Kevin Gardiner is the director of UConn's Innovation Quest (iQ) Program, and an adjunct professor in UConn's School of Business and School of Engineering. He has nearly two decades of experience working with companies to improve their operational efficiencies, while also enhancing both the employee and the customer experience. He has worked in various management and senior management positions at early stage start-ups, multi-million dollar startups (Welcome Commerce, acquired by Salsify), and multi-billion dollar companies like GSI Commerce (acquired by eBay) and Macy’s.

Kevin is currently an executive at Oracle, and his previous experience spans a wide breadth of industries, including eCommerce, Omni-Channel Retail, Customer Service, Recruitment Marketing, Mortality-Linked Securities, Future of Work Technology, Pharmaceutical Equipment, and Artificial Intelligence. He received a BSBA in Finance from Bryant University, an MBA from The University of Connecticut, and is currently a Master's Degree candidate at Columbia University.

Kevin has held elected office in Connecticut, where he lives with his wife and two children. He is a voracious cyclist, drummer, and reader.

Pamela Costa is the department manager for the Boucher Management & Entrepreneurship Department at the School of Business, where she has worked for 18 years. Known for her friendly manner and dedication to helping students, she has been instrumental in organizing the iQ competition and enjoys supporting students as they pursue their entrepreneurial journeys.