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

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KYRIE DOWNE

Director of Finance

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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

Last Mile Board Of Directors

The Last Mile Board of Directors brings together leaders with deep governance experience and diverse perspectives from across education, industry, and philanthropy. Their insight and stewardship ensure strong oversight, strategic direction, and the partnerships needed to scale our mission and impact.

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MICHELLE MATTHEWS

Board Chair

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ERIKA DECKER

Board Treasurer

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LEAH READ

Board Secretary

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MICHAEL CAMPBELL

Board Member

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SHELLY MORALES

Board Member

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JESSICA OROZCO

Board Member

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STEPHANIE BALCH

Board Member

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JOAN MOTSINGER

Board Member

The Champions Board is a coalition of leaders from the tech sector and broader community who champion Last Mile’s mission, open doors for partnerships, and expand our visibility and impact.

Last Mile Champions Board

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BRENDA DARDEN WILKERSON

CEO, AnitaB.org

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SARAH LEE

Co-Founder, Last Mile &

Director, Computer Sciences & Engineering, USM

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MICHELLE SKOOR

Independent Consultant

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OONA KING

Chief Opportunity Officer, Uber

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VANESSA FILIBERTI BAUTISTA

CVP, Microsoft MS365 Services Platform Engineering

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MELANIE TURNER

Senior Consultant, Emergent Method

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MARVIN CARR-LIGONS

Director of Corporate Giving, Walmart

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DAWN MEDLEY

VP, Enrollment Management Missouri State University

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CAROLINE SANCHEZ CROZIER

Founder, Latinx Digital Leaders Now

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DOUG JAFFE

Co-Founder, Coherence Fund

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CARLA FAINI

Principal, Via Venezia Consulting

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SARAH ECHOHAWK

CEO, American Indian Science & Engineering Society

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JANNIE FERNANDEZ

Director of Talent Engagement, Reboot Representation

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DANA MCGRAW

VP of Audience Modeling & Data Science, The Walt Disney Company

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.