Jessie Feller Hahn

Executive Director

Jessie F. Hahn is the Executive Director of Meeting of the Minds. Since 2010, she has built and managed the development of Meeting of the Minds into an international leadership platform for city-to-city learning. Jessie’s focus is identifying global urban sustainability, innovation, and technology best practices; developing platforms for city leaders to exchange best practices; spotlighting innovators; and building alliances and partnerships between the private sector, public sector, non-profit and philanthropic sectors.

Previously, Jessie launched and ran the Regional Energy Policy Program at Regional Plan Association in New York City. She has written numerous articles which have been featured in NPR, Urban Age Magazine, The Record, RPA’s Spotlight on the Region, The Hartford Courant, among others. Previous to RPA, Jessie worked as a cluster specialist at Economic Competitiveness Group, as a Sustainability Fellow at the Portland Development Commission, and started her career at SMWM (now Perkins + Will) in their urban design studio.

Jessie holds a BA from Vassar College in Urban Studies and Hispanic Studies (Phi Beta Kappa) and a Masters in Environment and Development Studies (honors) from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Dave Hahn

Director of Digital Strategy

Dave joined Meeting of the Minds in 2012 to conceive of, develop, and launch the Meeting of the Minds digital platform which includes the Meeting of the Minds website, blog, monthly webinar series, online and print magazine, online courses, and communications strategy.

Dave designs, implements, and deploys a digital strategy that amplifies the messaging and priorities of the Meeting of the Minds organization. He designed and built the MeetingoftheMinds.org website, and oversees the organization’s marketing and communication campaigns. He created and maintains organizational branding, produces the monthly webinar series, serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Meeting of the Minds Blog, curates the digital archives, and directs social media and all media/PR strategies. Dave is also the in-house graphic designer for all Meeting of the Minds print and digital media.

Dave received a BA in Germanic Studies from Indiana University (With Distinction) and has worked on digital strategy, marketing, and UIX for two decades.

Janet Hammer

Senior Program Manager

Janet joined Meeting of the Minds in 2018 to contribute to our programming and partnerships. Her portfolio includes innovation trendspotting, event curation, business development, and sponsor engagement.

Janet brings nearly three decades of experience addressing sustainability issues in public, private, non-profit, and academic settings. She is a systems thinker who collaborates across disciplines and sectors to promote impactful solutions. Janet has worked on a broad range of issues including energy management, food systems, social equity and opportunity, and sustainable economic development.

Janet holds degrees from UC Davis (BS in Environmental Policy Analysis & Planning), University of Pennsylvania (Master of City Planning and MS in Energy Management & Policy), and Portland State University (MS in Curriculum & Instruction and PhD in Urban Studies).

Caroline Firman

Program Manager

Caroline joined Meeting of the Minds as Executive Assistant in January 2014 and transitioned to Program Manager in November 2014. As Program Manager, Caroline is responsible for managing operations for the annual conference, assisting with fundraising and social media, and general administrative responsibilities.

Previously, Caroline worked for six years in a variety of roles at the Association of California Symphony Orchestras (ACSO). During her time at ACSO, Caroline helped to plan and implement five Annual Conferences, played a significant role in expanding ACSO’s social media presence as well as an integral part in the redesign of ACSO’s website in 2012.

Caroline holds her BA in Music from UC Davis and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Arts Education from California State University Sacramento.

Hannah Greinetz

Managing Editor, Meeting of the Minds Blog

Hannah joined Meeting of the Minds as a freelance writer in 2014, and became the Managing Editor of the Meeting of the Minds Blog in 2017. She works on outreach, editing, and publishing for the Meeting of the Minds digital platform.

When not editing blog posts, Hannah works as a consultant to businesses, non-profits and city governments. She manages projects that approach urban sustainability through regulatory change, funding and financing efficiency upgrades, startup strategy, and the implementation of smart city technologies. Hannah started her career in the scrap metal recycling industry and has spent time managing grants and business affairs for a variety of non-profits, from mental health services to affordable housing solutions.

Hannah holds a BA in Anthropology from UC Santa Cruz and an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School.

Kate O’Brien

Writer and Consultant, Meeting of the Minds Blog

Kate O’Brien joined Meeting of the Minds in 2018 as a consultant and writer of our monthly Global Mobility Research blog series. 

When not interviewing and writing about the work of mobility researchers around the world, Kate leads a collaborative consulting practice focused on coaching, capacity building, and facilitation for teams navigating and driving change. She also serves as Senior Advisor for technical assistance and capacity building at Groundwork USA, a national nonprofit that supports a network of equitable development and environmental justice organizations driving inclusive community development work on the ground.

Kate holds a BA in Human Development and Social Relations from Kalamazoo College, and an MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University. She lives and works in Portland, Maine.

Steph Stoppenhagen

Business Development Director, Connected Communities
Black & Veatch

Dave Hahn

Director of Digital Strategy
Meeting of the Minds