Aspen Policy Academy

Betsy Cooper

DIRECTOR

Betsy Cooper is the Founding Director of the Aspen Policy Academy. Previously, she was the founding Executive Director of the UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity and was a policy and legal counselor at the Department of Homeland Security. Betsy has a D.Phil from the University of Oxford and graduated from Yale Law School. In her spare time she likes to run experiments to see if her digital devices are listening to her.

Gloria Molina-Estolano

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS

Gloria is the Associate Director of Programs at the Aspen Policy Academy. She started her career as a high school Spanish teacher in Washington, DC, and has spent over a decade in the education and nonprofit sector. Previously, Gloria led policy and advocacy fellowships at LEE, a civic leadership development organization, and worked on federal advocacy at Teach For America. Gloria holds a BA in Communication and International Migration Studies from the University of California, San Diego, and master’s degrees in education policy and public administration from American University. In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, and hiking with her dogs, Cheeto and Gouda.

Laura Franzini

STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS MANAGER

Laura Franzini is the Strategy and Operations Manager of the Aspen Policy Academy. Previously, she worked on the copy desks of The Boston Globe and The Los Angeles Times, was a data consultant for organizations including XPRIZE Foundation, and served as Chief Operating Officer of Author Accelerator, a startup that provides training and certification to book editors. Laura holds a BS in Journalism from Emerson College. Her favorite things to do include reading, yoga, photography, and increasing her 1,000+ day streak on Duolingo.

Andrew Lewis

POLICY ADVISOR

Andrew Lewis is a Policy Advisor at the Aspen Policy Academy. Previously, he was a practicing lawyer and was a special assistant in the State Department’s Bureau of Public Affairs. Andrew has a JD from Harvard Law School and a BS in International Affairs from Georgetown University. He enjoys watching international telenovelas and caring for neglected houseplants.

Kateri Gajadhar-Smith

PROGRAM MANAGER

Kateri is the Program Manager for the Aspen Policy Academy. She has a background in education and has worked extensively on creating and implementing out-of-the-box solutions for equity in elementary schools. Kateri most recently worked at fintech startup Giant Oak and is excited to continue the startup pace for a mission she feels connected to. Kateri is a proud graduate of the University of Virginia, where she studied Global Security and Justice, Spanish, and Global Education. She is passionate about organization of all kinds, including color-coded calendars, lists, and software. In her free time, New Yorker Kateri likes being exceedingly mediocre at several hobbies, including learning Italian, playing volleyball, and knitting.

Connie Moore

COMMUNICATIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR

Connie Moore is the Events and Communications Coordinator at the Aspen Policy Academy. She has a background in tech and mental health public relations, social media management, events planning, and journalism. Connie graduated from Whitman College with a BA in English and minors in Sociology and Creative Writing. In her free time, she enjoys painting, reading, baking, and going for long hikes.

Kate Green

PROGRAM ASSISTANT

Kate is the Program Assistant at the Aspen Policy Academy. She has a background in journalism, nonprofit operations, and science curriculum development. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a BA in English and a minor in Community Engagement and Social Change. In her free time, she enjoys reading, dancing, exploring San Francisco’s parks, and hosting dinner parties.

Brooke Hunter

SENIOR ADVISOR

Brooke Hunter is a Senior Advisor to the Aspen Policy Academy. Brooke has over 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and technology policy. Her past roles include Chief of Staff and Director of Strategic Initiatives at New America’s Open Technology Institute; Chief Operating Officer of Engine, an advocacy and research foundation promoting technology entrepreneurship; and Interim Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at Public Knowledge, a leading technology policy organization in Washington, DC. She has been the founder or founding Advisor to several Public Interest Tech (PIT) programs and fellowships. She is the founder of Ethical Leadership Services. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles and a BFA from Loyola University New Orleans.