Rob Warland
Rob lives in Minneapolis with his wife and 3 children. He’s worked in the mortgage industry and in non-profit leadership development. He joined createMPLS in 2019 to utilize his strategy, developer, and activator strengths to build out an impactful and sustainable organization.
Kirsten Sanghera
Kirsten’s passion is mentoring and developing others to help meet their full potential. She has been in the education field as an administrator helping teachers on professional development, while also working with schools to run more efficiently. Outside of the work setting, you may find Kirsten golfing, being with friends/family on the lake, or hanging at home with her poodle Grover.
Krista Stommes
Krista is an experienced communications professional with a passion for connecting with people, bringing awareness to the public, and directing events. She has a very outgoing personality and looks forward to finding new connections and building relationships. You will often find her spending time with family, traveling, or socializing at a new local restaurant.
Sonya Tukhvatulina
As an undergraduate student, Sonya pursued sociology with a focus on computational research methods. With prior experience as a TA working with college students, Sonya firmly believes in making higher education accessible to all. Her enthusiasm lies in assisting students in discovering their educational paths by connecting curriculum to students interests and backgrounds and cultivating their critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for academic success.
Rachael Fleming
Rachael graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a B.S. in Biology. She spent the next 7 years teaching Environmental Education in Minnesota, Maine, Indiana, Oregon, and Washington. While in the Pacific Northwest, Rachael missed thunderstorms, lightning bugs, and our 10,000 lakes. So, she moved back home and earned her Master’s in Elementary Education and Elementary K-6 Teaching License from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in 2019. She worked as an Elementary Science Specialist from 2019-2023 before joining the createMPLS team. Her favorite thing about teaching is seeing students light up when they have an "Ah-ha!" moment. Outside of work, Rachael enjoys hiking, bird-watching, hanging out at coffee shops, and game nights with friends.
Matt Oberdalhoff
Matt is a graduate of the Art Institute of Minnesota with a degree in Media arts and Animation. A lifetime learner of technology and art, he’s excited to promote ideas and creative problem solving in kids wherever it leads them. He loves to tinker, draw, and play games, and his favorite animal is the goat.
Ben Severns
A life-long lover of machines, Ben graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design with a BFA from their Fine Arts Studio program. He began his graduate work in Portland, Maine studying at the Maine College of Art. He has spent the years since earning his degrees working to explore technology’s use in art and teaching across the Twin Cities for primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. He now lives in Minneapolis with his wife and two cats.
Mitch Benson
Mitchell graduated from Mcnally Smith College of Music with a degree in Music Performance. Throughout his career as a performer and educator he has gained a passion for gaining new knowledge about technology and cultivating growth the Twin Cities community. Mitchell continues to educate and inspire students by promoting creativity and individualism in the classroom.
Dan Orban
Dan graduated from the University of Minnesota with a PhD in Computer Science focusing on computer graphics, scientific visualization, and high dimensional analysis. He has taught technology classes at both the college and high school levels. He enjoys sharing what he has learned with all his students. Professionally, he has worked as a software developer for over 10+ years, programming for companies including Dell Inc., Accenture Technology Labs, OATI, the University of Minnesota, and Los Alamos National Lab. In real life, he cherishes his time camping, biking, and exploring this world with his wife and two kids.
Board of Directors
Alesha Baerenwald (Board Chair) – Microsoft
Mike Mroszak – Dedicated Financial GBC
Jack Eivazzadeh – Amazon
Ben Diaz – AIM Consulting
Amin Gomos – LinkedIn
Patrick Hobart – Boston Scientific
Isaac Wu – General Mills
Deena Hougard – Thomson Reuters
Katherine Myers – Abbott
Bre Jacobs – Medtronic