About CorticoBy helping build trust from one community to the next, we are shoring up the nation's democratic foundation.CorticoCRTC_9a2eb182-7ac5-11ee-85fa-d7b92683ea00Civic NetworksWe are fostering new civic networks where individual perspectives, grounded in personal stories, spark more informed and transparent actions within the community and from its leaders.MIT Center for Constructive CommunicationBringing people & technology together ~ Cortico collaborates closely with the MIT Center for Constructive Communication (CCC). An Institute-wide center based at the MIT Media Lab, CCC brings together researchers in AI, computational social science, digital interactive design, and learning technologies with software engineers, journalists, political scientists, designers, and community organizers to explore and address the effects of deepening social fragmentation. Cortico maintains a unique cooperation agreement with MIT that enables collaboration on IP, prototyping, and field pilots.Cortico StaffKamala AlcantaraUX LEAD ~ Kamala explores the world of users at Cortico, creating friendly and inclusive digital experiences by understanding people’s stories, behaviors and preferences. Driven by the thrill of innovation and using technology for the greater good, she's spearheaded diverse projects spanning website redesigns, building education and wellness apps, and democratizing AI and blockchain technologies. When she’s not crafting delightful user experiences, you'll find her embracing the joys of motherhood with her toddler and Goldendoodle, exploring culinary adventures by cooking up new recipes, discovering new places and flavors, leading calming meditations, or immersing herself in audiobooks.Alex Kelly BermanVP OF PROGRAMS & PARTNERSHIPS ~ Alex builds tools and processes to support Cortico's strategy, inviting partners to be our collaborators. She has worked across non-profit sectors on projects that support participation through storytelling, dialogue, and making. She believes in handing over a microphone to amplify the public’s voice.Tevin BrownSOFTWARE ENGINEER ~ Tevin is a frontend engineer at Cortico. His prior experience in frontend architecture, performance, and accessibility enable him to keep Cortico’s apps running smoothly for our numerous partners. He finds joy in working with partners to bring a more intuitive experience to our products. On weekends, you will likely find Tevin running through the forests, canoeing through a swamp or lounging in the waterfalls of the Georgian wilderness.Kelly CantwellHUMAN RESOURCES GENERALIST ~ Kelly focuses on all things people at Cortico: interviewing, hiring, onboarding and strengthening our amazing workplace culture. Her extensive non-profit HR experience includes working with community organizations, a University and a credit union. Outside of work, Kelly loves being a #HockeyMom, reading, growing soil sprouted greens and roller skating as often as possible.Hana CareyMANAGER OF PROGRAMS & PARTNERSHIPS (YOUTH) ~ Hana works to build and support Corticos community of partners, and to ensure successful projects. She is deeply committed to education and youth development with a background in both schools and youth-centered non-profits. When not at work, you can find her at the gym monopolizing the squat rack or with her nose in a booVy DaoDIRECTOR OF LEARNING & PRACTICE ~ Vy supports community partners by helping them find homegrown insights that emerge from local conversations. Her time as a sociologist makes her appreciate the dynamic relationship between social forces and personal experiences. She enjoys her family, carbs, and coffee and loves the suspense of a good story told by anyone.Brooke Eskilson-PattersonPRODUCT MANAGER ~ Brooke works at the intersection of design, engineering, partnerships, and research to thoughtfully build out our growing product ecosystem. She comes from a 12-year career as a public servant where she managed a portfolio of software solutions aimed at improving the economic security of individuals and families. She’s inspired by the use of technology to help create a more equitable and inclusive society. When she's not online, you can find her being a mom to her two young daughters, reading (books or tarot), binging shows while doing needlework, or enjoying the beauty of rural northeast Kansas. As a Certified Childbirth Doula, she's also passionate about helping parents have empowering, emotionally fulfilling pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences.Jeannie EvansSOFTWARE ENGINEER ~ Jeannie is a Software Engineer at Cortico, supporting LVN. She's motivated by contributing to accessible and community-driven resources and supporting meaningful dialogue. When she's not at work you can find her biking along the beach, playing in the waves, or exploring one of LA's many unique neighborhoods.Cole FiscusSOFTWARE ENGINEER ~ Cole works on the frontend of Cortico's products, contributing to a fun, frustration-free digital experience for our end users. He's excited to continue to grow as a software developer while part of a team that also values creating authentic online civic spaces. When away from his desk, you could find him shooting hoops, hiking a Coloradan mountain trail, or figuring out how to sing and play guitar at the same time.Debby GoldbergVP OF DEVELOPMENT & STRATEGY Tatiana IvancevichSR. DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & ADMINISTRATION ~ Tatiana oversees the day-to-day operations at Cortico. She pulls from her background in museum retail operations and talent development to build our internal systems and structures. She believes in harnessing the power of conversations to help create stronger and more engaged communities.Akiva LeffertVP OF ENGINEERING & PRODUCT ~ Akiva leads the Engineering & Product teams at Cortico. He cares a lot about building reliable software, humane interview processes, and making the world a better place. Beyond engineering his specialty is taking silly ideas very seriously.Hannah LocopPARTNER LEARNING LEAD ~ Hannah is based in Miami, FL and she is the daughter of Filipino immigrants. After graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in Political Science, she began working in philanthropy and nonprofit capacity building. Hannah has eclectic experiences in politics, organizing, advocacy, and community engagement. You can often find her enjoying a stroll in the park and playing her piano or ukulele.Elle LunaSENIOR ADVISORKimberly MotaPARTNER ENGAGEMENT LEAD ~ Kimberly focuses on continuously building and improving community engagement supports in order to effectively provide each partner with the tools they need to lead successful projects. She has experience honoring and working alongside youth and community in the realm of design, visual arts, health equity, and social justice. She is deeply interested in opportunities where she can continue to work on projects through inclusive and community-focused initiatives. When she's not at work, you can find her on an Open Street or creating art with clay.Marcel NakaharaSOFTWARE ENGINEER ~ Marcel is a master builder of imaginary Legos in Cortico. He builds tools to improve people’s communication and to facilitate a world where individuals can better understand one another. He is always excited to assist others and experiences happiness upon encountering a dog. When he is not behind a computer, you can find him at dog parks, strolling around the city, and, as a resident of the Pacific Northwest, hiking the mountains in the Seattle area.Josiah OberholtzerSOFTWARE ENGINEER ~ Josiah works on Cortico's backend, tightening nuts and bolts. Before Cortico, he cut his teeth on a wide variety of projects, from boutique live performance software, to open frameworks for music composition and digital musicology, to large-scale distributed financial systems. When not chasing his German shepherd around, you can find him producing tracks in his home studio.Kelly PaolaUX RESEARCHER ~ Kelly works to amplify and prioritize the voice of Cortico’s users by conducting user experience research across the product suite. With a strong sense of empathy and a service mentality, she feeds user insights to teams across the organization with the goal of continually strengthening and streamlining user experience. Kelly's background spans ESL education, international nonprofit programming, and hospitality management. Outside of work, you can find her teaching yoga, relaxing on her paddle board, or cooking/baking delicious creations in her kitchen.Spencer PeaceSOFTWARE ENGINEER ~ Spencer works on Cortico's frontend, helping to build a beautiful, seamless user experience for our partners. Drawing upon previous frontend experience, he’s excited to be creating software that fosters a healthy public sphere, one where often-unheard voices are amplified. When he’s not at work, you can find him cycling around Cincinnati or snapping pictures of whatever catches his eye.Kierran PetersenPARTNER SUPPORT SPECIALIST ~ Kierran is (hopefully) one of the first people you run into if you have a question about all things Cortico. They're passionate about turning even the most pie-in-the-sky ideas from partners and users into a reality. They have a joint background in customer support and audio production, and are passionate about storytelling and storytellers. In their off-hours, they're usually playing a video game and listening to a podcast, oftentimes snuggled up with someone else’s pet.Elena PetrovichMARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS LEAD ~ Elena works to amplify the many stories of Cortico and connect the organization's work to a variety of audiences. Her foundation in the arts and humanities has directed her professional experience leading communications and marketing in mission-driven settings. She is motivated by a deep love of storytelling, particularly the kind that broadens understanding, incites compassion, and forges connectionThanh-Mai PhanPROTOTYPER ~ Thanh-Mai Phan is a product designer at Cortico. Previously, she designed and built prototypes for MIT Media Lab's Center for Constructive Communication and worked on a distributed cache at Microsoft. She's interested in subcultures, how subcultures live on the internet, and what it means to be online.Rich RayburnDESIGN LEAD ~ Rich is a pixel wizard that creates thoughtful designs that help our users easily navigate our apps and websites. He’s most passionate about the end user and being able to create beautiful, user-friendly digital experiences that are ADA-compliant so everyone can enjoy them. Outside of work, you can find Rich exploring parks with his four kids or perfecting his hot sauce recipes.Deb RoyCEOBubbles SandcastleSOFTWARE ENGINEER ~ bubbles builds frontend magic for cortico's apps and websites. inspired to make century-long yes-waves towards a more creative, thriving, and cooperative society, they’re stoked to help bring advanced technology to the intricate problem of public discourse. dance, music, art, activism, love, sunlight, vegan food, playing outside, meditation, and unbounded exploration energize the field that builds bubbles.Taylor ShenemanSOFTWARE ENGINEER ~ Taylor builds tools to make sense of the hundreds of hours of conversation data flowing through LVN. He is focused on thoughtful technology designed in collaboration with the people it’s meant to serve, with the goal of building a stronger, more cooperative society that uplifts all of its members.Harrison SpeckPRODUCT MANAGER ~ Harrison is passionate about leveraging technology to drive social impact. He’s dedicated his career as a Product Manager to creating innovative solutions that empower communities, foster equality, and promote sustainability. His experiences include working with startups, foundations, and state agencies. Outside of work, he is a musician, artist, husband, and dad of two under the age of five.Jenine Turner-TrauringSOFTWARE ENGINEER ~ Jenny works on Cortico's backend infrastructure. Her goal in writing software is to build tools for projects that have a positive impact. She is also passionate about bike and pedestrian safety.Ethan WalkerMANAGER OF PROGRAMS & PARTNERSHIPS (GOVERNMENT) ~ Ethan works to guide partners through projects and build a network of organizations interested in listening to their community. He is committed to public service and leadership development, and has a background in implementing innovative nonprofit programs. When not at work, you can find him walking in the California sunshine, reading a book, or nerding out over soccer.Sam WoolfDIRECTOR OF HARDWARE ~ Sam is a builder of all things physical. At Cortico he spearheads the design, manufacturing, and electronics of the Hearth. He’s learned his craft through designing everything from furniture to coffee roasters, saunas to robotic forklifts, and circuit boards to kayaks.Cortico Board of Directors & OfficersDeb RoyCHAIR & COFOUNDEREugene YiDIRECTOR & COFOUNDERKathy CramerDIRECTORYat SiuDIRECTORAli RowghaniDIRECTORRussell StevensTREASURER & COFOUNDERCortico AdvisorsAndrew HeywardBrandon RoyDoug BeefermanMartha MinowWes ChowDimitra DimitrakopoulouDavid van DokkumCortico SupportersReid HoffmanAPHORISM FOUNDATION Project LibertyProject Liberty is advancing the responsible development of the internet of tomorrow – designed and governed for the common good.QuadriviumQUADRIVIUM INVESTS IN EVIDENCE-BASED SOLUTIONS TO SOME OF SOCIETY’S MOST URGENT CHALLENGES – WHERE THE DECISIONS WE MAKE TODAY HAVE MAJOR REPERCUSSIONS FOR OUR FUTURE WAY OF LIFE.Knight FoundationWe are social investors who support a more effective democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and in the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers.Yat SiuDIRECTORAli RowghaniDIRECTORGoogle JigsawJigsaw is a unit within Google that explores threats to open societies, and builds technology that inspires scalable solutions.The Tow FoundationTo promote wellness and access to opportunities so that individuals and communities can thrive. Grounded in our work in Connecticut and New York, we support visionary leaders and nonprofit organizations that serve historically marginalized populations, help individuals contribute to their communities, and champion advancements and experiences that make it possible for all people to live healthy and joyous lives.ArchewellArchewell is the organization founded by The Duke and Duchess of SussexCraig NewmarkCRAIG NEWMARK PHILANTHROPIESCortico PartnersLocal GovernmentsWe Work With Local Government to surface underheard voices and build more transparent, trusted, and responsive feedback channels.MediaWe Work With Media to understand community interests and concerns and build trust between journalists and the people they serve.YouthWe Work With Youth to create a more constructive communication channel that empowers young people to use their voices and be leaders in their community.To become the platform that: surfaces underheard voices rather than the loudest; facilitates sharing experiences rather than battling opinions; and promotes empathy and connection rather than division and intolerance. _9a2eb254-7ac5-11ee-85fa-d7b92683ea00To bringing underheard voices to the center of stronger civic spaces_9a2eb2fe-7ac5-11ee-85fa-d7b92683ea00AuthenticityAuthentic voicesDiversityDiverse perspectivesCommunityCommunity-first approachTransparencyTransparent processImpactMeasurable impactUnderstanding & LearningBuild tools and methods that enable deep conversations and make it possible to understand and learn from these voices and experiences_9a2eb3da-7ac5-11ee-85fa-d7b92683ea00Human-Led + AI-Supported Listening ~ Fora's unique approach combines the ancient wisdoms of human dialogue and listening with the growing analytic and connective power of modern AI and scale of digital networks. ^^ Fora enables partners to understand their communities' life experiences, amplify typically underheard voices, inform public understanding, and drive better policy and decision-making to better outcomes. ^^ Our team of conversation and listening experts make it easy for partners to make the most of our integrated platform.Speaking, Listening & LearningGive everyone chances to speak and be heard, listen and learn_9a2eb47a-7ac5-11ee-85fa-d7b92683ea001Community Listening | Capturing experiences ~ Fora's approach is rooted in small-group dialogue that gives every person a chance to speak and be heard, listen and learn. ^^ Fora conversations can be hosted and recorded in-person, on desktop, and coming soon -- a mobile app. SensemakingMake sense of conversations_a9a4585e-7b8a-11ee-a4f2-1d49ff82ea002Intuitive qualitative analysis ~ Sensemaking is our human-led process that leverages AI tools to make sense of conversations -- resulting in community-powered, nuanced analysis at scale.Sharing & ActingShare actionable insights_a9a459d0-7b8a-11ee-a4f2-1d49ff82ea003Actionable insights shared transparently ~ Partners build custom portals to memorialize conversations, amplify real voices, and provide proof of listening. This approach creates trust within the community as people engage with familiar themes and insights used to inform action.PortalsBuild custom portals to memorialize conversations_a9a45ae8-7b8a-11ee-a4f2-1d49ff82ea003.1AmplificationAmplify real voices_a9a45c0a-7b8a-11ee-a4f2-1d49ff82ea003.2ListeningProvide proof of listening_a9a45d0e-7b8a-11ee-a4f2-1d49ff82ea003.32023-11-04https://cortico.ai/about/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net