
Marit Aaseng
Talent Development Pipeline Manager
Marit brings a passion for educational equity and mental health advocacy to Genesys Works. While earning degrees in Psychology and Studio Art at St. Olaf College, Marit worked in Residence Life to support students during their transition to college. After graduating, she taught therapeutic nature photography at Northwest Passage, a residential treatment center for teens living with severe mental illness. Continuing her work with underserved youth, Marit spent the next two years as an AmeriCorps volunteer with College Possible at Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis. There, she supported a cohort of 39 students as they navigated all aspects of the college application and financial aid process.

Adwoa Afreh
Program Coordinator
Adwoa is a Program Coordinator with Genesys Works, where she works on the growing College and Career Success team. After graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College, Adwoa Afreh served with Young Adults in Global Mission in South Africa focusing on public health as it relates to the HIV/AIDS. Upon her return to Minneapolis, Adwoa has dedicated her time to serving her community through her work as a Clerk at Nichols Kaster where she prepared employment-based discrimination cases and serving as a participant in the Giving Project through the Headwaters Foundation to partake in philanthropic donations to community-based organizations. In her spare time, Adwoa enjoys sharing time with her community through artful cuisines and intentional conversation.

Allison Barmann
Executive Director
Allison has spent her career working at the intersection of business and social impact. Before leading Genesys Works – Twin Cities, she was the Strategy & Learning Vice President at the Bush Foundation where she oversaw grantmaking in education, native nation building and social business. Previously, Allison was a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Company and directed the Itasca Project, an alliance of CEO’s and civic leaders addressing economic competitiveness in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. She also worked at a technology start-up in San Francisco and as a Plant Engineer at 3M. She earned her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, where she was an all-American gymnast.
Allison loves to bike and ski, with her husband and her three children. She has participated in seven WorldLoppet cross country ski events and has ridden her bike across several states. She also loves to read and is a devoted member to two book clubs.

Jackie Bisson
College Success Specialist
As the College Success Specialist, Jackie serves Genesys Works students currently enrolled in college and strives to build and maintain relationships with Twin Cities colleges and universities. Jackie has a passion for working to increase inclusion, equity, and social mobility. Her background in the University of Wisconsin system provided her with experiences mentoring and advocating for historically underserved, limited-income, and first-generation students. Jackie completed her bachelor’s degree in Sociology and her master’s degree in Student Affairs Administration at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Corey Boyd
Program Coordinator
Corey was born and raised in Evanston, Illinois. His passion for working closely with scholars began in 2001 when he was introduced to coaching football through his father Glendye D. Ruff (deceased) Nothing energized him more than helping develop young scholars in his community. Corey’s crowning moment came when he was hired to become an Academic Advisor for Evanston Township High School. It was a proud moment for him as he was able to service scholars at the very high school which he graduated from. He joins Genesys Works after working as a Team Manager with the NorthSide Achievement Zone. He is a graduate of North Park University in Chicago, IL where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management and Leadership. He is currently in graduate school pursuing his Masters of Arts in Strategic Leadership at Bethel University.