Kent Vilendrer, co-founder of Tissue Growth Technologies, has been involved in advanced instrument development for the last 30 years.   He started out as an Applications Engineer in the material test division of MTS Systems Corporation where he worked closely with customers to determine their test needs.   In 1983, he joined Intelledex and became responsible for designing robotic manufacturing lines for their Central Region.   In 1986 Kent became the Business Development Manager of Interlaken Technology, where he played a key role in redirecting the company's focus from consulting to material test instrument manufacturing.  Kent left Interlaken in 1990 to co-found EnduraTEC Systems Corporation and eventually sold the test equipment manufacturing part of the business to Bose in 2004.   At that time the company was renamed Tissue Growth Technologies and its exclusive focus became bioreactor instrument development. 

Over the years Kent's efforts in the medical device testing and tissue growth areas has lead to the generation of several new laboratory instruments.  His technical knowledge base remains a critical asset to the organization.  Kent holds a MS in Mechanical Engineering Design from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Minnesota.

Kathy Vilendrer, co-founder and Executive Vice-President of Tissue Growth Technologies, has played a key role in developing all areas of the corporation since the company's inception. Responsibilities have included the management of Operations, Sales/Marketing, Customer Service and Human Resources.  Her current focus at TGT is on long-term strategic planning, staff development, and sales and marketing strategies.

Kathy holds an MBA from the University of St. Thomas, an MA from Minnesota State University, and a BA from the University of Minnesota.

Anna Wynn, Business and Operations Manager, has responsibilities with Tissue Growth Technologies in sales and customer support, project management, and technical support.  Anna brings a wealth of related experience to the position having worked in international and prestigious biologists' laboratories, including the Bermuda Biological Research Station and the Jane Goodall's Institute's Center for Primate Studies.  Ms. Wynn has previously had roles in research, teaching, instrumentation setup and design, and marketing.  She has authored and presented several scientific works.

Anna holds an MS in Marine Biology and Molecular Biology from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and a BS from the University of Minnesota, and is in the process of completing an MBA at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Blaise Porter, Director of Product Development for Tissue Growth Technologies, is responsible for biological compatibility design, device validation, product field testing, sales, and customer support.  He possesses a strong foundation in tissue engineering approaches, having worked in tissue engineering laboratories for the last eight years at both the Mayo Clinic and the Georgia Institute of Technology.  His areas of expertise include: 3-D cell culture, bioreactor and implantable device design, mechanical testing of biological tissues as well as various microscopy and micro-computed tomography imaging techniques.  He has multiple publications in various peer reviewed journals and has presented extensively at national and international meetings.

Dr. Porter holds both a Ph.D. and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as a B.A. from St. Olaf College.

Philippe Levesque, Senior Electrical/Software Engineer for Tissue Growth Technologies, is responsible for electrical and software design and integration, device validation and product testing.  Through his work at the LOEX (Laboratoire d'organogenese experimentale) he has gained a broad understanding of tissue engineering principles and considerations to be integrated into bioreactor system design.  His work at the Laval University Optics, Photonics and Laser Center (COPL) has allowed him to gain considerable experience in instrumentation control and automation and software design.

Mr. Levesque holds a B.A. in Electrical Engineering and a M.Sc. in Bioengineering from Laval University in Quebec.

Ralph Skoe has 40 years experience developing control systems for advanced test and simulation systems.  For 16 years while at MTS Systems, Ralph developed computer controllers for their material test and multi-axis vehicle simulation systems.  In 1983, he left MTS to start his own company where he created new control products for the US and European test equipment markets.  During this period he developed several generations of controllers for various test equipment manufacturers.   At TGT Ralph directed the development of the GrowthWorks control software, a fifth generation design that is setting new standards for tissue growth applications.

Ralph holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Eric Granstrom, Technical Advisory Board Member, brings to the team a breadth of experience in materials engineering and testing.   He has a strong background in product and business development in both hardware and service related products.  Prior to his work with TGT, Eric was a Sr. Manager for an R&D team at Seagate Technology.  There he was responsible for delivering the industry-leading electronic materials to the hard disk drive. Before his industrial roles, Eric taught physics at Carleton College.  He has authored two U.S. patents, and currently has eight U.S. patents pending.

Eric holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Minnesota. an MBA from the Carlson School of Management, an MS in Applied Physics from Yale University, and a BA from Carleton College.