Our team

Prior to joining CORI, Justin spent his time working in higher education, tasked with developing student recruitment strategies with his alma mater, the University of Missouri. Justin brings with him a passion for positively motivating and guiding students towards their life goals. 

Justin holds a bachelor’s degree in sport management and a Master of Education in positive coaching and leadership, both from the University of Missouri. He is also pursuing a master’s in clinical mental health counseling at Liberty University, with a goal of combating the stigma associated with mental health and normalizing mental health issues in our communities. 

Prior to joining the team, Shaniqua spent four years at her alma mater, Winthrop University, working as the director of instructional technology. She managed the day-to-day operations and was responsible for leading 21st-century technology professional development to faculty, staff, students ,and the partnership network. She also led several coding camps for local students because she believes STEM-related camps are so important for students to utilize critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.

Shaniqua previously spent eight-plus years in K-12 public education where her career spanned from general education teacher to STEAM coach. Shaniqua holds a bachelor’s in early childhood education and a master’s in educational technology, both from Winthrop University, and an Ed.S. focusing on technology and STEAM studies from Walden University. Shaniqua grew up in Blythewood, South Carolina.

She came to the team from a senior development role at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she led fundraising efforts for the school’s intellectual property and health law centers. With a career spanning the arts, politics, and education, Kate brings broad experience working with donors to achieve their philanthropic goals, as well as a knack for uniting diverse public and private partners around a common mission.

Originally from a small town in western Massachusetts, Kate spent more than a decade in Minneapolis before returning to New England. She holds a B.A. in English from Haverford College and a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Minnesota.

For the last decade, Mike has worked at the intersection of social impact and workforce development. He worked as the marketing and partnerships Director at FlexJobs, helping to connect people to remote and flexible job opportunities across the globe. From there he helped build tech bootcamps to help upskill people around the world.

Mike’s background is in digital marketing, which serves him well as we design impactful experiences as people move through their upskilling and career journeys. He is also a remote work expert and speaker, with over 1 million learners taking his LinkedIn Learning courses on remote work.

Prior to joining the team, Cameryn worked in local government leading workforce and talent development efforts with a specific focus on upskilling underserved and underrepresented communities. She brings key experience in community engagement, program management, and inclusive economic development.

Cameryn holds a bachelor’s degree from Winthrop University, where she studied business administration with a concentration in human resource management.

Prior to joining CORI, Katelyn led grants management for a youth development nonprofit in her home state of Minnesota. She brings valuable experience in project management, cultivating partnerships, and cross-team collaboration. Additionally, Katelyn served as a Lutheran pastor for five years, where she led and supported community partnerships and outreach, communications, and fundraising efforts.

Having grown up in a small town in northeastern Minnesota and previously working in a farming community in the southern part of the state, CORI’s mission and work hold personal significance for Katelyn. She holds a bachelor’s from Augsburg University and a master’s from Luther Seminary.

She also leads efforts to build the capacity of network community partners to grow their programming through recruiting and engaging diverse communities. Prior to joining CORI, Brēyana spent four years at Codefi, the first technology and entrepreneurship incubator in southeastern Missouri and a Rural Innovation Network community partner — serving most recently as the Director of Coworking and Community Engagement. She managed the day-to-day operations of the coworking space and was responsible for connecting internal community members and stakeholders to each other and the greater community. She also developed and organized initiatives and events that provided company and industry-specific value to members.

Brēyana previously spent seven-plus years in the Aerospace Engineering industry where her career spanned from Marketing Assistant to Director of Business Development. Brēyana holds a B.S. in business marketing from Penn State University and an MBA from the University of New Mexico.

Prior to joining the team, the Georgetown and Florida State grad leveraged her background as a serial app entrepreneur and brand developer to help individuals and institutions, both domestically and abroad, design, launch, and grow new products, incubation programs, and entrepreneurship ecosystems. Amanda has previously supported more than 30,000 founders across organizations like Techstars, IBM, Wells Fargo, and more.

Emily started her career in development work as an AmeriCorps VISTA with a nonprofit in Rhode Island whose focus was housing and homelessness. Following her year of service, Emily stayed on as development coordinator to further grow her knowledge. During this time, she learned the importance of relationship-building and authentic messaging when cultivating philanthropic support. Emily brings with her extensive knowledge of database management, online fundraising, and donor communications.

Emily holds a bachelor’s in political science from Quinnipiac University which she received during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, she was able to grow her career during this tumultuous time while remaining in her rural hometown thanks to the rise in remote-work opportunities — opportunities she hopes other rural Americans will be able to leverage as a result of CORI’s work.

With 20-plus combined years of experience in community building, cybersecurity, and ecosystem strategy, Julian’s legacy has been centered on helping communities eliminate pain points and connecting silos. He has served as one of the lead technical specialists of the Data at Rest, Security Encryption initiative implemented by NASA, as well as a professor and former CISO at Oakwood University. To fulfill his purpose for supporting rural communities across the country, he stepped down as the executive director of the OU Launchpad Entrepreneurship and Esports Center to join CORI.

After releasing his first book, “Tales from the Greenwood District”, Julian made it his mission to uncover and tell the stories found in rural communities. His mantra is: “Above all, be helpful”, and he leads with that in everything he does.

Prior to joining CORI, Drea was a regional director in MiSTEM Network, where she collaboratively built an ecosystem of STEM workforce development, educators, and industry leaders to elevate and further develop the STEM workforce pipeline. She has a master’s in public administration from Central Michigan University and a bachelor’s in environmental science from Northern Michigan University.

Drea was born and raised in the rural lakeshore communities of Michigan and has always lived on one of the Great Lakes. She is excited to support our rural community with her skillset.

Formerly an associate professor of economics at The University of Akron, Amanda advised various groups including the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel. Her work has been featured in various media outlets including MarketWatch, Forbes, Reuters, Business Insider, The Hill, TIME, NBC News, and Fox News. Before starting her Ph.D., she was a senior business analyst at BearingPoint and a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force.

Amanda holds a bachelor’s in mathematics from the United States Air Force Academy, a master’s in operations research from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a doctorate in agricultural, environmental, and development economics from The Ohio State University, where she worked as the graduate research assistant for the C. William Swank Program in Rural-Urban Policy. She lives in Hudson, Ohio, with her husband and kids.

Amanda Weinstein’s CV

Leigh Anne has extensive experience helping mission-driven organizations design and scale technology-enabled solutions. At the Dell Foundation she led the scale-up of South Africa’s largest education analytics platform, Data Driven Districts, reaching 90% of the country’s mostly rural schools and 12,000-plus active users in under three years.

She has led consulting teams to help private and social sector executives grow their programs and businesses, drawing on her strategy consulting experience, organization design skillset, and entrepreneurial roots as co-founder and COO of a startup distribution business that achieved 10X growth.

Leigh Anne is a native Nebraskan who holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern and a bachelor’s in industrial engineering from the University of Nebraska.

Prior to joining the team, Camden worked at Crow Insight, an information design firm based in the Washington, D.C. area, where he created analytic tools and visualizations for public-sector and non-profit clients. Camden holds a B.S. in computer science from Georgetown University and lives in rural New Hampshire.

Prior to joining the team, Mike’s career has spanned nearly two decades working almost exclusively in small business environments. He most recently served as controller for a food export and trading company based in Boston.

Mike has a bachelor’s in business management from Virginia Tech and is an actively licensed CPA in Virginia since 2013. He resides in Roanoke with his spouse, two sons, and two dogs. Mike enjoys running, paddling, and exploring the mountains and waters of the southern Appalachians.

Prior to joining the team, Austin spent eight years on the staff of the Burlington Free Press. His work there spanned multiple beats and included longform narratives, features, analysis, and multimedia content, twice earning him the title of Vermont’s sportswriter of the year from the National Sports Media Association. Austin has also been a writer and photographer for the Bennington Banner, the Alexandria (Va.) Times, and Vermont Business Magazine.

Austin holds a bachelor’s in history from the University of Vermont, where he also ran the student newspaper. A native of the Green Mountain State, he grew up in the small but historic town of Hubbardton, a short walk from the site of the only Revolutionary War battle fought on Vermont soil. He and his wife live in White River Junction.

A nearly lifelong resident of New York state’s Adirondack Park, Adam has long experience living and working in deeply rural areas. Trained as an anthropologist, Adam holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University, where his research focused on rural economic development.

Before joining the team, Maddie worked across the economic development, tech, and public service industries. Her most recent position as a marketing specialist at the North Carolina Museum of History taught her how to create engaging, human-centered content that connected, educated, and served communities.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and public policy from Villanova University. As a native Wisconsinite, she grew up in and around the rural communities. Maddie currently resides in North Carolina, but brings her love of cheese curds and midwest accent with her wherever she goes.

Prior to founding CORI, Matt began his career by serving 11 years in the Vermont House and Senate, enacting the state’s first broadband grants, brownfields revitalization funding, and downtown redevelopment program. He helped grow a Vermont-based software company to over 100 people and was Associate Director of the Rockefeller Center on Public Policy at Dartmouth College.

In 1999, Matt was appointed director of AmeriCorps*VISTA under President Clinton, where he led PowerUp — one of the first national efforts to bridge the digital divide — and launched an Entrepreneur Corps to focus on micro-finance in high-need communities.

In 2007, he started Google’s Community Affairs division out of a former bread factory in White River Junction, Vermont, where he led all local US philanthropy and engagement, including the Google Fiber rollout and orchestrating educational and development initiatives in Google’s data center communities across rural America. Matt has also held an appointment at the MIT Media Lab.

Matt holds a B.A. from Brown University, and is a lifelong Vermonter who lives on the 100 acre farm where he was raised.

Prior to joining the team, Dalila was the zoning administrator for the city of South Burlington where she managed all manner of permitting for the second-largest city in Vermont. She assisted residents and developers with interpreting the city’s zoning ordinance for small home improvement projects all the way through large-scale commercial developments.  Before moving to Vermont in 2018, she worked in various positions for New York City’s Department of Transportation.

Dalila’s undergraduate degree is in geography from the University of Saint Thomas in Houston, Texas, and she did her graduate work in urban planning at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Her career has long focused on community development and public engagement.

Dalila grew up all over the U.S., but her roots are in rural Texas. She now resides in southeastern Vermont along the Connecticut River. Outside of work, she is passionate about her pets (a chihuahua and three cats), needle crafting, and pretending to be better at gardening than she is.

Prior to joining the team, she worked at Small Magic, an Alabama nonprofit in the early childhood education space. Sally’s professional experience also includes research work in gender equality, state policy tracking, and extensive grant writing.

Sally holds a master’s of public administration from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s in public policy from the University of Mississippi. She is currently based in Birmingham, Alabama.

Brittany was born and raised in Quechee, Vermont. Her small-town upbringing instilled a love for the people, places, and natural environments that shape rural communities. She has always felt passionately about issues facing these communities, including access to economic opportunity for folks across rural America.

Brittany now lives in White River Junction, Vermont, and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Hamilton College.

Previously, Myles worked as a project manager in the design and construction industry and has a professional background in sustainable food systems. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College.

Previously, Alex has worked on the team’s mapping and data consulting projects as well as future of work and workforce development activities. Alex’s career before joining RISI was split between professional services in Silicon Valley and rural organizing and political strategy. He served as a Project Manager and then Creative Manager at the global branding firm Catchword, based in Oakland, California, where he worked with Fortune 500 companies in the food and beverage, e-commerce, and automotive sectors, among others.

Alex has also served as senior staff in various capacities on four political campaigns in New England and upstate New York. Alex holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University.

Prior to joining the team, Robin served northern New England nonprofits in various financial and management leadership roles for more than three decades. She spent nearly seven years as the Chief Financial Officer of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, the largest private employer in the state of New Hampshire, during which time she established and chaired the system-wide environmental sustainability council that recognized human health and the health of our natural environment are fundamentally interconnected. Most recently, Robin was the vice president of operations and finance for the Upper Valley Land Trust, helping rural communities permanently protect forests, wildlife habitat, water resources, trails and scenic landscapes.

Robin holds a B.S. from Bentley University, an MBA from the University System of New Hampshire, a master’s in healthcare delivery science from Dartmouth College, and a master’s in environmental sciences from Antioch University New England. She is also a graduate of the Leadership New Hampshire Program and Certified Public Accountant licensed in New
Hampshire.

Robin currently lives with her wife and daughter in Cornish, New Hampshire. She enjoys the inspiration of the natural world, traveling, watercolor painting, and photography.

Before joining the organization, Kirstin worked as a program associate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, where she evaluated the impact of youth development programs in rural Wisconsin. Her professional experience includes research project work in digital labor, low-income mobile technology interventions, and social capital building in the gig economy. Kirstin holds a master’s degree in international development from the University of Edinburgh and is based in central Wisconsin.

Prior to joining the team, Olivier worked as a principal investigator in interdisciplinary projects linking digital geography and other fields (computer science, epidemiology, etc.) with a focus on reproducible research. He holds a Ph.D. in geography and environmental science from Paris Cité University in France. As a social scientist, he completed extensive fieldwork in various rural areas in France and Spain.

Prior to joining the team, Liz worked in both the public and private sectors as a planner, which has allowed her to work on a diverse range of projects including downtown revitalization initiatives, comprehensive plans, and community outreach initiatives. Liz also worked at nonprofit organizations in the carsharing, land bank, and fair housing industries. In her most recent role as a racial equity and social impact coordinator at a chamber of commerce, she managed programming efforts for social impact and facilitated diversity, equity, and inclusion workshops for C-Suite executives and entry-level employees in various industry sectors.

Aside from her passion for economic empowerment, community development, and engagement for diverse communities, Liz served as a panelist for the first DEI-centered conference for the Upstate American Planning Association in 2020. Liz is a graduate of the Kauffman Entrepreneurship Engagement Fellowship from Syracuse University and a graduate of Leadership Greater Syracuse.

A native of New York City, Liz resides in Syracuse, New York, and holds a bachelor’s in communications with a background in African American studies from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in regional planning from SUNY Albany.

Before joining the team, Dolley worked on various projects with Singularity University, an organization dedicated to anticipating how AI and machine learning will shape our lives. Previously, she provided software consulting support and customer service management for social impact oriented organizations. Dolley holds a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire. She was also a licensed EMT for nine-plus years operating in both Connecticut and New Hampshire.

While based in New York, Zack primarily led growth strategy and commercial due-diligence projects in EY-Parthenon’s technology practice. Previously, Zack was a teaching fellow at African Leadership Academy (ALA), a two-year, pre-university program for aspiring leaders from across Africa. After teaching at ALA’s campus in Johannesburg, South Africa, Zack transitioned to African Leadership Foundation, ALA’s sister organization based in San Francisco, to manage support programs for graduates of ALA studying at U.S. universities.

Zack has a B.A. in economics and international studies from Northwestern University and an MBA from Yale School of Management. Zack lives in rural New Hampshire.

Originally from the United Kingdom, Nick is an accomplished leader in rural economic development and growth strategy. He has been recognized for his inclusive approach toward regional sustainability and is driven by the creation of replicable, scalable solutions. Nick has extensive experience in recruitment, retention and expansion projects, public-private partnerships, nonprofit development, impact investing, community development, and entrepreneurship consultancy.

Before joining the team, Nick launched and directed a 24-month pilot initiative in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Commerce to evaluate and support the workforce development needs of the Kansan tech sector and bring technology-focused education and employment opportunities to underserved communities across the state. During this time, he targeted access to computational learning for PreK-12 students, becoming a partner on the code.org (CSTA) advocacy coalition.

Nick and his family are now anchored in the heartland community of Phillipsburg, Kansas — the rural childhood hometown of his wife, Tami.

She also co-created and led Singularity’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and contributed to the design and execution of International Summits for executive and startup audiences of 2,000-plus attendees per event across 15 countries.

Molly holds an M.S. in social work from Columbia University focusing on social enterprise administration, international social welfare, and services to immigrants and refugees, along with B.S. degrees in social work and international affairs from Florida State University. She grew up in the historic small town of Saint Augustine, Florida.

Before joining RISI, Drew worked as a pricing analyst for an aerospace manufacturing company. Drew was encouraged to pursue business improvement projects through the use of data analytics. This resulted in designing and implementing processes to generate high-quality data for decision-makers and stakeholders.

Growing up in the White Mountains, Drew developed an understanding and appreciation for rural communities. He holds a B.S. from Portland State University and an M.S. in resource economics and policy, and a Graduate Certificate in geographic information systems from the University of Maine. Drew currently lives in New Hampshire with his wife and animals.

Prior to joining the team, Diego worked as a senior program manager for The LaunchPad and as a lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin. He taught and co-led entrepreneurship courses, oversaw diverse entrepreneurship support programs, mentored students and startup teams, and shaped strategic initiatives. Before that, he worked for the City of Del Rio where he successfully initiated and managed a groundbreaking business incubator program, secured substantial grant funding, and played a pivotal role in revitalizing the Main Street district while coordinating economic development efforts.

Originally from the rural town of Del Rio, Texas, he is now based in Austin, where he enjoys outdoor activities such as mountain biking, hiking, or even a pick-up soccer game at the park.

Prior to joining the team, Trish was deputy director with Region 10 League for Economic Assistance and Planning, working with western Colorado communities on economic diversification and resiliency for both rural coal-impacted, agricultural, and resort communities. She has extensive history working with nonprofits, local, state, and federal governments.

Trish holds a master’s degree from University of Northern Colorado and a bachelor’s from University Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Trish grew up in Hastings, Minnesota, and after living in various areas of the country, now lives outside the small town of Olathe, Colorado, where she enjoys gardening and the beauty and diversity of western Colorado.

Before joining the team, Josh worked as a senior program manager at Qwasar Silicon Valley, where he played a crucial role in developing and implementing technical training programs worldwide. Prior to that, he gained valuable experience managing member benefits and creating entrepreneurship programs at a coworking space in downtown Seattle. He’s no stranger to startups either, having co-founded a small e-commerce venture while in college.

Outside of work, you’ll find Josh enjoying quality time with his dog, exploring local coffee shops, and mentoring startup founders. Originally from the small town of Atlantic Beach, Florida, he now calls Seattle, Washington, home.

Nora came to her role after having worked directly with community leaders as a Rural Innovation Initiative Community Manager, and having previously supported CORI and RISI’s operations teams. 

Before joining the CORI/RISI team, she worked on various local and statewide campaigns, at an environmental planning and consulting firm in the Pacific Northwest, and in the communications department at a political action committee. She also served one year as a City Year Boston Corps Member. A Vermont native, Nora currently lives in Windsor, Vermont, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Lewis & Clark College.

In her accomplished career, Sparkle has become synonymous with excellence in managing the full spectrum of talent acquisition and people operations. Her passion for the nonprofit sector is evident in her unwavering commitment to enhancing economic opportunities and advocating for systemic change to uplift underserved communities. Her approach is not just about policies and strategies; it’s about weaving a culture that resonates with every member of the organization, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual respect.

Beyond her professional accolades, Sparkle’s life is rich with personal joys that keep her grounded and inspired. Traveling opens new horizons for her, family time is her sanctuary, and the companionship of her beloved dogs brings her immeasurable happiness. These experiences are not just pastimes; they are integral to her holistic approach to leadership, infusing her work with empathy, balance, and a deep-seated passion for making a difference within and beyond the office.

Before joining the team, Emily built and led a multi-year, integrated communications and marketing strategy for Third Sector Capital Partners that heightened awareness of the nonprofit consulting firm and the impact of its work re-structuring $800 million in human service contracts in 40-plus communities. She has also driven communications for Campus Compact, National Fund for Workforce Solutions, and the Boston-based think tank MassINC. In these roles, she elevated innovative solutions to critical policy issues affecting under-resourced and underrepresented communities. Prior to entering the nonprofit field, she worked on several Massachusetts political campaigns.

Emily holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Bonaventure and a master’s degree from Suffolk University. She was born and raised in rural central New York state and currently resides in Massachusetts.

As Managing Partner, Jay oversees the fundraising efforts, capital deployment and portfolio management of the fund. Jay began his career advising on mergers and acquisitions at Gleacher & Co. and Allen & Company. Subsequently, Jay spent a decade at NBCUniversal, which culminated in his running strategy and development for the Entertainment and Digital Networks division. After NBCU, Jay joined Emigrant Bank where he served as Executive Advisor to the Chairman and led investments in several small growth businesses. During that time, Jay was chairman of the board of GolfLogix, one of the largest apps in the golf segment. Jay was one of the founding board members and still serves as Treasurer of Venture for America, a non-profit organization helping revitalize American cities through entrepreneurship. Jay actively mentors several VFA entrepreneurs building startup businesses in American communities.

Jay has a bachelor’s from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy and International Affairs as well as certificate degrees in East Asian studies and Japanese language. Living about 10 miles from the small town where he was born, Jay resides in Connecticut with his wife and two daughters.