Laura Strong is a strategic fund manager with over 25 years of experience building and scaling technology-focused companies. As Founder and CEO of Valency Fund, she focuses on growth-stage capital deployment in Wisconsin-based businesses across the agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and technology sectors.
Her operational background includes leadership roles at high-growth companies like Exact Sciences, where she led clinical evidence strategies, and early-stage drug discovery at Quintessence Biosciences. Laura combines operational expertise with deep scientific knowledge, holding a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from UW-Madison along with 19 publications and 10 U.S. patents.
She maintains an extensive network throughout Wisconsin’s business community through board positions including Total Water, an 11-state industrial services company, as well as nonprofit ecosystem partners BioForward and StartingBlock Madison. Laura’s approach centers on identifying companies with solid fundamentals and helping them access the capital and strategic guidance needed for growth.