Finding Forward
Join us for a Finding Forward conversation with Marc Lore, Vik Uppal and St. Thomas President Rob Vischer about what it takes to rebuild institutions in a time of rapid societal change.
What does it take to rebuild institutions in a time of rapid societal change?
Serial entrepreneur and Minnesota Timberwolves owner Marc Lore has built and scaled companies across industries — from e-commerce and food systems to professional sports and urban design — often by questioning whether existing systems still serve the purpose for which they were built. But disruption alone does not create durability.
For our next Finding Forward conversation, St. Thomas President Rob Vischer hosts Lore and investment leader (and St. Thomas alum) Vik Uppal to examine how leaders strike the right balance between bold ideas and staying true to a mission. Uppal will bring the perspective of a capital allocator who understands that bold ideas must withstand volatility, pivots and market pressure to endure. In an era when public and private institutions face skepticism and strain, this Finding Forward dialogue asks a broader question: What does responsible reinvention look like — and who benefits when systems are rebuilt to last?
This Finding Forward is presented in partnership with the Opus College of Business.
Wednesday, March 25
6:30 p.m. Check-in begins
7-8 p.m. Program
University of St. Thomas
School of Law, Schulze Atrium (1st floor)
1101 Harmon Place, Minneapolis
Parking
Paid parking is available Harmon Ramp. After 4 p.m., the cost is $6.
Accessibility & Accommodations
If you have questions about the event or require disability accommodations, please reach out to universityevents@stthomas.edu. Accommodation requests must be made at least one week prior to the event date.
Wednesday, March 25
6:50 p.m. CST Livestream waiting room opens
7-8 p.m. CST Program
Register for the free livestream to receive the link to your inbox.
About Our Speaker
Marc Lore is Founder and CEO of Wonder, a mealtime platform that brings together delivery, pickup, dine-in, meal kits, and chef-driven food innovation into one experience. He is also Co-Chairman of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves, the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, and the Iowa Wolves, (NBA G League) ownership group, becoming a controlling owner in Summer 2025 with his friend and business partner, Alex Rodriguez. Lore's current role is Governor of the Timberwolves and Alternate Governor of the Minnesota Lynx.
Wonder’s portfolio of brands includes meal kit pioneer Blue Apron, online food delivery marketplace Grubhub, award-winning media company Tastemade, restaurant technology innovator Spyce, and restaurant growth and diner acquisition platform Claim – together working to make great food more accessible, wherever and however people want to eat.
Prior to this, Lore started and sold four companies, most recently, Jet.com which was acquired by Walmart in 2016 for $3.3 billion. Until 2021, Lore served as the president and CEO of Walmart U.S. eCommerce. Lore was also the co-founder and CEO of Quidsi, the parent company of e-commerce websites Diapers.com, Soap.com, Wag.com, and more. The company was sold to Amazon in 2011 for $550 million.
About Our Speaker
Vic Uppal ’06 is Founder, CEO and CIO of Mavik, a multi-strategy, credit-oriented investment firm with a focus on special situations commercial real estate and hard assets across North America.
Mavik pursues a flexible investment strategy across securities, markets, and asset classes that seeks to deliver consistent long-term outperformance. Mavik has approximately $2 billion in assets under management, has deployed approximately $4 billion, and has realized more than 130 investments since inception.
Prior to founding Mavik, Vik was a Partner and Head of Real Estate at Axar Capital Management and Managing Director at Fortress Investment Group. He joined Fortress from Mount Kellett Capital Management, where he was Co-Head of North American real estate investments. Vik began his career as a real estate operator and developer focused on acquiring distressed and underperforming assets.
Vik holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of St. Thomas and a master’s degree in Real Estate from Columbia University.
