM, AGFS Southern Region in June 2018. Patrick now serves as Vice President of US Operations, Southeast Region. Patrick is a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas, where he earned a football scholarship and won a National Championship in 1991. He was also inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in October 2017. Patrick is a four-time recipient of the FedEx Five Star Award and a two-time winner of the FedEx Purple Promise Award.
Pierre Landaiche joined UMRF Ventures in September 2020. Prior to joining the company, he led the startup of the Memphis Sports Hall of Fame and for 22 years, managed the Renasant Convention Center - formerly the Memphis Cook Convention Center. He is a native of Baton Rouge and graduate of Louisiana State University. He is involved in various community boards including the former chairman of the Better Business Bureau Board of Directors, The Hospitality Hub, the Dorothy Day House and the Bridge Street Newspaper among others. He is a member and former President of the Rotary Club of Memphis. Pierre enjoys spending time with his wife of 31 years, Gay, and his daughter Caroline, a student at Spring Hill College. He also enjoys duck hunting, fishing, tinkering with his 1967 Mustang convertible, cooking and breaking bread with friends and family.
Before joining the University of Memphis, Raaj Kurapati previously held the positions of Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer for Texas A&M University -- Kingsville and Associate Vice Chancellor for Financial Services and Business Operations for the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. He also served as Vice President & Chief Financial/Compliance Officer/Vice President & Chief Internal Auditor for the Bank of FSM in Pohnpei, Micronesia and Senior Auditor for Deloitte & Touche in Saipan and Guam/Micronesia.
Kurapati earned his bachelor of business administration (BBA) from East Texas Baptist University with a concentration in management and accounting. He is an accredited investment fiduciary as well as an accredited investment fiduciary analyst and serves on various finance and education boards.
Sherita Johnson joined UMRF Ventures in July 2017 and prides herself on being the first employee of the company. She currently serves as Managing Director responsible for business operations, strategic leadership, and IT support for several customers, including FedEx, Raymond James, and the City of Memphis. She manages an energetic and talented team of IT professionals who support employee development and manage the customer experience. Prior to joining UMRF Ventures, she worked for the University of Memphis IT department, where she acquired her love for student development, higher education, and supportive communication. She has more than 8 years of management and business operations experience. She graduated from the University of Memphis with a B.S. in Chemistry and is a magna cum laude graduate with a Master of Science in Computer Science with a concentration in Data Management and Analysis.