We are excited to participate in a new form of capitalism—where the metric of success is not ROI, but IPC: Impact Per Capita. IPC measures the positive environmental and social impact each of us is making in the world through our work at Green River. Our goal is to have the highest IPC of any company.
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Michael Knapp
CEO, Partner
With professional roots in academic research and teaching, Michael founded Green River in 2000, and has grown the company into an internationally renowned team of software architects and programmers. As CEO, Michael provides entrepreneurial leadership, and coordinates engagements with clients that include Starbucks Coffee Company, the National Education Association, the US Green Business Council, numerous colleges and Universities, and many others. Michael’s company operates on the cutting-edge of custom web-based application development. They are known for their excellence in systems analysis, data analytics and visualization, and user experience design.
Prior to founding Green River in 2000, Michael served as faculty at Marlboro College Graduate School. He earned a Ph.D. from Yale University, with a concentration in environmental health, and a Masters in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Michael focused his work at Yale in data science, and has expertise in spatial statistics, biostatistics, and social science statistics. He holds a BA in Biology from Wesleyan University.
Michael is passionate about social justice. He believes software can play a pivotal role in solving pressing social problems through enhanced transparency, efficiency, and informed decision making. Michael focuses Green River’s mission on promoting learning opportunities for all, public health for those in need, and progress toward a sustainable society. His skills span a variety of fields, as he is currently working in school improvement, health equity, green building, and ethical supply chain management.
Michael lives with his family in the rural village of Green River, Vermont - southwest of Brattleboro. He spends his free time working on the ecological management of 48 acres of meadow adjacent to the Green River, minimizing human impacts on the surrounding forests and wetlands.
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Aaron Michal
Software Engineer, Partner
Aaron brings over 20 years of software engineering and architecture experience to his role as Software Engineer and a Partner at Green River. While he currently specializes in Ruby and PHP-based web programming, Aaron is well-versed in multiple programming languages.
Aaron also previously served as technical lead for a custom e-book authoring tool and led a team in generating multi-tiered applications in Microsoft and Java technologies. He has recently been reminded of his Enterprise JavaBeans™ free swag fanny pack and would be grateful if someone could locate one for him.
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Derrish Repchick
COO, Partner
Derrish is a veteran Software Engineer with well over 20 years designing, developing and deploying large-scale software applications. Before joining Green River in 2011, Derrish co-founded Intellidimension, a Semantic Web company. At Intellidimension, one of his major achievements include developing a high-performance specialized database platform starting in 2000. Derrish also gained expertise as a technology consultant while at Tally Systems Corp., and as an IT professional for United Technologies. Derrish received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from University of Massachusetts and a M.S. in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
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Ian Kozak
Dir. Strategic Development
As Director of Strategic Development, Ian's primary concern is ensuring all Green River's clients have a productive, efficient, and satisfying engagement experience, regardless of a project's size or current development phase.
Before joining Green River, Ian led the IT department at Marlboro College for 10 years. Previously he co-founded two education-focused web application development companies, EdsUp, Inc. and N400 Studios, which built interactive sites for clients including PBS and National Geographic.
Ian currently lives in Townshend, Vermont, with his sweetie, where they try their hand at micro-scale organic farming. Ian holds a BA in Biology and Anthropology.
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Jackie Billings
Dir. Finance, Project Manager
As a Project Manager for Green River, Jackie works with clients and developers to help bring projects to life! She also works in our business office, striving to ensure that our internal processes best support the work that we do with our clients.
Prior to joining Green River, Jackie led the team at Mocha Joe’s Roasting Company - a vertically-integrated, mission-driven coffee roaster in Southern Vermont. Through her work in the complex coffee supply chain, Jackie has seen first hand that the work we do and the choices we make matter. She loves helping to empower Green River’s clients with tools to create positive impact.
Jackie holds an MBA from the UMass Amherst, as well as a BA in Anthropology and Third World Development Studies from Smith College. When not at work, you may find Jackie waiting in line at a hip patisserie in Paris, chowing down on Char Kway Teow in a Singapore hawker center, or driving many hours to Iceland’s remote Westfjords for the perfect cod cheeks. She is also an untalented (but enthusiastic) rhythm roller skater, ameture vintner, and french horn player.
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Elliot Anders
Software Engineer
Elliot joined Green River with already over 10 years of custom web development experience, bringing a suite of skills from enterprise database design to interactive UI implementation. With a professional background mainly in education, aside from being at times a full time developer, Elliot was IT Director for Marlboro College, IT Director of the Mohawk/Hawlemont Regional School District, and co-author (and companion software developer) for the environmental chemistry textbook, "A Basic Introduction to Pollutant Fate and Transport: An Integrated Approach with Chemistry, Modeling, Risk Assessment, and Environmental Legislation." He also spent several months trapped in the Biosphere 2 in Oracle, Arizona.
Elliot holds a B.A. in Environmental Chemistry from Whitman College, and lives in Brattleboro with his wife and two children.
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Todd Blackman
Software Engineer
Todd remembers learning Logo and Applesoft BASIC in elementary school and has been programming ever since. At The University of Kansas, he earned a B.S. in Computer Engineering and an M.S. in Computer Science. After starting off professionally in Perl, Todd explored teaching and was a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching primarily Java programming in Western Samoa 2007-2008. In 2010, Todd returned to programming for industry as a lead Rails developer – first with two firms in Portland, Oregon, and then at Location, Inc. in Worcester, Massachusetts. At Location, Inc. Todd built preeminent location-based services, leveraging big data to inform decision-making. Todd describes himself today as a “full-stack website engineer with a focus on back-end systems.”
In his spare time Todd plays piano, folds origami, bicycles, draws, camps, brews beer, does basic woodworking, gardens, and fiddles with Arduinos. If there's any time left, he squeezes in a good book or a hike.
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Lucas Braun
Software Engineer
Lucas came to Green River as an experienced Rails developer, with a background in geospatial data visualization, and a drive to help address the global challenges of wealth inequality and environmental degradation. Prior to moving to Brattleboro, Lucas worked as Lead Rails Developer for Annkissam, LLC, a medical work flow software vendor, and as a Web Developer with Nuesta GmbH. He also organized GeoMundus 2018, an international conference on geospatial technologies, and managed to bike across America in 42 days.
Lucas has an M.Sc. in Geospatial Technologies from James I University & University of Münster, and a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Middlebury College.
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Megan Eborn
Software Engineer
Megan is a full stack developer, with a penchant for user workflow implementation and dynamic data visualizations. A graduate from Dixie State University in Utah, Megan originally moved to Brattleboro to join the Green River team, where she has become, among many other things, our resident D3.js whisperer.
When not writing code, you can find Megan at the top of a mountain on her snowboard. She now lives in Cedar City, Utah, with her fiancé.
Megan has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Technology.
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Aaron Frary
Software Engineer
Aaron is an engineer looking to effect sustainable change for people facing systemic injustice. Along with a strong background in computer science and mathematics, Aaron has production experience in Android and iOS development, C++, and Rails development. Prior to Green River, Aaron was a founding employee at Valt Inc., a cross-platform password management tool (since acquired by DropBox), and was a Software Engineer at MeedMobile.
Aaron has an A.B. in Computer Science from Harvard College. He lives with his husband and a growing herd of goats in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
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Aaron Gerber
Software Engineer
Aaron is primarily a backend developer, with a rich multi-platform background in Python, PHP, and Node.js. Prior to joining Green River, Aaron spent 10 years building backend systems for mobile apps for InspiringApps, based in Boulder, Colorado. Originally from Iowa, he's also worked in corn and soybean fields with 3 generations of family, and spent 2 years in Niger as a Peace Corps volunteer.
Aaron has a B.A. in Psychology and Computer Science from St. Olaf College. Outside of work, you can find him running, cycling, playing the piano, and walking Søren, an "adorable bichon poodle mix" - though not all, of course, at the same time.
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Jonathan Goley
Interface Designer, Software Engineer
Jonathan’s path to being a designer and developer started in high school where he was exposed to the art of photography and the technical wonders of the BASIC programming language. After studying photography at the University of South Carolina, Jonathan worked at the Columbia Museum of Art for almost 9 years where he did everything from art handling to exhibition design to photography to to full-on application development. He realized his artistic/design skills could be combined with his latent, yet blossoming, technical skills to help do good for the world. This was the case at his previous job with EcoHealth Alliance where he helped design and develop applications to help monitor infectious disease outbreaks.
Jonathan can sometimes be spotted on back roads with a large format camera photographing power lines using a 19th-century process called wet plate collodion (see some of those photos here). Or wearing a veil stealing honey from his honey bees. Or on a trail above the tree line receiving Nature's "good tidings." Or volunteering to help out his community.
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Shelley Green
Human Resources Manager
Shelley joined Green River as our Office Manager in June, 2015. Most recently, Shelley was Office Manager at a Worldwide Computer Solutions in Keene, NH. She attended New England College, concentrating in business management. She brings extensive administrative experience to her position at Green River, having spent 12 years at Fitz, Vogt & Associates, a food service management company, where she worked her way from data entry clerk to Office Manager. After leaving Fitz, Vogt & Associates, Shelley moved on to a senior Administrative Assistant position for The Timken Company. She also spent several years as the Administrative Assistant to the Nursing and Dietetic Internship Programs at Keene State College. In her free time, Shelley enjoys spending time with her family and friends, snowmobiling and spending time outside.
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David Houghton
Software Engineer
David is a linguist, specifically a semanticist, who has been working for over a decade as a programmer. David completed his Ph.D. in 2000 from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He specializes in natural language processing and machine learning. In addition to his work with Green River in Ruby, David programs in Java, Perl, Scala, Haskell, Python, C++, and Lua. David loves writing useful code, and especially enjoys developing algorithms.
In his spare time, David plays with his kids, studies a little Finnish, and tinkers with his open source projects. David loves living in Brattleboro, VT, which he describes as beautiful, comfortable, and scaled to suit his aesthetics.
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Ash Otocki
UX and Interface Designer
Ash is a User Experience and Interface designer with an extensive background in visual design, front-end web development, and marketing.
After attending Dreyfoos School of the Arts as a graphic design and communications major, Ash followed her deep interest in people and human behavior and received a BA in Anthropology, and a BA in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences from Florida Atlantic University.
Ash’s goal is to understand the client vision and communicate clearly. With thoughtful research, planning and testing, Ash believes that every project has the potential to be an enjoyable and engaging experience for all users.
When she is not designing, Ash loves spending time with her family, running, surfing, and making music.
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Zach Parks
Software Engineer
Though decidedly a full-stack developer, Zach has especially rich facility in UX implementation, using React, NodeJS, and GraphQL to craft scalable and usable software. Before joining Green River, he was a Senior Software Engineer for Zato Health, working on an interoperability platform for healthcare, and a Lead Developer, Digital Products for Rowan and Littlefield Publishing Group.
Zach has a B.A. in Sculpture and Philosophy from Marlboro College
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Susan Rice
Support Specialist, Analyst
Susan brings a background as a developer, analyst, software test engineer, and teacher to her role at Green River providing technical support. Working with organizations that "appeal to her sensibilities," Susan now enjoys being an active participant in data-driven efforts that foster accountability and promote positive impact in the global realm.
In previous positions, Susan analyzed data mining results for pharmaceutical clinical trials, tested software for desktop publishing and health insurance claims, wrote software for the Holstein Association, and worked with research teams for Serve America, the USDA’s National Food Survey and National School Lunch Program.
Susan has a B.A. in Computer Science from Boston University and an M.A.T. in Secondary Mathematics from Washington University in St. Louis. In her western Massachusetts locale, she enjoys running, taking modern dance classes (aiming to master the beginner’s level!), porch gardening, knitting/sewing, and jumping at any chance to support the thrifting movement in lieu of internet shopping.
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Rafe Rosen
Software Engineer
Rafe has been a Web Developer for over eight years, and worked in Ruby on Rails for the past four. He started his career at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where he helped develop and launch macaulaylibrary.org, the world's largest and most comprehensive online collection of animal behavior in audio and video. More recently, he also helped build sites at Common Media.
Rafe holds a B.A. with Honors in Biology from Oberlin College. As an avid naturalist, he is passionate about Green River's environmental mission. When not programming, he spends his time practicing and performing with a local Morris dance group, playing the fiddle, riding his bicycle, and exploring the woods around his home in Guilford, VT.
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Liela Rotschy
Software Engineer
Liela is a backend developer with a background in teaching and academic research. In her previous life she taught English and foreign language in small-town Idaho and in Lansing, Michigan. She spent several years studying linguistics at the Ohio State University, focusing her research and teaching on formal semantics. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Washington State University and an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of Idaho.
Liela spends her time making things or being outdoors in the mountains or the desert. She loves cooking, gardening, drawing, road tripping, and hiking with her partner and her dog, Ruby. She splits her time between Lansing, Michigan and southern Colorado.
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Kyle Schwartz
Software Engineer
Kyle came to Green River with a love for automation, security and distributed systems. Before joining Green River, Kyle worked as a consultant designing scalable business solutions for SMB and enterprise clients. Kyle remembers provisioning systems with PXE, bash and python scripts early in his career. He much prefers working with cloud infrastructure and its focus on API first deployment and configuration.
Kyle spends his free time with his wife and daughter, tinkers with his home lab, and volunteers for his town's technology committee.
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Theron Toomey
Software Engineer
Theron joined Green River in 2005 where he works on projects involving supply chain certification, green building, and social equity.
As a full-stack engineer, Theron works primarily in Ruby on Rails, Knockout, and React.
Previously, Theron worked at The Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at Duke University where he helped support research into climate change, public health, and ecology.
Theron attended Marlboro College as an undergrad where he studied computer science and network security.
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Erin Van Ness
Technical Project Manager
All of her professional life, Erin has focused on the technical aspects of making non-profit organizations successful, from government, social, and health services to media, culture, and the performing arts. At Green River, Erin's goal is to maintain magical clarity within complex projects. She works on managing communications and technical details, along with ensuring the quality of deployed software. She believes the key to a successful project lies in building strong relationships and maintaining excellent communication with our clients.
Erin has an Master’s degree in Arts Management from Columbia College, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She lives in Chicago with her husband, John, and their big lovable German Shepherd, Freyja. In her spare time, she enjoys running, yoga, brewing beer, and she volunteers for an independent community radio station, which helps promote local artists and independent voices in the Chicago community.
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Sandy Wise
Software Engineer
Sandy is primarily a back end engineer, who provides both deep system architecture solutions and guiding technical management implementing them. He worked for 22 years for the Laboratory for Advanced Software Engineering Research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he led the creation of the workflow specification language Little-JIL, as well as doing extensive application development in Java. Most recently, he was Senior Software Engineer at Clickshare.
Sandy resides with his family in Western Massachusetts.