pennywise Staff
Laura Subin, Esq, Executive Director. Laura has an extensive background in grassroots and legislative advocacy working on social justice issues including drug policy reform, violence against women and gun violence prevention. Laura directed the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana, successfully advocating to end the racist system of cannabis prohibition in the state. She spent 20 years working to support and advocate for individuals experiencing domestic violence. She served as the director of The Vermont Council on Domestic Violence, Steps to End Domestic Violence and the NYC Coalition of Battered Women’s Advocates. Laura has served as a consultant to a wide variety of non-profit organizations assisting them with all aspects of organizational management and development. She is a member of the Board of Directors of GunSenseVT and leads that organization’s legislative advocacy. Contact Laura
Liz Subin, Director. Liz received her B.A. from the University of Vermont and holds a Masters Degree in International Administration from the School for International Training. Liz was the founding director of the Anguilla National Trust where she was responsible for establishing a system of management for cultural and environmental resources on the island. She worked as Development Director for the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST) before moving back to Vermont. Liz now lives in Essex, VT with her husband and three kids. She served on the school board in Essex from 2014 to 2020 and continues to do work on racial and social justice issues in her community as a founding board member of Voices for Inclusion in Essex and Westford. Contact Liz
Ryan Green, Social Media Lead. Ryan graduated from Fordham University in New York City with a Major in Humanitarian Studies and a double minor in Creative Writing and Communications. Ryan is from Rhode Island and is passionate about travel, the ocean, outreach, writing, design, our many pennywise grantees, and much more. Ryan's senior thesis focused on the failure of the Humanitarian Development Nexus to address issues of environmental sustainability. Upon graduation, Ryan moved to Spain to continue remote work and practice her Spanish. Then, she continued on to New Zealand where she completed a sic-month marine conservation research program. Her specific focus was on kelp (which she believes has the power to save the world) and bottlenose dolphins. In her spare time, Ryan loves to travel, write, hike and surf. Contact Ryan
Research Assistants
Georgetown University - McCourt School of Public Policy
Filip Kulakov is a youth advocate, program management professional and researcher from North Macedonia with experience in youth networks, non-profit and international organizations. In his career, he has spearheaded advocacy campaigns aimed at improving the overall well-being and access to rights for young people in North Macedonia, their access to policy- and decision-making processes, and ensuring young people's voices resonate in politics. His most notable experiences are in advocacy for access and participation of Western Balkans youth in European policy. Aside from policy work, Filip enjoys travel and hiking.
Natalie Sandoval is a 2023-2024 Pennywise Foundation Research Assistant and a first year MPP candidate at the McCourt School of Public Policy. Before starting her Masters at Georgetown, Natalie lived in Germany for a year as a participant of the 39th cohort of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program for Young Professionals. While in Germany, Natalie served as a cultural ambassador, including participating in a 2-month long intensive German language school, studying Economics at the University of Cologne, and working as a teacher at an international Montessori bilingual kindergarten. Prior to this, Natalie worked as a Consulting Analyst at Public Equity Group (PEG), a diverse practice of strategy and management consultants mobilized to help visionary leaders and organizations achieve impact. Natalie earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
September 22 - May 2023
Sanha Tahir, Intern, McCourt School of Public Policy (Georgetown University)
Sanha comes to us from Lahore, Punjab. After finishing her BSc in Economics & Mathematics, she worked as a Data Analyst at a prestigious AI firm, before shifting her focus to a remedial education program in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, using her skills to help develop and implement a curriculum to help students cover their learning losses. Sanha has been involved in a number of organizations which has helped hone her project management, public speaking and problem-solving skills. Equipped with her go-getter attitude, Sanha hopes to create a sustainable and fairer world, with opportunities for all. In her free time, Sanha enjoys Killer Sudoku and reading fantasy books. Contact Sanha
Sanha Tahir, Intern, McCourt School of Public Policy (Georgetown University)
Sanha comes to us from Lahore, Punjab. After finishing her BSc in Economics & Mathematics, she worked as a Data Analyst at a prestigious AI firm, before shifting her focus to a remedial education program in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, using her skills to help develop and implement a curriculum to help students cover their learning losses. Sanha has been involved in a number of organizations which has helped hone her project management, public speaking and problem-solving skills. Equipped with her go-getter attitude, Sanha hopes to create a sustainable and fairer world, with opportunities for all. In her free time, Sanha enjoys Killer Sudoku and reading fantasy books. Contact Sanha
Spring 2022
Ernesto Godinez, Intern, McCourt School of Public Policy (Georgetown University)
From the inner city of Miami, Florida, Ernesto aims to shift the narrative of what it means to succeed in this world. He has been a part of a variety of organizations and people-centered initiatives, and seeks to learn, grow, and expand his reach. Ernesto has experience in solving complex problems and has demonstrated the flexibility to work with people across lines of difference in any situation. His approach to organizing, solving complex problems, and creating solutions will cultivate better outcomes for those we serve. With a passion for social impact, he brings high energy and enthusiasm to the team and work at Pennywise. Contact Ernesto.
Ernesto Godinez, Intern, McCourt School of Public Policy (Georgetown University)
From the inner city of Miami, Florida, Ernesto aims to shift the narrative of what it means to succeed in this world. He has been a part of a variety of organizations and people-centered initiatives, and seeks to learn, grow, and expand his reach. Ernesto has experience in solving complex problems and has demonstrated the flexibility to work with people across lines of difference in any situation. His approach to organizing, solving complex problems, and creating solutions will cultivate better outcomes for those we serve. With a passion for social impact, he brings high energy and enthusiasm to the team and work at Pennywise. Contact Ernesto.
Pennywise board
Chris Schwerin, President. Chris is a film editor with more than twenty years of experience working on television and film. She has worked extensively for National Geographic and most recently is an editor at Big Fish productions where she works on television programs for a wide variety of audiences. In her free time, Chris loves to travel, ski and walk the beaches with her dog, Juno. Contact Chris
Louis Jones, Secretary. Louis is a Media & Marketing Consultant whose career has spanned three decades. Filled with passion, Louis has pushed for strategic impact, innovation and success through growth. Jones was most recently EVP, Media & Data at the 4A’s (American Association of Advertising Agencies). He oversaw 4A’s media committees/ task forces, and served as liaison with industry associations to lead efforts that address industry-wide issues like brand safety, cross-media measurement and new technologies, like distributed ledgers. Prior to joining the 4A's Team, Louis had consulted for the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), helping them create mobile education modules to help advertisers to continue to invest in the mobile channels. Contact Louis
JB Sugar, Treasurer. JB is a sales leader with over 15 years of experience managing digital, mobile sales, SaaS and programmatic teams. Proven in developing large-scale, customized programs for Fortune 500 brands across all categories including automotive, cannabis, hospitality, pharmaceutical, CPG, telecom and entertainment. Core competencies include: sales planning/forecasting, new business development, staff hiring/training, increasing revenue, ideating products, positioning/marketing, data deployment and compensation strategies. Contact JB.
Andrew Subin (JD ’92) has practiced criminal defense, with an emphasis on cannabis defense, for over 25 years. Throughout his career, he has been a vocal advocate for cannabis law reform. In 2018, Mr. Subin relocated from Bellingham, Washington to Burlington, Vermont and joined with Tim Fair to form Vermont Cannabis Solutions, the first cannabis business law firm in the state. Vermont Cannabis Solutions is at the forefront of the burgeoning Vermont cannabis industry. Mr. Subin has lectured and spoken, both regionally and nationally, on numerous cannabis issues. Contact Andrew
Mia McKay. Mia is a recent graduate of the University of Vermont where she studied Psychology with a minor in Business and Spanish. She is from Boulder, Colorado and enjoys spending time outside hiking, camping, swimming, and skiing. Mia is passionate about health, diversity, sustainable business development, and the outdoors. Her interest in business development and outreach began when she had the opportunity to volunteer abroad in Costa Rica. She learned about inequalities affecting indigenous communities, performed economic development projects, and experienced Costa Rican culture. Inspired by this experience, she has set out to find ways to create a lasting impact on other communities locally and around the globe. Contact Mia