Brooke Becher

Staff Reporter, Features
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Brooke Becher is a staff reporter on the features team covering hardware, robotics and associated technologies. Based in Los Angeles, she’s been writing culture features and reporting local news since 2014 and holds a master’s degree in journalism and international human rights from the University of Lincoln. Brooke’s work has been published in LA Weekly, The Orange County Register, GOOD Magazine, Long Beach Press Telegram, California Business Journal and Los Angeles Magazine.

Lisa Bertagnoli

Associate Editor, Expert Contributors
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Lisa Bertagnoli is an associate editor on the expert contributor team. She joined Built In in 2021 and holds bachelor’s degrees in journalism and American history from the University of Missouri and a master’s degree in linguistics from Indiana University. She previously covered nonprofits and philanthropy as a staff reporter at Crain’s Chicago Business. Her work has also appeared in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago magazine, Crain’s New York Business, AARP Bulletin, Self and Newsweek.

Ashley Bowden

Staff Reporter, Express
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Ashley Bowden is a staff reporter on the express desk covering news and international tech hubs. She joined Built In in 2020 covering breaking news across several tech industry hubs including Atlanta and Dallas Fort Worth. Before her time with Built In, Ashley wrote articles with Agent Publishing and led award-winning student publication The Pioneer. She holds a bachelor of fine arts from Long Island University.

Conlan Carter

Staff Writer, Brand Studio
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Conlan Carter is a staff writer on the brand studio team. He joined Built In after working in content marketing for SaaS startups, and he has been writing about tech, the arts and LGBTQ+ advocacy since 2015. Conlan holds a bachelor of arts in English and theatre from Winona State University and an MFA in playwriting from The New School.

Ellen Glover

Senior Staff Reporter, Features
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Ellen Glover is a senior staff reporter on the features team covering artificial intelligence and data science. She won a Pulitzer Prize in 2021 for her reporting on police dogs published by The Marshall Project, and her audio production work has received a Scripps Howard award and a Pulitzer Prize finalist citation. Ellen’s work has appeared in USA Today, the Chicago Reader, The Daily Beast, iHeartRadio and WNYC. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University - Bloomington.

Ana Gore

Staff Reporter, Express
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Ana Gore is a Built In staff reporter on the express desk covering tech companies and international tech hubs. She previously worked as a social media marketer at P33/TechChicago, and as a digital specialist for Beat Latino DJ Catalina Maria Johnson. Ana has a degree in English writing, with a Spanish minor from DePaul University.

Mia Goulart

Staff Reporter, Express
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Mia Goulart is a staff reporter on the express desk covering tech companies and international tech hubs. Mia earned an MA in writing and publishing from DePaul University and a BA in communication from the University of Arkansas. Her writing has spanned many topics including commercial real estate, tech, travel and food. She has been published in ROUTE Magazine, Illinois Real Estate Journal and Chicago Industrial Properties, among others.

Brigid Hogan

Senior Staff Writer, Brand Studio
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Brigid Hogan is a senior staff writer on the brand studio team. She joined Built In after working in communications consulting, publishing operations and as a public high school teacher. Brigid holds a bachelor of arts in journalism and a master of science in curriculum and instruction, both from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Ryan Jacobs

Senior Director, Content
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Ryan Jacobs is the senior director of content at Built In, overseeing all content teams. He joined the company in 2020 and built the expert contributor team, which publishes dispatches and commentary written by working technology professionals, before serving as the director of editorial operations and the senior director of editorial. He previously worked as the deputy editor of Pacific Standard and as a writer and producer at The Atlantic, where he covered international affairs and crime. His debut narrative nonfiction book, The Truffle Underground, was published by Clarkson Potter/Random House in 2019.

Kathy Kantorski

Editor, Brand Studio
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Kathy Kantorski is an editor with the Brand Studio team at Built In, specializing in employer branding content. She has more than 20 years of experience in media, working at the right hand of entrepreneurs scaling their businesses. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Columbia College Chicago.

Hal Koss

Senior Associate Editor, Features & Updates
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Hal Koss is a Built In senior associate editor overseeing Built In’s features and updates team. He joined Built In in 2019 reporting on ideas and trends in marketing, technology and startups. His work has also appeared in OneZero and The Weekly Standard, among other publications.

Jenny Lyons-Cunha

Senior Staff Reporter, Features
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Jenny Lyons-Cunha is a Built In senior staff reporter covering artificial intelligence and data science. Formerly an editor for Built In’s brand studio, she has been writing human interest features since 2013. She holds a bachelor’s degree in literary journalism from the University of California, Irvine, an MFA in creative writing, nonfiction from San Francisco State University and an master’s in digital media from USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Her work has been published in KIOSK and elsewhere.

Christy Margeson

Associate Editor, Expert Contributors
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Christy Margeson is an associate editor on Built In’s expert contributors team. Her background is in creative writing, editorial direction, and copyediting. Christy graduated with a master’s degree in Writing and Publishing from DePaul University and a bachelor’s degree in English and Japanese from Indiana University.

Olivia McClure

Senior Staff Writer, Brand Studio
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Olivia McClure is a senior staff writer on Built In’s Brand Studio team. She earned a bachelor's degree in English at Loyola University Chicago, where she contributed to the university's student-led newspaper as a film critic. Prior to joining Built In, Olivia wrote stories for various publications covering a wide range of topics, including travel and interior design.

Brian Nordli

Associate Editor, Expert Contributors
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Brian Nordli is an associate editor for Built In editing articles on data science, machine learning, software engineering and more. He joined the company in 2018 as a reporter. Brian has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. His work has appeared in PBS’s Rewire, the Las Vegas Sun and the Reno Gazette-Journal. His feature story on the re-integration of elk into Missouri was named a Hearst Enterprise Reporting finalist in 2011.

Andreas Rekdal

Director, Editorial Development
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Andreas Rekdal is Built In’s director of editorial development, overseeing features, updates and news coverage. He joined the company in 2015 as a staff writer. Prior to Built In, Andreas worked for the Carnegie Council for International Affairs and Emetra, a Norwegian healthtech startup. He also served as a member of the international police force at NATO’s military headquarters. He contributed to the book Toward Peace with Justice: One Hundred Years of the Carnegie Council.

Abel Rodriguez

Staff Reporter, Express
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Abel Rodriguez is a staff reporter on the express desk covering international tech markets. Prior to joining Built In in 2021, he was a community reporter for Cicero Independiente. Abel’s work has appeared in various Chicago nonprofit publications including Injustice Watch and Borderless as well as in national publications including Forbes, CNN and The Latin Times.

Taylor Rose

Staff Writer, Brand Studio
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Taylor Rose is a Brand Studio staff writer. Taylor is an award-winning journalist who has written about sustainability, tech, art and human rights for the last decade. They have also worked in the tech sector and for nonprofits as a content strategist throughout their career. Taylor holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University, a master’s in urban sustainability and an MFA in creative writing, nonfiction from Antioch University. Taylor is currently writing their second book.

Jeff Rumage

Staff Reporter, Features
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Jeff Rumage is a staff reporter on Built In’s features team covering HR trends and workplace culture in the tech industry. Before joining Built In in 2021, he worked as a reporter and editor for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Patch and the Oconomowoc Enterprise. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Alyssa Schroer

SEO Analyst
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Alyssa Schroer is an SEO analyst who formerly covered tech companies and emerging trends for Built In, including artificial intelligence, big data and fintech. Prior to joining Built In, she was a video editor for Flip a Hit, operations assistant for Rolling Sounds Entertainment and a digital content intern for The Field Museum. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications studies from the University of Iowa.

Margo Steines

Contributing Reporter, Express
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Margo Steines is a contributing reporter on the editorial team’s express desk. She is a content and copywriter with over a decade of experience covering SaaS, tech, health and lifestyle. She is also a nonfiction author and essayist and frequently publishes literary work. Margo has a bachelor’s in English from the University of Hawai’i and an MFA in nonfiction writing from the University of Arizona, where she teaches in the writing program.

Justine Sullivan

Senior Manager, Brand Studio
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Justine Sullivan is the senior manager of Built In’s Brand Studio team. She joined the company in 2016 as a staff writer covering startups and tech companies for Built In Boston. Prior to joining Built In, she was a staff writer for Boston.com. Justine holds a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature, journalism and history from University of Delaware, and a master’s in journalism from Boston University. She is the author of He Said He Would Be Late, a novel published by Macmillan Publishers in 2023.

Sara B.T. Thiel

Senior Associate Editor, Express
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Sara B.T. Thiel is a senior associate editor overseeing Built In’s national and local news, as well as comprehensive industry lists. She joined the company in 2021. At Built In, she’s launched and developed content for Built In’s Tech Dictionary. In that role, Sara managed a team of over 20 expert contributors. Before joining Built In, she managed adult education programs at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and has taught at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Illinois.

Matthew Urwin

Staff Reporter, Updates
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Matthew Urwin is a staff reporter on Built In’s updates team. He joined the company in 2021 as a staff writer, and he has written for The HOTH, BKA Content and Cox Automotive, covering solar energy, auto repairs, business technology and other topics. He has a degree in English literature with minors in professional writing and comparative studies from Ohio State.

Rose Velazquez

Staff Reporter, Express
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Rose Velazquez is a staff reporter for Built In’s express desk who joined the company in 2022. She previously worked as a reporter for Delmarva Now, part of the USA Today network, covering crime, breaking news and justice-related issues. She studied mass communication with a concentration in journalism at Louisiana State University, where she served as a reporter and editor for the student newspaper The Daily Reveille.

Brennan Whitfield

Staff Reporter, Updates
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Brennan Whitfield is a staff reporter on the updates team specializing in AI, data science, media, gaming and technology. She previously served as the technical content team lead at cybersecurity nonprofit humanID and as a communications intern at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Brennan holds a bachelor's degree in communication studies with minors in digital arts and information technology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Seth Wilson

Senior Associate Editor, Expert Contributors
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Seth Wilson is a senior associate editor for Built In’s expert contributor team. He joined the company in 2020, having previously worked for Music Inc. and the national magazine of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia and has taught courses in writing, theatre and film at Stephen F. Austin State University, the University of Georgia and the University of Illinois