pennywise Staff
Laura Subin, Esq, Executive Director. Laura has an extensive background in grassroots and legislative advocacy, working on social justice issues that include 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 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 to raise her family. There, she worked for the Orton Family Foundation as coordinator of a large community engagement initiative. She served on the school board and as Justice of the Peace in Essex for seven years and continues to work locally on equity issues in the school district. Contact Liz
Research Assistants
Georgetown University - McCourt School of Public Policy
September 2024 - Present
J. Oginga, Fellow
Oginga is a development economics enthusiast currently pursuing a masters in Data Science for Public Policy at Georgetown as a McCourt Scholar. Originally from Kenya, he holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and agriculture from Berea College in Kentucky and a master's in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University in China. Before moving to China to study its people, culture, and growing influence as a Schwarzman Scholar, he worked for a year with JBS Foods in Georgia. He is the founder of Harmonized Enterprise for the Less-Privileged Farmers, which provides free online agricultural extension support to a network of more than 2,600 farmers in Southeastern Africa. In the near future, he hopes to transform this initiative into a farmers’ credit union to increase access to credit and technical support for smallholder farmers.
Oginga is passionate about addressing economic development and sustainability as equally important goals in the Global South. Most importantly, Oginga is an avid hiker, passionate debater, and climate-smart farmer. Contact Oginga
J. Oginga, Fellow
Oginga is a development economics enthusiast currently pursuing a masters in Data Science for Public Policy at Georgetown as a McCourt Scholar. Originally from Kenya, he holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and agriculture from Berea College in Kentucky and a master's in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University in China. Before moving to China to study its people, culture, and growing influence as a Schwarzman Scholar, he worked for a year with JBS Foods in Georgia. He is the founder of Harmonized Enterprise for the Less-Privileged Farmers, which provides free online agricultural extension support to a network of more than 2,600 farmers in Southeastern Africa. In the near future, he hopes to transform this initiative into a farmers’ credit union to increase access to credit and technical support for smallholder farmers.
Oginga is passionate about addressing economic development and sustainability as equally important goals in the Global South. Most importantly, Oginga is an avid hiker, passionate debater, and climate-smart farmer. Contact Oginga
September 23 - Present
Filip Kulakov, Research Assistant
Filip is a youth advocate, program management professional and researcher from North Macedonia with experience in youth networks as well as 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. Contact Filip
Filip Kulakov, Research Assistant
Filip is a youth advocate, program management professional and researcher from North Macedonia with experience in youth networks as well as 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. Contact Filip
Skis for change social entrepreneur Fellow
May 2025 - Present
Bryce Smith
A passionate skier and outdoor enthusiast, Bryce is currently pursuing her MBA at Columbia Business School and serves as Vice President of the CBS Ski and Snowboard Club. Her professional background spans strategic operations, project management, and business development, with experience leading high-value projects and building partnerships in the art and cultural sectors. Her passion for the outdoors has led her to successfully summit and ski iconic peaks including Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, Mount Shuksan, and Pico de Orizaba, and she is always seeking new alpine challenges. Bryce will work with Pennywise to combine her love for the outdoors with our shared commitment to expanding access and opportunity, helping others experience the transformative power of the mountains. Contact Bryce
Bryce Smith
A passionate skier and outdoor enthusiast, Bryce is currently pursuing her MBA at Columbia Business School and serves as Vice President of the CBS Ski and Snowboard Club. Her professional background spans strategic operations, project management, and business development, with experience leading high-value projects and building partnerships in the art and cultural sectors. Her passion for the outdoors has led her to successfully summit and ski iconic peaks including Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, Mount Shuksan, and Pico de Orizaba, and she is always seeking new alpine challenges. Bryce will work with Pennywise to combine her love for the outdoors with our shared commitment to expanding access and opportunity, helping others experience the transformative power of the mountains. Contact Bryce
Pennywise Undergraduate Interns
Summer 2024 - Present
Isabel Subin-Billingsley
Isabel is a rising junior at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine with a double major in Anthropology and French and concentrations in Psychology and Philosophy. She will be studying abroad in Senegal for the fall semester. Growing up in Vermont, Isabel is passionate about environmental protection, political advocacy, and giving voices to marginalized communities. She spends her free time traveling, horseback riding, and skiing whenever there is snow. Contact Isabel
Isabel Subin-Billingsley
Isabel is a rising junior at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine with a double major in Anthropology and French and concentrations in Psychology and Philosophy. She will be studying abroad in Senegal for the fall semester. Growing up in Vermont, Isabel is passionate about environmental protection, political advocacy, and giving voices to marginalized communities. She spends her free time traveling, horseback riding, and skiing whenever there is snow. Contact Isabel
Summer 2025
Belén Ballard
Belén is a rising senior at the University of Vermont, where she studies Global and Regional Studies with a concentration in Human and Environmental Perspectives on Globalization. Her academic work is complemented by a minor in Community and International Development. Growing up just outside of Washington, D.C., in a multicultural family and community, Belén has long been interested in how health outcomes vary across cultures and how sustainable community development can address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. She loves to travel — having recently returned from studying abroad and exploring Southeast Asia — and enjoys discovering new music, trying as many restaurants as possible, and skiing on the days she wisely kept free of classes. Contact Belén
Belén Ballard
Belén is a rising senior at the University of Vermont, where she studies Global and Regional Studies with a concentration in Human and Environmental Perspectives on Globalization. Her academic work is complemented by a minor in Community and International Development. Growing up just outside of Washington, D.C., in a multicultural family and community, Belén has long been interested in how health outcomes vary across cultures and how sustainable community development can address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. She loves to travel — having recently returned from studying abroad and exploring Southeast Asia — and enjoys discovering new music, trying as many restaurants as possible, and skiing on the days she wisely kept free of classes. Contact Belén
Pennywise board
Mia McKay, President. 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
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. He 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 consulted for the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), helping them create mobile education modules that allowed advertisers to continue to invest in the mobile channels. Contact Louis
Chris Schwerin, Member. 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
JB Sugar, Treasurer. JB is a sales leader with over 15 years of experience managing digital sales, SaaS, and programmatic teams. JB has experience in developing large-scale, customized programs for Fortune 500 brands across all categories (including automotive, cannabis, hospitality, pharmaceutical, CPG, telecom and entertainment). Contact JB.
Andrew Subin, Member. Andrew (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 criminal justice and cannabis law reform. He currently lives and practices law in Bellingham, Washington. Contact Andrew