Hello!

Meet the Team, the Leaders, and the Advocates Behind Last Mile

The Last Mile Team

The Last Mile team is small but mighty—innovators who believe in possibility and abundance and act with urgency. Most of us share the lived experiences of the students we serve, which grounds our work in empathy, resilience, and determination. Together, we’re building pathways that turn persistence into graduation and graduation into impact.

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RUTHE FARMER

Founder & CEO

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CAROLINE ESMURDOC

COO

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TAKESHIA ROBERTS

Director of Technology

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SARAH A. OUTLAND, PhD

Director of Research & Evaluation

KYRIE DOWNE

Director of Finance

MICHELE LEONARD

Senior Partnerships Manager

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RICA ORTIZ

Senior Operations Manager

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ASHLEIGH JOHNSON

Student Awards Manager

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PALOMA MARTIN-BLASIO

Student Awards Specialist

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ANDREA SANDERS

Financial Awards Specialist

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CASEY KOPPELSON

Student Engagement Manager

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JAMES BEDFORD

Education Fellow

HENRI OKINISHI

System Analyst

SABRINA CARTAN

Content Strategist

Take Action

We make smart, urgent, catalytic investments. Whether you’re a student who needs support, a donor looking for impact, or a partner ready to change the system—there’s a place for you at Last Mile.

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