Kyla Kasharian is a passionate philanthropy professional serving as the Senior Program Associate for Knowledge and Impact at Siegel Family Endowment. Her journey into philanthropy was sparked by her drive to create more effective and mutually beneficial grantor-grantee relationships. With a skill set in data-driven decision making, knowledge sharing, and equity-focused program development, Kyla now leads strategic learning processes that strengthen organizational effectiveness and grantmaking impact at Siegel Family Endowment. Central to her approach is a deep commitment to elevating the expertise of nonprofit leaders and practitioners, recognizing them as the true experts in their fields and communities. Working across teams, she generates actionable insights, fosters cross-portfolio connections, and develops innovative approaches to reduce grantee burden while promoting inquiry-based grantmaking that amplifies community-informed solutions. She also leads Siegel's rural exploration, convening a community of practice that investigates how rural communities are shaping their relationships with emerging technologies and the narratives surrounding them. Currently based in New Jersey and a proud Seton Hall alumna, she strives to transform philanthropy into a more equitable tool for innovation, one that centers community wisdom and collective progress.

Matt Dunne is the Founder and CEO of the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), where he leads a national effort to expand opportunity and strengthen innovation economies in rural America. With experience spanning technology, public service, and community development, he has built CORI into a nationwide network advancing entrepreneurship, workforce development, and tech-enabled economic growth. Before founding CORI, Matt led community affairs at Google, served in the Vermont Legislature, and helped guide national service initiatives through AmeriCorps VISTA. A lifelong Vermonter, he now raises his family on the small farm where he grew up.

Kate Mays is an Assistant Professor of Public Communication in the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics at the University of Vermont, where she is also affiliated with the Vermont Complex Systems Institute. A mixed-methods social scientist, she studies the dynamics of emerging technologies in our civic, social, and intrapersonal lives. Her research currently focuses on human-machine communication and perceptions of AI, to better understand how public and expert opinion can inform pro-social and community-minded technology and policy development.