Team & Board
Our team is fun-loving, hard-working, and obsessed with putting dents in big problems.








Team & Board
One of our teammates explored the Canadian wilderness for 45 days. Another was at a party for three hours before realizing it was a funeral. As for our Board, they help connect us to our north star as we chart into new waters, helping us stay on the right path, and advising us throughout the entire journey. Learn more about us, what we value, and which one of us was at the funeral.

Gayle Karen Young
Board Member

Gayle Karen Young
Board Member


Banks Benitez
Co-Founder and CEO

Banks Benitez
Co-Founder and CEO
As CEO, Banks leads the organization’s strategy and manages the team. A Denver native who joined Uncharted in the spring of 2012 as an unpaid intern, Banks has served in a variety of roles for the organization: from leading entrepreneur selection, to managing the mentor network, to leading the expansion of the Institute around the world. Prior to Uncharted, Banks had a few other jobs and graduated from just enough schooling to land the unpaid internship. He holds a Bachelors degree from Vanderbilt University, a Masters degree from the University of Sydney in Australia, and five fantasy football titles.
Outside of work, Banks is taking piano lessons, learning how to be a good neighbor to the folks on his block, and is involved with the faith community in Denver. You can usually find him near the snacks at a party, or wherever there are snacks.
What Inspires You?
People who are intentionally telling a story with how they live their lives.
Fun-fact:
Banks cries more than anyone else on the team, and gave a talk about how to embrace awkwardness.


Sara Rodriguez
COO

Sara Rodriguez
COO
Sara is originally from Spain and joined the Uncharted team in November 2014. As the COO, Sara ensures the day-to-day operations of Uncharted align with the organization’s strategic goals. Additionally, she makes sure the team has all the financial metrics, projections, and scenarios needed to make solid management decisions. She also leads Uncharted’s Capital Partner network with 500+, investors, foundations, funds and family offices, manages our loan program, and helps ventures get ready to take on investments. Prior to Uncharted, Sara was the Associate Director at Rockies Venture Club.
What Inspires You?
The brave people who takes chances and do not live in the “what if” world.
Fun-fact:
Sara was at a party for three hours before realizing it was a funeral.

Nick Fellers
Board Member

Nick Fellers
Board Member
Nick is the co-founder of For Impact and president of The Suddes Group. In the last 10 years, he’s raised over $125 Million for causes in 30 countries and trained leaders from over 1000 organizations in how to use a sales process to maximize funding opportunities.
An entrepreneur, Nick started his first business while a student at the University of Notre Dame. Studying biology and philosophy, Nick would leave the labs early to make sales calls for his business – the first-of-its-kind student social network (and a precursor to Facebook). Upon graduation, Nick and his business partners sold their business to focus on ‘scaled impact in the social sector.’
Nick is passionate about family, social entrepreneurship, running, and all things web. An avid runner, Nick is currently working on running marathons in all 50 states. He and his wife, Anna, live in Columbus, Ohio, with their children, Will, Molly, and Rosie.


Marie Hathaway
Logistics and Operations Manager

Marie Hathaway
Logistics and Operations Manager
Marie is the newest member of the Uncharted team but is excited to make a big impact. She is in charge of leading and managing all program logistics and operations from start to finish. From recruiting entrepreneurs to managing day-of details, Marie’s the one to go to if you have questions about the small stuff. Marie graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a major in Applied Math and a minor in Minesweeper, but loves drinking water above all else. Her most valued nickname is C.H.O. (Chief Hydration Officer).
What Inspires You?
Fresh air, positivity, and people who cling tight to their values and work hard.
Fun-fact:
Marie wrote an original Christmas song when she was 16.


Quinn Middleton
Network Manager

Quinn Middleton
Network Manager
Quinn is in charge of building and managing the global Uncharted network of mentors and entrepreneurs. She also heads up impact assessment, and previously developed new curriculum for our programs. Prior to Uncharted, Quinn co-founded a nonprofit that equipped college students to tackle social and environmental issues. Outside of work, you’ll likely find Quinn swing dancing and blues dancing, spending time with refugee families in town, hanging out with her faith community, or convincing her office to run a triathlon with her.
What inspires you?
You’d be hard-pressed to find something that doesn’t inspire me. Grace. Grit. People resiliently bringing change. Sacrifice for the important things. Future dog ownership.
Fun fact:
Quinn was in a comedy ukulele band in college.


Teju Ravilochan
Co-Founder, Board Member

Teju Ravilochan
Co-Founder, Board Member
Teju is co-founder of Uncharted (formerly Unreasonable Institute), which he started immediately after college with Tyler Hartung and Daniel Epstein. Before Uncharted, he spent nearly a year as executive assistant to Paul Polak, founder of iDE, which has impacted over 20 million people. He conducted university-funded research (via the University of Colorado) to learn about the effectiveness of NGOs in tackling rural poverty, which deeply inspired his passion for Unreasonable’s mission. He is a Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur, an Inc. 30 under 30 entrepreneur, and a TEDx speaker. His family hails from India. And he was born in Cleveland. So we like to joke that he’s a Cleveland Indian.
What Inspires You?
People’s courage to move forward when the chances of success seem so low inspires me.
Fun-fact:
I try to keep a running list of 15-20 bad dad jokes memorized, for deployment at any moment.

Will Seamans
Former Chief of Staff, Teach for America

Will Seamans
Former Chief of Staff, Teach for America
Will grew up in a low-income family in rural Colorado, and became the first in his family to attend college. While in college, Will was fortunate enough to discover his two life passions: entrepreneurship and education. During his senior year he founded a start-up aimed at making college more affordable for students like himself, and led that organization as CEO for the next 5 years, growing the company from 3 to 15 employees, and revenues 2.4x each year on average. He then joined the staff of Teach For America, where he held a number of leadership roles as the organization grew from impacting 80,000 students nationwide to over 500,000 students nationwide during his tenure. While at Teach For America Will solidified his belief that solving socio-economic disparity is the root solution to a majority of the problems in our society. He also discovered a unique strength in helping others reach their full potential, and has been coaching and mentoring management teams and CEOs to create the conditions for success in their organizations ever since.


Emily Scott
Program Director

Emily Scott
Program Director
Emily joined the team in July of 2015 and works as our Program Director. She is responsible for managing our Uncharted partnership programs, and previously our global expansion efforts. Since joining the team, Emily has supported 40 Lab Teams in implementing 5-day Labs and is continuing to lead our problem-focused Uncharted programs- an opportunity to work with everyone! She holds a B.S. from the University of Colorado in Aerospace Engineering, is a part-time astronaut, and is credited with giving Elon Musk the idea for interplanetary colonization.
What Inspires You?
I am inspired by the believers- the people who really think that a difference can be made if enough people get involved. The conviction and motivation of believers MAKES me a believer.
Fun-fact:
As an 18-year-old with 7 other women, Emily spent 45 days canoeing nearly 700 miles in Nunavut, Canada. They lost their maps… talk about Uncharted territory!


Julia Fallman
Global Labs and Marketing Coordinator

Julia Fallman
Global Labs and Marketing Coordinator
Julia made the trek out to Colorado from New England six years ago in search of bigger mountains and higher altitude (and higher education). She joined the team one year ago and works as the Global Labs & Marketing Coordinator. When wearing her Global Labs hat, she coordinates the recruiting, selecting, and supporting of new Lab teams. This year, Julia is supporting 10 programs in nine countries in implementing 5-day Uncharted Labs. On the marketing side of things, she is focused on telling the stories of teams like these as well as ventures and entrepreneurs that have gone through Uncharted programs throughout the last nine years. In the outside world, Julia can be found covered in clay from head to toe making mediocre vessels at her pottery studio. She prefers a tent to a roof any day and has yet to meet a mountain that she didn’t want to climb.
What inspires you?
Seeing one small group of people move mountains and change the world when they use all their strength.
Fun-fact:
Julia was slimed on Slime Time Live at the age of 7.


Laura Schwecherl
Director of Program Marketing

Laura Schwecherl
Director of Program Marketing
As Director of Marketing & Communications, Laura’s role is to bridge Uncharted’s internal work with the outside world—creating a powerful gravitational pull of people, resources, and partnerships to help further Uncharted’s impact. Prior to joining the team, Laura led marketing at the global health organization Possible, managing a team in New York City and South Asia to help improve access to healthcare in remote areas of Nepal. She believes in the power of data-driven messaging to spur smart engagement and growth, and is passionate about connecting communities to impact-forward organizations. Outside of work (aka her laptop) you can find her trail running, reading Murakami novels, or writing amateur poetry.
What Inspires You?
Authenticity, ultra runners, and taco Tuesday.
Fun-fact:
She loves alpacas more than humans.
Step Into Our Office
From daily hugs and monthly team outings, to snack strategies and sticky notes, learn what it’s really like to work at Uncharted and check out our job opportunities!