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.
Heidi Chase
Heidi came on board in the fall of 2021 with a desire to use her vision and skill for development to broaden the organization‘s impact. She’s passionate about equipping and empowering young people to believe in and realize their full potential. Born and raised in Minneapolis, she has a vested interest in closing the achievement gap in the city where she lives with her husband and 4 children.
Courtney Castleberry
As a first generation college student, closing the achievement gap and creating true accessible opportunities for youth is what fuels Courtney’s passion for working at createMPLS. Tackling a new LEGO set is the kind of challenge she enjoys. When not supporting programs, she loves to dance, be outside, drink chai lattes, and celebrate life!
Amy Svoboda
Amy Svoboda is a graduate from Iowa State University with a degree in English. She recently spent two years teaching ESL overseas in Taiwan and Indonesia before coming back to America with the hopes of finding a new passion here. Amy loves working with createMPLS kids because they are always up for trying, even when the task is difficult. The excitement they feel when solving a more challenging code or program is contagious and inspiring.
Braden Kilpatrick
Braden is a graduate from Michigan State University who studied physiology and psychology. He is spending a year between undergraduate and future education volunteering with Lutheran Volunteer Corps where he will spend his time with createMPLS. Braden is excited to spend a year bringing STEM and robotics education to students who would not otherwise learn about these fields in hopes of making STEM a more inclusive field.
Clara Kennedy
Clara has lived in Wisconsin, Chicago, and Minneapolis where she has worked in the theatre and acting industry. She has also taught youth in the arts for many years and is excited to get the chance to work with youth for createMPLS. She enjoys spending time outside with her pup Moony, dancing, and playing board games with her partner and friends.
Laura Bessencker
Laura studied Botany at University of Wisconsin-Madison with a focus on sustainable agriculture and food systems. As a hands-on learner, Laura loves getting to learn and play with Legos. As a child she was determined to hate science, so now she aspires to make STEM a more inclusive and exciting subject for kids.
Brita Johnson
Brita lives in Roseville MN and has attended a leadership development program for the past three years. Brita is the Family Ministry Coordinator at Hope Community Church Columbia Heights. She joined CreateMPLS in May of 2022 and is passionate about working with kids and allowing them to figure out their strengths and the potential they have.
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.
Anni Angeles
Anni joined createMPLS in spring of 2022, and studies business at Normandale College. Although she has some prior understanding with technology, Anni knows that working for createMPLS will continue to strengthen those skills. She likes to skate, drink iced coffee, spend time with family and friends, and hopes to travel the world!
Erin Coffey
Erin joined createMPLS to assist with managing the organization’s finances and provide administrative support to the team. She is also an Occupational Therapist and is passionate about helping people overcome barriers to living their most meaningful life. Although working somewhat behind the scenes for createMPLS, Erin is happy to contribute to improving opportunities for youth in the city she loves and grew up in. Erin lives in Minneapolis with her husband, twin boys, and her dog, Freya.
Abigail Irving
Abigail is a senior at Boyce College studying communications and an alumni of the createMPLS programs. Her experience as a program participant has given her a passion for the mission, and a desire to communicate it effectively and authentically.
Board of Directors
Mel Wieting (founder & co-chair) – Minnebytes LLC, Chief Technical Officer
Mike Mroszak – Dedicated CRI, VP of Strategic Partnerships
Gretchen LaBelle – Microsoft, Business Applications Content Portfolio Manager
Bibi Wald – Doctoral student at University of Minnesota
Jack Eivazzadeh – Amazon
Ben Diaz – AIM Consulting
Amin Gomos – CH Robinson
Ebony Ramquist – Justice and Equity Podcaster
Patrick Hobart – Boston Scientific
Patricia Angeles – Hope Academy
Elizabeth Cordova – Hope Academy