SSTI Board of Trustees appoints two new members

The SSTI Board of Trustees has appointed Kristy Campbell, president & chief operations officer at Rev1 Ventures, and John Fernandez, chief executive officer at The Mill, as members of the board.  “I look forward to working with Kristy and John as new board members,” Dan Berglund, SSTI’s president, said with their appointments. “Both are proven, inspiring leaders, have been long time friends of SSTI, and demonstrated strong commitments to advancing the TBED community.”

Campbell has spent decades growing revenue and organizing teams for venture-backed tech startups. In her 10 years with Rev1 Ventures, she has created the organization's strategic vision and supported nearly 1,500 innovators. These innovators have gone on to raise more than $2 billion in capital.

As president and chief operating officer, Campbell manages the day-to-day operations of Rev1. She supports strategic growth areas, including innovation space for software startups and life science spinouts. She bolsters Rev1's mission of putting Columbus on the map as a place to start and scale startups and strives to close the capital gap and address the maturing startup ecosystem in Central Ohio.

Before joining Rev1, Campbell served in leadership roles at Manta Media. There, she helped scale the company into one of the U.S.'s most visited websites. She also served in leadership at Saama Technologies, a Big Data and analytics leader.

Campbell holds a BS in Journalism from Ohio University and an MBA from Ashland University. She is a frequent speaker on startups, marketing, and inclusion topics. She also has been featured in top publications and serves on the advisory board for SureImpact, a social impact software platform.

John Fernandez, a respected senior executive leader, has extensive experience leading private and public organizations. John joined The Mill, Bloomington's home for innovators, to catalyze the regional innovation ecosystem, including leading collaborations with Indiana University, investors, and the robust startup community. A key priority includes developing and managing The Trades District, a center for innovation located in Bloomington's certified tech park. Fernandez most recently served as senior vice president of innovation & strategic partnerships and as interim executive director at The Mill. The Mill announced his appointment as chief executive officer on May 7, 2025.

As Dentons' global chief innovation officer, Fernandez worked closely with the firm’s lawyers and cross-functional teams, designing innovative programs and solutions, driving greater efficiencies, engagement, and revenue. Fernandez was also a managing director of Nextlaw Ventures, the industry’s first global legal tech venture launched by Dentons in 2015.

Before joining Dentons, Fernandez served as President Barack Obama’s assistant secretary of commerce for economic development. During his tenure, he launched groundbreaking federal initiatives to accelerate innovation-based growth strategies. Fernandez served as Bloomington, Indiana’s mayor from 1996 to 2003. With his leadership, Bloomington’s economy thrived despite facing significant changes arising from the global economy. He worked with business and Indiana University leaders to launch Bloomington’s Life Sciences Partnership, securing more than $243 million in private investments and creating more than 3,700 jobs.