Our team

Prior to joining the team, Sarah worked in early childhood education where she developed mindfulness programming for children, families, and adults. She worked with families to understand their needs and created a curriculum designed to meet learners where they were. Sarah also has experience working in various nonprofits across the southeast U.S., as well as in product development and visual merchandising. Sarah brings a broad range of experience working with people, communities, and strategic partners with a focus on collaboration, community-based learning, and authentic engagement.

Sarah holds a bachelor’s in fashion and textile management from North Carolina State University and a Master of Education from Vanderbilt University. Sarah grew up in a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina.

Before becoming the VISTA Leader she completed a year of service as an Americorps VISTA at the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, working alongside their Friends’ Group. Here Megan worked on fundraising, report writing, social marketing, and managing volunteer events.

Megan holds a bachelor’s in environmental policy and planning from the University of Maine Farmington and a master’s in environmental management with a focus in sustainable and resilient communities from Western Colorado University. Her goal is to ensure communities have the necessary resources for themselves and the environment to live a sustainable life.

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.

Prior to joining the team, May led school partnerships and professional development trainings around trauma sensitivity across the New York City public school system. She has also worked in systems transformation and service design efforts in healthcare settings. 

May holds a master’s in public health from Columbia University with a focus on health promotion and multi-level intervention design. She lives in Bethel, Vermont. 

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.

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.

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.

Prior to joining the team, October served in human resources roles for multiple organizations in the private and public sector before, most recently, transitioning to operations as a clinic manager with Ochsner Health. She has also volunteered as a racial justice facilitator with the YWCA of Minneapolis. October earned a bachelor’s in human resources management and a master’s in human development Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. A curious, lifelong learner, she recently received her diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace certification from the University of South Florida, and and earned her professional project manager certification from the University of St. Thomas.

Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, October has lived in eight states and currently resides in New Orleans, Louisiana, with daughter, son, and their shorkie. She enjoys travel, live music, and prioritizes self-care.

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.

Before joining the team, Brandon served as the director of the Women’s Business Center at Cornerstone Alliance (WBC) in southwest Michigan, and before pursuing opportunities in small-town America, he was the director of small business and diversity and inclusion at the Little Rock Regional Chamber.

As an entrepreneur, Brandon has 20 years of real-world business ownership experience. He founded successful, independent Fashion Weeks in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, including a talent management enterprise that helped book BIPOC models and talent for major ad campaigns and films. His professional career started as a television producer in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles and New York for companies such as E! and World Wrestling Entertainment.

Brandon graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s in journalism and mass communication with an international studies minor and an entrepreneurship certificate. He received a diversity, inclusion, and team culture certificate from the University of Pennsylvania. Brandon is a supporter of the United Way, Goodwill Industries, and Big Brothers Big Sisters, and serves as a board of director for Junior Achievement.

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 now lives in White River Junction.

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.

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.

Prior to joining RISI, Lisa served as the Maker-in-Residence at the Stourbridge Project Business Incubator, where she developed placemaking plans to improve their makerspace, coworking space, and the surrounding park. Stewarding these and other people-powered projects through implementation earned her the 2022 PA Route 6 Heritage Leadership Award.

Beyond her focus on placemaking, Lisa is a big proponent of STEAM projects: She’s published a book of papercrafts, written tech and fashion camp curriculums, and designed a new magazine as Highlights for Children’s “Maker Editor.” Lisa also managed a viral Kickstarter campaign for foldable dinosaur kits, which led to her 15-foot-long cardboard velociraptor costume making an appearance on the White House lawn for the 2015 National Week of Making.

Lisa holds a bachelor’s in architecture and a master of engineering degree in technical entrepreneurship from Lehigh University. She lives in the rural northeastern Pennsylvania town of Honesdale with her partner and two rabbits.

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.

She has years of experience in financial management and reporting with organizations from small start-ups to multinational corporations. Prior to joining the team, she spent almost two decades as a translation consultant and corporate accountant. She is fluent in French and German.

Veronique lives on her beloved farm in Springfield, Vermont, with her husband, daughter, and many animals. She holds a university degree in economics from Université Louis Pasteur in her native France.

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.

Prior to joining the organization, he worked as a project manager in the design and construction industry, and has a professional background in worlds food, agriculture, and sustainability. Myles holds a B.A. from Middlebury College and is based in Hardwick, Vermont.

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, Betsy worked as a contractor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers leading a software engineering team that was developing a worldwide mapping tool. She has previous experience working for a data company in quality assurance, and is passionate about high-quality data and organizational strategy.

Betsy has always found herself drawn to remote places, whether that is teaching outdoor environmental education in Angelus Oaks National Forest or conducting reef surveys off the coast of Malaysia. She holds a B.A. from the University of Vermont in environmental studies and geography. Betsy currently resides in rural New Hampshire.

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.

Anna grew up in a small town in rural Minnesota on her family’s dairy farm where she witnessed her family’s active engagement in numerous community-level organizations within their hometown, along with advocacy efforts across the broader agriculture industry. All of this continues to drive her interest in and advocacy for rural communities — of which high-speed broadband access is a fundamental part. 

Anna attended Wellesley College and holds a B.A. in anthropology and environmental studies. 

Dedicated to creating an inclusive and supportive work environment, Sparkle is passionately committed to the nonprofit sector and strives to promote diversity, equality, equity, and improve systemic impartiality. With a focus on enhancing economic opportunities for all, she has consistently served as a key voice and representative for underserved communities, leveraging her expertise and experience to drive positive change.

Outside of work, Sparkle enjoys traveling, spending quality time with her family, and taking care of her two beloved dogs. These activities bring her joy and balance, further fueling her dedication and passion in her professional endeavors.

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 B.A. 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.