Our team

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.

His career has focused on combining data-driven analysis and visualization to help public-interest organizations more effectively understand and convey their data.

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.

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 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.

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, 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.

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 team, she worked with social impact startups at MIT Solve, worked with international women leaders in STEM and entrepreneurship with the State Department, led the Incubator and Accelerator programming at Singularity University.

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. She’s a rural community enthusiast, and loves getting to discover new and diverse communities across the country.

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.

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.

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.