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ELKINS – Sarah Biller, CEO of Vantage Ventures, will be the keynote speaker for the Davis & Elkins College Class of 2023 commencement ceremony set for Saturday at 6 p.m. 10 in the Myles Center for the Arts.

Although not a Davis & Elkins college graduate herself, Ms. Biller’s ties to the campus and community of Elkins quite close. Her father, Randall Biller, is a 1964 civil engineering graduate of Davis & Elkins College who still resides in Elkins today.

As part of her position to promote entrepreneurial and business development opportunities in the state, Biller was a strong advocate for Elkins to be the next host city for Ascend WV. The program is an initiative of the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative at West Virginia University that provides remote workers with incentives to choose West Virginia as their home base.

Davis & Elkins College President Chris A. Wood said of Ms. Biller, “No stranger to Elkins or West Virginia, Davis & Elkins College is honored to welcome Sarah home as she addresses our graduates. Her entrepreneurial success and passion for education make her an ideal choice to congratulate and challenge D&E Class of 2023.

“A West Virginian who gives back to her home state and beyond, she models for our graduating students the limitless possibilities of those who transform vision into reality.”

Biller is a recognized and respected thought leader within the entrepreneurial, investor and FinTech sectors. She currently serves as CEO of Vantage Ventures, a collaboration of several entities including: John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University; global technology leaders; asset class companies; and venture capital firms, which are focused on providing entrepreneurs with a systematic and effective approach to building world-changing ideas into scalable, investable businesses.

Biller is also the co-founder of FinTech company Sandbox, a Boston-based not-for-profit that accelerates the product development cycle of FinTech start-ups globally by providing free access to high-quality, diverse datasets.

Under Biller’s leadership, West Virginia became the fourth state in the nation to pass legislation authorizing the creation of a Regulatory FinTech Sandbox, providing FinTech entrepreneurs with a partnership-driven approach to building transformative products and services to meet the needs of Main Street revitalization.

Biller has not only taught at the graduate level, but also created the first graduate level curriculum course on the evolution of financial technology at Brandeis University. Prior to assuming the role of CEO, Sarah held positions with: State Street Bank’s Global Exchange division and head of Innovation Ventures; Fidelity Investments; MCI’s corporate venture team; and launched and managed research departments for Fortune 500 CFOs and corporate management treasurers. Sarah has also been a principal in the launch of several successful venture-backed start-ups in the FinTech and Life Science sectors.

Biller has received the honor of being named by Innovate Finance as one of the 150 global female leaders in FinTech; Lattice80’s list of Top 100 Women in FinTech in the UK; and Hong Kong and NY FinTech Women as a Top 20 Inspiration for her commitment to uplifting other women in an industry historically known for discriminating against women.

After being asked to be the keynote speaker, Biller said, “I am extremely honored to speak to such an accomplished and resilient group of students. Davis & Elkins’ seniors are graduating into a world that, despite its challenges and uncertainties, remains the most innovative period in history.

“I am excited to share timeless principles for navigating change and the importance of continuous learning, persistent curiosity, problem solving and above all role determination and hope in a successful life.”

Davis & Elkins College Commencement Weekend kicks off with the Nursing Pinning Ceremony and Baccalaureate Service today beginning at 16. To learn more about Commencement Weekend, visit www.dewv.edu.