Co-Founder and Managing Director at Ramp-Up Lab

Marie Frochen, Founder and Partner of Ramp-Up Lab, is a seasoned expert with over 10 years of experience and passion for international development, startup acceleration, corporate innovation, and entrepreneurship, and has crafted an unparalleled network of speakers and mentors who share her passion for connecting the world to the tech ecosystems here in the US.

Ramp-Up Lab is quite literally an extension and manifestation of her passion for building communities, connecting the world, and helping teams grow through innovation.

Her specialties: international development, networking, startup, growth, corporate innovation, management.

Partner, Strategy at Ramp-Up Lab

Xavier Wartelle is a Founding Partner of Big Bang Factory, helping startups and innovative companies jumpstarting in the US. Previously, Xavier founded and led the French Tech Hub, that became the largest accelerator of French start-ups in the US. He was also the CEO of PRIME serving large corporates with Open Innovation services and promoting the Paris Region.

Xavier is a serial entrepreneur who has started six high-tech start-ups in Silicon Valley of which four has been acquired. Xavier’s career spans over 35 years of executive leadership in startups and mature companies, in telecom, enterprise software, and online ventures. He currently serves as board member of American Friends of Arts et Métiers, member of French Foreign Trade Advisors and French Tech Ambassador. Xavier holds a Master engineering degree from Ecole Nationale des Arts et Métiers, Paris.

Senior Consultant at Ramp-Up Lab

Donna Bletzinger is the founder and principal of Strategy for Global Markets, a thought leadership consultancy based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A respected advisor and coach experienced in leading diverse project teams in tech firms, nonprofits and startups, she has mentored and advised many clients on successful strategies to grow their business.

Donna has broad Silicon Valley experience and personal knowledge of startup culture. She is also an in-demand speaker and university lecturer. She has conducted seminars for the French American Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco and facilitated workshops for French Universities ESAM, HEC, INSEEC, EDHEC and ESCEN as well as groups of French entrepreneurs.

Donna graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she attended the Université d’Aix Marseille, Aix-en Provence, France, on the University’s Study Abroad Program. She has an MBA in Marketing from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California and is a graduate of the UCLA Anderson School Executive Marketing Management Program.

Co-Founder, Partner at Ramp-Up Lab

Boris is a Silicon Valley based entrepreneur, mentor, guest lecturer and international business development professional. Recognized expert in Sales and Go-To-Market Strategy with a 15+ year proven track record in developing effective partnerships and transforming marketing databases into sales growth engines.

Participative leadership style, with an innovative and enthusiastic approach to management. Strong knowledge in innovation and disruption, helping European and international startups, entrepreneurs, academics, and open innovation corporate teams from various sectors of innovation/technology to better understand the Silicon Valley ecosystem, and occasional contributor for various networks including BFM Business Tech&Co TV and radio shows.

Prior, Boris led sales and strategy on the west coast for Secret Escapes, a globally renowned brand in the travel space. Before joining Secret Escapes, Boris lead strategic partnerships at Travelzoo, a publicly traded company in the travel and entertainment space, raking in major hospitality brands and building C-Level partnerships in the western U.S. Boris also led various teams at Voyage Privé, France’s first private sales travel specialist, building their global contracting team as well as helping ramp up new markets like the U.S. and Brazil.

Project Manager at Ramp-Up Lab

Ruben has a unique international background, having spent half of his life growing up in Marseille, France, and the other half in Houston, Texas, where he is currently going to school.

He’s currently in his final year at the University of Houston working towards a B.A. in Marketing, and plans on continuing on to get his M.B.A. soon after.

“I’m very thankful for Ramp-Up Lab for granting me the opportunity to work with them, this experience will definitely be a major step forward in my professional career, and one I’ll remember. I’m excited to see what I can bring to the table from the business acumen I’ve acquired throughout my previous internship roles and education. I’ve always had a strong interest in the tech industry, and what better way to kick off a career in tech than in the global heart of innovation itself - San Francisco!”