By day, Lauren works at Dimensional Fund Advisors where she provides financial advisors with the tools needed to strategically manage and grow their business. She also oversees Dimensional’s global philanthropic program. By night (and weekends), she is passionate about helping women find their seat at the table. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys spending time with her partner Aaron and their two french bulldogs, Tater Tot and Queso (@theloadedtots). Lauren speaks Chinese, German, and Spanish and holds her Series 7 and 66.
Lauren Kaufman
President
Leah is an operations professional with eight years of experience supporting executives and teams in fast paced environments. She has been active in YWA leadership for the past three years and believes in the power of community. As a native Texan, Leah enjoys getting outside and soaking in the Texas sun, exploring all the patios and margaritas Austin has to offer, and traveling.
Leah Christensen
President-Elect
Anastasia is a community leader and advocate for women and girls. When Anastasia is not serving in the community, she is working at SiriusXM/Pandora as a Senior Account Manager. Anastasia is the proud mom of a 7-year old boy and credits her role as a parent with inspiring her to make an impact in the Austin community.
Anastasia Teague
Past President
Sarah is the Legal Operations Manager for Cue Health. She is a native Texan and graduate of Texas State University. After several years living abroad in Germany, she is proud to call Austin home. Sarah loves spending time with her dog, Rose, and enjoying the amazing food and green space in Austin.
Sarah Simmons
Senior Vice President
Allyson is currently the Vice President of Client Services and Intake for national legal services firm ARCHER Systems, LLC and is serving her second year on the YWA Board of Directors. A 10 year Austin resident, she enjoys reading, dancing, cooking gourmet meals, cheering on Pittsburgh sports teams, and exploring the world with her husband, Joe, and their two dogs.
Allyson Karnavas
Chief of Staff
Brittany currently serves as the general counsel for the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. Before that, she served as general counsel for a state senator and practiced law in Austin. Brittany earned her undergraduate degree in political science from NYU and her law degree from Ole Miss. In her spare time, Brittany loves spending time outdoors with her dog, Finn and also serves on the board for the Austin Symphony BATS.
Brittany Sharkey
VP of Austin Under 40 Awards
Alyssa Rolfe is a digital marketing leader at IBM, where she leads a team responsible for integrated demand generation. In her spare time she enjoys wine tasting, spending time outdoors with her husband Josh & Goldendoodle puppy Winston and cheering on the Texas Longhorn football team. In addition to YWA, Alyssa is also a Notley Fellow & a member of the Junior League of Austin.
Alyssa Rolfe
VP of Communications
Anna is born and raised in the great white north, moving to Texas in 2012 to pursue her Masters in Architecture from UT Austin. Now a Project Architect at STG Design, Anna brings her architectural experience from Canada, Vienna and across the US to a wide range of commercial projects. She is passionate about integrating design with the stories of the people, the place, the time it is conceived in, and the environment it impacts. Outside of work, Anna enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, Michael and baby boy, Jonas.
Anna Katsios Deere
VP of Community Impact
Brianna is the Communications & Development Manager of Keep Texas Beautiful. She is passionate about telling the story of impact-driven causes, amplifying the voices of those underserved, and building relationships across the greater Austin Community. She is a self-proclaimed feminist, San Antonian turned Austinite, Texas Ex and social justice fighter. In her free time, you can find her running town lake and searching for the best breakfast taco in Austin.
Brianna Fuller
VP of Development
Bijal is passionate about creating connections and helping others identify & actualize their strengths. She has over eight years of expertise in the biopharmaceutical industry. In her current role as a Sr. National Account Executive at Genentech, Bijal drives strategic customer engagement and leads negotiations to support patient access to medicines. Bijal enjoys spending time with her husband, Marc, exploring outside, working out, reading and cooking. As a child of immigrants, Bijal’s Indian culture and huge extended family are an important part of her life.
Bijal Patel
VP of Diversity, Equity, & Belonging
Sheridan is an Imaging Specialist who works with Doctors across Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma implementing digital technology in their practice by way of CBCT X-Ray machines. After spending the majority of her career working in a heavily male dominated industry, she developed a passion for motivating women to find their seat at the table and how to turn the volume up on their voice! When she isn’t on the road for work, you can find her checking out local restaurants to be inspired for what she cooks next in her own kitchen, or traveling to chase her next adrenaline rush.
Sheridan Phillips
VP of Events
Tiffani is a passionate advocate for small businesses, especially women- or minority-owned. At the HUB/SB department at UT Austin, she serves as a liaison between vendors & the University. She has B.S. in Sociology & certificates in Community Leadership and Public Service, Contract Development and Project Management. She is currently studying cybersecurity at SANS Tech Institute. Outside of work, she spends her time with her husband & their two cats.
Tiffani Nguyen
VP of Finance
Eunice is passionate about bringing diverse women together to build eachother up, and was excited to discover YWA after moving to Austin from California a year ago. As a Technology Consultant at Accenture, Eunice creatively solves problems implementing Workday, an HR software. She also has a B.A. in Economics from Smith College. When not working, you can find her running alongside Ladybird, attempting to be a plant mom, or rewatching Criminal Minds.
Eunice Park
VP of Membership
Katie is a Sales Operations Analyst at Lightspeed Systems. She earned her degrees from Indiana University and The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. In her spare time, Katie enjoys golfing, bodybuilding, spending time with her two dogs, and cheering on the Hoosiers and Blue Devils.
Katie O'Connor
CO-VP Of Operations
Lauren has been working as a Data Analyst for 3 years at Indeed after making a career change from customer service. She is passionate about helping organizations build self service data tools and leverage data to make decisions. Lauren is a native Texan and loves any outdoor activity. She also volunteers with the Junior League of Austin, and is looking forward to working with the Shoal Creek Conservancy this year.
Lauren Cowen
Co-VP of Operations
Katelyn is a government affairs professional with six years of experience working in transportation policy in Texas and Washington, DC. She has a B.S. in Nutrition and a Masters in Public Administration. A California native, Katelyn has called Austin home for three years. Outside of work, Katelyn spends her time with her husband and their dog, Zoey.
Katelyn Dwyer
VP of Programs
Victoria is a senior content marketing manager at Austin-headquartered tech company Plivo. She holds a B.A. in English Writing and Rhetoric from local St. Edward’s University, as well as a Master of Liberal Arts degree. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the city’s restaurants with her partner Brian, spending time with their wild woman puggle Kyna, and watching every Penn State football game.
Victoria Fryer
VP of Strategic Planning