Our team

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.

Before joining CORI, Lisa served for a decade as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer for Grassroots Soccer (GRS), an international adolescent health organization working in HIV, sexual and reproductive health, and mental health. At GRS, she helped to significantly scale the organization’s impact through a new strategic plan, global partnerships, and digital innovations, reaching over 4 million young people annually. GRS received the Bill Gates Game Changer award and was recognized by USAID for its groundbreaking work in adolescent mental health.

Prior to Grassroot Soccer, Lisa was the CEO of two ventures that she co-founded including a SaaS company to assist private business owners in building and transferring valuable companies, and a consumer products personal care company that landed on the INC 500 list of fastest-growing companies in the U.S. Prior, Lisa held a variety of senior marketing and leadership positions at Quaker Oats (Gatorade), James River/Georgia Pacific (Dixie), and Remington (shavers and personal care).

Lisa has a B.A. from Dartmouth College in Asian Studies/Chinese Language and Culture, and lives in Norwich, VT with her husband, two pups, and occasionally her two adult children when they come back to visit.

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, which recognized that human health and the health of our natural environment are fundamentally interconnected. Most recently, Robin served as vice president of operations and finance at 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 a 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.

She joined CORI in 2025, bringing two decades of experience building innovative, mission-driven organizations at the intersection of community development, social enterprise, and technology.

Prior to CORI, Danielle was the founding CEO of Framework Homeownership, an award-winning social enterprise and edtech platform that empowered more than 1.4 million first-time and first-generation homebuyers nationwide. Under her leadership, Framework forged 150+ strategic partnerships, returned over $20 million to nonprofit owners, and launched Keep, a pioneering digital platform helping homeowners sustain ownership and build wealth.

Earlier in her career, Danielle served as Executive Vice President at the Housing Partnership Network, where she led national efforts to expand affordable homeownership, directed social enterprises addressing the foreclosure crisis, and raised capital for new ventures. She has also advised fintechs, foundations, and nonprofits on growth strategies through her independent consulting practice, and served as Executive Director of the Bilt Foundation, the philanthropic arm of fintech startup Bilt Rewards.

Danielle holds a B.A. in Economics from Wesleyan University and an M.A. in Urban Planning from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service. A fourth-generation New Yorker who grew up in a family of artists, she now lives in rural Western Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, and their dog, Phoebe.

With a career rooted at the intersection of technology, equity, and economic mobility, Molly brings deep experience designing programs that scale impact. Prior to CORI, she supported mission-driven startups at MIT Solve, worked with international women leaders in STEM and entrepreneurship through the U.S. Department of State, and led incubator and accelerator programs at Singularity University. While at Singularity, she also co-created and led the organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and helped design and deliver large-scale international summits for executive and startup audiences across 15 countries.

Molly holds a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University, with a focus on social enterprise administration and international social welfare, and bachelor’s degrees in social work and international affairs from Florida State University. She grew up in the historic small town of St. Augustine, Florida.

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.

Jay has a BA from Princeton University’s School of Public Policy and International Affairs as well as certificate degrees in East Asian Studies and Japanese Language

Leah is an equity-centered strategist and facilitator with more than 15 years of experience designing peer-learning networks, communities of practice, and inclusive ecosystems across rural economic development, clean energy, entrepreneurship, and public health. They are known for building authentic partnerships and translating missions into durable systems that deliver real value alongside the communities they serve.

From 2019–2022, Leah served CORI as Head of Digital Economic Development, where they were an early co-architect of the organization’s community programming and rural economic development model. Their work has also spanned Indigenous entrepreneurship, community economic development, clean energy justice and coalition-building, veteran suicide prevention, and racial health disparities research, grounded in community-led approaches.

Originally from a rural village in Canada, Leah lived in Georgia for a decade before settling in rural Vermont, where they now live happily with their human and animal family. They hold a master’s degree in Globalization Studies from McMaster University.

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.

Prior to joining the CORI, 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 such as Techstars, IBM, and Wells Fargo.

Since joining CORI in 2018, Nora has partnered with community leaders, higher education institutions, and economic development organizations to help rural regions assess their ecosystems, build regional coalitions, pursue funding, and design and launch new programs to support entrepreneurs. She previously served as Head of Tech-Based Economic Development, working directly with local teams to translate strategy into action.

Before joining CORI, Nora worked on local and statewide campaigns, in environmental planning and consulting, and in political communications. She also served as a City Year Boston AmeriCorps Member.

A born-and-raised Vermonter, Nora lives in the village of Brownsville and holds a B.A. from Lewis & Clark College.

A self-proclaimed nonprofit nerd turned ecosystem builder, Rhonda fell in love with entrepreneurship after seeing its power to transform communities and strengthen families. Over nearly nine years of leading collaborative ecosystem efforts, she has coached more than 450 founders across industries, venture types, and backgrounds. She is most energized by seeing businesses create positive impact, build lasting local wealth, and strengthen the communities they call home.

Rhonda’s experience includes leading a tech and high-growth-startup focused nonprofit, a 70,000-square-foot innovation space, entrepreneurship programming across an 11-county urban-rural region, and innovation programming in medtech and agtech for a county economic development corporation. She is also an inaugural fellow of the Make Startups Executive Fellowship.

Rhonda holds a master’s degree in public management, public policy, and administration from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Indiana Tech. She resides in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

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.

Before joining CORI, Shaniqua served as Director of Instructional Technology at Winthrop University, overseeing technology integration, faculty development, and student innovation programs, including STEM and coding camps for K–12 learners. Earlier in her career, she spent over eight years in K–12 education as a teacher and STEAM coach.

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 connect people to remote and flexible job opportunities worldwide. From there, he helped build tech bootcamps to help upskill people around the world.

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.

Prior to joining CORI, Dani spent 10 years working on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences as a Senior Production Editor at KnowledgeWorks Global. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from St. Lawrence University in upstate New York and lives in Hartland, Vermont.

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 on 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.

In this cross-cutting role, Sally manages the innovation development process to test and refine new services and technologies that strengthen community strategic roadmaps, tech workforce development efforts, founder support programs, and Innovation Hub design and operations. Her work focuses on driving measurable adoption of improved practices across CORI programs and ensuring strong member uptake of new services.

Prior to joining CORI, Sally worked at Small Magic, an Alabama nonprofit focused on early childhood education. Her professional experience also includes research in gender equality, state policy tracking, and extensive grant writing.

Sally holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Mississippi. She is based in Birmingham, Alabama.

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

Trish holds a master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado and a bachelor’s from the University of 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 CORI, Katelyn led grants management for a youth development nonprofit in Minnesota and served as a Lutheran pastor for five years: work rooted in building trust, listening beneath the surface, and partnering with communities to envision new possibilities.

Katelyn grew up in a small town in northeastern Minnesota and previously worked in a farming community in the southern part of the state, so CORI’s mission holds personal significance. When she’s not working, she’s likely reading fantasy, writing creative nonfiction, or planning her next trip, a firm believer that the best parts of life, at home and abroad, are just beyond your comfort zone. She holds a bachelor’s from Augsburg University and a master’s from Luther Seminary.

He began his professional career as a missile defense officer in the US Army and, before joining CORI, served as the assistant director of Dartmouth College’s Center for Social Impact, where he oversaw communications, the Center’s leadership program portfolio, and supported donor and alumni engagement.

Henry has also been a social entrepreneur, disaster response volunteer, and is generally passionate about driving funding and resources to where they can support economically marginalized communities (effectively).

Henry lives in a “micropolitan” area in rural Vermont with his family and two dogs. He’s grown deeply appreciative of the community and its beautiful landscape and enjoys exploring Vermont’s general stores and swimming holes in particular.

He holds a B.A. from the University of Richmond and an M.S. in International Humanitarian Action from the University of Groningen and the Institute of International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict.

Sydney began her professional journey at CORI as a Tech Economy Consulting Intern, supporting rural communities in building tech-based economies, before most recently serving as a Development Fellow supporting CORI’s events and donor engagement.

Sydney’s Vermont roots and her B.A. in Social Anthropology and Sustainable Development from the University of St Andrews in Scotland continue to shape her perspective, values, and approach to her work.

From chatting with neighbors, farmers, and artisans at the Hartland Farmers’ Market to surfing with locals in St Andrews, Sydney deeply appreciates the communities she’s been a part of and seeks to connect with the people who bring each place to life.

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.

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.

Her work spans economic development and public finance and has been published in several academic book chapters, journals, and policy research contexts. Prior to joining CORI, Olivia served as an economist at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), where she led regulatory economic analysis and evaluations of the agency’s programs. She also worked on national statistics research as an economist for the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and researched state fiscal health and economic development policy issues at the Mercatus Center at GMU. She recently obtained her Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University, where her doctoral research explored the persistent long-term effects of historical exclusionary policies on economic, demographic, and housing outcomes in Midwestern communities.

Olivia is passionate about translating complex economic findings into actionable insights and informing work that makes a real-world impact. She serves on the board of the JP Innovation Project, which connects high-need youth with technology education, and most recently served as a graduate lecturer in undergraduate economics at GMU in Fall 2025.

Growing up in the Pennsylvania Wilds, Chelsea experienced firsthand both the challenges and the strengths of rural communities. That background fuels her commitment to CORI’s mission of advancing economic opportunity and innovation in small towns. She is deeply motivated to help highlight and expand the potential of rural places like the one she calls home.

Outside of work, Chelsea enjoys training and competing with her English Cocker Spaniel, Tilde, in a variety of dog sports. She is an avid scrapbooker, nature art collector, and loves outdoor adventures. A lifelong traveler, she believes that travel fosters empathy, respect, and understanding across cultures, values that inspire both her personal and professional life.

Before joining CORI, Drew worked as a pricing analyst for an aerospace manufacturing company. Drew was encouraged to pursue business improvement projects using data analytics. This led to the design and implementation of 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.

Originally from Santa Monica on the California coast, John has lived in both large cities and small towns throughout his life, fostering a unique perspective on urban and rural social environments. He earned his B.S. in information technology from Western Governors University, settling on the IT field after many years of studying different disciplines, including music theory and cognitive psychology.

Lindsey’s empirical work has been published in The Journal of Crime & Justice and The American Journal of Criminal Justice, and he has several manuscripts under review for publication in major academic journals.

Lindsey is currently completing the final requirements to earn a Ph.D. from the University at Albany-SUNY. His dissertation focuses on the impact of Right to Work state laws, economic development, and rural communities. His long-term goals are to bring about lasting place-based economic policy changes to the Black Belt South of the United States, an area that has traditionally been under-studied and under-served by researchers, policymakers, and key stakeholders.

Originally from the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, she is familiar with the challenges and benefits of living in a rural community. She holds a B.S. in math and an M.S. in data visualization from Parsons School of Design, and enjoys being outdoors in her free time.

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.

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, Mike’s career spanned nearly two decades, with almost exclusive experience 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 has been 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, Meganne was an experienced local government administrator working for and with local governments in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Colorado. Most recently, Meganne served as Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Delta on Colorado’s Western Slope. At this post, one of Meganne’s responsibilities was to create and manage the implementation of the City’s strategy to reduce homelessness.

Meganne has a Bachelor’s Degree in History and a Master’s of Public Administration, both from West Virginia University. Her love of rural communities stems from growing up in Webster Springs, WV, a small mountain town with a population of fewer than 700. Meganne currently resides in Montrose, CO, with her two dogs, Shannon and Gidget. She enjoys reading and exploring the San Juan and West Elk mountains.

Melissa brings nearly two decades of experience in the nonprofit sector, where she focused on advancing health equity and building strategic partnerships through her work with global health organizations. Her passion for entrepreneurship was sparked during her time at a high-growth technology startup, where she was energized by the pace, creativity, and problem-solving mindset of early-stage founders. That experience ultimately led her to CORI, where she’s proud to support mission-driven startups building impactful solutions from rural communities across Vermont.

Melissa holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where her interest in under-resourced communities first took shape through storytelling in film and animation. She later earned a Master of Public Health from NYU and is currently completing a Certificate of Specialization in Business in Society from Harvard Business School Online.

Originally from a small beach town in New Jersey, Melissa now lives in Jamaica, Vermont, a small town at the base of Stratton Mountain. In the warmer months, you’ll find her digging in the dirt on her family’s regenerative farm, hiking nearby trails, or enjoying a favorite swimming hole. When the snow falls, she’s out on her snowboard, teaching her toddler the joys of board sports.