MEMBERSHIP
We Are Innovate MN
WE ARE market-disrupting innovation specialists who aim to improve the world for ourselves, our communities, and our collective futures.
WE ARE collaborative deep thinkers and problem solvers. We do not stop at the status quo but continue to push, evolve, and expand our horizons. We incubate ideas to change the world, using our collective imaginations for good (and not evil). We cultivate an abundance mentality every time we share, knowing that the cross-pollination process and practice of sharing means that all will get to take something away with them- whether it is a deeper connection to a professional colleague, a new perspective to explore a relationship to our industry or the possibility of inter-industry collaboration that we didn’t think was possible. We, together, are Innovate MN!
Hello
Dr. Jonell Pacyga and Matt Pacyga are the co-founders of Innovate MN. Together, they have over twenty years of experience in digital product management and educational leadership, having worked in both startup and corporate roles.
​
Dr. Jonell Pacyga is a professor and program lead for the ESL Education and Spanish Education licensures at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul. In addition to her teaching role with the university, Jonell has served for five years on the leadership committee for the professional development of the faculty with the goal of creating alignment between missional calling and scholarly experiences. Her current areas of interest include Instructional Technology, Teaching, Language Acquisition, The Science of Reading, Developmental Learning, and Trauma-Informed Practices. She holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, with an emphasis on Education Law Compliance, Ethics, and Cross-Cultural Dispute Resolution.
​
Matt specializes in mobile, web, and omnichannel product strategy and has a proven track record of driving digital transformation initiatives. As an experienced innovator, Matt holds a patent for new media technology and is also a startup advisor and mentor with Techstars.