After decades of building and selling successful companies, MESA Mentor Aric Bandy continues to share his hard-won insights with Minnesota’s next generation of innovators. A lifelong learner and advocate for founder-led leadership, Aric brings both business acumen and heart to his mentoring role.
Tell us a little about yourself, Aric.
On the personal side, I’m a father of two college-age kids, a musician, a car enthusiast, and have three rescue dogs. I’ve lived in Minnesota most of my life but have had the opportunity to travel extensively for both work and pleasure. I attended St. Thomas, where I earned a degree in marketing management, and began my career while still in school.
Professionally, I’m what you might call a serial entrepreneur and have had the good fortune of having a number of successful exits. Early in my career, I started an ISP, an application development firm and an MSP – all of which I sold. In 2007, I joined Agosto and grew it from a small regional MSP to one of Google Cloud’s largest partners in North America, eventually selling to a $7B New York private equity firm. During my time at Agosto, I co-founded and spun out Skykit, a successful SaaS digital signage company that continues to grow today.
After selling Agosto, I joined Pythian, a PE-backed company where I ran Corporate Development and the Cloud business unit. In 2023, I was recruited to be CEO of a PE-backed application development and services company with Meta as its biggest client. In December of 2024, I sold that company to Wipro.
Starting mid-2025, I started as president and COO of Vital WorkLife, a healthcare organization providing mental health and well-being coaching for physicians and nurses. It’s deeply meaningful work, and the first time I’ve worked outside technology. I’m also a board advisor for Bygger.AI, an AI code-gen startup, as well as an advisor for the University of Minnesota, Mankato’s UX/UI curriculum.
How long have you been a MESA Mentor, and why did you decide to become one?
I’ve been a MESA Mentor for about two years. I honestly don’t remember exactly how I first heard about MESA—probably through John Moroney, who I’ve known for years—but the idea immediately appealed to me.
I’ve had mentors throughout my career—some formal executive coaches and others who were simply generous with their time and advice. Those experiences had a huge impact on me. So, when I learned about MESA, I thought it would be a great way to give back. It turned out to be a great fit. Mentoring allows me to pay forward the same kind of support I was fortunate enough to receive early on.
Are there any highlights from your experience working with MESA Mentees?
I’ve been working with Dr. Mike Pitt, founder and CEO of Q-rounds, since I started mentoring with MESA. It’s been incredible to watch their journey—from a tiny startup of three founders to hiring their first employees, closing early sales, and now scaling with a $2.2 million grant.
Mike is an amazing example of a founder who is both brilliant and open to coaching. He’s a practicing physician and professor, but also humble enough to say, “I don’t know this part of business—help me learn.” That openness makes the relationship rewarding. Seeing Q-rounds grow and knowing I’ve played even a small part in that success has been one of the most satisfying parts of my mentoring experience.
What keeps you involved? What do you get out of being a MESA Mentor?
For me, it’s all about giving back. Mentoring energizes me—I get real joy from helping someone else succeed. There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing a founder gain confidence, make a smart decision, or overcome a challenge because of a conversation we had.
I’m also at a point in my career where I’m considering what the next chapter will look like. I’ll be turning 50 soon, my kids are in college, and I’ve been reflecting on what matters most. Mentoring will be part of whatever I do next, whether that’s investment banking, working with private equity, or another business venture. Mentoring is too rewarding to give up. CEO’s, especially founder-led CEO’s, have an incredibly hard and lonely job. Often, they don’t have people in their life that have sat in that seat and know the pressures. I thoroughly enjoy playing a small part of helping CEO’s and founders navigate the challenges of launching and scaling their businesses.
What would you say to others about MESA?
MESA provides a unique space for founder-led CEOs to get the kind of mentorship they can’t easily find elsewhere. Being a founder is a lonely, high-pressure job—and having someone who understands that journey can make all the difference.
And there’s incredible experience within the MESA Mentor group—people who have built, scaled, and exited companies. If you’re considering becoming a MESA Mentor, I’d say do it. It’s an amazing way to give back, stay connected to emerging innovators, and keep learning yourself.
