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Twin Cities

Meet Genesys Works Twin Cities

Our Staff

Twin Cities Staff

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.

Marit Aaseng
Talent Development Pipeline Manager

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.

Adwoa Afreh
Program Coordinator

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.

Allison Barmann
Executive Director

 

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

Jackie Bisson
College Success Specialist

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.

Corey Boyd
Program Coordinator

Joel Crandall

Vice President of Programs

Before joining Genesys Works, Joel was a Project Coordinator with Comm-Works, a global technology integrator and one of the 50 fastest growing private companies in Minnesota. With Comm-Works, Joel helped the information technology staff at different companies in implementing and maintaining technology. Joel also served for four years as an associate pastor with North Minneapolis Christian Fellowship. He has a BA from North Central University and Masters of Divinity from Bethel Seminary.

Joel Crandall
Vice President of Programs

Theresa Farrell

Corporate Partnerships Specialist

Theresa comes to Genesys Works with a passion for building meaningful relationships, working with youth, and dance parties. Theresa attended the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University and graduated in 2016 with degrees in Global Business Leadership and Peace Studies. During her time at CSB/SJU, she worked as a tutor and mentor for the Upward Bound program, supporting high schoolers from low income and first generation backgrounds. Prior to taking on her role as Program Coordinator, she spent over two years at United Way of Central Minnesota as a Resource Development Associate. While there she enjoyed facilitating corporate fundraising campaigns and providing meaningful volunteer opportunities to young professionals. She is looking forward to working with Genesys Works Young Professionals and coaching them through their internship and post-high school preparations – and hosting the occasional dance party.

Theresa Farrell
Corporate Partnerships Specialist

Keegan Fraley

Senior Manager of Team Development

Keegan has a passion for helping young people connect technology-based skills to academic and economic empowerment. Prior to joining Genesys Works, Keegan served four years with the Community Technology Empowerment Project on the West Side of Saint Paul and at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Here he helped 7th-12th grade students improve their digital literacies while assisting them in securing employment and entrance to college. Before that, he attended and graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College where he studied history, political science, and music.

Keegan Fraley
Senior Manager of Team Development

Aaron Harper

Program Director, High School Success

Aaron joins Genesys Works in a new role as the Senior Manager of School and Community Partnerships. Aaron has combined his passion for building relationships and serving disadvantaged youth for over 20 years. He joins the Twin Cities team with the fundamental belief that we have a moral imperative to ensure academic and career success of students from economically disadvantaged and challenged backgrounds. He started serving students and corporate partners at Genesys Works as a Technical Trainer where he taught two cohorts of young professionals during summer skills training. Aaron received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Education from the University of St. Thomas and later earned his Masters and his leadership endorsements from St. Mary’s University. He has worked in a variety of educational and organizational leadership roles in secondary schools and continues to serve as an adjunct instructor at Normandale Community College. Aaron is most excited at the opportunity to build and maintain meaningful relationships with existing school and community partnerships, develop additional partnerships and program strategies and lead the student recruitment process.

Aaron Harper
Program Director, High School Success

Jillian Hiscock

Program Director, College and Career Success

Prior to joining Genesys Works, Jillian spent three years as the National Partnerships Manager for College Possible, where she helped build and develop relationships with over 100 college partners across the country. Having spent 12 years working in multicultural recruitment and retention at small, liberal arts colleges around Minnesota, she is passionate about educational equity and student empowerment. Jillian completed her bachelor’s degree in Vocal Music Performance at Gustavus Adolphus College and her Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Outside of work, Jillian is actively involved in the Arise Project, a giving community through the Greater Twin Cities United Way that focuses on supporting LBTQ youth experiencing homelessness.

Jillian Hiscock
Program Director, College and Career Success

Natalie Ibarra

Program Coordinator

As a first-generation college graduate Latina, Natalie believes she has a duty to help youth have a success-oriented mindset. She believes that through higher education, youth can be empowered to explore, dream and discover their strengths. Her objective is to help youth she works with reach their individual potential by equipping them with the necessary skills. Natalie has a BA degree from the University of Minnesota –Twin Cities in Psychology. She comes with five years of experience working with youth from low-income communities, promoting higher education to over 100 elementary and middle school students from a variety of Minneapolis public schools and 20 high school students from El Colegio and Tartan High School.

Natalie Ibarra
Program Coordinator

Janyesha Jackson

Program Coordinator

Janyesha was born and raised in the historic Rondo neighborhood in Saint Paul, MN. She graduated college in 2016 with a degree in Organizational Communications from Metropolitan State University. Her passion for working with young people sprouted from her own personal involvement in youth programs located in the Twin Cities. There, she was offered a job as a Jr. staff member and has worked with youth ever since. Her proudest moment, as a young professional herself, was opening a clothing store with her best friends at 15 years old. Janyesha’s passion for young people brought her to Genesys Works and into many different realms including, but not limited to, coordinating after school programs with the Boys and Girls Club (most recently), curbing summer reading slide with CDF Freedom Schools, creating magical moments for guests at Walt Disney World Resort, and most importantly facilitating trainings to support staff-to-student relationships that enable more equitable programs for all young people.

Janyesha Jackson
Program Coordinator

Becky Kalhoff

Program Manager (Summer Training)

Becky (she/her) has been working with Twin Cities-based non-profits for over 15 years, including College Possible, Minnesota Reading Corps, and Saint Paul Public Schools. She follows the late senator Paul Wellstone’s mantra of, “we all do better when we all do better”, and continually strives to be solution-oriented- especially as it pertains to equity in education. Becky was drawn to the Genesys Works model for the ways it creates opportunity, provides financial stability, and builds critical professional skills for underserved students. She enjoys creating and innovating programs like our 8-week summer training program, as well as supporting Program Coordinators and helping them grow professionally in their roles. In her off time, Becky enjoys camping, crafty endeavors, and the MN State Fair.

Becky Kalhoff
Program Manager (Summer Training)

Tyler Klatt

Program Coordinator

Tyler grew up in Saint Paul (Frogtown), MN. He graduated from the University of Minnesota and has been doing youth work for 10 years. Tyler is passionate about creating spaces for young people, who come from communities like his own, to understand and be proud of who they are. He is dedicated to helping young people recognize how powerful their voices are and that they are not needed in the future, but now in their current world. Tyler loves to engage young people in solution based conversations around racial and economic injustice.

Tyler Klatt
Program Coordinator

Lauren Kirwin

Program Specialist

Lauren has joined Genesys Works as a Program Coordinator for the High School Programming team. After graduating from Michigan Technological University, Lauren started working for her alma mater in the Center for Pre-College Outreach as the College Access Coordinator. In this role Lauren developed a passion for working in college access and youth development while coordinating numerous programs including GEAR UP, the Young Women Leaders Program, and Summer Youth Programs. In her spare time Lauren enjoys hiking and visiting national parks with her fiancé and two dogs.

Lauren Kirwin
Program Specialist

Mina Kobayashi

Development Manager

Mina (she/her) was born and raised in New York City and now calls St. Paul home, having first moved to MN to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at College Possible. She attended Colby College in Waterville, ME as a Posse Foundation scholar and earned her Bachelors in Anthropology and East Asian Studies. She is a proud first-generation college graduate, is passionate about education equity and social justice, and is a super fan of women’s soccer.

Mina Kobayashi
Development Manager

Elana Lambert

Program Coordinator

Elana has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. At Lawrence, Elana managed the student garden, worked in the Admissions Office, and the Finance and Administration Office. These experiences and her passion to support students lead her to an AmeriCorps position with a College Access and Success Organization. After two years of service, she was inspired to continue her work in youth development. Elana is excited to support Genesys Works young professionals in their internship, college access, and to build empowering relationships with the students and supervisors.

Elana Lambert
Program Coordinator

Alicia Lee

Human Resource Coordinator

Alicia is a Class of 2015 alumna of the Genesys Works program as a high school intern at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. She later came back to Genesys Works as a Summer Assistant and remained as an Operations Intern, eventually joining the team full-time as the Human Resource Coordinator. She graduated from Metropolitan State University with a BS in Human Resource Management. She has also received education at Inver Hills Community College and UMN – Duluth.

Alicia Lee
Human Resource Coordinator

Sarah Lewandowski

Instruction & Curriculum Manager

Sarah Lew comes to Genesys Works with a passion for community building, storytelling, and bright colors. Prior to her position as Curriculum and Instruction Specialist, Sarah worked at Tri Delta Executive Office working with college women across the country on personal and professional development. Sarah also served as the Assistant Director of Programming at a yoga and wellness center, focusing on a holistic approach to personal growth. She received her degree from Adelphi University where she studied psychology and studio art and developed her interest in elevating the stories of those around her. In her free time, Sarah is a yoga teacher and artist focusing on the relationship between mental health and creativity.

Sarah Lewandowski
Instruction & Curriculum Manager

Julie Vo McConnell

Development Specialist

Julie rejoined Genesys Works following time spent as a Project Management Associate at BoomLab. Prior to joining BoomLab, Julie was a Senior Program Coordinator at Genesys Works, where she mentored, managed, and supported over 60+ young professionals over the course of three years in addition to leading several formal projects to help enrich organizational needs. Julie completed two AmeriCorps fellowships: one as a Promise Fellow with MN Alliance with Youth at Patrick Henry High School and another one as a Residency in Social Enterprise (RISE) Fellow through New Sector Alliance at Girl Scouts River Valleys – ConnectZ. Julie graduated from Augsburg University where she earned her degrees in Business Management and Sociology. Julie is a proud alumni of Genesys Works Twin Cities (Class 2) and was the first in her family to graduate from college!

Julie Vo McConnell
Development Specialist

Joanna McNellis

Office Specialist

Joanna joins Genesys Works as the Office Specialist. She comes to us after serving as the Senior Lead Administrator at Robert Half for three years. Her past experience includes acting as Co-Chair for the Young Adult Ministry at Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and most recently, as the Director of Operations for Convergence On Campus. Holding an associate’s degree in Business Management, Joanna plans on furthering her education in Urban Development in the near future. She served as President of the Northstar District for the Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church for five years, overseeing district events and facilitating initiatives across the state. She is passionate about religious, secular, and spiritual identities and their intersections in society today. Joanna is excited to join Genesys Works and partner with their mission. Pronouns: she/her/hers

Joanna McNellis
Office Specialist

James Nagbe

Program Manager (High School Internships)

James Nagbe, a native of Libera, has been involved in the nonprofit sector and youth works for the past 8 years, and he’s even more passionate about his work now than when he first started. James brings to Genesys Works his experience of directly working with and mentoring youth, involvement in development and fundraising, and nonprofit administrative leadership to contribute to helping young people access opportunities that’ll support them on their path to success. James loves connecting with people and learning more about who they are and hearing their unique stories and journey in life. From his own life journey of living in a variety of places and experiencing a variety of cultures, James increasingly has a huge appreciation of diverse cultures and people.

James Nagbe
Program Manager (High School Internships)

Abbey Nelson

Director of Corporate Partnerships

Abbey rejoined the Corporate Partnerships team at Genesys Works following time spent as a corporate recruiter at Land O’Lakes. Prior to joining Land O’Lakes, Abbey was the workplace manager at Genesys Works, creating strategies to foster successful outcomes for Genesys Works students and their supervisors in the workplace. This included managing the intern placement and supervisor matching process, as well as managing relationships with key corporate stakeholders. Abbey has previous experience working for a local recruiting firm, Avenica, where she was responsible for growing recruiting efforts and managing client relationships. Abbey graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison where she earned her degree in political science.

Abbey Nelson
Director of Corporate Partnerships

Adrian Perryman

Manager of College Access

Born and raised in St. Paul, Adrian is a proud and engaged member of the community. He earned his bachelor’s and master degree from Concordia University in Communication Studies and Strategic Communication Management respectively. After spending 11 years in higher education in College Admissions and Academic Advising he transitioned to Genesys Works as the College and Career Success Program Manager. Adrian currently sits on the St Paul Planning Commission, is one of the organizers of the annual Central Honors Philando Celebration, and is a past board member at Hallie Q Brown and St Paul Youth Services. He lives in St Paul’s Hamline Midway neighborhood with his wife and two cats.

Adrian Perryman
Manager of College Access

Colin Peters

Program Coordinator

Colin joined Genesys Works after several years working with high school and college students in a variety of capacities. He started his career at Northeastern University, where he worked with their N.U.in Program as an International Student Advisor and Program Coordinator. Colin’s experience and passion for working with students led him to College Possible, where he coached students in the CollegePoint program. Prior to joining Genesys Works, he worked for the University of Minnesota Duluth as a Regional Admissions Counselor serving students in the Twin Cities metro. Colin is currently pursuing a Med in Youth Development Leadership at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

Colin Peters
Program Coordinator

Julia Reich

College & Career Success Specialist

Julia joins Genesys Works after several years of working with and supporting high schoolers as a teacher, tutor, and trip leader. After graduating from Carleton College, where she was active in both ultimate frisbee and the outdoor club, she began a teaching fellowship at an environmental semester school in northern Wisconsin. There, she taught students outdoor skills, facilitated after-school activities, and supervised student life. Following this experience, she served as a high school math tutor through an AmeriCorps program in Madison, WI. Most recently, she traveled through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, teaching precalculus, natural science, and physical education as she lived with and mentored 18 high school girls through a program called The Traveling School. She is excited to support Genesys Works young professionals through a year of learning and growth.

Julia Reich
College & Career Success Specialist

Fritz Rock

Student Recruitment Coordinator

Fritz joins Genesys Works as the Recruitment Specialist. Fritz received his undergraduate degree in Communications at University of Illinois and masters degree at Winona State University. While at Winona State as a graduate assistant, Fritz worked as an Academic Advisor for the Warrior Success Center. Fritz realized the impact and connection that he had with students while at Winona and wanted to continue working with young students. Fritz was fortunate to have a guardian growing up to instill the importance of academics into him. Fritz is really excited and looking forward to building a meaningful and strong connection with our young professionals in our program.

Fritz Rock
Student Recruitment Coordinator

Deborah S.

Manager of Corporate Partnerships

Deborah brings excitement for connecting people to opportunities, including businesses to talent. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Psychology, Deborah started her career in staffing, where she connected job seekers to companies and worked a variety of roles in the staffing industry, including Recruiting, Management, and Sales. Taking a step away from staffing, Deborah also worked at a non-profit educational facility in California for a few years, where she worked with teachers to schedule educational field trips for youth. For fun, Deborah enjoys long-distance running, paddle boarding, road trips, and hiking in State Parks.

Deborah S.
Manager of Corporate Partnerships

Emily Spoden

Program Specialist

Emily joins Genesys Works after two years of serving as an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow with the Tacking Obstacles and Raising College Hopes (TORCH) program at Northfield High School. At TORCH, Emily was an academic advisor and college access mentor to a cohort of first generation college students. Emily has also spent several summers on the staff of Wilderness Canoe Base in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. She coordinated programming for groups staying at the canoe base and led canoe trips for groups of young people. Emily is passionate about creating meaningful experiential learning opportunities for students. She has a degree in Political Science from Carleton College.

Emily Spoden
Program Specialist

Courtney Stoesz

Marketing Manager

As the Marketing Manager at Genesys Works, Courtney utilizes her passion for social justice and cross-cultural communication to share the inspiring stories of Genesys Works Young Professionals and celebrate their accomplishments. Before her position on the Genesys Works team, she worked as the Marketing and Communications Associate at Partners in Food Solutions, where she developed communications that promoted the organization’s mission to achieve food security across the African continent. She also spent four months in Kenya, Zambia and Malawi as the organization’s Field Writer, where she wrote stories that featured aspiring African business entrepreneurs. Courtney holds a bachelor’s degree in Reconciliation and Developing World Studies from Bethel University.

Courtney Stoesz
Marketing Manager

Nancy Wallace

Manager of Career Success

I am passionate about educational and economical equity and BIPOC empowerment. I was born and raised in Kenya from a very low income family of ten. My passion to work with youth, and women started when I volunteered as a radio presenter and producer at a community radio station back home. I saw how my educational programs on youth and women empowerment impacted my community and wanted to do more. I found an opportunity to move to the US to further my education. I attended MCTC before transferring to University of Minnesota to study Human Resources Development. Before joining GW, I worked at Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) as the Internship Recruiter/Program Coordinator. As part of DHS inclusion and diversity efforts, I created relationships with community organizations and schools that support BIPOC youths to connect the youths within internships and full time opportunities within DHS and other state agencies.”

Nancy Wallace
Manager of Career Success

Allison Barmann

Executive Director

Meet Allison Barmann

Marit Aaseng

Senior Manager of College and Career Success

Malissa Adams

Director of People and Operations

Hafssa Ahmed

Operations Intern

Grace Anderson-Smitley

Account Specialist

Missi Arens

Director of Advancement

Douglas Ballinger

Corporate Partnerships Specialist

Natalie Bump

Program Coordinator

Nina Cha

Program Manager

Megan Collins

Account Specialist

Alexia Concepcion

Office Specialist

Lucia Davila Alvarez

Program Coordinator

Tiffany Enríquez

Director of College and Career Success

Melissa Flores Jaimes

Program Coordinator

Aaron Harper

Senior Director of High School Success

Curtis Ireland

College & Career Success Intern

Becky Kalhoff

Manager of Talent Development

Amal Kayse

Marketing and Communications Specialist

Matthew Kirk

Program Manager

Mina Kobayashi

Senior Manager of Advancement

Karina Laqua

Program Coordinator

Elizabeth Lee

Program Specialist

Gary Ly

Recruiting Specialist

Joanna McNellis

Systems and Operations Manager

James Nagbe

Director of Corporate Partnerships

Jeni Nuwera

Program Coordinator

Kylie Peterson

Senior Program Manager, School and Community Partnerships

Emily Piechowski

HR Specialist

Taleya Pillai

Finance and Operations Manager

Davi Singer

Senior Program Manager

Sumeya Said

Program Coordinator

    Abdikhaliq Sahal

    Program Coordinator - College and Career Success

    Swopnil Shrestha

    Program Specialist

    Maray Singleton

    Program Coordinator

    Pa Jai Thao

    Talent Development Pipeline Specialist

    Joey Wegner

    Program Coordinator

    Tonny Yang

    Program Coordinator

    Lily Yang

    Program Coordinator

    Board of Directors

    Jeffrey Artis
    President and CEO, Genesys Works
    Teddy Bekele
    CTO, Land O'Lakes, Inc.
    David L. Bingenheimer
    EVP and Chief Information Officer, Ecolab
    Tom Butterfield
    CEO/CIO/Board Member
    François Charette
    Digital CIO, Optum
    Brett Craig
    EVP and CIO, Target
    Myra Day-Perkins
    Vice President of Human Resources, Ameriprise Financial
    Dionne Gharamu-Nrumaachi
    Development Advisor, NEOO Partners Inc.

    Joe Gothard
    Superintendent, Saint Paul Public Schools

    Aretha Green-Rupert
    Program Director, Carlson Family Foundation
    Tom Holman
    Founder, Morning Foundation
    Tammy Mihailidis
    Vice President IT, Structural Heart & Aortic, Medtronic

    Anna Kruse
    Vice President, Best Buy Ads and Media Strategy, Best Buy

    Karen Richard
    Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Andersen Corporation
    Tarek Tomes
    CIO, State of Minnesota
    Adam Tenasaputra
    Advance Financial Analytics Consultant, Wells Fargo
    Richard Walker
    CEO, York Solutions
    Nou Yang
    Co-founder, Courageous Change Collective

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