MEDICAL ALLEY, Minn. (4/28/2025) — Today, Medical Alley announced the appointment of two accomplished leaders to the Medical Alley Starts team: Brian Crotteau as Managing Director and Geof Hannigan, PhD, as Starts Principal.
“By strengthening the leadership of Medical Alley Starts, we’re doubling down on our mission to turn bold ideas into real-world impact,” Medical Alley President & CEO Roberta Antoine Dressen said. “Building on our 40-year legacy, we’re accelerating the next generation of healthcare solutions and empowering the changemakers shaping the future of care.”
As Managing Director, Crotteau will lead strategy, growth, and execution across the Starts platform. He joins Medical Alley from Danaher – Beckman Coulter, where he served as Director of Global Product Marketing for Automation, Clinical Informatics, and Global Services. In this role, Crotteau led global marketing strategy, LEX launch excellence execution, and innovation initiatives across multiple high-impact areas in clinical diagnostics. Prior to Danaher, Crotteau spent several years at Medtronic in a variety of product development and product management leadership roles across a diverse range of therapeutic areas, including Urology, Cardiac Rhythm Management, Neuromodulation, and Diabetes.
“We are building something truly transformative,” Crotteau said. “Medical Alley Starts is uniquely positioned to help startups succeed — not just in Minnesota, but globally — by providing the resources, networks, and insights needed to navigate and lead in healthcare.”
Joining as Starts Principal, Hannigan brings deep experience at the intersection of science and entrepreneurship. He previously served as Strategic Program Lead for Corporate R&D at Solventum and was Executive Director of the Merck Digital Sciences Studio Startup Accelerator, where he led the launch of a pioneering program to support early-stage digital health and biotech ventures. Hannigan earned his PhD in Cell & Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania and holds a BS from the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Crotteau and Hannigan join Ellie Cannon, who became a Starts Principal in 2024. Together, the team will drive the continued expansion of Medical Alley Starts, a globally connected venture platform that accelerates the formation and growth of healthcare startups. Since its launch in 2021, Starts has supported more than 4,000 startups and engages hundreds of investment funds — delivering nearly $1 billion in value to the ecosystem.
Peder Hatling, who has served as Interim Director of Starts, will remain closely involved as an advisor to the program, focusing on venture engagement and strategic growth initiatives.
“Peder Hatling has been an invaluable leader during a pivotal time,” Dressen said. “I am so grateful for his vision and his continued involvement as an advisor, ensuring that Medical Alley Starts remains a powerful engine for early-stage innovation and founder success.”
About Medical Alley® Founded in 1984, Medical Alley® leverages a global network of health technology and care organizations to drive innovation and accelerate the development of breakthrough healthcare solutions to benefit patients around the world. Our vision is to elevate the Medical Alley® region as the epicenter of health innovation and care. To learn more, https://medicalalley.org/
